-
VAULR is a bi-annual publication, publishing one edition per semester. It also features an online Journal with short-form pieces.
Each article evaluates a substantive legal question. VAULR differs from most law reviews by having an in-house Staff Writers, rather than soliciting article submissions. Members serve in the below roles:
Staff Writers publish one article per semester, either in long-form (approximately 10 pages, double-spaced) or short-form (op-ed length). Each writer receives extensive, personalized guidance in exploring their topic of choice; as such, legal writing experience is not required.
As of early 2025, we have around 32 active staff writers.
Editors enhance the quality of Staff Writers’ pieces by evaluating them on multiple levels, including strength of argument, clarity, and grammar. Editors also produce law school-style Bluebook citations—a rare opportunity for undergraduates. Editors hold an invaluable role in assuring that articles’ quality and scope are aligned with the mission and standards of a law review.
As of early 2025, we have around 32 active editors.
Executive Board members run the publication and its operations. There are five elected positions (an Editor-in-Chief, a Director of Operations, and three Executive Editors) and seven appointed positions (a Deputy Director of Operations, Director of Diversity & Outreach, and five Managing Editors).
-
Several spaces on Grounds facilitate indirect, but valuable, engagement with law through interdisciplinary inquiry. VAULR is a supplement: a publication for Hoos who want to engage directly with law as undergraduates.
As UVA’s first and only legal publication, VAULR is an uncommon venue for students to develop valuable legal writing skills—including Bluebooking—and explore their interests.
-
While an interest in attending law school is by no means a requirement to join, VAULR prides itself on providing a holistic experience for students interested in a legal career. It does so by:
Hosting distinguished law students and attorneys as guest speakers. This includes robust engagement with professors and law students at the School of Law.
Connecting students to a network of driven, supportive, and welcoming Hoos pursuing legal careers.
Facilitating leadership opportunities with uncommon responsibility for those interested.
Allowing members to gain uncommon legal writing experience and signal well-considered legal interests, distinguishing them in future endeavors.
In less than three years, VAULR alumni have received admission to Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, University of Virginia School of Law, Duke University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and UCLA School of Law, among other well-regarded programs.
-
No. Most new members do not have direct experience with legal writing; for many, VAULR is their first law-related involvement. VAULR invites applicants from a range of backgrounds. Most important is evidence of an applicant’s ability to contribute, in a holistic sense, to VAULR.
-
As of early 2025, we have published approximately 100 articles (85 long-form pieces and 15 short-form)! We look forward to continuing to explore diverse areas in the law and growing our archives.
-
Our application for the 2026–2027 academic year will open here in early September 2026. To receive important updates, subscribe to our interest list and follow our Instagram.
Our application contains two components: a legal interests essay and a relevant experiences essay. The goal of these two components is to convey each candidate’s interest in the law as well as their fitness for serving on the staff of a publication.
-
No. Reflecting its commitment to equity and accessibility, VAULR is proud to provide entirely free membership now and into the future. This includes dues-free access to the Bluebook and social events.
-
Acknowledging the pitfalls of admissions-based student organizations, as well as the legal profession’s unrepresentative historical demographics, VAULR is committed to an intentioned pursuit of diversity.
As such, VAULR is proud to:
Be majority-female, both in its general membership and in its Executive Board, reflecting broader changes in the legal profession.
Employ a Director of Diversity & Outreach who exercises integral input in all major decisions.
Provide entirely free membership, reflecting its commitment to equity and accessibility.
Admit members from a wide variety of academic and personal backgrounds.
VAULR is committed to applying continuous and earnest scrutiny to its practices. Please direct relevant inquiries to vaulr@virginia.edu.
-
Please direct all other inquiries to VAULR's Director of Operations, Owen Leshner, at dkk4pd@virginia.edu.
-
Enough questions!
The law is for everyone. So is this review.
Legal scholarship is only as rigorous as the range of perspectives shaping it. VAULR is built to widen that range. We remove the barriers that typically gatekeep pre-law spaces. No dues. No prerequisites. No assumed technical familiarity with the field. Our Director of Diversity & Outreach holds standing authority over admissions, topic selection, and member welfare. Diversity is at the heart of our publication.
Alumni Spotlight: Evan Bannon!
We’re proud to spotlight Evan Bannon, a VAULR alumnus who contributed as both an editor and a writer during his time with the Review. Evan is now a 1L at Seton Hall Law in New Jersey, and this summer he'll be interning with a Federal Judge in Newark before heading to Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in NYC the following summer.
We reached out to Evan to ask how VAULR has shaped his transition into law school and early legal career. His reflections offer a compelling case for why undergraduate law review experience matters—even in ways members may not anticipate while they’re involved.
"I didn’t know how valuable it would be."
Evan is candid about why he joined: "At the time I did not know how valuable the experience would be to my first year in law school; I just thought it would look good on my resume."
That changed quickly once he got to Seton Hall.
The 1L Advantage
"Bluebooking and legal analysis experience are the cornerstones of any first year writing course," Evan explains. "Having experience, when many of your classmates are coming in blind, is invaluable."
This is precisely what VAULR’s editorial process is built to develop. The citation standards, source-checking rigor, and analytical framework our editors and writers engage with every week are the same tools 1Ls are expected to master from day one.
The Recruiting Signal
Evan’s résumé line has also opened doors he didn't expect: "Every interview I’ve had, from federal judges to BigLaw NYC firms, has inquired about an 'Undergraduate Law Review.' Most have never heard of one."
The novelty works in his favor. Interviewers are curious, and the experience signals a level of early commitment to legal writing that sets candidates apart.
His Advice to Current Members
When asked if he’d change anything, Evan didn’t hesitate: "My only regret is not being involved with the Executive Board because there is no understating how important the experience is to law school and professional development."
For current VAULR members weighing whether to pursue leadership roles, consider this your sign.
Evan has generously offered to answer questions from current and prospective VAULR members about law school applications, 1L life, or his experience with the Review. If you'd like to be connected with him, please reach out to VAULR directly.
