6.2 Administrative Procedures for Journals

Academic Accommodations for Journals

Students with documented disabilities who would like to seek accommodations for journal assignments, editorial work, or the Writing Competition are encouraged to meet with Student Disability Services (SDS) as early as possible. Students should inform SDS how they anticipate their disabilities will impact their experience with the Writing Competition or journal work. Students seeking accommodations for the Writing Competition or other journal work might receive different accommodations than they currently receive through SDS. For example, students with exam accommodations should not assume they will receive the same accommodation for the Writing Competition, due to the difference between the shorter time limits of an in-class and take-home exam.

Students with accommodations are not required to disclose their medical information to their peers, such as the editors of the student-run journals. Rather, once a student receives an official accommodation determination from SDS, the student should present the determination letter to the Law School Office of the Dean of Students. In some cases, such as with the Writing Competition, the approved accommodations will be implemented by the Dean of Students. For staff or editorial work accommodations, a conversation will typically be required with members of the journal’s executive board. 

Students with approved accommodations for the Writing Competition must submit the determination letter to the Law School Office of the Dean of Students prior to the start of the Writing Competition. 

Please note: each journal has its own editorial deadlines for student work to be considered for publication. While reasonable accommodations might help ensure that a student’s comment is accepted to fulfill their obligations to the journal, it is not a guarantee that the comment will be considered for publication. 

Emergencies and Temporary Adjustments for Journal Work

In rare circumstances, emergencies arise that might impact a student’s ability to participate in the Writing Competition or to complete journal work or assignments. In these circumstances, students should immediately inform the Dean of Students via email. Extended time for emergencies before or during the Writing Competition will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. With timely notification and as appropriate, the Dean of Students will work with the student to provide a reasonable, temporary adjustment for deadlines and assignments. 

Failure to Complete Journal Work 

Each student-run journal has its own editorial calendar, deadlines, and expectations for staffers and board members. Students on a journal are expected to meet the deadlines as provided by their journal. For students who fail to complete their assignments or work in a timely manner, they will be subject to the performance review process of their journal. A journal’s board may refer a student to the Dean of Students for failure to complete work or to appropriately communicate with their board. Once a student has been referred to the Dean of Students, the Law School’s Journal Review Committee has the ability to impose sanctions on that student, including removing the student from the journal.  

Academic Integrity and Journals

As with all academic work, students on a journal are expected to do their own, original work for journal comments. When questions of academic integrity arise on a student’s comment, the journal board should immediately refer the comment and student to the Dean of Students for a review.