My work with the Harlan Institute has introduced me to many High Schoolers who have a deep knowledge of constitutional law. I am extremely proud of Originalist Angles, a national high school law journal. It has published insightful essays on pending Supreme Court, deep dives into originalist theory, as well as interviews with jurists and scholars. This is an impressive endeavor.
I am happy to pass along this announcement from Managing Editor Maclain Conlin. They are looking for Staff Writers:
Dear fellow students,
I hope that you are having a great week! My name is Maclain Conlin, and I am the Managing Editor of Originalist Angles, a national high school law journal. I am happy to report that we are looking for new Staff Writers for the coming year, and cordially invite you to apply!What is Originalist Angles and what is its purpose?
Originalist Angles is a national law journal written by and for high school students. OA’s Board of Advisors includes top law professors at UVA, Georgetown, and the University of Minnesota, and our site is listed as a recommended resource by Georgetown University’s Center for the Constitution. Our purpose is to engage young minds in legal debates through the study of originalism as a lens of constitutional interpretation. We are guided by three core principles:
1. Young people have both a right and a duty to contribute to the great legal debates shaping our nation. To that end, we give students a unique chance to publish their legal writing and to participate in regular symposiums on the most pressing issues in constitutional law.
2. Freedom of speech is essential to the discovery of objective truth. In this vein, we do not require our writers to support any specific point of view. We encourage debate and counterarguments.
3. High school students should have access to the greatest legal minds of our time. To fulfill this principle, we regularly publish interviews with top federal judges, legal scholars, and practicing attorneys on their respective fields.
Who should apply?
Any student who is interested in learning more about the law, civic education, and/or our system of government should apply. We do not require any prior experience in scholarly legal writing or law-related activities, and we emphasize a diversity of perspectives and passions.
What is the application process like?
This Fall, we are looking to recruit at least two Staff Writers for the 2024-2025 school year. Students who are interested in applying should visit this link, where you will be asked to submit your name, a brief writing sample on government, literature history, or law (you are free to use past school papers on any of these topics), and answer a brief essay prompt. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2025, and the selected Staff Writers will be notified by mid-February.
What does being a Staff Writer entail?
We anticipate publishing two editions during the remainder of this school year—one in the Winter with a mid-March submission deadline and another in the Spring with a late April submission deadline. Students who are selected as Staff Writers will be asked to publish an essay in both editions. This is a very special opportunity, as our past two editions have been shared on Professor Solum’s Legal Theory Blog, one of the most prestigious and widely read legal outlets in the United States. Staff Writers will also have the opportunity to interact directly with top legal minds through our virtual symposiums. At the end of the coming school year, Staff Writers will be given a preference in the selection process for OA’s new leadership.
What if I am not selected as a Staff Writer but still want to participate?
If you are not selected as a Staff Writer, there are still many ways that you can participate!
First, in our “Interim Works” section, we regularly publish shorter works outside of our formal Journal editions, and we welcome submissions from all high school students. To submit a piece for this section, please send a copy of your article to MaclainConlin-at-gmail.com. In the coming year, we hope to increase our output in this section!
Second, we will host multiple symposiums during the coming school year in which students will have the chance to submit a brief entry on an assigned subject. If your entry is accepted, you will be able to share your scholarship in a virtual conference and answer questions about your paper from accomplished scholars. Last year, our Symposium on Free Speech and Social Media was led by Professors Eugene Volokh of UCLA (now of Stanford’s Hoover Institution) and Josh Blackman of South Texas, two of America’s leading constitutional law scholars.
Thank you for taking the time to read this note! I look forward to reviewing your application along with the rest of our leadership.
Sincerely,
Maclain Conlin
Managing Editor, Originalist Angles
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