Penn Journals Forum

[Anonymous User]

Any news from JIL?

I was wondering the same thing.

[Anonymous User]

Cool. I'm going crazy now. Anyone hear anything from any journal?

[Anonymous User]

I got super nervous and emailed Gary, I got JIL and have yet to get a call. Hope the info helps.

[Anonymous User]

So the only journal people haven't heard back from is JIL?

[Anonymous User]

JIL sent out an email to those who were selected.

[Anonymous User]

So all is done? Everybody happy?

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

For future 1Ls who are interested, it was definitely the case this year that you could write onto LR by completing less than 2/3 of the 15 page edit. Quality, not quantity seemed to matter.

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

Of course no one knows for sure how they got on LR, but there's a decent amount of anecdotal evidence suggesting this to be the case.

[Anonymous User]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

I.e., you have no real evidence and are just speculating because that's just what people to do to make sense of situations such as these.

[Anonymous User]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

I.e., you have no real evidence and are just speculating because that's just what people to do to make sense of situations such as these.

Well, the anecdotal evidence I speak of is the fact that my grades, along with those of 4 others that I know of that also made LR, were within this range. Sure, we could have all written on/"PS'd on", but I find it unlikely that there wasn't a single grade-on among the five of us. I could certainly be wrong, and it's possible that my circle of friends really just has exceptional facility with the Bluebook.

Just trying to be helpful, since I found little information on this topic when I was searching for it.

[HeavenWood]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

I.e., you have no real evidence and are just speculating because that's just what people to do to make sense of situations such as these.

Well, the anecdotal evidence I speak of is the fact that my grades, along with those of 4 others that I know of that also made LR, were within this range. Sure, we could have all written on/"PS'd on", but I find it unlikely that there wasn't a single grade-on among the five of us. I could certainly be wrong, and it's possible that my circle of friends really just has exceptional facility with the Bluebook.

Just trying to be helpful, since I found little information on this topic when I was searching for it.

Honestly, does it really matter at this point? Those of us who got law review got it. Those of us who didn't, didn't.

[Anonymous User]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

Perhaps there is transparency on how admittance to LR works, I just do not know where to find it.

What you are saying makes antidotal sense ― top grades combined with top half writing [practically] secures LR admittance. Wouldn’t that scenario effectively preclude those with median grades and good writing to get a LR spot? I suppose one way to learn more is to ask if anyone here with median grades managed to write-on.

[Anonymous User]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

Perhaps there is transparency on how admittance to LR works, I just do not know where to find it.

What you are saying makes antidotal sense ― top grades combined with top half writing [practically] secures LR admittance. Wouldn’t that scenario effectively preclude those with median grades and good writing to get a LR spot? I suppose one way to learn more is to ask if anyone here with median grades managed to write-on.

For posterity’s sake, here is how LR selects candidates (as per the committee’s 2012 selection criteria posted on the Goat):

There are 3 ways to be selected for LR. One way is to “write on,” another is to "grade on," and yet another has to do with one's personal statement. To "write on" you must have high scores on both your edit (which is worth 60% of your score) and your essay (which is worth 40% of your score) and you must be in the top 2/3 of the class. (Of course, it goes without saying, that you ranked LR #1 in your choice of journals.) I believe 22 candidates are selected based on their writing composite score.

The second way to be selected for LR is to "grade on." With "grade on" LR selects 22 individuals with the highest GPAs who also scored within the top 1/2 of the writing competition (meaning the Essay and Edit portion). I believe those who "write on" are taken out of the pool of candidates before LR selects the "grade ons." If that is the case, then it is possible that some with the highest GPAs merely wrote on, but would have been selected for the grade on as well.

The third way one may be selected for LR is based on his or her personal statement. Eleven folks are selected this way. The LR committee takes the top 50 candidates whose combined GPA and writing composite scores are the highest. GPA and writing scores are weighed evenly (50/50). After the 50 have been selected then the LR committee looks at the personal statements and selects 11 individuals based on the content of the PS.

As for whether the candidate knows exactly how he or she was selected, I suppose it would be difficult to discern without asking someone who was involved in the selection committee.

[Anonymous User]

The third way one may be selected for LR is based on his or her personal statement. Eleven folks are selected this way. The LR committee takes the top 50 candidates whose combined GPA and writing composite scores are the highest. GPA and writing scores are weighed evenly (50/50). After the 50 have been selected then the LR committee looks at the personal statements and selects 11 individuals based on the content of the PS

This is out of pure curiosity, but who is on the "LR committee"? I can't remember if they specified this like they did with who would be grading the other portions. Do all LR members read the personal statements to decide which ones to choose? Or is it just the board members? Just curious about how many people potentially read my personal statement, as it was pretty personal. Although I realize it's still anonymous

[Anonymous User]

For posterity’s sake, here is how LR selects candidates (as per the committee’s 2012 selection criteria posted on the Goat): . . . .

Very enlightening. Not knowing how an estimated 3.4 GPA would figure into my LR chances I presumed I needed to be one of the top 25 write-ons. My guess was that a few people grading-on also aced the writing portion, thus freeing up a couple of spots.

EDIT: Did anyone ever figure out the GPA ranges for top 25%, 50% 75% (or in thirds, whatever works). Or top 10% (which I heard might be difficult to determine).

[Anonymous User]

For posterity’s sake, here is how LR selects candidates (as per the committee’s 2012 selection criteria posted on the Goat): . . . .

Very enlightening. Not knowing how an estimated 3.4 GPA would figure into my LR chances I presumed I needed to be one of the top 25 write-ons. My guess was that a few people grading-on also aced the writing portion, thus freeing up a couple of spots.

EDIT: Did anyone ever figure out the GPA ranges for top 25%, 50% 75% (or in thirds, whatever works). Or top 10% (which I heard might be difficult to determine).

Also, I think the grade-on cutoff is lower than one might expect because, in addition to students with top grades who end up writing on, there are definitely at least a handful of people with top GPAs who don't end up in the top half of the writing competition, thus pushing the minimum grade-on GPA lower.

[ajaxconstructions]

Also, it seems like the mid-to-high 3.6 GPA range was sufficient to grade onto LR, provided you were in the top half of the writing competition.

I.e., you have no real evidence and are just speculating because that's just what people to do to make sense of situations such as these.

Well, the anecdotal evidence I speak of is the fact that my grades, along with those of 4 others that I know of that also made LR, were within this range. Sure, we could have all written on/"PS'd on", but I find it unlikely that there wasn't a single grade-on among the five of us. I could certainly be wrong, and it's possible that my circle of friends really just has exceptional facility with the Bluebook.

Just trying to be helpful, since I found little information on this topic when I was searching for it.

Honestly, does it really matter at this point? Those of us who got law review got it. Those of us who didn't, didn't.

Sorry you didn't get LR

[r6_philly]

Sorry you didn't get LR

I dare you to post this under your own username.

[Old Gregg]

Sorry you didn't get LR

Sorry you didn't get HYS

[r6_philly]

Sorry you didn't get LR

Sorry you didn't get HYS

This is not any better.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry you didn't get LR

Sorry you didn't get HYS

This is not any better.

Just a taste of his own medicine.

I didn't go to HYS either lol

[HeavenWood]

.

[dpk711]

A lot of egregious misuse of the anonymous function in this thread I see.

[bk1]

A lot of egregious misuse of the anonymous function in this thread I see.

A report would have been appreciated. PSA:

1. Anon is not to make fun of other posters.
2. Anon is also not to criticize others for anonabuse (even if it is deserved and done in a funny manner).

Now everyone get back on topic.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone post the name and/or e-mail of the JBL EIC? I'm not sure I wrote it down correctly. Thanks.