Nikolai Morse '24
Editor-in-Chief
I remember the Student Activities Fair from my 1L year very well. It was a humid, sunny day in Spies Garden, and I was dazzled by the glamor and self-assured authority of the 2L and 3L leaders of various student organizations, flanked by cardboard trifolds and smudged sign-up sheets. Out of an overpowering Midwestern compulsion to be polite, I awkwardly signed up for the listservs of nearly twenty groups I had zero interest in joining. After nodding and muttering something noncommittal and unintelligible to then-president of Common Law Grounds, something caught my eye. Near the center of Spies, I saw a table covered with koozies, popsicles, and a speaker blasting Doja Cat. Standing around the table were a group of students, red solo cups in hand, who seemed to have been plucked from a Big Ten tailgate[1] and dropped in the middle of our student activity fair. Thus, I was (somewhat confusingly) introduced to the Virginia Law Weekly.
Since my first semester at UVA Law, the weekly meetings held in SL279 have been one of the high points of my week. Each Monday[2] we gather to eat pizza, catch up, and plan stories for the next week’s paper. The creativity, humor, curiosity and—let’s face it—megalomania[3] that I have witnessed in these meetings encapsulates everything I find special about going to school here. From reviews of Charlottesville hiking trails and taco trucks, to covering events hosted by leading legal experts, and the occasional school controversy—for me, the Law Weekly has reflected the range of interests and personalities in our school. Accordingly, it is an honor and candidly, a huge ego boost, to serve as the next Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Law Weekly.
I would be remiss if I did not commend the remarkable stretch of stable leadership[4] the Law Weekly has enjoyed during my time here. I am deeply indebted to the efforts of Chief Justices Emeriti Phil Tonseth ’22 and Dana Lake ’23. Under their watch, this paper has weathered the many ups and downs of the last few years and come out smelling like roses. From their able stewardship, we have learned that with the help of a fictitious lawsuit, or even a snarky ANG, we can handle anything that law school throws your way.
My goals as Editor-in-Chief are simple. First, not to mess it up. This paper has been running for seventy-five years, has been cited in the Supreme Court, and survived COVID-19 Zoom School. Second, I want to ensure that this paper continues to reflect the best things about UVA Law: the diverse interests of its students, faculty, and staff; our famed collegiality and generous spirit; and most importantly, the savage wit of the Law Weekly editorial staff. Joining me atop the colophon are Andrew Allard ’25 as Executive Editor, Garrett Coleman ’25 as Managing Editor, Monica Sandu ’24 as Production Editor, and Ethan Brown ’25 as Features Editor. May our reign be long and peaceful and prosperous for our people.
The strength of our newspaper, like that of the Law School, is defined by what our members put into it. My request of you is this: help us to continue to serve the UVA Law community. Whether it is by sending emails to editor@lawweekly.org to let us know what you thought of the most recent issue, sending tips on important goings-on around the school, sending letters to the editor criticizing our coverage of an event, or even taking the reins and publishing a guest article—this paper is here for all of you, and in the immortal words of Tom Wambsgans, “we hear for you.”
Of course, the best way to wield limitless power make a positive impact is to join the Law Weekly! So, if you have an interest in improving your writing skills, if you think there is an important issue in our school community which deserves more coverage, if you crave the attention of a captive audience, or if you just really want free pizza every Monday night,[5] come join the best journal at UVA Law.[6]
---
cpg9jy@virginia.edu
[1] But one of the less cool and less fun schools, like Purdue.
[2] Again, in SL279 at 5:30pm. Come by for free pizza, laughs, and learn how we run the state’s propaganda arm a three-time winner of the ABA Law Student Division Best Newspaper Award!
[3] See the Court of Petty Appeals or one of our many unsolicited advice columns.
[4] This is strictly descriptive of their management of the paper. I make no commitments regarding Phil’s stability, otherwise.
[5] Again, at 5:30pm in SL 279. Just making sure you got that.
[6] This is, of course, an entirely objective assessment, based on the frequency of our publishing, the strength of our editorial staff, and how much cooler we are than Law Review.