Become an Editor
Fill out the form at this link to express your interest in the Review and in getting involved:
we'll get in touch!
Becoming an editor in the editorial team of the Trento Student Law Review can be a great way to get involved in an extracurricular activity during your time at Law School, while honing useful skills that can be spent in a variety of post-graduate activities (lawyer, phd, public and private employment). From the review of articles, to the assembly of the final editorial product, from the management and enlargement of the pool of peer-reviewers, to organizing associative and team-building activities for the entire editorial board, there are many activities that can involve and inspire the participation of different interests and skills.
What is a law review? What does it mean to be a student-run law review?
The Editorial Board receives article submissions mainly in English but also in Italian from legal scholars, practitioners and students on any topic of interest to the legal community. All manuscripts are subject to a double-blind peer review, after a preliminary screening (learn more about peer-review here). Once the internal procedures necessary to improve the substantive and formal quality of the articles (i.e. editing) are completed, a volume of the Trento Student Law Review is born, and published twice a year in separate issues. The editorial team is the driving force behind the achievement of this important goal.
The Trento Student Law Review is a student-run law review. This means that the entire editorial process, all roles and all activities of the editorial board are entrusted entirely and exclusively to students of the Faculty of Law of the University of Trento. This is a model of scientific journal quite old and nowadays very popular in the international context (especially Anglo-Saxon), which is spreading in Italy too.
Who is the Editor?
The editor is a member of the editorial board, selected on the basis of his or her current and potential merits and skills. He may be entrusted with a variety of tasks suited to the most varied propensities and attitudes, and perform functions both for the printing of the finished editorial product, and for the dissemination of knowledge of the activities of the journal. As the position title suggests, editors edit the text previously received from authors: editors do not write articles. In fact, to avoid even the slightest whiff of conflict of interest, no member or collaborator of our board is allowed to publish its work on the Trento Student Law Review. Otherwise, anyone is welcome to submit its work to our Law Review.
Being an editor requires approaching texts with a critical eye, reading and questioning actively and with an analytical spirit the contents. This allows you to question the law and legal science, coming into contact with the latest doctrine and understanding in which direction the law is moving. Working in teams on the texts allows for teamwork skills, sharing the common goal of working with precision and attention to detail, honing writing and research skills; it also helps to test the individual skills and competences employed in the editing process.
Why become an editor?
There are many benefits to becoming an editor: being a member of the Law Review demonstrates strong writing skills and attention to the specifics of a legal document. It can also help to demonstrate a strong work ethic and an ability to pay attention to detail, skills that are essential in the legal field - whatever your post-graduate prospects and ambitions. These are all skills that a prospective employer will recognize and seek out, valuing participation in the Law Review and taking it into account for selection purposes. In Italy, the student-run law review is not yet well known and widespread, but the big law firms know what it is and in international contexts participation in a law review is a source of prestige.
I'm a first-year law student: should I apply?
Yes, absolutely! No one is born a scholar, and the skills you need to be a full-fledged editor are nowhere to be found other than through active participation in editorial activities, and by putting your hands to work. Starting early, at the beginning of your university career, to familiarize yourself with an editor’s activities will allow you to approach new university courses and specific areas of law with a unique reading lens.
What training activities will help me better perform the role of editor?
Editing is a hands-on activity, but the basics must be learned: part of being an editor means also participating in activities designed to help develop individual skills for the proper execution of all the activities necessary for a successful publication. The editor will be trained to take part bath his best in the activities of the Law Review, both through webinars, seminars and practical exercises, but also and above all by engaging in the review and editing processes, initially supervised by a senior editor. The objective is to promote the transmission of know-how within the editorial board, in order to safeguard the overall editorial skills aimed at the production and dissemination of a quality publication.
What do editors do?
There are different functions and activities of the editors, some common and carried out by all editors without distinction and some carried out according to what are the interests and attitudes of the individual editor.
Common activities carried out by all editors, under the direction and supervision of management, are:
- Preliminary screening: evaluation of assigned articles, in dialogue with Managing Editors during the review process to determine if the manuscript is ready for external review. The editor evaluates the coherence and logical-legal rigor of the argument, the balance of the development of the text, and the breadth of references supporting the theses expressed;
- Substantive revision: it consists in the critical reading and annotation of the texts accepted for publication, suggesting to the author changes to improve the overall quality of the article (paragraphing, conceptual organization and distribution of content, opportunity to deepen certain content), but also to make punctual changes to the text (syntax, style, use of language and expression), according to the editorial policy and guidelines;
- Copy-editing: correction of texts (grammar, spelling, punctuation, fact-checking, anti-plagiarism activities) as well as the activity of conforming footnotes to the journal's citation code, while verifying the accuracy and adequacy of the individual sources cited.
The differentiation of the activities of the editors arises within the "Trento Student Law Review" Association, an instrumental legal entity that interfaces with the journal's stakeholders, the university and the faculty, as well as private individuals interested in the journal's activities. All members of the editorial board necessarily belong to the association. Each editor is placed on a team (Platform Management, Treasury, Communication, Contact with Reviewers) to enable the administration activities that take place throughout the year. It is vital to promote and publicize the publication in order to encourage the submission of articles from students, alumni and professionals. The editors undertake to carry out among the student community but also outside the university context, activities to promote the journal, spreading the knowledge of the activities of the editorial board and promoting membership.
Join the TSLR editorial team
Who can become an editor?
Students of the Master's Degree Program in Law and of the Bachelor's Degree Program in Comparative, European and International Legal Studies (CEILS) of the University of Trento can apply for the position of Associate Editor; those attending the last year or later can apply for the position of Contributing Editor on the basis of particular merits or skills evaluated by the committee. JD/LLB/LLM and Erasmus candidates from foreign universities are eligible for the Visiting Editor position.
The ideal candidate has:
- a very good knowledge of the English language (B2-C2 CEFR);
- at least one previous experience working in a team;
- a good knowledge of the Trento Student Law Review;
- an interest in working in an international environment;
- a strong motivation.
The working language of the Trento Student Law Review is Italian, and it’s used in day-to-day exchanges both for written and oral communication. This is due to the need for easy and speedy communications among our associates. English is used for communications with non-Italian-speaking members, in matters specifically pertaining to them.
Selection process
In order to join the editorial board, regardless of the position for which the application is submitted, it is necessary to take part in the selection process by which we aim to know our candidates in order to understand how each one could best contribute to the work of the editorial board.
The selection process takes place twice a year: in September and February.
- Fill out the informational form. We ask all candidates to answer a few questions to help us understand what prompted them to apply. This step aims to gather the information that is typically found in a cover letter or personal statement. We’ll ask you to explain what motivated you to apply for membership of the Trento Student Law Review, but also - in light of the CV and past experiences - what value could you bring to the Review and how, in your opinion, you might get involved in our boards activities;
- Send us a Curriculum vitae/Resume, at the same time as filling out the form or at a later stage. The CV allows us to understand what skills the candidate has developed through previous experiences and activities. The curriculum is important because it is the candidate that decides how to structure it, what to include and what to leave out;
- The Cognitive interview allows us to meet you in person, informally chatting about your ambitions and aptitudes, summarizing and reviewing the information previously gathered. At the interview you might be asked to translate - from Italian to English or from English to Italian - a short piece of legal literature (e.g., essay, contract clause, previously TSLR-published article).
The outcome of the selection process is notified with an email from the Editor-in-Chief or the recruiting delegate.
Perks
The editor’s name and affiliation will be listed in the Journal’s website. Being a member of a law review is widely considered a source of prestige, especially when evaluated in an international context: editors’ collaboration with the journal gives an international academic/research profile. Having as extracurricular activity the affiliation to the Trento Student Law Review is sure to be a plus in the eyes of recruiters at law firms.
Testimonial letters will be provided confirming editorial collaboration with the TSLR.
You will be trained to take part in the Law Review’s activities at the best of your abilities, both through webinars, workshops and practical exercises, but also by engaging in the reviewing and editing processes, at first supervised by a senior editor. You will also have the opportunity to join the organizing team for various national & international events and teambuilding activities.
Fill out the form at this link to express your interest in the Review and in getting involved:
we'll get in touch!
Further questions about editors' responsibilities and the selection process can be submitted directly by e-mail (trentostudentlawreview@unitn.it), or can find an answer by visiting our official web page (https://teseo.unitn.it/tslr).
