JSDLP Associate Editor - Application Form
Thank you for your interest in the McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law
and Policy (JSDLP). The JSDLP is a bilingual, student-run, peer reviewed academic journal. The journal
is unique in its goal to provide a forum for productive debate and critical analysis of the economic,
societal, and environmental issues surrounding sustainable development law and policy. This area of
inquiry is of increasing international importance, and the JSDLP is one of the few venues for focused
commentary from academics and practitioners alike.
Being a part of the JSDLP entails a commitment to excellence and a strong sense of duty to the
legal and academic communities. You are not just taking another class or joining another club; you are
engaged in shaping a vision of the law and of society. This brings both responsibility and opportunities.
There is great satisfaction in knowing that an article you have chosen is being published or cited by a
court. It is also extremely rewarding to see improvements in your own legal research, editing, and writing
skills.
However, these rewards entail challenges, such as helping to select interesting and original pieces
that add to the current understanding of the law and policy. It also includes, perhaps less glamorously but
equally important, checking footnotes for proper citation to ensure the highest standards of research. Each
associate editor will also be responsible for a post on the JSDLP’s blog Provided that a high standard of
quality is met, there will be flexibility as to the form and content of these posts.
All positions at the JSDLP require a one-year commitment from September 2015 to September
2016, including work throughout the summer months. The commitment is roughly 12 hours per month. If
you are interested in contributing to the debate on sustainable development, join our team! To apply,
please complete the following exercises, which ask you to critically evaluate an article and verify the
form of footnotes. As well, please provide us with a CV and a cover letter, ensuring to describe your level
of proficiency in French and English.
Applications are due by Saturday, September 12th at 11:59pm to jsdlp-exec.law@mcgill.ca.
We will be contacting applicants via email to schedule interviews that weekend (September 12th and 13th).
Interviews will be held Tuesday, September 15th through to Thursday, September 17th. There will be two
mandatory training sessions for hired associate editors the evenings of September 22 nd and 29th. If you
require any more information, please see our website at www.jsdlp.mcgill.ca or send us an email.
Sincerely,
Julie Lesage, Brodie Noga, and Nour Saadi
Editor in Chief and Executive Editors, Volume 12
JSDLP Application – Fall 2015
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Name:
Year of study:
Email:
Critical Reflection Exercise
Title of article:
Number of words in exercise:
Please write no more than 1000 words in English or 1125 words in French.
1) Summarize the article. What is the thesis that it is attempting to advance? Is the
argument logical and plausible?
2) Does the article appear to be, to the best of your knowledge, an original, interesting, or
relevant addition to scholarship on sustainable development? Who do you think the target
audience for this article is?
3) Does the author write in a clear and concise style? Is the paper well organized?
4) Does the article appear to reference sources adequately?
5) Would you recommend this article for publishing? Why or why not?
JSDLP Application – Fall 2015
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Footnote Verification Exercise
Please provide a corrected version of the following footnotes using the 8th edition of the The
Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, published by the McGill Law Journal. The cite guide
is available on reserve at Nahum Gelber Law Library and at the McGill Bookstore. If you are a
first-year student, this will be taken into account when reviewing your application.
English
Peacekeeping and the Responsibility to Protect (2010), Sabine Hassler.
David Driesen, What is Free Trade?: The Real Issue Lurking Behind the Trade and Environment
Debate, Issue 41, Virginia Journal of International Law, page 279 (2001).
French
Article de Larsdotter, Kersti intitulé “The Changing Character of Peace Operations: The Use of
Force at the Tactical Level” publié dans le livre War and peace in transition: changing roles of
external actors dont les éditeurs sont Karin Aggestam et Annika Björkdahl, Lund [Sweden],
Nordic Academic Press, 2009.
Alstom Canada inc contre Société de transport de Montréal, 2008 Cour Supérieure (CanLII)
Loi n° 95-101 du 2 février 1995, France, article 1.
JSDLP Application – Fall 2015
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