Information about Staff Editor Recruitment

About the WJLS

The Western Journal of Legal Studies is Western Law’s student run, online, open-access law review. The WJLS focuses on contributions to Canadian and international law that are novel, non-obvious, and useful. The Journal welcomes diverse and historically underrepresented perspectives. Though the Journal was started in 2012, it has already garnered 84,000 downloads. The WJLS was named the Student Legal Society’s Association of the Year 2013-2014. WJLS authors include undergraduate students, masters students, legal practitioners, and even judges such as The Honourable Luc Martineau of the Federal Court of Canada.

Journal Staff

The Western Journal of Legal Studies executive consists of the following positions: Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Managing Editors (5-6). Staff Editors are non-executive members of the Journal. The WJLS recruits Staff Editors in September based on the forecasted needs of the Journal for that academic year.

Staff Editors

How the Journal Works

The WJLS typically publishes two issues per year at the end of each academic semester. 2015 marked the first time the WJLS has published three issues in a year. The Executive's goal for Staff Editors is to support the production of quality articles, provide a quality team experience, and develop substantive and technical editing skills. Your work will be widely received; the WJLS has achieved over 84,000 downloads since 2012.

Staff Editor Perks

  • Citation skills help your LRWA mark in 1L, and paper requirements in upper years
  • The cost-benefit ratio: 8-10h a semester
  • Genuine participation in the editing process
  • Impressive law extra-curricular on your resume
  • The best path to a future executive position with the WJLS
  • Networking with upper-year students in a supportive, team-oriented environment
  • Helpful experience for understanding the rigours of academic publishing, particularly useful for potential LLM and SJD candidates.

Staff Editor Recruitment

Applications for the Staff Editor position require a PDF cover letter and resume, and successful candidates will be invited to write an editing test demonstrating their potential. Staff Editors are selected based on an assessment of their editing test and their application.

The Executive

Who Should Apply to the Journal Executive?

Current WJLS Staff Editors are encouraged to apply. We also welcome applications from non-WJLS members. Academic credit is available for all Executive positions.

Western students who are appointed to Executive positions are entitled to enroll in the Western Journal of Legal Studies course. The course offers students two credits in the Fall term and two credits in the Winter term.

Executive Applications

Applications consist of a PDF cover letter and a subsequent managerial editing exam to determine if candidates have the required skills to manage papers. Cover letters must include the position you are seeking (multiple selections are permitted), your current year, and the semester in which you will be on exchange the following year (if applicable).

More Information

Learn more about the WJLS at Western Libraries, Facebook, and Twitter

Please direct recruitment questions to wjls@uwo.ca.