Special Petitions

The Editor-in-Chief may invite a limited number of students pursuant to the Special Petition process. Any transfer student, or any student who is unable to take part in the Write-On Competition because of hardship, may petition for membership.

Hardship Petition

Hardship is an excusable event that precludes completing the write-on problem during the time allotted for the competition (33 hours). Hardship includes, but is not limited to:

A handicap that puts an applicant at a competitive disadvantage
An unforeseeable emergency, illness, or injury.

It is up to the sole discretion of the Editor-in-Chief to determine if the circumstances support hardship and to determine whether an applicant who petitions for membership is invited to join the Journal.

If a student knows they will be unable to participate or complete the Write-On Competition in advance of the competition, they must inform the Write-On Committee Chair of their intent to submit a hardship petition and submit their petition to the Write-On Committee Chair before the Write-On Competition begins.

All other students who seek to petition for membership based on hardship must notify the Write-On Committee Chair of their intent to submit a special petition as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after the end of the Write-On Competition and e-mail the petition to the Write-On Committee Chair as soon as practical after learning of the hardship, and no later than fourteen days after the end of the Write-On Competition. Petitions must include:

Resume that includes GPA and rank. Please remove your name from your resume.
Writing sample of 6 to 12 pages. Please remove your name from the writing sample.
Grade Release; and
Statement of interest detailing the nature of the hardship which prevented the student from participating (or completing) the Write-On Competition, why the student fell below the top fifty percent rank threshold (if applicable), why the student’s grades, credentials and/or Write-On performance do not accurately reflect the student’s ability (if applicable), the reasons for desiring Journal membership, and any other factors the student feels are relevant to the selection process (e.g., diversity, unique skills).

All hardship petition materials are kept strictly confidential. The Write-On Committee Chair will provide an anonymous version of the petition to the current Editor-in-Chief for evaluation.

Transfer Petition

Transfer students are eligible to take the Write-On Exam process if the Write-On Committee Chair has notice by May 1st, at 12:00 pm (PST). Otherwise, transfer students must submit a special petition to be considered for membership on ASLJ. Transfer students must submit a petition for membership to the Write-On Committee Chair no later than July 15th but are encouraged to submit as soon as possible. Petitions must include:

Resume that includes GPA and rank. Please remove your name from your resume;
Writing sample of 6 to 12 pages. Please remove your name from your sample;
Grade Release; and
Statement of interest detailing the reasons for desiring Journal membership and any other factors the student feels are relevant to the selection process (e.g., diversity, unique skills).

The Write-On Committee Chair will provide an anonymous version of the transfer student special petition to the current Editor-in-Chief for evaluation.