The American Criminal Law Review

 

Dear First-Year Students,

 

Congratulations on completing your first year of law school. When you are ready to make your journal selections, I invite you to preference The American Criminal Law Review as your top choice.

 

TheAmerican Criminal Law Review is the nation’s premier journal of criminal law and the most-cited criminal law review in the nation. It also ranks among the country’s most-cited law reviews in any discipline. By being selected for membership on the ACLR, you become part of a journal whose prestige extends far beyond the walls of Georgetown, and is nationally recognized and respected by scholars, judges, and practitioners alike.

 

The ACLR is published three times a year and provides a forum for significant developments in constitutional and criminal law. The ACLR also publishes the Annual Survey of White Collar Crime, a comprehensive guide to yearly developments in white collar crime. The Annual Survey is widely recognized as the definitive reference work in its field and can be found on the shelves of white collar crime practitioners around the nation.

 

The ACLR distinguishes itself from many other journals by guaranteeing publishing opportunities for all members. Each new staff member will have the opportunity to help update and revise the Annual Survey. As a result, every staff member will have published an important and substantial piece of the Survey by the end of next year. All staff members also contribute to the journal and our numerous events through membership on the Articles, Notes Selection or Event-Planning committees, which will plan the symposium that will occur next April.

 

Additionally, the ACLR ensures that its members will have the opportunity to publish original scholarly work. Each member is required to write a note addressing an issue in criminal law, and the most outstanding of these notes will be published in the ACLR. ACLR staff members also have the opportunity to participate in the Directed Note Program, in which three to four staff members will be guaranteed the opportunity to publish a note with the ACLR prior to the start of their 3L year. The program will pair these students with a 3L advisor who will provide additional support and help guide them through the process of outlining, editing, and developing their note.

 

The ACLR is also excited to enhance its web presence, and is in the process of developing a website that will help widen the ACLR’s readership and ensure that it remains one of the nation’s premier journals. Staff members will have the unique opportunity to contribute to the design and content of the website, and anyone with experience in website construction and maintenance is strongly encouraged to preference membership on the ACLR.

 

Finally, ACLR members are connected to an elite group of journal alumni who work in numerous areas of private practice, government, and academia. This network of alumni is an invaluable resource for ACLR members seeking employment and mentoring opportunities, and is especially valuable for students who may be interested in practicing in criminal law.

 

The ACLR seeks to attract dedicated, engaged and creative students who are committed to strengthening the ACLR’s reputation and producing top-quality work. Prospective members do not need to have any proficiency or experience in the area of criminal law. Our selection process weighs the write-on scores (55%) slightly more heavily than academic achievement (45%). Because of the competitive nature of selections, we require that you preference the ACLR no lower than third in order to be considered for membership, and recommend that you select the ACLR as your first or second choice. We do not require an application statement or resume from prospective members.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Good luck with the write-on competition and then enjoy your well-deserved summer break.

 

Meredith Garagiola

Editor-in-Chief, Volume 48

mng6@law.georgetown.edu