Welcome incoming 2Ls!
I’m a rising 2L and the JOLT Technical Editor, and I’d like to invite everyone interested in working on a journal this year to consider joining the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology (JOLT).
Why join JOLT?
[*] JOLT is the highest ranked specialty law journal in the country, and we’re second only in rankings to the Harvard Law Review amongst all publications on campus.
[*] JOLT is not just for those with a science background or an interest in practicing IP law. We publish an array of topics ranging from cyberlaw, patent, copyright, trademark, antitrust, privacy & security, biotech, telecommunications, energy, cybercrime, and much more. Of course, having JOLT on your resume makes a difference when talking to employers, especially in IP.
[*] JOLT is also a lot of fun! More than just a journal, JOLT is also a community. We put on speaker events and an IP career fair during the year, and we also host many social activities for members ranging from happy hours to study breaks to house parties.
There are many ways to get involved with JOLT, including working in our various functions such as editing, submissions, student writing, or programming. Specifically, we’ve reserved a few openings for transfer students in our more substantive roles in editing and submissions. Please read below for more information on how to apply. We will aim to have our masthead selection decisions made before the Early Interview Program (EIP) begins so that you can update your resumes to reflect any new roles you may be taking on within the journal. If you have any questions about JOLT, please feel free to contact the Editors-in-Chief at
jolt@law.harvard.edu.
LINE EDITORS
If you have journal experience from your previous law school, you can apply to be a Line Editor. Line Editors manage a team of Subciters and are in charge of the technical and substantive editing for a section of an article or student note. The major time commitments for a Line Editor include the periods of source pull, subcite, and technical edits. Line editing is a prerequisite for senior masthead positions such as Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor. Line Editing is a roughly 20-30 hour commitment that runs through November.
Line Editor applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Please fill out the Line Editor application form by August 5, 11:59 PM if you would like a decision in time to bring an updated copy of your resume to EIP/PIIP (note that the times in survey are a bit different - please defer to the times listed here). The application can be found here:
https://[link redacted]/forms/TldPx7gqZquByPoq2. If you wish to apply after this time, please email Alex Noonan at
jolt.tech.editor@gmail.com to see if positions are still open.
Transfer applicants will also need to complete a short Bluebook test with their application. To receive the Bluebook test, please email
jolt.tech.editor@gmail.com. This test should take no more than 2 hours and is due at the same time as the application.
Please e-mail Alex Noonan, our Technical Editor, at
jolt.tech.editor@gmail.com if you have any questions about the role or application process.
SUBCITERS
If you have no prior journal experience, you can sign up to be a Subciter. There is no application process for this role and recruiting will begin after classes start. Subciting is roughly a 5-10 hour time commitment, and those who subcite become eligible to apply for a Line Editor position the following semester.
DIGEST
JOLT Digest is the online companion to our journal. There are a number of ways to get involved in Digest, including writing and editing articles and student Comments. Sign-ups will begin in the early fall. Take a look at Digest here:
http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest.
SUBMISSIONS MANAGERS
Because JOLT is the top-ranked specialty law journal in the country, we receive hundreds of article submissions each year, on everything from patents to cybersecurity to stem cells. The Submissions staff comb through those articles, searching for scholarship that is original, interesting, well-written, and timely, and select the articles that will be published in the next volume of JOLT.
If this is of interest to you, consider applying to be a Submissions Manager. Submissions Managers assist the Submissions Editor in deciding which articles to publish. Please note that in order to be an SM you'll need to be available to start reviewing articles ASAP. August is a rush month for us and we want you to be a part of it!
Why Submissions is great:
[*] Read about areas of the law that interest you. If you're reading this, you're probably already interested in law and technology — but the 1L curriculum doesn't give you much of a chance to explore patents, copyright, cyberlaw or cleantech. Through Submissions, we do!
[*] Learn about legal scholarship/publishing. If you're interested in pursuing a career in legal academia, you'll have to publish in student-run journals. We'll show you how the process works, and why some articles get published while others aren't even read.
[*] Join a community of tech geeks. Submissions people are all super passionate about the intersection of law and technology. We like to talk about it — especially over food.
[*] Submissions Manager is a masthead position.
If this sounds interesting to you, send your resume and a quick blurb indicating your main interest areas Parth Sagdeo, our Submissions Editor, at
jolt.submissions@gmail.com. You will receive the Submissions Review Guide as well as a recent submission to review. Based on your review and other qualifications, we'll make a decision. Please also email Parth if you have any questions about the role or application process.
Sorry to burst any bubbles. They all went out in one very short period last year and the year before.