Apply to the Undergraduate Law Review - Testimonials from Last Year’s ULR Team

My name is Zoe Goldstein, and I am the Director of the Undergraduate Law Review for the 2016-2017 school year. I have been a writer for the law review since my freshman year, added the job of editor my sophomore year, and served as one of three Editors-in-Chief during my junior year. Now, as a senior, I am absolutely thrilled to give back to this organization that has truly given me more experience in law than I ever could have imagined as an undergraduate. The Undergraduate Law Review has brought me so many wonderful opportunities, from publications to internships, and I am looking forward to sharing these experiences with a new group of talented writers and editors this coming year.

The George Washington University Undergraduate Law Review (ULR) is a prestigious student-run publication that offers undergraduates the unique chance to research, write, and edit a law review article on a legal topic of their choosing. The year-long process involves many stages of topic investigation, legal research, draft writing, and editing, and our editors and writers will even learn the Legal Bluebook citation method (something typically not taught until law school). The articles that the ULR produces have been regarded by many professors, attorneys, and others in the legal profession as law school-level quality, which is something we take the utmost pride in. Please take a look at the profiles below of last years' writers, who were one of the most talented groups the ULR has seen yet. 

I want to give a big thank-you to the GW Justice Journal for featuring us, since the application for this year's law review is coming out this Friday, July 1! A link to the application is below. For more information, please visit http://www.gwplsa.com/undergraduate-law-review, where you will also find downloadable PDFs of every ULR that has been published since the organization's founding in 2009. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please feel free to email us at thegwulr@gmail.com. We look forward to reviewing your application!

2016-2017 ULR Application

Deadline: September 22, 2016 at 11:59 PM. 

Meet Some of Our ULR 2015-2016 Writers:

Emily Horak

Year: Class of 2018

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California 

Major: Political Science and a minor in Women’s Studies

Emily's Article: Child Sex Trafficking

My ULR article is about child sex trafficking in the United States and the legislative downfalls that have caused the industry to thrive in America. By understanding both federal and state legislation, I shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the law and propose some solutions to help eradicate this modern form of slavery. 

Working on a ULR article has been an incredibly rewarding process. Incessantly editing, and even getting suggestions from professional editors, has undoubtedly made me a significantly better writer. Everyone on the ULR team wants to craft the best product possible, and that is something I feel like all writers and editors work toward as a common goal throughout the process.

                          

Brett Z. Mittler

Year: Class of 2017

Hometown: Bellmore, New York

Major: Information Systems and Event Management, Pre-Law

Brett's Article: Unions: (Review of Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association - Union Case Before Supreme Court AND Starkest Illustration of The Death of Scalia)

Unions often collectively bargain on everyones’ behalf, but hat does not necessarily mean it is the right thing to do. Friedrichs v. California Teachers Assoication, takes a look at whether the rights of those who are not part of a union are violated when they collectively bargain for certain rights. 

For me, the most rewarding part of the writing process is that you can choose a topic you are passionate about. Using the GW Justice Journal (GWJJ) as a platform, you can have you ideas heard. The GWJJ gives you a chance to have a working relationship with the editors and improve your writing skills in the process. 

Nicole Grajewski
Year: Class of 2016
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Major: International Affairs (Security Policy) and Middle Eastern Studies
Nicole's Article: Russian territorial claims in the Arctic
For my third and final article for the ULR, I undertook a topic far more nuanced, technical, and complex than my prior years as a writer. My article examined the process by which Russia and the littoral Arctic states could lay claim to Arctic territory through the delimitation of maritime boundaries and the establishment of an extended continental shelf. This required a firm understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and the role that bathymetric and geological data play in determining the viability of a coastal state’s claim exclusive rights to the resources of the seabed beyond 200nm from its coastal baseline. The most rewarding aspect of the article was completing it.

Jennifer Weinber

Year: Class of 2016

Hometown: Bridgewater, New Jersey

Major: Political Communication

Jennifer's Article: The Constitutionality of “Ag-gag” legislation

My article was a really challenging but rewarding one to write. Growing up in central New Jersey on a small beef cattle farm, I’ve always had a real appreciation for animals and livestock due to my experiences raising them. Upon coming to GW to study law and politics, it became clear to me that my experiences back home on the farm wouldn’t end there as animal activist groups use increasingly aggressive PR campaigns to attack and ultimately try to end animal agriculture by attaching various legal arguments to their claims. To dispute all of these surrounding undercover videos and to be among the only legal writings to uphold the constitutionality of laws protecting rights to farmers in my article required extensive legal research and analysis.

While this was challenging, and at moments likely made my editors want to rip their hair out, it was so rewarding in the end being able to accomplish a piece of legal writing before heading to law school that reflects knowledge about such an important issue regarding agriculture and the law.

Kylila Tucker

Year: Class of 2018

Hometown: Signal Mountain, Tennessee

Major: International Affairs

Kylila's Article: Determining the Legal Permissibility of NFL Player Punishment: Has the NFL Commissioner Outkicked his Coverage?

My article argues that player suspensions delineated by the National Football League's Player Conduct Policy are legally permissible in accordance with antitrust and labor law. However, I further assert that the Policy should be reformed to establish uniform punishments in an effort to promote deterrence and bolster the public image of the NFL. An analysis of the structure of the league in consideration of the single-entity test, proper rule of reason, and ancillary restraints serves as evidence for this claim. 

The opportunity to refine and perfect my work over a year-long period of time was one of the most rewarding aspects of writing for the ULR.  All of the articles improve with each round of drafts, and by the end everyone can truly be proud of his or her work.

Peter Borland

Year: Exchange student from University of Edinburgh, Class of 2017

Hometown: Born in Glasgow and Raised in Edinburgh  

Major: Political Science

Peter's Article: The Legal Implications of Brexit: A Study of Employment Law

My topic examined the legal implications of Britain leaving the European Union, by focusing on British employment law. 

It was rewarding writing in detail about a possible upcoming political and legal scenario that is a topic of much popular debate. I also enjoyed writing about a political issue I feel strongly about, from an objective legal standpoint. I really appreciated the input of my editors, who helped streamline my writing and make my whole article more concise.