Editorial Positions: JOL has three main editorial positions: Subciters, Line Editors, and Supervising Editors. Those new to working on a journal begin as Subciters and are responsible for reviewing the content of an article with special attention to footnote text, checking citations for accuracy, and ensuring consistency with the Bluebook. Line Editors manage a team of Subciters, identify and pull sources for the Subciters’ use, review the Subciters’ work, and thoroughly review each line of the article. Supervising Editors take primary responsibility for an entire article, including overseeing the work of Subciters and Line Editors, corresponding with authors regarding the article, and ensuring that the final article is well reasoned and error-free.
The Articles Committee reads articles submitted for publication to JOL and provides recommendations on whether or not to publish them. This is a great way to have a voice in choosing the scholarship that will appear in the actual printed Journal. The commitment can be flexible depending on one’s desired level of participation, though many Committee members read one or two articles a week.
The Symposium Committee helps execute the JOL Symposium, the Journal’s annual event that brings academics and professionals from across the nation to Cambridge to discuss important issues in legislation. Committee members perform a variety of tasks to promote the event and to ensure its success. This is a great way to get more involved in the Journal and to meet important figures in the legal profession. The time commitment is typically flexible.