Academic Journals

The USD School of Law is proud of the fact that the San Diego Law Review, the Journal of Climate and Energy Law and the San Diego International Law Journal are all run entirely by our students. Each publication is directed by its respective Editorial Boards, which generally consist of an editor-in-chief, a managing editor, a chief articles editor, a chief comments editor, articles editors and comments editors (although the SDLR employs an expanded editorial board). Assistant Director for Law Journals, Brigid Bennett, retains oversight of the production of each law journal.

To learn more about our law school journals or for questions, please feel free to email her at bbennett@sandiego.edu.

Although there is not a predetermined number, to ensure that the University of San Diego School of Law has the opportunity to share contributions by its most talented and promising writers, typically between 25 to 45 students are selected per journal. Students are encouraged to start preparing early to put forth their best effort since it requires dedication and hard work to become one of the elite contributors to the University of San Diego School of Law’s prestigious journals.

As a University of San Diego School of Law student, you have an exciting opportunity to showcase your writing skills and gain valuable experience through the Write-On Competition. Each journal maintains its own eligibility restrictions, so we recommend referring to the specific qualifications for each when making an informed decision about participating in the Write-On Competition.

Achieving membership in a law school journal represents a profound opportunity for you, but it comes with significant responsibilities. All journal members are expected to complete a "comment" (at least 30 pages in length) delving into an interesting and controversial law topic. You'll receive individualized editing assistance from a member of the editorial board and your chosen faculty member. Once your Comment is finalized, it will be reviewed by the Journal's Student Articles Publication Committee. Your faculty advisor will sign off for 1-2 units of credit. Exceptional papers that display both quality and interest may be published in the respective journal.

Membership also requires you to ensure the overall quality of the publication by assisting with the editorial processing of articles written by both institutional and student authors.

Membership in a law school journal is an outstanding way for you to enhance your legal writing skills, cultivate valuable connections and make a lasting impact in the legal field. Moreover, it offers an incredible opportunity for you to advance your legal career and take a significant step toward sustainable success.

The University of San Diego School of Law takes pride in the consideration and thought that goes into selecting only the most qualified and dedicated individuals from the respective journal’s membership ranks to serve on the editorial board.

Being invited to serve is a great honor, and also a considerable time commitment. The process, which is the responsibility of the outgoing editorial board, culminates in recognition of the hard work and dedication of individuals who have made significant contributions to their field. Once selected, members will assume the responsibility of overseeing the peer-review process and ensuring that the journal is consistently superlative in its field.

It is of utmost importance to the University of San Diego School of Law that we maintain the highest standards of excellence in our academic publications; therefore, we invite students to consider sharing new and innovative ideas that may improve our selection process. Students who are interested in serving on an editorial board, or who have any questions about the process are encouraged to reach out to us at the contact information noted below.