Student Involvement
The University of Dayton School of Law has a number of groups and student organizations that you can get involved in during your time here.
Joining a student organization allows you the opportunity to make connections, explore various areas of law and give back to your community. You can find a list of the student organizations at the University of Dayton School of Law or you can create your own student organization once you're here.
List of Student Organizations
21st Amendment Society
The 21st Amendment Society promotes discussion of, education of and teaches students practical knowledge of the laws that govern liquor distribution, licensing and the business behind the alcohol industry.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Alliance
The ADRA allows attorneys and their clients to settle disputes without resorting to litigation.
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
The American Constitution Society strives to obtain equal access to justice for every American citizen and advocates for the enforcement of human dignity, individual rights, and equality under American law.
Asian and Pacific Islander Law Student Association
The Asian and Pacific Islander Law Student Association is an all-inclusive student organization committed to the sharing of Asian culture with the UDSL community.
Black Law Students Association
The Black Law Students Association helps retain current black law students and recruit new black law students to the University of Dayton School of Law and articulates and promotes the professional goals and needs of black law students.
Business Law Society
The Business Law Society immerses its members in the numerous and varied aspects of Business Law.
Cannabis Law Society
The Cannabis Law Society examines laws concerning hemp and cannabis in the United States and their impact.
Child Advocacy Law Society
The Child Advocacy Law Society serves to educate the law school community about child advocacy and provide opportunities for members to get involved in that field of law.
Christian Association of Leadership and Law (CALL)
The Christian Legal Society and the St. Thomas More Society have combined to form the Christian Association of Leadership and Law (CALL). CALL aims to inspire, encourage and equip Christian lawyers and law students to proclaim, love and serve Jesus Christ through the study and practice of law, as well as, promote community service and fellowship among UDSL students.
Criminal Law Association
The Criminal Law Association helps students learn about opportunities in the field of criminal law.
Dayton Bar Association - Student Division
The Dayton Bar Association - Student Division fosters support between UDSL students and the Dayton legal community.
Disability Law Society
The Disability Law Society raises awareness about disability within the UDSL community, supports students who are interested in pursuing a legal education while having a disability or who are interested in pursuing disability law and provides information and assistance to students, faculty, staff and community members regarding disability.
Environmental Law Society
The Environmental Law Society will promote awareness of environmental concerns, issues, and problems within the legal community; bridge the communication and information gaps between the scientific and political/legal communities; and enhance the law school experience for students interested in environmental issues confronting Ohio, the United States and the world.
Families and Couples Association
The Families and Couples Association aims to bring together students who have
family commitments, such as students with: children, spouses, significant others, nieces
and nephews, or any other student who wishes to support their classmates.
Federal Bar Association Law Student Division
The Federal Bar Association Law Student Division's core goals include advocacy, networking, leadership, and learning.
Federalist Society
The Federalist Society seeks to broaden the debate and provide an alternative view to that which is often encountered in law schools.
Health and Wellness Society
The Health and Wellness Society provides an outlet where law students learn necessary skills for stress relief during law school and further explore healthcare law.
Hispanic Law Student Association
The Hispanic Law Student Association promotes students' interest in the Hispanic law practicing community, encourages professional development in the study of law, serves as a forum for the discussion of professional and academic issues and acts as a support group for Hispanic students pursuing their J.D.
Honor Council
The Honor Council is responsible for investigating reports of academic dishonesty and promoting a culture of honor, professionalism, accountability and integrity at UDSL.
Human Rights Awareness and Advocacy Group
The Human Rights Awareness and Advocacy Group's purpose is to raise awareness about human rights issues both globally and locally.
Immigration Law Student Association
The Immigration Law Student Association promotes knowledge of Immigration Law and policies that affect various immigrant populations in the state of Ohio and in the United States.
Intellectual Property Law Society
Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) helps further students' understanding of intellectual property and keep abreast of the latest changes within this practice area.
International Law Society
The International Law Society provides students an opportunity to learn more about the practical aspects of practicing international law.
Justinian Forum
The Justinian Forum is a bar association representing attorneys and judges of Italian-American descent in the Cleveland area and was developed at the University of Dayton School of Law to promote and foster understanding of the roles of Italian-Americans in the legal system and to encourage advocacy of Italian-Americans in matters involving social justice issues.
Lambda Legal Student Association
The purpose of the Lambda Legal Student Association is to create an alliance between heterosexual individuals and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
Law School Democrats
The Law School Dems are dedicated to sharing the ideals of the Democratic Party with the University of Dayton School of Law community.
Law School Pathways Program
The Law School Pathways Program is a community-volunteer based organization committed to
empowering undergraduate students at the University of Dayton to pursue careers in law by
developing meaningful mentorship relationships and fostering personal and professional growth.
People's Parity Project
The People’s Parity Project is a nationwide movement of law students and attorneys organizing for a democratized legal system which empowers working people and opposes subordination in any form.
Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta is the UDSL student fraternity and is the largest student organization at the University of Dayton School of Law.
Probate and Estate Planning Law Society
The Probate and Estate Planning Society is focused on providing students interested in the areas of probate and estate planning law with access to the expertise and insights of practitioners in the field.
Republican Law Society
The Republican Law Society promotes a constructive political discourse on campus by sharing the ideals of the common good, a free society, and good government.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Society
The RBG Society is a student organization that focuses on public interest and civil rights law.
Second Amendment Society
The Second Amendment Society strives to educate our members about how the Second Amendment is viewed, used, and legislated in our society, today.
Sports and Entertainment Law Society
The Sports and Entertainment Law Society focuses on exploration and discussion of career opportunities and relevant issues in the fields of sport and entertainment.
Student Bar Association
The Student Bar Association is the student government at UDSL and helps facilitate the expression and representation of the student body.
Students for Bipartisan Policy & Advocacy
Students for Bipartisan Policy & Advocacy is a non-partisan entity committed to finding common ground to help advance meaningful policy change in Ohio.
Veterans and Military Advocacy Group
The Veterans and Military Advocacy Group (VMAG) provides support to area veterans and veteran organizations.
Volunteer Student Law Project
The Volunteer Student Law Project (VSLP) is dedicated to provide legal and nonlegal volunteer opportunities to law students.
Women In Law & Leadership
Women In Law & Leadership supports women law students by building professional, academic, and personal relationships in the law school and the community.
The University of Dayton Law Review, founded in 1974, is a scholarly journal published three times annually by second and third year law students at the University of Dayton School of Law. The Law Review publishes articles by students, judges, practitioners, and academics in important areas of law. The Law Review seeks to contribute to the legal community by publishing articles that highlight current legal issues and changes in the law. The Law Review also provides students with the opportunity to develop their research, writing and analytical skills through the scholarly treatment of current legal issues.
The Dayton Law Review serves as representation of the University of Dayton School of Law to the community at large and as a forum for scholarly debate and discussion within the legal community.
Issues
University of Dayton Law Review issues are available in eCommons for searching, browsing or downloading.
Online Edition
UDLR Online Edition
Launched by Volume 48, the University of Dayton Law Review Online Edition is the digital supplement to the print edition. UDLR Online Edition publishes short articles and op-ed style pieces by academics, judges, practitioners, and law students, as well as timely responses to articles in the print journal of the University of Dayton Law Review. UDLR Online Edition also publishes short blog posts about relevant topics in the legal community to quickly disseminates the legal community’s initial impressions of important judicial decisions and legislative developments.
For access to our online journal, please visit our UDLR Online Edition website.
Submissions
UDLR Online Edition articles submissions should be original pieces of timely scholarship on newsworthy topics and accessible to a wide audience. Submissions should be no longer than 3,000 words, inclusive of footnotes. All submissions longer than 4,000 words will generally be automatically rejected, and the expectation is that essays longer than 3,000 words will be shortened during the editing process. Please submit an editable word processing document (.doc, .docx, etc.) and NOT a PDF document. Submissions should be written in a style accessible to a general audience of practitioners and policymakers. Pieces will be published on an expedited production schedule.
UDLR Online Edition blog submissions should also be original pieces of timely scholarship on newsworthy topics and accessible to a wide audience. Submissions should be no longer than 1,500 words, inclusive of footnotes. All submissions longer than 2,000 words will generally be automatically rejected, and the expectation is that essays longer than 1,500 words will be shortened during the editing process. Please submit an editable word processing document (.doc, .docx, etc.) and NOT a PDF document. Submissions should be written in a style accessible to a general audience of practitioners and policymakers. Pieces will be published on an expedited production schedule.
All citations should be in Bluebook format. Lighter footnoting is encouraged. Please note that footnotes are required for
- any material pulled directly from a source, including language or an idea from a source
- any original materials (e.g., cases, statutes, newspaper stories, etc.)
- any obscure materials that would be difficult for a reader to find.
How to Become a Member
Students who have completed their first-year course load can obtain membership on the University of Dayton Law Review by grading on or writing on.
Grade-On: One way to obtain membership is by grading on. Students who successfully grade on will receive an invitation after first year grades have been submitted and approved by the administration. To grade on the Law Review, students must be ranked in at least the top 15 percent of their class. Students who move up into the top 15 percent of their class after their second year will also be invited to join the Law Review as a staff writer.
Write-On: Another way to become a member of the Law Review is to write on during the annual Write-On Competition. This competition is open to all students who have completed their program's first year requirements and have a GPA of at least 2.3. The competition consists of writing a Casenote, with a required length of 8-15 pages (double-spaced text, footnotes and proper Bluebook citation required).
The Law Review does not limit the number of members that will be accepted through the write-on process. We encourage all qualified students to participate in the competition. New members will be selected through the write on competition solely based on the quality of their writing, the accuracy of their citation and the capacity of the Dayton Law Review to accept new members.
Expectations of Law Review Members
Membership on the Dayton Law Review requires the fulfillment of the following:
Writing Requirement: Staff writers of the Law Review must complete a Comment that is deemed publishable by the Editorial Board. After the successful submission of a publishable Comment, the staff writer has satisfied the writing requirement. In addition, some of the student Comments will be selected for publication in the Law Review. A published paper is viewed by the legal community as both a great honor and significant addition to any résumé.
Publication Work: Staff writers are also required to assist in the editing of articles that will be published in the Dayton Law Review. This is largely accomplished through the cite check process, which entails a comprehensive edit of articles that will be published by the Law Review. Staff writers form the backbone of the editing process and are directly responsible for ensuring the substantive and technical quality of published articles.
Submissions
The University of Dayton Law Review welcomes submission of articles throughout the year. We prefer that the articles conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed.) and The Redbook: A Manual Legal Style (3d ed., 2002).
Articles should be sent to:
Outside Articles Editor
University of Dayton Law Review
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 54469-2772
Author Article and Submission Guidelines
Below are the Law Review's requirements for preparing your final article for your submission. Adherence to these requirements will make for a streamlined publication process for all parties involved.
Abstract
Please include an abstract of approximately 100 words on a separate page at the beginning of the article and include a copy on your diskette submission. Abstracts are used on our website to provide information about your article.
Article Format
Format: All submissions must be in Word format
Title: Title and author(s) name(s) must appear on the first page of the text
Author Biography: Insert an author's biographical note as the first footnote. This footnote should not be numbered; rather use a symbol such as an asterisk (*)
Font: Use Times New Roman, 12 point type
Spacing: Text should be typed and footnotes justified; use two (2) spaces between sentences
Margins: All margins should be one-inch
Page Numbers: Insert page numbers at the bottom of each page (footer), numbered consecutively
Footnotes: Insert footnotes at the bottom of each page, numbered consecutively, in conformity with Bluebook (20th edition)
Tabs: Set the tabs at 1/2 inch (for the indentions of each paragraph)
Block Quotations: Quotes over 50 words should be single-spaced, indented 1/2 inch from both margins and fully justified
Headings: Headings and subheadings should be left justified and designated with numbers and letters as per the standard online format (I., A., 1., a., (1))
- Subheadings should not go beyond five levels.
- Please do not use the automatic outline function
Dashes: Do not insert spaces before or after dashes; use a "en" dash when specifying page ranges
Spell Check: Please run a spell check before you submit your final version
Standard References to Use
Citation: The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th Edition). The Dayton Law Review adheres to Bluebook citation rules.
Please make every effort to submit your article in proper Bluebook format, as it will substantially decrease the likelihood of delay in the publication process.
Style: The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style (3d ed., 2002), available from West Group publishing, for all style questions.
Usage: Black's Law Dictionary, for all legal term usage, unless otherwise cited.
Editing Process
Authors and Editors will work closely on the editing of the article to prepare it for publication. Generally, authors will see at least one draft as well as the final version of the article. At this time, the author will have the opportunity to make any final corrections before the article is submitted to the printer in final format. If the author fails to make any corrections within a reasonable period of time, the final version will be submitted to the printer as corrected during the editorial process.
Upon completion of the recommended changes (or failure to timely submit changes), the final version will be submitted to the printer for creation of the bluelines (proofs). The bluelines will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and changes will only be made for spelling, grammatical, or formatting errors. No substantive changes will be permitted at this time.
Once the approved bluelines are returned to the printer, it usually takes two to three weeks to publish an issue of the Law Review. Unfortunately, there are always unforeseen problems that may delay our schedule, but we will deal with them as efficiently as possible.
Subscriptions
The subscription rate is $30 per volume. Single issues are available for $17.50 per issue. Subscriptions are automatically renewed unless written notice of cancellation is received prior to shipment of the issue.
Please notify the Law Review, in writing, of any change of address and include name, new address and old address or mailing label. Direct all correspondence regarding subscriptions to the attention of the Business Manager.
Questions regarding back issues, pricing, shipments or any other inquiries may be directed to the Business Manager.
Mock Trial
Being a member of the University of Dayton School of Law's Mock Trial Team is great preparation for becoming a trial lawyer. There is nothing comparable. You'll learn what it takes to build and present a case and gain the experience necessary to walk into any courtroom in the country with a confident step. Over the years UDSL Mock Trial teams have carried on the winning tradition started by its early members who found immediate success after the law school reopened in 1974.
The University of Dayton School of Law Moot Court program is a student-run organization committed to excellence in appellate brief writing and oral advocacy skills. Students who demonstrate exceptional ability in both areas are invited to compete in the Walter H. Rice Moot Court Competition for a chance to be on the UDSL Moot Court Team. Within the legal community, Moot Court is generally regarded as one of the most prestigious and rewarding activities a law student can participate in. UDSL takes great pride in the Moot Court Team and its long and successful history.
Walter H. Rice Intramural Moot Court Competition
The Walter H. Rice Intramural Moot Court Competition is an annual appellate advocacy competition hosted in order to select the University of Dayton School of Law Moot Court Team. Students who demonstrate exceptional written and oral advocacy skills throughout the Appellate Practice & Procedure course will be invited to participate. The top students to advance through the Walter H. Rice Competition will be the newest members of the Moot Court Team.
Recent Final Round Results
2024 Results: Residential - Arabella Loera, Best Oralist; Emily Clark, Daniel Kennedy, Nathan Kraft, Finalists. Online Hybrid - Cathryn Massing, Best Oralist; Averee Richardson, Finalist. View Video. Residential Photo Gallery. Hybrid Photo Gallery.
2023 Results: Justlynn Russell, Best Oralist; Anthony Covington, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery.
2022 Results: Samantha Moore, Best Oralist; Abbigayle Weaver, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery.
2021 Results: Justin Elkin, Best Oralist; Maggie Shaver, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery.
2020 Results: Deztany Johnson, Best Oralist; Phillip Kelly, Runner-up. View Photo Gallery
2019 Results: Maggie Miles, Best Oralist; Gwenevier Johnson, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery
2018 Results: Jesse Daley, Best Oralist; Kristin Hardy, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery
2017 Results: Zoe Curry, Best Oralist; Kaitlyn Meeks, Runner-up. View Video. View Photo Gallery
2016 Results: Ashten Lester, Best Oralist; Christin Dale, Runner-up. View Photo Gallery
2015 Results: Jessica Andress, Best Oralist; Kassidy Dees, Runner-up. View Photo Gallery
2014 Results: Ghassan Deek, Best Oralist; Nadia Klarr, Runner-up
2013 Results: Christine Farmer, Best Oralist; Jon Bucher, Runner-up
Pro Bono Service
Our goal is to educate lawyers who will prevent and solve problems not only for their clients, but for their communities. That's why the University of Dayton School of Law encourages its students to do pro bono work. Students who complete the required 50 hours of providing not-for-profit legal work will receive the Pro Bono Commitment to Community Award and get to wear a special purple cord at graduation.
Summer Study Abroad Program
Thanks to a partnership with the St. Mary's University School of Law, students at Dayton Law have the opportunity to participate in a Summer Study Abroad Program in Innsbruck, Austria.
At the Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck, Austria, students will be able to take part in one of the longest continuously operated summer law study programs offered by any American law school.
Visits are made to the local government offices and to the state seat of government, and guest lectures typically are presented by European professors. Scholars traveling in Europe and lawyers abroad on international business often are invited to share insights with the classes or deliver special lectures on important international topics. Students have the opportunity to converse with foreign scholars and Austrian lawyers on several occasions. Austrian students will participate in classes, off-campus visits, and social events, along with their American colleagues.
Classes meet Monday through midday Thursday. This schedule allows students time to travel on weekends to such destinations as Rome, Paris, the French Riviera, Venice, Vienna, Zurich, Munich, Prague, and Budapest.