An Open Letter to Potential Canadian Applicants to JURIST News
Hi! I’m Bernard Hibbitts, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh and JURIST’s Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, and I’m delighted that you’re thinking about joining JURIST.
We’re looking for talented Canadian first- and second-year law students to join our unique team of some 90 law student volunteers reporting legal news from 29 law schools around the world. All it takes to get started is 5 hours a week of your time. In return you’ll get terrific online legal research experience, you’ll learn to write quickly and succinctly under time pressure, and you’ll have the opportunity to work with a unique network of law students around the world dedicated to public service, to free access to legal information, and to the rule of law.
No journalism experience, you say? Not to worry! Our professional staff will direct you to stories to write up and will teach you how to write them using primary sources. It’s not much of a reach, really. Lawyers historically have made great journalists – we know how to synthesize information, we’re good at gathering evidence, we care about facts, and many of the best lawyers (especially courtroom lawyers) are good at telling stories. We do all this on JURIST every day, and the skills you build with us are transferable. A partner wants an urgent legal question assessed and summarized in a brief memo, on her desk in an hour? You’ve got this! Helps in dealing with time-limited law school exams too. And if you don’t believe me, believe some of our US students (see below).
Just to seal the deal, guess what? You may have noticed that JURIST’s colors are red and white. It’s no coincidence. JURIST’s Publisher & Editor-in-Chief may live and teach in the US, but he’s actually CANADIAN (born and brought up in Halifax, NS, then Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, Harvard Law School, yada yada yada…). And now that JURIST has gone global, I’d frankly like some Canadian company. So whether you hail originally from Calgary or Coquitlam (BC), Edmonton or Edmunston (NB), you’re more than welcome on JURIST. Think about it – putting people together from around the globe to do good is kind of a Canadian thing, right? So get involved, be part of a big deal that’s getting bigger, and use your legal awareness to help others understand what’s happening in their world.
I hope you’ll join JURIST. Thanks for reading!
Sample US law student testimonials:
“Writing for JURIST remains one of my favorite law school experiences. As an Associate Editor, I enjoy contributing legal research and writing news articles on domestic and international legal topics. I also benefit from covering current events, serving the public, and connecting with law students and professionals around the world. Through my experience with JURIST, I have improved my research skills and doubled the number of news articles I can write per shift. I highly recommend JURIST!”
“I applied to JURIST to improve my writing skills, learn more about primary resource research, and keep current with legal happenings around the world. I liked the idea of working with an incredibly diverse and international network of volunteer law students also interested in legal news. My work for JURIST has improved my time management, my writing style, and my overall professionalism. Additionally, it is exceptionally rewarding to identify breaking stories and compose articles and commentary about legal issues/events I care about. The public service mission of JURIST is foundational in everything we publish: to provide current, consistent, and comprehensive legal news and commentary to everyone on the internet by removing barriers (like paywalls) between the public and the legal/political arena. What I enjoy the most about writing for JURIST is seeing how impactful our work actually is! Each year, millions of readers from around the world read articles and commentary written and edited by law students like you and me.”
"JURIST was one of my favorite parts of law school. It helped me hone my writing skills and taught me how to turn research around on a deadline, as well as laugh at my own mistakes. Strongly recommend. 10/10 Would Do Again."
