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how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:01 pm
by Anonymous User
Got rejected by Mich Law Reform. I guess that means law review is gone as well since I used the same writing sample.

my understanding is that being on a journal does not give much of a boost. my question is does NOT being on a journal hurt the chance of landing a CB from the more selective firms?

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:03 pm
by 09042014
Are there more than two journals?

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:17 pm
by Cavalier
Doesn't matter much for OCI purposes. At UVA where there are ten million journals, not having a journal makes one stand out, but whether or not this actually hurts one's chances is debatable. Employers already have grades to look at; I can't imagine they care too much if one student has Virginia Journal of Insurance in North America on their resume and another doesn't. And if Michigan has fewer journals than UVA (such that a significant number are not on a journal), then it will matter even less.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:21 pm
by Helmholtz
Desert Fox wrote:Are there more than two journals?
I think Michigan has something like a 4:1 student:secondary-journal ratio, although the mainstream thought at the school is that the only ones that might help for OCI, etc. are MJLR and MJIL (MJLR more so than MJIL).

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:29 pm
by MarkL234
How did you find out you were rejected? Did they send an email?

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:29 pm
by Helmholtz
MarkL234 wrote:How did you find out you were rejected? Did they send an email?
I think they sent a snail-mail letter to the people who were accepted. Not entirely sure, but I'm guessing that OP assumed that no letter = ding.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:35 pm
by 09042014
Helmholtz wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Are there more than two journals?
I think Michigan has something like a 4:1 student:secondary-journal ratio, although the mainstream thought at the school is that the only ones that might help for OCI, etc. are MJLR and MJIL (MJLR more so than MJIL).
I'm so jealous. That plus pass/fail LRW is total win.

NU has so many everyone gets one, so you are expected to have it.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:44 pm
by Helmholtz
To answer the OP's question, I don't think not being on a journal would hurt, per se. They probably just assume that you missed the MLR+MJLR boat and I don't think anybody's going to blame you for not joining the Race & Law, Gender & Law, Environmental Law, etc. journal just to do something. That being said, I would look for other things to do. The only tangible boost you're going to get at OCI for a "lower" secondary journal is showing that you can juggle a full schedule, so make sure that you have other things on your plate if you choose to go no-journal. I should also add that this is what I have gathered from 3Ls, not from personal experience.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:48 pm
by goodolgil
Do you know when they started sending out letters? When I moved out of the dorms I stupidly gave them my mom's house as a forwarding address (couldn't rememebr my actual summer address) so I dunno what type of summer mail I've been receiving.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 6:50 pm
by Helmholtz
goodolgil wrote:Do you know when they started sending out letters? When I moved out of the dorms I stupidly gave them my mom's house as a forwarding address (couldn't rememebr my actual summer address) so I dunno what type of summer mail I've been receiving.
They probably sent them out the 14th or 15th, from what I understand.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:00 pm
by Anonymous User
I was also rejected by MJLR, via snail mail letter received June 17th. Not a surprise, really; I was so fried, I put together an absolutely terrible application.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:34 pm
by Anonymous User
I honestly wouldn't be shocked if I get rejected by all the secondaries. When I was working on the LR write-on, I thought I was taking too long and didn't think there was anyway I would be able to get to the secondary apps based on everyone saying how long the cite-checking exercise took. But I ended up finishing the LR note at like 10am the day it was due and decided to give the secondaries a shot--what followed was a blazing through the of the cite-check, personal statements and note proposals. I can't imagine my applications being any good and I know for a fact that I had a few mistakes on the cite-check (something which I doubt other people who spent even a full day on it did; it wasn't too difficult).

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:17 pm
by Bobby Dazzler
Does being on journal/law review ever make you competitive against someone with slightly higher grades, or does it only give you a boost over those with similar grades but without journal/LR? Specifically in terms of firm hiring.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:14 pm
by Anonymous User
does anyone know when the MTTLR results come out? thanks!

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:15 pm
by bjsesq
Desert Fox wrote:
Helmholtz wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Are there more than two journals?
I think Michigan has something like a 4:1 student:secondary-journal ratio, although the mainstream thought at the school is that the only ones that might help for OCI, etc. are MJLR and MJIL (MJLR more so than MJIL).
I'm so jealous. That plus pass/fail LRW is total win.

NU has so many everyone gets one, so you are expected to have it.
:|

Fuck you.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:19 pm
by booboo
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:
Helmholtz wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Are there more than two journals?
I think Michigan has something like a 4:1 student:secondary-journal ratio, although the mainstream thought at the school is that the only ones that might help for OCI, etc. are MJLR and MJIL (MJLR more so than MJIL).
I'm so jealous. That plus pass/fail LRW is total win.

NU has so many everyone gets one, so you are expected to have it.
:|

Fuck you.
The internet isn't a place for people to get mad.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:21 pm
by bjsesq
booboo wrote:The internet isn't a place for people to get mad.
Resume your participation in the BP, 0L.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:34 pm
by 09042014
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:
Helmholtz wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Are there more than two journals?
I think Michigan has something like a 4:1 student:secondary-journal ratio, although the mainstream thought at the school is that the only ones that might help for OCI, etc. are MJLR and MJIL (MJLR more so than MJIL).
I'm so jealous. That plus pass/fail LRW is total win.

NU has so many everyone gets one, so you are expected to have it.
:|

Fuck you.
Trial Team > TTThird Tier Journal.

And I'm not even sure I'm going to get one. I'm not really literate and I didn't try.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:35 pm
by bjsesq
Desert Fox wrote:Trial Team > TTThird Tier Journal.

And I'm not even sure I'm going to get one. I'm not really literate and I didn't try.
The JTIP thing was pretty damn funny, man.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:37 pm
by 09042014
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Trial Team > TTThird Tier Journal.

And I'm not even sure I'm going to get one. I'm not really literate and I didn't try.
The JTIP thing was pretty damn funny, man.
Worst part is they are my best hope still.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:39 pm
by bjsesq
Desert Fox wrote:
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Trial Team > TTThird Tier Journal.

And I'm not even sure I'm going to get one. I'm not really literate and I didn't try.
The JTIP thing was pretty damn funny, man.
Worst part is they are my best hope still.
Yikes. When do you find out?

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:44 pm
by 09042014
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:Trial Team > TTThird Tier Journal.

And I'm not even sure I'm going to get one. I'm not really literate and I didn't try.
The JTIP thing was pretty damn funny, man.
Worst part is they are my best hope still.
Yikes. When do you find out?
A month from now or something.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:45 pm
by bjsesq
Desert Fox wrote:A month from now or something.
As if you didn't have enough shit to worry about.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:49 pm
by 09042014
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:A month from now or something.
As if you didn't have enough shit to worry about.
I really don't give a fuck anymore. After finding out that other top schools don't have TTThird Tier Journals, I bet it's less of a problem than people make it out to be.

Also I've heard literally everyone gets on one.

Worst case I have to do moot court, and I'll claim I am going to do clinics.

Journals are retarded. There is nothing substantive about them, other than the note you write.

Re: how important is journal participation

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:52 pm
by bjsesq
Desert Fox wrote:
bjsesq wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:A month from now or something.
As if you didn't have enough shit to worry about.
I really don't give a fuck anymore. After finding out that other top schools don't have TTThird Tier Journals, I bet it's less of a problem than people make it out to be.

Also I've heard literally everyone gets on one.

Worst case I have to do moot court, and I'll claim I am going to do clinics.

Journals are retarded. There is nothing substantive about them, other than the note you write.
I suspect I'll do moot next year no matter what. Mostly because I'm an attention whore and oral arguments are sweet as hell.