Law Review Forum

[Anonymous User]

I just got notified that I wrote on to my schools LR. (Yay?)

Two questions:

1) Can I in good conscious accept even though I am waiting on transfer decisions. If accepted on a transfer I would probably go.

2) Should I send an updated resume on my outstanding applications? My worst grade was in my legal writing class, and I want to demonstrate that I can, in fact, write.

Thanks in advance.

[UnfrozenCaveman]

They should anticipate the possibility of transfers, right?

[lasersgopewpew]

2) Should I send an updated resume on my outstanding applications? My worst grade was in my legal writing class, and I want to demonstrate that I can, in fact, write.

You'll have to find a way to do so that defeats the presumption you graded on to law review, anyway.

[rechtsanwalt12]

I just got notified that I wrote on to my schools LR. (Yay?)

Two questions:

1) Can I in good conscious accept even though I am waiting on transfer decisions. If accepted on a transfer I would probably go.

2) Should I send an updated resume on my outstanding applications? My worst grade was in my legal writing class, and I want to demonstrate that I can, in fact, write.

Thanks in advance.

What are people's thought re: 1) above? Obviously the self-interested position is clearly to accept an offer to join LR, but what's the ethical position here? Especially when there is a policy in place that you simply cannot accept if you plan to transfer?

(I know I know - asking TLS forums for the ethical position is almost like, as John Oliver put it, asking a dingo to babysit your baby)

[Tanicius]

I just got notified that I wrote on to my schools LR. (Yay?)

Two questions:

1) Can I in good conscious accept even though I am waiting on transfer decisions. If accepted on a transfer I would probably go.

2) Should I send an updated resume on my outstanding applications? My worst grade was in my legal writing class, and I want to demonstrate that I can, in fact, write.

Thanks in advance.

What are people's thought re: 1) above? Obviously the self-interested position is clearly to accept an offer to join LR, but what's the ethical position here? Especially when there is a policy in place that you simply cannot accept if you plan to transfer?

(I know I know - asking TLS forums for the ethical position is almost like, as John Oliver put it, asking a dingo to babysit your baby)

If there's a policy in place saying you can't say yes if you plan to transfer, then you can't accept, period.

[shock259]

Do you have a hard deadline by which you have to accept? When is it? Definitely don't turn down law review until you have acceptances in hand and know you are transferring.

I think an updated resume would be a good thing to send. Perhaps you could put something like:

X Law Review (invited via write-on competition)

Sounds cheesy, but it's worth noting and I don't know another way to do it.

[BVest]

Define "plan to transfer." I would say it depends on the wording. If it simply says "plan to transfer" and you've got no offers, you may be wanting to transfer, but you're not planning to do anything.

[saintsfan200]

Define "plan to transfer." I would say it depends on the wording. If it simply says "plan to transfer" and you've got no offers, you may be wanting to transfer, but you're not planning to do anything.

Agreed, further it doesn't say you can't apply to transfer correct? Transfer cycles can be very unpredictable, so you can't really "plan" on anything until you see what your offers are.

[derfs]

Congrats on LR. It really depends on your school on whether you can accept a spot on LR. My school gives you 24 hours to decide, and if you accept, you are - on your honor - stating that you will be coming back to the school 2L year.

[rechtsanwalt12]

Thanks for your replies. I don't find out about transfer apps for a month and my school does the 24 hour decision window on LR too. I have to expect that some people transfer after accepting such positions at most law schools, including mine, every year. I don't know of any official, written "policy" to lawyer myself around. But like I said, its got to be fairly common practice.

If I knew I was transferring there's no way I'd accept. But nothing's guaranteed so who knows if I'll even have the option to transfer - I didn't do EA anywhere so no word yet from the schools. I don't think I can derail my career (I want a postgrad clerkship) by actually turning down the chance to be on a journal.

[johnB86]

You need to accept the LR position as a hedge against the possibility that you aren't able to transfer. Schools and LR boards know that top students transfer and the policy is not really enforceable (what's the consequence if you do transfer?!). Ethically, let your own moral compass guide you here but at the very least give notice the second you know you're transferring.

[beef1989]

You attended Duke for you undergrad. There is only one person in the W&L class of 2016 who attended Duke.

Congrats, Stewart, on law review. This is even worse than PJ's post.

[Tanicius]

^LOL

[pcjudge]

I appear to have pissed at least one person off

Edit: now you've gone and hurt my feelings, I hope you're happy

[DoveBodyWash]

LOL

[lhanvt13]

You attended Duke for you undergrad. There is only one person in the W&L class of 2016 who attended Duke.

Congrats, [redacted], on law review. This is even worse than PJ's post.

[deleted]

[DoveBodyWash]

Ya'll w&l bros are rough on a brother hahaha

[sv0622]

Wait when did you apply to transfer? Most people I know who have applied to T10 / T14 have heard back already. You may want to follow-up to figure what the hold up is.

On the LR point, I have heard that some schools will not give letters of good standing if students pull something like that - it may be a horror story but something to think about.

[lhanvt13]

Wait when did you apply to transfer? Most people I know who have applied to T10 / T14 have heard back already. You may want to follow-up to figure what the hold up is.

On the LR point, I have heard that some schools will not give letters of good standing if students pull something like that - it may be a horror story but something to think about.

I've heard similar stories. May be something to look into

[transferror]

Wait when did you apply to transfer? Most people I know who have applied to T10 / T14 have heard back already. You may want to follow-up to figure what the hold up is.

On the LR point, I have heard that some schools will not give letters of good standing if students pull something like that - it may be a horror story but something to think about.

I've heard similar stories. May be something to look into

Letters of good standing should be sent in early-mid June. Most LR's don't decide until late June. I understand this dilemma for schools on the quarter system, but for everyone else, how would you have to decide on accepting LR prior to sending letters of GS?

[sv0622]

I get that his original letter of good standing was already sent but if accepting is "on your honor" that you will not transfer, transferring would be an honor violation. Seems like the school could rescind the letter of good standing if they wanted to at that point.