I.            GENERAL INFORMATION

A.                  Registration Procedure

§         Eligible students that have been accepted through the Currents Write-On process must attend Orientation at the beginning of each semester.  

§         Upon satisfying the mandatory Orientation requirement, the Editor-in-Chief and Dean Elizabeth Dennis shall issue written notice to eligible students and the Registrar’s Office stating the names of students authorized to add Currents (“Members”).

§         Upon receiving this notice, each Member must register for Currents during the regular or late registration period as set forth in the STCL Student Handbook. 

§         At the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, this requirement may be waived for some or all returning Members who completed the previous semester in good standing.

§         Good standing is defined as having completed the previous semester’s work as set forth in this Manual and/or upon recommendation of the Member’s previous semester’s Note and Articles Editor.

§         No retroactive credit will be given for failure to register for Currents. 

B.                  Two Semester Requirement

§         Members must satisfy the General Member Responsibilities, infra, for two consecutive semesters in order to receive credit for completing the substantial writing requirement necessary to graduate from STCL.

§         Members may interrupt the two consecutive semester requirement upon submitting a written request to interrupt the two consecutive semester requirement to Dean Elizabeth Dennis, who has the sole discretion of authorizing such interruption.

§         Members may list their participation in Currents on their résumé as “Member.”  Members who serve on the Currents Editorial Board (hereafter “Editors” and “The Board” respectively) may list their participation on The Board corresponding to the position and calendar term they held or currently hold. 

§         Members may not list Currents participation on their résumé if they drop Currents or if they fail to meet the two consecutive semester writing requirement. 

§         Editors that have not satisfied, in good faith, their responsibilities as set forth in the Currents Members’ Policies & Procedures Manual (“Manual”) and/or the Currents Editorial Board Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual (“Administrative Manual”) may not list their participation on their résumé.

C.                  General Member & Editor Responsibilities

§         The Currents production cycle runs year round, including during final exams, school holidays and breaks, therefore, Currents requires more time than an average one-hour course. 

§         Members are not expected to work a previously specified number of hours per week, but are required to work the hours necessary to fulfill their duties as set forth in this Manual, even if these duties are assigned, are or become due during final exams, school holidays and breaks. 

§         Editors are required to be available throughout the year and to fulfill their duties as defined in this Manual and in the Administrative Manual, including during the period of final exams, school holidays and breaks. 

§         During the first two weeks of each semester, Members and Editors must complete a “General Information, Schedule & Office Hours” Form and submit it to the Managing Editor. 

§         During the first two weeks of each semester, Members and Editors must also complete an “Honor Code Statement” and submit it to the Managing Editor.

§         By the end of the third week of each semester, the Managing Editor must post a general listing of Editors’ Office Hours in the Members’ and Editors’ Office.

§         By the end of the third week of each semester, the Managing Editor must organize the Members’ Office Hours Log Book and place it in the Members’ Office.

Currents work consists primarily of, inter alia:

1.                   Note Assignments

§         See Notes: Fulfilling your Substantial Writing Requirement

2.                   Articles Assignments

§         See Articles: Preparing Practitioner Articles for Publication

3.                   Office Hours

§         Members are required to work in the Currents Members’ Office a minimum of twenty (20) hours per semester, which may include time worked on their student notes, articles, administrative duties or meeting with their Editors.

§         Editors are required to hold a minimum of four (4) Office Hours per week during long semesters and three (3) Office Hours per week during summer sessions.  Editors are exempt from holding Office Hours during school holidays and breaks, but must nonetheless be available throughout the year if required. 

§         Editors will be exempt from holding specific Office Hours for good cause, which does not include forgetfulness, busy school, work or personal schedules.  Editors are required to give prior written notice to the Managing Editor of their inability to hold the specific office hours.

§         During their regularly scheduled Office Hours, Editors should give priority to Currents related matters, including meeting with Members or other Editors.  At the request of a Member or another Editor, Editors should make a good faith attempt to meet at a mutually convenient time when the Editor’s regularly scheduled office hours present a time conflict.

§         All Office Hours must be noted in the Members’ Office Hours Log Book. Only documented Office Hours will count towards satisfying the Office Hour requirement.

§         All Office Hours must be completed before finals.  No retroactive credit will be given for failure to complete Office Hours before finals.  Failure to complete the required number of Office Hours before finals will bar credit for participation on Currents during that semester.

4.                   Administrative Duties

§         Members and Editors general Administrative duties while in the Currents office include: maintaining the offices clean and answering phones and taking messages.  Phone messages must be placed in the recipient’s Currents mailbox , although Editors may leave messages on their designated dry erase boards.

§         Periodically, miscellaneous duties, assignments or projects may be assigned by another Editor.  These assignments will be communicated to the Member or Editor via their Currents mailbox or email.  Assignments must be completed by the deadline specified by the assigning Editor.  When the assignment is complete, the Member or Editor should place it in the assigning Editor’s Currents mailbox.  Members should document the time spent and subject matter of the assignment in the Members’ Office Hours Log Book.  

§         Under no circumstances may an Articles Editor assign articles related duties to Members of another Note or Article Team without prior approval of the Managing Editor.

5.                   Attending Orientation, Currents Meetings and Special Events

§         Members and Editors must attend the mandatory Orientation Meeting held at the beginning of each semester. 

§         At the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, this requirement may be waived for some or all returning Members or Editors who completed the previous semester in good standing or who request permission not to attend for a justified and verifiable reason.

§         Members that do not attend Orientation will not be authorized to enroll in Currents unless special permission is previously obtained from the Editor-in-Chief and Dean Elizabeth Dennis.

§         Members are required to make and physically attend three meetings with their Notes Editor per semester, and to make and physically attend two meetings with their Articles Editor per semester. 

See Note Team Meetings and Article Team Meetings, respectively

§         Notes Editors are required to physically meet with their Note Team Members three times per semester, and Article Editors are required to physically meet with their Article Team Members two times per semester. 

See Note Team Meetings and Article Team Meetings, respectively

§         Members and Editors may be required to help plan, attend and work special events that constitute a cooperative effort among the faculty sponsors, The Board, and Members of Currents.

D.                  Grade Evaluations & Recommendations: Members & Editors

§         Each semester, Members will receive an overall grade of High Pass (“HP”), Pass (“P”), Low Pass (“LP”) or Fail (“F”) for all Currents work assigned that semester.  These grades are assigned by Dean Elizabeth Dennis based on final grade recommendations of the Editor-in-Chief, who relies in turn on the grade evaluations submitted by the Managing Editor, Articles and Note Editors.

§         Members’ overall grade recommendations shall take into account the satisfactory completion of: Notes assignments, Articles assignments, Office Hours, Administrative Duties, and Attendance at Currents meetings and special events.

§         Note Editors shall issue grade evaluations based on the satisfactory completion of Note assignments.

See Notes: Fulfilling your Substantial Writing Requirement

§         Articles Editors shall issue grade evaluations based on the satisfactory completion of Articles assignments. 

See Articles: The Editing Process

§         The Managing Editor shall issue Members’ grade evaluations based on the satisfactory completion of Office Hours, Administrative Duties, and Attendance at Currents meetings and special events.

See sections corresponding to Office Hours, Administrative Duties and Attendance at Currents meetings and special events

§         The Managing Editor shall also issue Editors’ grade evaluations based on the satisfactory completion of Office Hours, Administrative Duties, Attendance at Currents meetings and special events.

§         Based on the grade evaluations submitted, the Editor-in-Chief shall submit final grade recommendations to Dean Elizabeth Dennis. 

§         The Editor-in-Chief may alter grade evaluations submitted by the Managing Editor, Notes and Articles Editors in submitting final grade recommendations to Dean Elizabeth Dennis.  A written statement explaining the decision to alter a Member’s or Editor’s final grade must be submitted with the grade recommendations.

§         Dean Elizabeth Dennis will be the final authority regarding final grades issued for Members and Editors participation on Currents.

1.                   Feedback from Notes & Articles Editors

§         Notes and Articles Editors must maintain a log of all assignments issued to Members.  This log shall include: the date the assignment was made, the subject matter of the assignment, the deadline, requested extensions for time, whether the deadline or requested extension for time was met and if not, the reason for tardiness in completing the assignment, and a comments section on the Members’ overall performance on that particular assignment.

§         Notes and Articles Editors must provide Members a Status Report of their performance at mid-semester [DATE] and at the end of the semester [DATE] based on the information compiled in the log of assignments. 

Sample Status Report, Appendix _____.

§         Upon issuance of a Status Report, Members may request a meeting with the corresponding Note and/or Articles Editor to discuss the evaluation of their performance as stated on the Status Report.

§         Notes and Articles Editors must submit copies of the log of assignments and Members’ Status Reports to the Managing Editor by mid-semester [DATE] and at the end of the semester [DATE]. 

§         The Editor-in-Chief will be responsible for calendarizing the general deadlines (noted as [DATE]) in this Manual) and for notifying the Editorial Board of such general deadlines.  This calendarization must be done in writing during the first two weeks of each semester.

2.                   Overall Grades: Note, Article, Office, Administrative & Attendance

§         Members must receive a passing grade in these five areas to receive credit for Currents in a given semester.  If a Member receives a failing grade for any of the five required areas, The Board will review the decision governing the Member’s final semester grade.

§         The Managing Editor must compile the information set forth in the Members’ log of assignments, Status Reports submitted by the Notes and Articles Editors, and Members’ Office Hours Log Book, and fill out a final Status Report for each Member.  The final Status Reports must note Members’ completion of Notes duties, Article duties, Office Hours, Administrative Duties and attendance of Currents meetings and any special events.  This must be completed and subsequently submitted to the Editor-in-Chief by the last day of finals in each semester. 

§         Notes and Articles Editors’ evaluations will be based on the timeliness, thoroughness and diligence in maintaining and submitting copies of the above mentioned records to the Managing Editor.  When submitted at mid-semester and again at the end of each semester, the Managing Editor must fill out a final Status Report for each Note and Article Editor noting the Editor’s completion of the log of assignments and Members’ Status Reports.  The Managing Editor’s final Status Report and all supporting documentation must then be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief.

§         The Editor-in-Chief must make final grade recommendations taking into account the Managing Editor’s final status reports and the satisfactory completion of Editors’ overall duties as set forth in this Manual and in the Administrative Manual.  Final grade recommendations and any supporting documentation must then be submitted to Dean Elizabeth Dennis who is the final authority regarding the issuance of grades on Currents.

3.                   Notice of Assignments, Deadlines and Vacations

a. Issuance of Assignments

§         Assignments shall be distributed to Members and/or Editors via their Currents mailboxes, email or by general notice posted in the Members’ Office. 

§         Members and Editors are solely responsible for checking these modes of communication and informing themselves of pending assignments and deadlines.

b.                  Deadlines

§         Editors realize that circumstances will occasionally arise that will make it difficult for deadlines to be met.  Extensions cannot be accommodated if Editors are not aware of these situations, however.

§         Notices of assignments shall expressly set forth the deadline for that particular assignment.  Occasionally, some or all deadlines will be set and noticed at the beginning of the semester.

§         To minimize the impact on the publication schedule, Members and Editors must give express notice as soon as possible when extensions are needed, but in no case less than 48 hours notice.

§         The mere act of requesting an extension or providing notice of an emergency or other extenuating circumstance does not generate an automatic extension.

§         Articles and Notes Editors have discretion in granting extensions on articles and notes assignments, respectively; extensions will only be granted for good cause. 

§         The Managing Editor has discretion in granting extensions on assignments due from Articles and Notes Editors; extensions will only be granted for good cause.

§         Good cause does not include forgetfulness, vacation, non-emergency leaves, or busy schedules.

c. Return of Substandard Work – The 48 Hour Rule

§         At each phase of the Editorial Process, the Editor in charge has the discretion to return substandard assignments for additional work.

§         When work is deemed substandard, the Editor that issued the assignment must give the Member and/or Editor that submitted the substandard work written notice within two weeks of submission. This notice should be sent via email and must describe the specific problems that need to be corrected and a new deadline for resubmission.

§         Because Members and Editors are required to check their Currents mailboxes, email accounts and the Currents Members’ and Editors’ Office for notices, Members and Editors are solely responsible for informing themselves of the return of substandard work. 

§         Members and Editors therefore have forty-eight hours (48) from the day notice of substandard work was issued to correct the deficiency and resubmit the corrected assignment to the appropriate Editor.

§         Members and/or Editors that fail to resubmit a corrected assignment by the appropriate deadline will be considered not to have completed any part of the corresponding assignment.

4.                   Strikes, Failure to Receive Credit for Fulfilling Substantial Writing Requirement & Immediate Dismissal

§         Members may receive a strike for violating any mandate set forth in this Manual. 

§         Editors may receive a strike for violating any mandate set forth in this Manual and/or in the Administrative Manual.

Members

§         To receive an overall passing grade for the semester, Members must receive a passing grade in each of the following areas: Article work, Note work, Office Hours, Administrative Duties and Attendance.

§         A passing grade in each of the aforementioned areas will be awarded if the Member receives no more than three (3) strikes per area. 

§         Upon receiving a third strike in any of the five aforementioned areas, The Editorial Board shall convene to determine if the Member should be allowed to continue on Currents. 

§         If The Board determines that the Member should not be allowed to continue on Currents, the Editor-in-Chief shall issue a memorandum to Dean Elizabeth Dennis recommending that the Member receive a failing grade for the semester.

§         If The Board determines that the Member should be allowed to continue on Currents, the Member must remedy all deficiencies to date and must not breach any additional duties or obligations set forth in this Manual.  Upon breach of either of these two limitations, the Editor-in-Chief shall issue a memorandum to Dean Elizabeth Dennis recommending that the Member receive a failing grade for the semester.

§         Members who receive a failing grade their first semester of Currents will not receive any credit towards having fulfilled their substantial writing requirement.  Additionally, they will not be allowed or authorized to re-register for Currents in any subsequent semester. 

§         Members who receive a failing grade their second semester of Currents will not receive any credit towards having fulfilled their substantial writing requirement. As a consequence, no credit will be given for having completed the substantial writing requirement.

§         Members that hold a position on The Board during their first and/or second semester of Currents must satisfy all of the requirements for Members as set forth in this Manual and all of the requirements for Editors as set forth in the Administrative Manual.  Receipt of the maximum number of strikes allowed to a Member and/or to an Editor will result in the denial of credit towards having fulfilled the substantial writing requirement and immediate revocation of The Board position held. 

Editors

§         Editors shall receive a strike for failing to satisfy any of the requirements set forth in this Manual and/or in the Administrative Manual.

§         Editors serving their third or subsequent semester must not exceed four (4) strikes per semester. 

§         Upon receiving a fourth strike, The Editorial Board shall convene to determine if the Member should be allowed to continue on Currents.  The Editor-in-Chief shall also submit written notice to Dean Elizabeth Dennis of the Editor’s status and of The Boards decision regarding the Editor’s status. 

§         If The Board determines that the Editor should not be allowed to continue on Currents, the Editor-in-Chief’s memorandum to Dean Elizabeth Dennis shall recommend that the Editor be immediately dismissed from serving on The Board. 

§         If The Board determines that the Editor should be allowed to continue on Currents, the Editor must remedy all deficiencies to date and must not breach any additional duties or obligations set forth in this Manual and/or the Administrative Manual.  If the Editor fails to satisfy and adhere to these limitations, the Editor-in-Chief’s memorandum to Dean Elizabeth Dennis shall recommend that the Editor be immediately dismissed from serving on The Board.

§         Dean Elizabeth Dennis has the sole discretion of mandating a sanction or immediate dismissal of the Editor in question upon receiving notice of the Editor’s fourth strike or anytime thereafter.

§         Any Editor may petition that a strike be imposed on another Editor for failing to satisfy any of the requirements set forth in this Manual and/or in the Administrative Manual.  Petitions must be in writing and must include a statement detailing the norms violated, any supporting documentation, and reasons why the Editor’s conduct warrants the imposition of a strike.

§         Petitions must be submitted to Dean Elizabeth Dennis, who will have the sole discretion of determining if a strike should be issued to the offending Editor.

E.                  Administrative Resources

1.                   Editors’ & Members’ Offices

§         All Members and Editors are welcome to make reasonable use of the resources provided in the Currents Members’ and Editors’ offices, so long as it does not constitute waste or an abuse of such privilege.

§         Because of the limited space and resources available to Currents, Members and Editors are strictly prohibited from extending the use and/or availability of Currents resources and/or facilities to persons that are not members of Currents.

§         Members and Editors are also strictly prohibited from using the Currents Offices and/or any Currents resources for the benefit of other organizations (STCL related or otherwise) and/or for holding personal study group meetings or reunions with non-Currents members.

§         The Currents phone and/or facsimile numbers may not be used and/or given out as though they are a Member’s or Editor’s business and/or personal phone or facsimile number.

§         No long distance phone calls or facsimiles may be made from the Currents phone or facsimile unless they are made for Currents related purposes by an Editor authorized to make such long distance phone calls or facsimiles.

§         Although Members and Editors are required to answer phones and take messages, they are not to be used as a personal answering service.  Members and Editors that answer the phone are only required to take a written message and place it in the recipient’s Currents mailbox.  Editors may leave messages on other Editor’s corresponding dry-erase board. 

§         Members and Editors are required to pick up after themselves and respect non-common areas.  Non-common areas include assigned desk space, shelves, cabinet spaces and/or mailboxes.

§         Members and Editors are expressly prohibited from taking, removing or “borrowing” other Editors or Members personal items or Currents property without permission. 

§         Members may leave personal belongings in the Members’ Office, however, they do so at their own risk.  Because the Members’ Office remains open, Currents is not responsible for missing property.

§         Members that are enrolled in Currents shall have unlimited access to the Currents Members’ Office and limited access to the Currents Editors’ Office.

2.                   Mailboxes & Email

§         All Members and Editors are assigned a Currents mailbox to be used for the distribution of assignments and for communication between Members and Editors.  Mailboxes should not be used for non-Currents related purposes.

§         Members and Editors are responsible for information distributed through mailboxes and email and are required to check their mailboxes and email on a regular basis.  Failure to check mailboxes and email on a regular basis is not an acceptable excuse for failing to complete Currents related duties or obligations.

3.                   Copier & Facsimile Machines

§         Members and Editors are authorized to use the copier located in the STCL Law Review suite to make xerox copies for Currents or school related work.

§         Members and Editors are also authorized to use the facsimile machine located in the Currents Editors’ Office, during Editors’ scheduled office hours.

§         Currently, no authorization codes are required for use of the copier and facsimile machines, however, Members and Editors must be reasonable and use discretion when using these resources. 

§         Members and Editors may not use the copier or facsimile machine for persons not enrolled in Currents, outside work or business purposes.

F.                  Questions, Suggestions & Complaints

Members and Editors are welcome to submit questions, suggestions and/or complaints.  The ideal forum is the mid-semester General Meeting, however, if discretion does not permit, submissions may also be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief and/or the Faculty Advisors at any time.

II.         NOTES: FULFILLING YOUR SUBSTANTIAL WRITING REQUIREMENT

A.                  Purpose & Goals

§         Members are required to write a “publication quality” note in order to satisfy and receive credit for completing their substantial writing requirement through Currents. 

§         At the beginning of each semester, the Managing Editor will assign Members to a Note Team, which is headed by a Note Editor. 

§         The Note Editor is solely responsible for authorizing his/her Note Team Members’ note topics, assigning and overseeing all Notes assignments, establishing deadlines, and answering any Note related inquiries.

§         The Note-Substantial Writing Requirement is broken into first and second semester assignments:

First semester - note consists of a minimum of twenty (20) double-spaced typed pages of text, excluding endnotes

Second semester - note consists of a minimum of thirty (30) double-spaced typed pages of text, excluding endnotes; the second semester note may consist of a ten (10) page extension of the first semester note

§         Members may complete their notes during their first semester on Currents, although they must still register and complete all duties and obligations corresponding to the second semester.

§         Members first and second semester notes must be in 12 point Times New Roman font, double spaced, with one inch margins on all sides (including page numbers), and contain end notes in the current Bluebook format.

§         At the end of each semester, the corresponding Note Editor must issue a cumulative Note grade recommendation taking into account the general note requirements, which include: the submission of a topic, an abstract, an outline, a rough draft, and a final draft to the Members’ Note Editor by the established deadlines.

B.                  Topic Selection

§         Members are free to select their own Note topic although it must be within the scope of international trade law. 

§         Members are encouraged to consult with their Note Editor to determine what topic to address in writing their Note.  Periodicals or on-line services may also be used for the purpose of selecting topics.  Using “Topical Highlights” (Westlaw) and “Highlight” (Lexis) databases is another method of tracking current issues in international law.  Lexis’ “ITRADE” library also has very useful files for purposes of selecting a topic relating to international law. 

§         Because the quality of the Note depends on selecting a good topic, Members should keep in mind the following issues when selecting their topic:

§         Select a topic that you find personally interesting.

§         Select a topic that will allow sufficient research possibilities.

§         Select a topic that focuses on an overturned precedent.

§         Select a topic that focuses on the contraction or extension of a prior decision.

§         Select a topic that focuses on the interpretation of a new or unanalyzed law, treaty or international convention.

§         Avoid topics that are “overly written” and that will not permit you to distinguish your analysis.

§         Avoid topics concerning areas of law that are likely to be modified or changed before you have a chance to complete your paper and submit it for publication.

§         Select a topic that is not being written on by another member of Currents or that has been published in a recent edition of Currents, since this will most likely decrease your chances of publication.

C.                  Abstract

§         The abstract must be a minimum of three (3) double-spaced typed pages of text, discuss the relevance and impact of the Note and include, at a minimum: a concise introduction, a thesis statement, a synopsis of the analysis, and any relevant history. 

§         The abstract primarily serves as the foundation for the outline and to familiarize the Note Editor with the topic.  The abstract also serves as an early detector of whether a paper written on that particular topic is potentially publishable.

§         The abstract assignment includes: a copy of the most relevant law journal article on point and at least three of the most relevant periodical articles, cases, statutes or treaties discussing the issue.  This information is not only crucial for the Member in beginning to research the topic but is also useful in helping the Note Editor understand the issues involved.  This allows the Notes Editor the ability to provide the author with more helpful and substantive feedback on the topic.

See Sample Note Abstract – Appendix _____.

D.                  Outline

§         The outline is not a skeleton of the components of the Note.  Rather, the outline consists of a minimum of seven (7) double-spaced typed pages of text that contain all the parts of the Note, including the arguments and brief cites to relevant authority. 

§         The outline should provide the Notes Editor with a broad view of the Member’s thesis, the main arguments and counter-arguments, and an analysis of the major cases supporting each position. 

See Sample Note Outline – Appendix _____.

E.                  Rough Draft

§         A rough draft constitutes the Note in its substantially complete form and must include: an introduction, an analysis, a conclusion and endnotes. 

§         The purpose of the rough draft is to afford the author the opportunity to have time and material with which to make revisions.  Toward this end, the rough draft should be substantially complete, but still subject to revision based upon the Note Editor’s comments. 

See Sample Note Rough Draft – Appendix _____.

F.                  Final Draft

§         Notes Editors will return rough drafts to Members with suggestions regarding the substance and form of the Notes by the end of the final exam period of the semester. 

§       &nbs