| Students applying to transfer to the University of Houston Law Center may participate in the June 15 – July 5 competition as prospective transfers OR the July 27 – August 7 competition as admitted transfers. If you participate in the earlier competition, you will not be notified of the results until after your admissions status has been determined. This change has been implemented to permit transfer students who are admitted to the University and invited to join a journal to participate in firm recruiting events over the summer. If grades from your 1L school have not been released by June 16, you may still participate in the earlier competition, however, an invitation to join a journal is contingent on 1) admission to the University and 2) attainment of the journal’s grade requirements.* |
| * FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS INTERESTED IN THE HOUSTON LAW REVIEW ONLY: If you fall between the top 31% and the top 50% of your class at the school from which you are transferring, or the school from which you are transferring has no comparable ranking system, you may write a brief letter to be submitted with your Casenote explaining why you feel qualified to become a member of the journal notwithstanding the top 30% grade requirement (your school doesn’t have a ranking system, you’re coming from a higher ranked school, etc.). Do not place your name anywhere on the letter. It should be identified only by your “L” number and stapled to the front of your Casenote. |
| For Rising UHLC 2Ls and Prospective Transfer Students: |
| Competition Begins |
Saturday, June 15, 2013, 8:00 am |
| Competition Closes |
Friday, July 5, 2013, 5:00 pm, in the Office of Student Services
- All copies of your paper and the completed identification form must be turned into the Office of Student Services no later than 5:00 p.m.
- Your paper will not be accepted unless you have made one copy for each journal you are applying for and have filled out the identification form before 5:00 p.m. If you still need to make copies or your identification form is not filled out by 5:00 p.m., your submission is considered late and will not be accepted. Please plan accordingly.
- Out of town papers must be postmarked by Friday, July 5, 2013. Your mail-in submission will not be accepted unless it includes one copy of your paper for each journal you are applying for and the completed identification form.
- Mail-in submissions MUST be sent to the Office of Student Services (see address below). DO NOT mail papers directly to the journal for which you are applying.
- International Submissions: IF and ONLY IF you will be out of the country during this summer’s write-on competition, you may submit your paper in .doc or .pdf format to Derrick Gabriel (DGabriel@Central.UH.edu) in Student Services by 5pm, July 5th. Remember that the Honor Code applies in full force to this policy, and you absolutely MUST be out of the country to submit your paper electronically. Please complete the Identification Form and submit it with your paper. Derrick Gabriel MUST receive your electronic copy by the deadline for it to be considered. As with hard copy submissions, DO NOT indicate your identity anywhere in your paper. Once received, Derrick will print out your materials and place them with the regular submissions.
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| Winner Notification |
- Rising UHLC 2L winners will receive invitations from the journals to which they have been selected on Friday, July 12, or Saturday, July 13, 2013. ***Students who submitted their Casenotes via mail may not be notified until the following Monday, July 15, or Tuesday, July 16.***
- Students must respond via email to the journal of their choosing no later than Friday, July 19, 2013.
- Prospective transfer student winners will be notified after they have secured admission to the UHLC.
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| Case: |
Assigned Case will be posted at 8:00am CST on June 15, 2013 on this website.
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| Admitted Transfer Students: |
| Competition Begins |
Saturday, July 29, 2013, 8:00 am |
| Competition Closes |
Wednesday, August 7, 2013, 5:00 pm, in the Office of Student Services
- All copies of your paper and the completed identification form must be turned into the Office of Student Services no later than 5:00 p.m.
- Your paper will not be accepted unless you have made one copy for each journal you are applying for and have filled out the identification form before 5:00 p.m. If you still need to make copies or your identification form is not filled out by 5:00 p.m., your submission is considered late and will not be accepted. Please plan accordingly.
- Out of town papers must be postmarked by Wednesday, August 7, 2013. Your mail-in submission will not be accepted unless it includes one copy of your paper for each journal you are applying for and the completed identification form.
- Mail-in submissions MUST be sent to the Office of Student Services (see address below). DO NOT mail papers directly to the journal for which you are applying
- International Submissions: IF and ONLY IF you will be out of the country during this summer’s write-on competition, you may submit your paper in .doc or .pdf format to Derrick Gabriel (DGabriel@Central.UH.edu) in Student Services by 5pm CST, August 7, 2013. Remember that the Honor Code applies in full force to this policy, and you absolutely MUST be out of the country to submit your paper electronically. Please complete the Identification Form and submit it with your paper. Derrick Gabriel MUST receive your electronic copy by the deadline for it to be considered. As with hard copy submissions, DO NOT indicate your identity anywhere in your paper. Once received, Derrick will print out your materials and place them with the regular submissions.
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| Winner Notification |
- All admitted transfer student winners will be notified on Friday, August 16, 2013.
- Students must respond via email to the journal of their choosing no later than Friday, August 23, 2013.
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| Case: |
Assigned Case will be posted at 8:00 am CST on July 27, 2013 on this website.
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| All Students |
| The requirements to participate in the write-on competition vary by journal. They are as follows: |
| Houston Law Review |
- Completed first year of program
- Two full years remaining in law school
- Top 30% of class year or section*
*Transfer students see “Competition Policy for Transfer Students” above |
| Houston Journal of International Law |
- Completed first year of program
- Two full years remaining in law school
- Top 50% of class year or section
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| Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy |
- Completed first year of program
- Two full years remaining in law school
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| Houston Business and Tax Law Journal |
- Completed first year of program
- Two full years remaining in law school
- Top 50% of class year or section
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| Paper Format |
The submission this year will be a Casenote. The content must meet the following criteria:
- 20 – 30 pages, including footnotes
- Time New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced in both the body and the footnotes
- 50/50 text to footnote ratio
- Blue Book Citation
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| Identification of Papers |
| Do NOT put your name ANYWHERE on your paper. Create a header and type your PeopleSoft number on the top right hand corner of your paper. Transfer students, please use your “L” number, used on your transfer application. Fill out the Write On Competition Identification Form (pdf) and turn it in with your paper. |
| If you are mailing your submission, it must be mailed to the Office of Student Services to maintain confidentiality. Submissions mailed directly to the Houston Law Review will not be accepted. Use the following address: |
The Office of Student Services
University of Houston Law Center
100 Law Center, Suite 30
Houston, TX 77204-6060 |
| Choice of Competition Indication |
| You may compete for any number of journals for which you meet the grade requirements using the same casenote. Turn in one copy of your casenote for EACH journal whose competition you are entering. Tell us in order of preference which journals you want by filling out the applicable section on your Write-On Competition Identification Form (pdf) that will be turned in with the copies of your paper. Please be sure to indicate your preference even if you are competing for only one journal. |
| Further Information |
Helpful Information for writing your Casenote:
- The University of Houston Law Center’s Honor Code is in effect for this competition and every Law Center competition. Make sure you are familiar with its rules as they will be strictly enforced. Among those rules are the following: 1) You may not discuss the legal theories, cite form, grammar, word choice, or any other aspect of your paper with ANY OTHER PERSON 2) You may not have any other person proofread your paper.
- Remember to get your Westlaw or Lexis access extended through the summer. The representatives are happy to do this, just contact them. It is not a violation of the honor code to ask for help with your research from sources such as:
Lexis contact number: 1-800-543-6862
Westlaw contact number: 1-800-850-WEST (1-800-850-9378)
UHLC Reference Librarians
It IS a violation of the honor code to have anyone read what you have written before you turn in your note.
- UPDATED:Video from Professor Tobi Tabor’s Write-on Competition Workshop, June 12, 2010 (Part 1)
- Professor Tabor’s Handout #1 (PDF)
- Professor Tabor’s Handout #2 (PDF)
- Volokh’s Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, Seminar Papers, and Getting on Law Review, 4th Edition by Eugene Volokh.
- Write On Competition Handouts 2013
- Write On Informational PowerPoint 2013
- 2013 Casenote Writing Workshop PowerPoint
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| Still have questions? |
| All questions must be directed to the Notes and Comments Editors of the journals. Advice given by any other person will not ensure that your concerns will be properly addressed. We will try to be as accommodating as possible, so long as our decisions ensure the fairness of the competition to all participants. For your convenience contact information is provided below. |
| Houston Law Review |
Thomas DeBauche – Chief Notes & Comments Editor
tadebauch@central.uh.edu |
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Kelly Ferrell – Senior Notes & Comments Editor
krander3@Central.UH.EDU |
| Houston Journal of International Law |
Megan Davis – Head Casenotes & Comments Editor
mlwdavis@Central.UH.EDU |
| Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy |
Barbara Fox – Chief Notes & Comments Editor
bjfox@central.uh.edu |
| Houston Business & Tax Law Journal |
Lisa Steffek – Chief Notes & Comments Editor
lmsteffe@central.uh.edu |
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