Prospective Member Information
Published four times a year, the Arizona State Law Journal features scholarship from leading legal scholars alongside student-written Notes and Comments on emerging areas of law. Journal’s operations and editorial work are led entirely by second-year and third-year students at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. It offers one of the most valuable opportunities to sharpen research and writing skills while contributing directly to legal scholarship, the profession, and the College’s reputation.
All second-year students, known as Staff Writers, share the same primary responsibilities, including cite-checking and source-checking articles, drafting a Note or Comment, supporting a committee of their choice, and helping select articles for publication. After their second year, students take on specialized roles as Editors, focusing on Production, Note & Comment, Articles, or Operations.
Selection Process
Eligibility
Every current College student is eligible to compete for journal membership through the Write-On Competition. The Arizona State Law Journal invites at least thirty-five students to join based on their Write-On scores, with up to five additional students invited based on Journal’s needs.
Transfer students, or current students unable to complete the Write-On Competition for exceptional reasons, may petition the Executive Board for Journal membership. Special Petition candidates must submit (1) a release authorizing the Executive Board to review their academic records on file at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and (2) a statement explaining the exceptional circumstances prompting the petition. Please read more about Special Petitions here.
Write-On Competition
The Write-On Competition, which includes a Bluebook citation quiz and legal memorandum, is held immediately after the spring semester. Students are graded anonymously by exam number. The Bluebook Citation Quiz mirrors a standard cite-check, with 150 to 200 footnotes to correct according to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (22nd ed. 2025). The Memorandum analyzes a fictitious fact pattern and authorities, and must include only an Issue(s) Presented, Brief Answer(s), Discussion, and Conclusion.
Journal weighs Write-On scores as follows: 45% grade-point average through spring, 25% Memorandum, 25% Bluebook Citation Quiz, and 5% Legal Method & Writing and Legal Advocacy grades.
2026 Write-On Competition Information
The 2026 Write-On Competition will take place from 12:00 PM (PST) on Tuesday, May 12 to 12:00 PM (PST) on Thursday, May 14. If this testing date does not work for students, they must email the Write-On Committee Chairs at asujournalwriteon@gmail.com.
To participate in the 2026 Write-On Competition, candidates must complete the 2026 Grade Release Form. This form is necessary because each candidate’s grades factor into their overall Write-On score, regardless of journal. If you did not complete this form at the Mandatory Write-On Meeting, contact asujournalwriteon@gmail.com.
All candidates are welcome to download the Practice Bluebook Exam.