Legal Forum Topic Access Program
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LEGAL FORUM | TOPIC ACCESS MEMO
1111 EAST 60TH STREET CHICAGO • ILLINOIS 60637
June 14, 2023
Dear rising 2Ls and 3Ls:
We invite you to apply to join the staff of The University of Chicago Legal Forum through our Topic Access Program. This letter describes the Legal Forum, the responsibilities of staff members, and our Topic Access Program.
The Topic Access Program offers an alternative path to membership on the Legal Forum for students who did not participate in the Writing Competition or were not offered membership through that process. If you have questions, please contact the Topic Access & Recruitment Editor, Jamye Selby (jselby@uchicago.edu). Should you wish to consider or begin the process, Jamye will be assigned as your primary contact and will work closely with you as you complete the process.
Who We Are
The University of Chicago Legal Forum, first published in 1986, is the Law School’s second-oldest journal. Our yearly publication is based on a unique approach to legal academia: we focus on a single cutting-edge legal issue each year, presenting an authoritative and timely approach to the selected topic.
Each fall, the Legal Forum hosts a symposium on the year’s selected topic, and the participants contribute articles for the volume. Legal Forum Staffers can expect to edit innovative and timely scholarship on the topic, in addition to writing their own Comments. Recent topics have included “Borders and Boundaries,” “The Body,” “Law in the Era of #MeToo,” “Law for the Next Pandemic,” “Does Election Law Serve the Electorate?,” and “The Civil Rights Act at 50 Years.”
Since our founding, several eminent members of academia, the judiciary, and the bar have participated in the Legal Forum symposia. Prior participants and published authors include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Judge Richard Posner, Judge Frank Easterbrook, Judge Diane Wood, Judge Abner Mikva, Judge Patricia Wald, Judge Danny Boggs, Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, Dean Lee Bollinger, Professor Randall Kennedy, Professor Cass Sunstein, Professor Lani Guinier, Professor David Strauss, Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Professor Aziz Huq, among many other distinguished scholars.
In addition to promoting legal scholarship, the Legal Forum affords students the opportunity to research, write, and publish a Comment. Staff members also learn a great deal of substantive law through their editing responsibilities and Comment writing.
The Topic Access Program
Our Topic Access Program mirrors the Comment-writing process that first-year Legal Forum Staffers complete. Acceptance onto the Legal Forum through the Topic Access Program does not necessarily require that a participant write a Comment that will be or should be published. Similarly, the Topic Access Program does not require a participant aspire to serve on the journal’s Executive or Editorial Board. Above all, the Legal Forum is looking for curious individuals seeking to improve their research and writing skills.
The Legal Forum’s Topic Access Program has four steps. First, participants must complete a brief Topic Proposal (1,000-1,500 words, including footnotes). This proposal must related to our annual topic; this year, our Volume will be about “Reimagining National Security.” Participants should strive to isolate an area of the law in which either (1) a conflict exists among authorities – whether it be among federal circuit courts, federal district courts, or state courts – that requires resolution; or (2) there are inadequacies in the law that need revision. A good Topic Proposal describes a narrow and specific legal issue, provides sufficient background information, and suggests some approaches to discuss the legal issue through a Comment. Applicants must submit their Topic Proposal before 5:00 pm CST on September 3, 2023 to participate in Topic Access.
Second, participants must complete a Topic Analysis. The goal of a Topic Analysis is to determine if the idea in another Topic Proposal is worth pursuing in a Comment. The Topic Analysis is an in-depth research analysis of the Topic Proposal, mostly concerned with ensuring that the topic proposed has not or likely will not be preempted. The Topic Analysis should be 2,000—2,500 words (including footnotes). Applicants must submit their Topic Analysis before 5:00pm CST on September 11, 2023.
Third, participants will complete a Prospectus. The Prospectus is the state in the Topic Access Program in which your Comment begins to take shape. The Prospectus is an extended outline of your argument that clearly describes your topic, your arguments, and your responses to counterarguments. The Prospectus should be 7,000—10,000 words (including footnotes). Participants must submit their Prospectus before 5:00 pm CST on November 5, 2023.
Finally, participants submit the First Draft of their Comment. This Draft should be between 8,000—13,000 words (including footnotes). This Draft is due before 5:00pm CST on January 12, 2024.
Participants are admitted to the Legal Forum as a staff member if the Executive Board and Topic Access & Recruitment Editor determine their work is of publishable quality. We will consider the Comment’s substance, organization, and technical accuracy. Participants can expect a membership decision within a month of submitting a First Draft.
The Topic Access Program Timeline
The following is a tentative timeline of the 2023 Topic Access Program. Please keep in mind that the following deadlines are subject to change before the start of the Program. Jamye will communicate any changes to those who express interest in the Program. While we expect no material changes to the dates above, please do not hesitate to reach out directly with any questions about the timeline.
Starting the Topic Access Program earlier does not give you an advantage over other participants with respect to admission, as each participant’s timeline is individualized. The only advantage to starting the Topic Access Program earlier is improving one’s chances of being selected for publication in the Legal Forum’s annual volume. Participants who being in summer/fall and are granted membership will be considered for publication. Publication is unlikely for participants beginning for the winter and spring, due to the Legal Forum’s publication timeline.
Please note that while it is not required for Topic Access participants to attend the Legal Forum’s Symposium, which will be held in early November, attendance is encouraged.
Staff Responsibilities
Participants who become Staff Members through the Topic Access Program can expect to follow the regular staff member timeline of assignments and responsibilities. Relevant timeliness will be announced, but please feel free to email Executive Editor Joe Lorenzini at jlornzn2@uchicago.edu should you have any questions or concerns.
The three main responsibilities of staff members are writing a publishable Comment, editing both Comments and Articles, and participating in our fall Symposium. Membership on the Legal Forum is a two-year commitment. Staff members will earn three credits for their time on the journal.
Staff members actively contribute to the editorial functions of the Legal Forum. Beginning in the summer and continuing throughout the academic year, Staffers will be responsible for at least one editorial cite check, one publication cite check, and participation in Edit-Fest. In general, a cite check involves gathering the sources cited in an article, reading those sources for accuracy, and correcting Bluebook formatting and citations. The Legal Forum Executive Board strives to make the workload manageable and predictable for new Staffers.
Throughout the year, staff members also work on their Comments. Journal membership requires completion of a Comment of publishable quality, which satisfies the SRP graduation requirement. Members work under the guidance of the Executive Comments Editor and a Comments Editor, both of whom provide feedback throughout the writing process. Members are also assigned a Faculty Advisor. Faculty Advisors provide review and guidance during the drafting process. They also determine if members should receive SRP credit and/or three course credits for their Comments.
Why the Work is Worth It
The Legal Forum values personal growth, development, and excellence. We hope to provide a home for the ambitious, curious student who wants to engage with and think deeply about the law. Along the way, we will help improve your legal research and writing skills, as well as your editorial skills. Employers—whether at a law firm, in chambers, at public interest organizations, or in-house—will always value the skills you acquire while on the Legal Forum.
Additionally, Staffers will gain a new group of friends and colleagues. The Legal Forum strives to be an inclusive environment that promotes intellectual and personal diversity and development.
Being a member on the Legal Forum is a challenging but rewarding opportunity. We hope you will consider applying. Please contact Topic Access & Recruitment Editor Jamye Selby at jselby@uchicago.edu or Editor-in-Chief Peer Marie Oppenheimer at pmoppenheimer@uchicago.edu with any questions.
Sincerely,
The 2023–24 Legal Forum Editorial Board
Peer Marie Oppenheimer, Editor-in-Chief
Joe Lorenzini, Executive Editor
Mobeen Farooq Chaudhry, Executive Comments Editor
Eliza Martin, Executive Articles Editor
Sophia Houdaigui, Managing Editor
Jamye Selby, Topic Access & Recruitment Editor
Caleb Jeffreys, Symposium & Membership Editor
Benjamin Postone, Articles Editor
Andy Eller, Articles Editor
Ellie Maltby, Comments Editor
Caroline Kelly, Comments Editor