2017 & 2018 ABA Law Student Division Best Newspaper Award-Winner VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY 70 1948 - 2018 A Look Outline Formatting Tips...................................................................2 Inside: Spotlight: LIST..................................................................................3 Shocking! 3L Head Sizes..................................................................5 Large “Small” Sections?...................................................................5 Wednesday, 28 November 2018 The Newspaper of the University of Virginia School of Law Since 1948 Volume 71, Number 12 LAW WEEKLY EXCLUSIVE: around north grounds Congratulations Law Review to Vote Friday to Alex Haden ’17 and Ashley Ange- lotti ’17 on their engagement! The on Selection Overhaul couple led the Law Weekly their 3L year and got engaged Contentious New Plan Would Select Half of VLR Membership Holistically in our office with a special half the membership based on already admitted by grades. Af- to an email sent by Managing edition of the paper. ANG’s Jansen VanderMeulen ‘19 a holistic review of applicants’ ter that, the five students with Editor Aparna Datta ’19 that pumped to black out at their Editor-in-Chief grades, writing competition per- the next highest grades who informed members that the wedding with the Aristocrat The Virginia Law Review formance, and personal state- also score in the top half of the proposal was “internal and con- vodka Alex left in the Law (VLR) will vote Friday on a ment. VLR’s managing board write-on are admitted, as are fidential to VLR.” (VLR sources Weekly fridge. contentious plan that would approved the plan in a close 14- the next five highest write-on say this was meant to avoid panic overhaul how this Law School’s 11 vote. performers in the top half of the among the 1Ls.) Nonetheless, the Thumbs up to flagship journal selects its mem- Current VLR policy is this: class in grades. Finally, up to ten Law Weekly interviewed nearly a President Ryan’s bers. The new plan, obtained by The students with the top fifteen students are admitted through dozen VLR members about the Office. ANG ap- the Law Weekly, would limit GPAs are automatically admit- the Virginia Plan, which consid- plan, including members of the preciates the the number of members admit- ted to VLR, as are the top fifteen ers personal statements specifi- managing board. thoughtful outreach and ted based on grades and select performers on the write-on not cally tailored to diversity, but is Supporters contend the plan congratulates Ryan on lead- restricted to students in the top will strengthen VLR by allowing ing by example: if YOU see a half of the class in both GPA and for greater diversity of member- friend, foe, or fictional entity write-on score. ship and remove arbitrary hur- circling the paranoid drain Justice Kennedy The new plan replaces the dles to getting the best students of insanity this finals season, Virginia Plan with an authenti- on Law Review. Opponents reach out! Maybe take ‘em to Swings by Law cally holistic review—eliminat- criticize the plan’s concentra- coffee (HINT). #PSA ing the top-half requirement— tion of power in a small number and removes the Virginia Plan’s of people, its potential for abuse, Thumbs down School quasi-requirement that candi- and its dilution of what it means to finals. On a re- dates come from a historically to “be on Law Review.” lated note, thumbs disadvantaged group. Some of Several VLR members who up to Harris Tee- the plan’s features are the same spoke with the Law Weekly ter’s wine selection. as in years past: the ten students agreed the current lack of under- with the highest GPAs would be represented students on VLR is a Thumbs side- automatically admitted (down problem, but expressed concern ways to Thanks- from fifteen), as would the stu- with leaving the selection of half giving dinner. dents with the top fifteen write- of Law Review’s members to a On the one hand, on scores. But the other twenty- committee they claim is secre- ANG’s always down for five would be selected by VLR’s tive, opaque, and rife with poten- passive aggressive political Membership and Inclusion tial for abuse. discussions. On the other, Committee. One source said, “It’s prob- ANG thought this year’s The seven-person commit- lematic that our current sys- Law School Expansion Pack tee would be made up of VLR’s tem—one written exam graded would come with more fea- Editor-in-Chief, Managing Edi- on a curve—leaves an unrepre- tures! tor, a new “Membership and sentative group at the ‘top’ of the Inclusion Editor” (selected by class,” they told me. “Perhaps Thumbs up to the outgoing managing board) [grades and the writing compe- the students hold- and four members selected by tition] are arbitrary, but discre- ing a wine-and-tur- the editorial board and new tionary selection from a com- key Thanksgiving managing board. The commit- mittee is surely more arbitrary.” in the study rooms by the Retired Justice Kennedy onstage. Photo Kolleen Gladden ‘21 tee would select the top personal Another VLR member agreed: bookstore last Wednesday statements, taking between fifty This process “will create opacity, amid the Law School ghost Jansen VanderMeulen ‘19 and seventy-five, with the un- confusion, and stress among 1Ls” town. Editor-in-Chief ’96’s Civil Liberties and Pro- derstanding that some of their unsure how exactly one “gets on fessor Schwartzman’s own picks will make VLR through Law Review.” Other members Thumbs down Retired U.S. Supreme Religious Liberties courses on other means. Those students’ worried about the potential for to the Baker Botts Court Associate Justice An- Thursday. There, Justice Ken- information would be sent to the backroom politics, or at least the food-less “lunch” thony M. Kennedy visited the nedy—the author of famed Student Records office, which perception of unfairness. “People panel. ANG University of Virginia School civil and religious liberties would send back the students’ will inevitably wonder whether hasn’t read the Model Penal of Law on November 15 and cases such as Church of the grade information based on rela- popularity, politics, networking, Code in a long time (ever) 16, christening the new Karsh Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of tive GPA tier—the committee or other inappropriate factors but ANG’s pretty sure this Center for Law and Democ- Hialeah, Lawrence v. Texas, would not know students’ exact played a role,” a member said. is statutorily punishable by racy and displaying a humor- and Obergefell v. Hodges— GPAs, just their position in tiers “Especially since the personal four course meals at spring ous side rarely seen from the lectured on his jurisprudence relative to their classmates. And statements will be impossible to 1L receptions. bench. and took questions from stu- for students whose GPAs come keep totally anonymous.” Kennedy, 82, was origi- dents. back in the bottom third of the Another member—supportive Thumbs up to nally scheduled to visit the Next on Thursday, Kennedy class, VLR would receive no tier of the Virginia Plan but opposed shared electric Law School in September, participated in a lunch in the information; they would know to this plan—echoed that con- scooters coming but the visit was postponed faculty lounge with a group of only that the student is in the cern, worrying that this “gooey soon to campus! due to Hurricane Florence’s students selected from diverse bottom third. The members of process” could spawn selection ANG looks forward to drunk- approach. This rescheduled backgrounds. The justice talk- the committee would then weigh based on popularity or corrup- enly scooting back from bar visit took place on the Thurs- ed about his own experience the students’ grade information, tion and collusion among the review. Is that a felony? day and Friday preceding the in the law: law school at Har- their write-on scores, and their members of the committee, who, Thanksgiving Recess, but at- vard, returning home to take personal statements to select though required to give weight to Thumbs down tendance at Kennedy-related over his father’s law practice twenty-five of them for mem- each of grades, the write-on, and to ANG. Turns out events was undiminished. in Sacramento, and being ap- bership on VLR. Students must the personal statement, are un- ANG was spread- Several venues in the Law pointed by President Gerald receive five of seven votes to be der no obligation to disclose their ing fake news last School played host to the R. Ford to the Ninth Circuit. admitted. weighting or have a consistent week when ANG said Presi- retired justice—Professor He quoted Aristotle, stuck Supporters and opponents metric for balancing the three dent Ryan met with Law Micah Schwartzman ’05 de- up for the Socratic method, disagreed markedly about the factors. One member called the Review when he was actu- scribed Kennedy as “gener- and recalled the very differ- new plan’s merits. Most VLR committee’s discretionary power ally meeting with a shadowy ous with his time”—starting ent days during which he be- members who spoke with the “insane.” cabal called the “Tri-Sector with a combined sitting of Law Weekly did so on condition Leadership Fellows.” Professor J. Scott Ballenger KENNEDY page 2 of anonymity: several pointed VLR page 2 2 Columns VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY Wednesday, 28 November 2018 KENNEDY continued from page 1 ings—might influence zoning Judge Kennedy, Bruce Karsh that the system works” and Outline variance decisions relating reflected on Kennedy as a reassured the audience that gan his law practice in Sacra- to religious minorities with boss, calling him “courteous the Court “is operating in a Formatting: mento, days he said lived up a fascinating story about his and kind” and recalling how collegial, thoughtful way.” Timely Tips to the term “old-boys club.” own experience representing the judge would invite him When Rubenstein noted there Asked his favorite film, Ken- a client before a zoning com- over to his house for dinner were now two former Ken- for Success nedy gave a classic Kennedy mission.