​Annual Write-On Competition

How does Law Review select its members?

Students are eligible for San Diego Law Review membership at the conclusion of their first year of matriculation at the University of San Diego School of Law.  Eligible students can follow one of two routes to Law Review membership. The first is through the Write-On Competition, which is a cooperative effort between the San Diego Law Review, the San Diego International Law Journal and the San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law. This competition enables interested students to apply to all three journals at the same time.

The second route to Law Review membership is through the Law Review's automatic-invitation policy: the top 2.5% of the 1L full-time class at the end of the first semester is invited to join Law Review, regardless of participation in the Write-On Competition.

Can I wait until next year to participate in the Write-On Competition? Can I gain acceptance to Law Review based on my second-year grades?

No. Students are only eligible to participate in the Write-On Competition at the conclusion of their first year of matriculation at the Law School.   

Second-year full-time and part-time students, and students pursuing an LLM degree are ineligible to participate.

What is the Write-On Competition?

The Write-On Competition is a ten-day competition that takes place immediately after spring exams.  The competition has two components: (1) a two-issue closed universe memorandum, and (2) twenty Bluebook citation corrections.  Participants will be assessed according to writing style, legal analysis, organization, and Bluebook accuracy.  Participants may not discuss any aspect of the competition with anyone once the materials are distributed.

The Write-On memorandum consists of a legal problem that each competitor must analyze and address using only the materials provided by the competition's administrators; no additional research is allowed. Students then prepare responses, no longer than ten pages that address the problem's legal issues. Students must also perform a citation edit using The Bluebook. Entries to the Write-On Competition are graded anonymously, and selection into Law Review is entirely merit-based. All competitors must do their own work and shall not confer with other competitors about the Write-On problem. Cooperative efforts will be deemed an Honor Code violation and will be reported as such to the Honor Court.

How many people will the Law Review accept through the Write-On Competition?

The number is not predetermined; however, the San Diego Law Review usually accepts 35 to 45 students every year. 

Write-On Competition Important Dates 

2023 Write-on Competition:  

Write-On Competition Information site

Write-On Competition Download (TWEN):

May 13, 2023, 8:00 a.m. - May 16, 2023, 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Write-On Competition Upload (TWEN):

May 14, 2023, 1:00 am - May 23, 2023, 8:00 p.m. PDT.  NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS TIME.  We encourage students to visit our TWEN site because all the writing competition information is posted there. The course name is "2023 Write-On Competition for SDLR, SDILJ and JCEL."

Write-On Competition Offers:

The San Diego Law Review will send out offers via email beginning on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 8:00 am.  Students who participated in the Write-On Competition should check their emails at that time.

Transfer Students

Write-On Competition Download (TWEN):

Friday, July 14, 2023, at 10:30 pm - Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PDT. All participating students will have access to the competition site on TWEN where procedural questions may be asked and will be answered. Substantive or irrelevant questions will not be answered. Competitors may not discuss any aspect of the competition with anyone once the materials are distributed. The Honor Code governs the competition, and any violation will result in disqualification from consideration.

Write-On Competition Upload (TWEN):

Saturday, July 15, 2023, 12:00 a.m. - Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 11:59 p.m. PDT. NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS TIME. We encourage students to visit our TWEN site because all the writing competition information is posted there. The course name is "2023 Write-On Competition for SDLR, SDILJ, and JCEL."

General Competition Questions: usdwriteoncompetition@gmail.com.

2024 Write-On Competition 

The 2024 Write-On Competition is expected to begin on Saturday, May 11, 2024, and conclude on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Information sessions will be held throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.  Any questions about the Write-On Competition should be emailed to usdwriteoncompetition@gmail.com.