Law review unveils online publication

Editors seek article responses and commentaries

— By Lori Craig

The Southern California Law Review has announced the launch of “Postscript,” its new online companion that will feature article responses and create an interactive venue for dialogue about Law Review and other current topics.

Postscript will feature material submitted by academics, judges, practitioners and law students, published in one of two categories: responses to articles published in the Southern California Law Review, and commentaries on recent changes in the law or other legal developments.

“Postscript gives the Law Review an opportunity to reach broader audiences and encourage debate and discussion,” said Jeannette Mekdara, 3L and editor-in-chief of the Southern California Law Review.

The student-run Law Review receives an overwhelming number of submissions for each of the six issues it publishes annually — generally about 2,000 submissions for the 12 available article slots. Postscript will allow students to publish more material on an ongoing basis, and continue the conversation in a more immediate forum.

“It’s not like a law blog; it’s still formalized and still has the law review screening and editing process,” said Executive Editor Meegan I. Maczek, 3L. “It will be good for our law review and it helps enhance legal scholarship.”

Responses and commentaries should be 3,000 words or less, including footnotes. Responses to student notes, bibliographies or articles published before January 2006 will not be accepted. Commentaries can refer to recent court decisions, changes in the law or other legal issues in the news. The editors of Law Review will occasionally highlight an issue to encourage discussion.

“The idea is that the articles will be shorter and have fewer footnotes and be subject to an expedited production process,” Maczek said.

Development of Postscript began last year, along with the creation of a new website to accommodate the content. Postscript articles will be permanently published online in .pdf format.

Postscript is currently welcoming submissions. Send your response or commentary as an attached Microsoft Word document with a current resume and an abstract of fewer than 500 words to postscript@law.usc.edu.

Visit the Southern California Law Review web site.