How To Join

The Environmental Law Journal (ELJ) is one of eight student-run publications at New York University School of Law. Together with the other journals, the ELJ participates in the annual Writing Competition to select staff editors. Students who have completed their first year at the law school are eligible to participate in the Writing Competition, which is distributed immediately following the last final exam of the spring semester. Students must register in advance and pay a minimal fee to participate in the competition. Participants have approximately two weeks to complete the competition, which consists of a closed-universe (no additional research allowed) case comment and submission of personal statement to ELJ. For more information about the competition itself, please contact the NYU Law Review, which coordinates the annual competition on behalf of all the journals.

Staff Editor Selection
Staff editors are chosen through the regular and transfer writing competitions based on a combination of performance in the writing competition and strength of the personal statement. A certain number of staff editors are chosen based on a formula that weighs the competition more heavily than the personal statement. To make an allowance for students with an especially strong environmental interest or other qualities that will benefit the journal, another portion of staff editors are chosen based on a formula that gives additional weight to the personal statement.

Grades are not considered when evaluating potential staff editors, and applicants are strongly encouraged not to discuss academic performance in the personal statement, as the ELJ does not believe that grades are an accurate reflection of a student's likelihood of being a skillful staff editor. Rather, the personal statement should be used as an opportunity to convey details of the student's background and personal, scholarly or work experience that make that person particularly suited to the Environmental Law Journal. Environmental experience is not a prerequisite to serving as an ELJ staff editor, however students should have an interest in environmental issues.

Transfer Students
Transfer students in the J.D. program may also join the ELJ as staff editors by participating in the Transfer Writing Competition, which takes place early in the fall semester each year. Although the competition topic differs from the one used in the spring competition for non-transfer students, the case comment and personal statement format is the same.

Graduate Students
Finally, graduate students in the LL.M. program may apply for graduate editor positions by submitting a résumé or C.V. and a personal statement explaining their interest in environmental issues and ELJ. Graduate applications are generally due in mid-September, although students should consult the materials distributed to them during orientation for complete details.