How to Join JCL.
Dear Penn Law Class of 2025:
This year, membership in the Journal will be decided both through the yearly 1L Writing Competition, and through a Direct Application to JCL. Details for both, and the role of an associate editor in JCL, are listed below.
Direct Application
We are pleased to announce that for the very first time, interested 1Ls can directly apply to be an associate editor on Volume 26 of JCL. The purpose of this Direct Application is to allow those that know they want to be on JCL to surpass the writing competition and join JCL directly, all before the writing competition or OCI begin. The application is short, and it’s primary goal is to gauge genuine interest in JCL. The application will be open until April 12th, and applicants will be notified of our decision on April 19th. If you have any questions about the direct application, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Vol. 26 Managing Editor, Veda Bhadharla, at vedab@pennlaw.upenn.edu.
Writing Competition
The purpose of this competition is to gauge each student's editing and writing abilities, as well as fit. The scores from the competition are then used to help determine the proper journal placement for each student. The Volume 26 Board of Editors would like to wish each 1L the best of luck!
For more information about the writing competition, please refer to the Penn Law Writing Competition website: https://www.law.upenn.edu/journals/writingcompetition/
The Role of the JCL Associate Editor
The responsibilities of Associate Editors include participating in the editing phases of publication and learning the editorial and administrative tasks associated with legal journals. In particular, Associate Editors’ primary editing responsibilities include: using online databases to search and secure original images of documents, ensuring citations comply with Bluebook rules, and verifying that sources provide support for the author’s proposition. Furthermore, by serving on committees of their choice, Associate Editors contribute to specific aspects of Journal-life. Those committees include but are not limited to JCL Online, Comments, Symposium, and the Development Committee. Although committees are low-commitment, they enable Associate Editors to gain leadership experience, help with the substantive and administrative requirements of the Journal, and prepare Editors for a role as an Executive Board member during their 3L year.
Associate Editors are also strongly encouraged to submit a comment on any topic related to constitutional law. Writing a comment is not a JCL requirement, however, comment submissions will satisfy the Law School’s senior writing requirement if overseen by a faculty member. Outstanding comments are selected for publication in the Journal and have touched on a variety of topics, such as the diversity implications of legacy admissions, the use of AI in litigation, and the constitutional implications of police access to online heritage websites. In addition, the Journal publishes the winning essay from the Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition, hosted annually by the American Constitution Society (ACS) and its Penn Law chapter.
Associate Editors participate substantially in the editorial process of all five to six issues during their 2L year and will receive one academic credit. During their 3L year, Editors are encouraged to serve on the Board or as a Senior Editor but neither is required as JCL is a one-year commitment. Board members receive 2-3 academic credits depending on their Board position. Senior Editors receive one academic credit.
Why JCL?
The University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law (JCL) provides a forum for the academic advancement and interdisciplinary study of constitutional law. It does so by publishing five to six issues each year via print and electronic mediums. JCL celebrates innovative scholarship, the promotion of critical perspectives, and the reinvention of the traditional study of constitutional law.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Journal will publish its 26th Volume. Even as a young Journal, JCL has emerged as the leading constitutional law Journal globally. In fact, JCL remains the only Ivy League publication that exclusively publishes issues of constitutional law and is one of six non-law review publications ranked in the top 50 of Journals in terms of most citations and impact. As a result of JCL’s position within the legal academy, the Journal has published and collaborated with some of the foremost constitutional scholars from across the world, including the Honorable Amy Coney Barrett, the Honorable Douglas Ginsburg, the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, the Honorable Guido Calabresi, Richard Epstein, Laurence Tribe, Seth Kreimer, Kermit Roosevelt III, Erwin Chemerinsky, Marci Hamilton, Barry Cushman, Sandy Levinson, Martin Redish, David Rudovsky, Mark Tushnet, and Jerry Mashaw. Each article has impacted and shaped the contours of constitutional law.
In addition to its print and electronic publications, JCL sponsors an annual symposium in coordination with the National Constitution Center. Previous topics include the effect of executive power on immigration, student activism, and educational equality. The 2023 Symposium was titled the “History, Development, and Future of the Fourteenth Amendment” in which the keynote speaker was Hillary Schneller, the co-lead counsel in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.