2026 Writing Competition Overview
To join one of the University of Miami School of Law’s journals, students can participate in the Law Review Writing Competition. For the Writing Competition, students use a substantial packet of source material, provided by the University of Miami Law Review, to write an in-depth academic casenote, as well as a Bluebook quiz. Casenotes and quizzes will be scored on the basis of writing ability, legal analysis, and Bluebooking skills.
Each participant must complete the casenote in compliance with the School of Law’s Honor Code. Anyone violating the Honor Code may be reported to the Honor Council for sanctions, including but not limited to disqualification from the writing competition or removal from the Law Review.
Membership on the University of Miami Law Review is prestigious, and competition for a spot on the Law Review is accordingly difficult. The University of Miami Law Review offers grade-on membership to rising 2L students ranked in the top 5% of their 1L class. Rising 2L students who have a 3.5 GPA after the Spring 2026 semester and rising 3L students who have a 3.55 GPA after the Fall 2025 semester are eligible to participate in the Law Review Writing Competition.
Note that all University of Miami School of Law students are eligible to write on to the School of Law’s other journals through the Writing Competition. For more information regarding the other journals, please see the final memorandum.
The 2026 Writing Competition
The Rules and Instructions packet for the 2026 Writing Competition can be found here. Dates for the 2026 Writing Competition are below. Please note, late entries will not be accepted.
- Registration:
- Start: Monday, April 6, 2026, 8:00 a.m. (EST)
- End: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 5:00 p.m. (EST)
- Competition:
- Start: Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (EST)
- End: Monday, May 18, 2026, 3:00 p.m. (EST)
- Announcement of Selected Students: Friday, May 29, 2026
- Please note the announcement date is dependent upon an on-time grade release by the Registrar’s Office.
MANDATORY COMPETITION MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS
To participate in the Writing Competition, you must attend one Information Session and one “How to Write a Casenote” Workshop. In-person attendance is required, and these meetings will not be recorded under any circumstances. At these meetings, representatives from each law review will discuss expectations, Bluebooking for academic writing, the general evaluation standards, how the University of Miami School of Law’s Honor Code comes into play during the Writing Competition, and the Writing Competition experience. Please come prepared with questions as we will answer them during each meeting. Also, please remember to follow each law review on social media for information leading up to the Writing Competition.
As a reminder, attendance at one Information Session and one Workshop is mandatory for write-on eligibility for UMLR.
Information Sessions – MANDATORY to attend one:
- Thursday, February 12, 2026: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. in F108
- Tuesday, February 24, 2026: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. in A110
“How to Write a Casenote” Workshops – MANDATORY to attend one:
- Tuesday, March 31, 2026: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. in F309
- Wednesday, April 8, 2026: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. in F209
MANDATORY INTELLECTUAL LIFE EVENTS
To participate in the Writing Competition, you must also attend one or more of the following Intellectual Life events for a minimum of four (4) hours total. You may divide this time as you choose (for example, you may attend one event for four hours, or attend multiple events that together total four hours). Registration is required for these events, and a sign-in sheet will be used to track attendance and time.
University of Miami Law Review Symposium: The Constitutional Mosaic: The Balance of Federal Powers in Modern America
- February 20, 2026
- 1:10 – 5:00 p.m.
- Shalala Student Center, Activities Room, University of Miami
- 4 hours available for attendance in full.
University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review and University of Miami Business Law Review Symposium: Checkpoints and Checkbooks: The Legal Implications of Tariffs on International Trade
- March 6, 2026
- 1:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Lakeside Student Center, University of Miami
- 4 hours available for attendance in full.
University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review Lunch Series:
- March 18, 2026, “Health or Harm?”: Medicaid Cuts, Reproductive Care, and Racial Disparities in Florida
- 2 hours available
- March 24, 2026, Gerrymandering, Voting Power, & Race in Florida’s Legislative Maps
- 1 hour available
- March 30, 2026, Everglades Detention Center
- 1 hour available
- 12:15 – 1:20 p.m.
- E352
- 4 hours available for attendance across all Lunch Series events.
If, due to extenuating circumstances, you cannot attend either of these sessions, please email Farah Barquero at fbarquero@law.miami.edu with an explanation and accommodations may be made.
