Rules for the Writing Competition

Assignment

The summer 2017 Willamette Law Review Write-On consists of two parts: a closed-universe memorandum and a citation exercise, which you may access on TWEN by clicking on the Course Materials tab. Please download the files from the Course Materials tab in their respective formats (Word or PDF) in order to maintain correct formatting (the web viewer may alter formatting).

Maximum Length

Your memo shall be no less than six pages and no more than eight pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-font, Times New Roman. Analyze the issues as completely as possible; address the most important issues as fully as possible. If you run out of space, it is acceptable to notate properly when an issue may require additional research or space.

No Outside Research

Both your reasoning and your citations are limited to the sources provided. This is a "closed universe" assignment; do not do any outside research. Do not Shepardize or KeyCite the cases. For sources listed on the citation quiz, do not consult the actual resource cited unless the citation gives you a link to a PDF document of that resource. Otherwise, the citation listed should give you enough information to determine how to properly format the citation. If you believe you need more information to properly cite, you may indicate what information you believe is necessary.

Individual Work

The memorandum and citation exercise must be entirely your own work. Do not discuss your work with other people having associations with the legal profession (i.e. law students, lawyers, paralegals, professors, etc.). Under no circumstance may you receive help regarding the form or substance of either the memorandum or the citation exercise.

Submissions

Entries should be submitted through TWEN on the Assignments & Quizzes tab. You must submit your entry by using your assigned number. PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR REAL NAME ON ANY MATERIALS YOU SUBMIT. Please be aware that using the "track changes" feature in Word may reveal your name. If you have not already received your assigned number, please contact the Office of Student Affairs by email at law-osa@willamette.edu, by telephone at (503) 370-6380, or by visiting the office in person.

Deadline

Willamette Law Review must receive your memorandum by July 21, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. This is a strict deadline so that we may maintain anonymity and fairness in grading. Late submissions will not be considered. We suggest that you do not wait until the last minute if you anticipate any issues that could impede your timely submission. If you cannot meet the deadline, please contact the note and comment editor (Megan Oshiro) in advance of the deadline.

Grading

The decisions of the Willamette Law Review Write-On Committee will be final. The citation exercise and the memo will be weighed equally. The citation exercise will contain a certain amount of errors that have been built-in, and it will be graded based on the amount of errors that you correctly identify. The memo will be evaluated based upon the following criteria: citation formatting and substance, legal analysis, style and grammar, identification of correct legal issues and relevant legal standards, and conformance with these rules.

Honor Code

By submitting your Write-On materials, you acknowledge and are bound by the Willamette University College of Law Honor Code.

The Bluebook

The Write-On Competition follows the citation and stylistic rules provided in the 20th edition of the Harvard Bluebook (available at your friendly neighborhood library, law library, or bookstore). Keep in mind that you should cite cases in the citation exercise as if they are citations in the footnotes of a law review article; this may differ from the format you have practiced in LRW.

Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about the competition, please contact the note and comment editor, Megan Oshiro, at moshiro@willamette.edu.


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