Summer Candidacy Program FAQs
In advance of our open informational session, here are some FAQs about the Chicago-Kent Law Review Summer Candidacy Program.
Question:
Is the Summer Candidacy Program a writing competition where only a fixed number of candidates will be invited to join Law Review?
Answer: No. The Summer Candidacy Program is not a writing competition and the Law Review does not have a formal limit on the number of candidates it invites. The Chicago-Kent Law Review will invite all candidates whose submissions meet the Law Review’s standards. In previous years, the Law Review invited a significant number of participants to join based on their performance in the Summer Candidacy Program.
Question:
Does the Summer Candidacy Program require extensive research?
Answer: No. The Summer Candidacy Program utilizes a closed-research format, and outside research is not permitted. Each candidate’s analysis is confined to the sources in the Summer Candidacy Program Packet. The packet is typically made available towards the end of June, and the write-on period runs for two weeks.
Question:
How are Summer Candidacy Program submissions evaluated?
Answer: The Chicago-Kent Law Review Executive Board judges papers on their own merits based on analytical ability, writing ability and style, ability to develop endnotes, proper Bluebook form, and appropriate use of sources. Additionally, all papers are submitted anonymously, so the Executive Board will not know the identities of any candidates.
Question:
How many members of the current Chicago-Kent Law Review wrote-on?
Answer: A substantial percentage of the Law Review’s current membership consists of students who successfully participated in the Summer Candidacy Program. While the number of members accepted through the Summer Candidacy Program is subject to the Executive Board’s discretion, the final number often equals or exceeds the number of grade-on members.
If you have any questions before the Summer Candidacy Program, please contact Executive Notes and Comments Editor.