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Pre-Law Review

Applications

Author Application

Editor Application

About

The BYU Prelaw Review is one of the only undergraduate prelaw reviews in circulation. Unique in its quality, the BYU Prelaw Journal is well-recognized and annually distributed to each law school across the country. The journal mirrors a typical law review found at any top-tier law program: student-run and published. While many of the authors and editors are preparing for law school, we welcome applicants from all disciplines. Some of our current members are preparing for various graduate programs, and others are preparing for careers in the field of publication and editing. Regardless of what your goals are, the BYU Prelaw Review provides a unique opportunity to students wanting to improve their research, writing, and editing skills.

Because graduate school prepares students for further research in their respective fields, the Prelaw Review is one way to show your preparation. As a published author, you demonstrate your growing ability to research analytically and present meaningful insights. Editors show their abilities in critical review and analysis. As a published journal, the Review accomplishes these purposes and allows students to showcase their skills to a scholarly audience such as law schools. The Prelaw Review acquaints students with different research avenues and the most widely-used legal citation guide, The Bluebook, by Harvard Law Review.

How to Apply

The BYU Prelaw Review consists of undergraduate students from all disciplines and majors. Applications are accepted on an annual cycle. Prospective authors and editors may begin submitting applications near the end of Winter Semester. The requirements are as follows:

  • Author Application - Authors are required to submit an abstract on a topic that they would like to research and write their paper about. This abstract should be approximately 1-2 pages in length and should be a good reflection of the author's writing ability. The abstract should be sent with an application. If wondering how to find a topic, we recommend reading this chapter from Academic Legal Writing, Volokh.
  • Editor Application - Editors are required to submit a resume and application. We value any prior experience that prospective editors may have had with other publications or journals. However, prior experience is not a pre-requisite.

Students may send an email to byuprelawreview@gmail.com with any questions they might have regarding applications.

Application Requirements

After being accepted to the Review, students will be required to take a 2-credit class both Fall and Winter semester. The class is centered on editing and improving papers for publication at the conclusion of the Winter semester. As such, students will be required to attend two hours of class per week that focuses on editing papers and acquiring skills and practices necessary for publication in an academic journal. Out-of-class work consists primarily of proof-reading papers by editors and re-writing portions of the paper by authors. On average, students will spend two to three hours on out-of-class work per week.

After papers are prepared for publication, students are responsible for organizing publicity activities in order to promote the following year’s Review.

Past Issues

The BYU Prelaw Review is one of the only undergraduate law reviews in circulation. Unique in its quality, the BYU Prelaw Journal is well-recognized and annually distributed to every law school across the country. The journal mirrors a typical law review found at any top-tier law program: student-run and published.

We hope that you will enjoy reading the electronic archives of past publications and appreciate what a significant achievement this is for the students involved. We congratulate them for their academic success, and we also would like to acknowledge our Academic Advisor, Kris Tina Carlston - without her enthusiasm, support, and wisdom the Review would not be what it is today.

To view past issues, click here.

For questions or comments regarding the BYU Prelaw Review, please send an email to: byuprelawreview@gmail.com.