From the Alberta Law Review

By Ian Weiss (2L)

For most first-years, the life of an Alberta Law Review editor is shrouded in mystery. Allow me to give you the inside scoop on what I do and why you should pay attention in LRW.

My first time (not what you think)
The bread and butter of an ALR editor’s work is, unsurprisingly, editing. I recently completed my first full-fledged edit which consisted of spending approximately 30 hours over two weeks reading and re-reading, checking and re-checking, thinking and re-rethinking, and guessing and second guessing.

I was lucky enough to get a paper from a Law faculty professor. His wife is a writer and he utilized the McGill guide to edit his paper for style. This definitely cut down on my work time. However, I still had to locate and check all his sources, hence the 25 books I now have in my locker. I also had to check all the case and literature citations for accuracy, which explains why my WestLaw user stats spiked in October. Two short weeks later and I am intimately reacquainted with the library and my McGill guide. Not the worst things to be familiar with for a law student.

Now I await the next step, where I check my corrections against the typesetting. I have little doubt the typesetter will find more than a few of my corrections confusing. After that, I await the scorn of the lucky editing committee member who gets to re-edit my paper. Sound exciting? Welcome to Law Review!

LRW, not a total waste of time
If you’re considering applying for Law Review, those LRW research assignments you’re working on right now may seem tedious and a waste of time, but they are not. Pay attention in LRW and keep all your notes, slides, handouts, etc. and treat your McGill guide like gold. Not the kind you can stick in a plastic bag and mail to those guys on TV for cash, but metaphorical gold. If it’s falling apart (as mine is), get it rebound. That book is priceless.

Don’t forget the perks
Being on ALR looks pretty good on a resume but that’s only one reason to join. The people are great, you can get a course credit, and they give you swag, and who doesn’t love swag?

Final thoughts
If one editors’ story isn’t enough to convince you first-years to apply, consider that Alberta Law Review has a long history of excellence. Notable past members include the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Madame Justice Beverley McLachlin.

Participating in Law Review can be a rewarding experience, but the workload and expectations are no joke. I highly recommend it for anyone who either enjoys researching and editing, or wants to improve on these skills. The Editors-in-Chief take their jobs seriously and the Editorial Board is expected to do the same.

One last plug… the Morrow Essay contest
The deadline for the Morrow Essay contest is January 15, 2010. For more details, see http://www.albertalawreview.com/morrowrules.htm