Write-On WorkshopsMarch 11 & 18, 2014

clrwriteon@gmail.com

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Write-On 101

Consists of three components:1. Personal Statement2. Line Edit Packet3. Casenote

Write-On Dates:Starts at 10am on Friday, May 9th

Ends at 7pm on Sunday, May 18th

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Personal Statement – 20%

2 pages maximum (double-spaced) 12PT Courier Font (which is this font) 1” margins Approximately 550 words

Graded by 8 CLR Members Highest and lowest scores dropped, the rest are averaged

Prompt Available On The CLR Website

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Personal Statement Prompt

CLR seeks a membership with varied backgrounds and interests. To this end, you may consider discussing how your background, life or work experiences, culture, and

perspectives would contribute to the diversity of the entering class. If applicable, you may also describe any

adversity that you have overcome, including discrimination, linguistic barriers, or a personal or family

history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage. Most importantly, please illustrate how any of these relevant factors affect the way you think about legal

scholarship and the ways you can uniquely contribute to the work and community of the California Law Review.

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Personal Statement Tips

Do not use your law school application personal statements

Do not simply provide a laundry list of accomplishments; link to CLR.

Answer the Prompt Tell us, “Why CLR?” and what you bring

Questions to think about: Who you are Why you are here What you bring to CLR What you are passionate about Why you want to become involved in legal scholarship

Line Edit Packet – 30%

6–9 pages

Use the proofreading marks CLR provides

What are we testing? Bluebooking of footnotes

Cite-checking and source support

Grammar and editing skills

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Line Edit Packet Tools7

Line Edit Packet

“Above the Line Edits”: The Main Text Structural problems

Does this paragraph have a topic sentence? Should this be two paragraphs and not one? Is this paragraph out of place?

Sentence Structure Run-on sentences? Active vs. passive voice?

Grammar & punctuation Correct spelling? Correct punctuation?

“Below the Line Edits”: The Footnotes Small caps? Abbreviations? Signals? Correct order of authority?

Run-on sentences? Correct spelling? Correct punctuation?

Do not use the blue pages

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Line Edit Packet – Cite Checking

Check accuracy of cited information Pay attention to signals, date, court, page references

Insert information where necessary

Check all quotations All quotations must match original source verbatim

Check for missing source support

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Line Edit Packet Tips

Take your time!

Make it as clear and easy to read/grade as possible

Do not look outside of provided source materials

Learn how to access all editing tools before the Write-On Competition

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Line Edit Packet Submission

Packet must be BOTH:1) Color-scanned then uploaded onto bSpace by the

Write-On deadline on Sunday, May 18th, 7 p.m.AND

2) Handed-in or mailed-in (postmarked) by Monday, May 19th, 7 p.m.

Email clrwriteon@gmail.com if you anticipate any problems with turning it in.

Meet these deadlines!

Line Edit Packet Submission

Mailing in your line edit packet?Original packet and one copy must be postmarked by Monday, May 19th and addressed to the CLR office

Physically turning in your line edit packet?Original packet and one copy must be turned in to the CLR office by 7 p.m. on Monday, May 19th.

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Casenote – 50%

18 pages maximum, 28 lines of text per page In MS Office: Format Paragraph Line

Spacing: Exactly At: 23 pt.

Specific page layout details to be provided in the packet instruction; but Clown Font returns

Evaluated by 6 CLR Members

Sample casenotes will be on reserve in library

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Casenote – 50%

Purpose Provide commentary and legal analysis on a judicial opinion

Can be focused on any aspect, theme, or issue of the case

Materials Everything you need will be in your packet (case and research materials)

Do not cite to any outside materials (doing so will probably lead to disqualification)

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Easily Searchable Digital Source Packet

Berkeley Students can Download Adobe Acrobat Pro for Free:

http://ist.berkeley.edu/software-central/adobeFollow installation instructions for “Students.”

To Search PDFs or make PDFs searchable: Open Adobe Acrobat Pro Click “Tools” (upper right) or Menu Bar -> “View” ->

“Tools” Select “Recognize Text” Select “In This File” Select “Primary OCR Language: English” “OK” Your PDF document is now searchable: Ctrl/Command + F

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Suggested Casenote Structure

I. Introduction• Court’s holding• Thesis

II. The Case• Procedural history• Relevant facts• Courts holding and reasoning

III.Legal Background & Existing Law• Previous law on the issue

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Suggested Casenote Structure

IV. Case Analysis• Was the case correctly or incorrectly

decided?• How does this case fit into existing

law?• Is the decision sound in light of

public policy?

V. Conclusion• Summarize and unify your basic

arguments.

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Casenote Grading

What are we looking for?

Analysis

Structure

Grammar, Style, and Bluebooking

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Casenote Grading: Analysis

Is there a prominent, defined, identifiable thesis?

Does the argument support the thesis?

Adequate sources to support each claim?

Does the analysis demonstrate original thought? Sometimes, this can be demonstrated through counterarguments.

Depth and nuance of the analysis? (can also be demonstrated through counterarguments)

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Casenote Grading: Structure

Does the analysis flow from one paragraph to the next logically?

Is appropriate space apportioned to each section? Is the Casenote too background-heavy and too light on the analysis?

Are there unnecessary facts or details in the Legal and Factual Background sections?

Are there clear, useful, and persuasive headings?

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence or language that informs reader on the paragraph’s purpose?

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Casenote Grading: Grammar, Style, Bluebooking

Did the author use active voice?

Are there variable sentence structures?

Avoid: wordiness, block quotes, long sentences (more than 27 words), paragraphs (more than 3–5 sentences) or sections (more than 3 pages)

Correct spelling and punctuation?

Grading rules will be based on Chicago Manual of Style, Bluebook, and CLR Principles of Style

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Casenote Tips

Not expected to use all of the authoritiesReview material before you try to form a thesis

Thesis: Pick a single, discrete issueSupport thesis and address counterarguments

Be clear, concise, and organized (headings)

Proofread and revise carefully! Transitions, topic sentences, proper Bluebooking format

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Write-On Logistics

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Write-On Registration

Date: Friday, April 4 – Friday, April 25, 5 p.m.

Registration will be conducted online.

You must register to participate in the Write-On.

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Write-On Registration

What do I need to register?

Spring Final Exam # UC Berkeley SID # (On your Student ID Card)

UC Berkeley University ID (UID) # Registration for the Write-On 2014 is free

How to Find Your UID #:

(1) UCB Home Page(2) Click on “Directory” (top right)(3) Type In Your Name(4) Click on Your Name: UID will show up at the top of the

frame!

Important Policies

Disability Policy Same accommodations students receive on

other similar take-home exams

FERPA The Journal collects demographic info on

students who participate in the annual write-on, this will not affect admissions decisions

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Pickup is all electronic through bSpace

Packet will be available at 10:00am on May 9

Reserved sample materials taken down

Don’t discuss the Write-On with anyone. Your own work product.

Casenote and Personal Statement uploaded electronically via bSpace by 7pm on May 18th

Line Edit Packet’s quality color-scan also uploaded via bSpace; hardcopies handed-in to CLR office or postmarked by Monday, May 19th

bSpace timestamp controlsDon’t discuss the Write-On after submission.

Packet Pick-Up & Submission

Packet Pick-Up

Packet Submission

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CLR Time and Membership Commitments

During the school year Approximately 60–70 hours per semester It is possible (and encouraged) to be a member of CLR and hold

leadership positions in other journals and organizations 2-year commitment $25/semester Membership dues Writing requirement or Additional Packets

1L Summer Mandatory orientation on Sunday, August 24

2L Summer Commitment to grading the Write-On Some editorial work

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Important Dates & Deadlines

March 18: Plaintiff WorkshopMarch 20: CLR Happy Hour at Pappy’sApril 1: Hands-on TrainingApril 4–April 25: Write-On RegistrationThroughout April: informal CLR office hoursMay 9–May 18: Write-OnMay 18: All components uploaded to bSpaceMay 19: Editing Packet handed-in or mailed-inJuly 27 (tentative): Invitation to join CLR August 24: Orientation

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Additional Tips

Follow the Instructions It will make the grading process more

efficient and accurate. Time Management

Make sure you allot time to upload the Casenote and personal statement and turn in the editing packet; bSpace time stamp: 7:00:01 p.m. is late!

Only use the authority that is provided in the packet Make sure to organize your thoughts and

look at the case note samples before starting the casenote

Note: once the Write-On begins, you cannot refer to the sample casenotes or personal statements

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Additional Tips

Get started early and keep at it!

Use the materials effectively Do not read every single page of the casenote

source packet.

There is no “right” answer (except on the editing section) Do not quit because you don’t know whether

your argument is “right.”

clrwriteon@gmail.com

http://www.californialawreview.org/

REGISTER BY FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 5 P.M.

Questions? Concerns?