549: Acing the Law Review Write-on Competition (w/Professor Dawn Young)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This episode features a conversation with Professor Dawn Young from Loyola University Chicago School of Law about legal writing, bluebooking, and law review write-on competitions. Professor Young explains how the write-on competition works and what 1L students need to focus on if they decide to participate.   Note: We would like to thank Themis Bar Review for sponsoring this episode. Only until this Friday (April 3rd, 2026), you can save up to $1,100 on your 2027 or 2028 bar review course with just $25 down. Simply visit ThemisBar.com and select "Pay Partially" when opting for a 2027 or 2028 bar review course. The $1,100 discount will automatically apply at checkout. In this episode we discuss: An introduction to our guest and her path from legal practice to academia Why legal writing matters and how it's different from writing in undergrad Tips for preparing for the write-on competition How important is being on a law journal to potential employers? Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) Themis Bar Review (https://www.themisbar.com/) ThemisBarSocial.com/lawschooltoolbox (https://www.themisbarsocial.com/lawschooltoolbox) Loyola University: Dawn Young (https://www.luc.edu/law/faculty/facultyandadministrationprofiles/young-dawn.shtml) SSRN: Dawn Young (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=6836378) LinkedIn: Dawn Young (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnkyoung/) Instagram: Dawn Young (https://www.instagram.com/dawnyoung000/) Podcast Episode 42: Acing the Law Review Write-on Competition (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-42-acing-law-review-write-competition/) Podcast Episode 379: Quick Tips – Bluebooking Like a Pro (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-379-quick-tips-bluebooking-like-a-pro/) The Question I've Never Been Asked About the Bar Exam (https://barexamtoolbox.com/question-ive-never-asked-bar-exam/) Use Upperclass Law Students as Resources: A List of Questions You Can Ask (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/use-upperclass-law-students-as-resources-a-list-of-questions-you-can-ask/) Download the Transcript  (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-549-acing-the-law-review-write-on-competition-w-professor-dawn-young/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee