Constitution Dated as of March 31, 2024.
ARTICLE 1: NAME, ORGANIZATION, AND MEETINGS
Section 1.1. Name. The Journal shall be known by the name “the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law” and by the acronym “JSEL.”
Section 1.2. Offices. The Journal shall be located at the Harvard Law School in the County of Middlesex, City of Cambridge, State of Massachusetts.
Section 1.3. Organizational Structure. The Journal is part of the Harvard Law School and is similarly situated to other student journals of the Harvard Law School.
Section 1.4. Attendance. Attendance is required at all meetings unless the member is excused by the Executive Committee.
Section 1.5. Quorum. During meetings of the Journal’s Upper Masthead, Quorum requires no less than sixty percent (60%) of the current members of the Upper Masthead.
ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE
Section 2.1. Mission Statement. The Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law (JSEL) provides the academic community, the sports and entertainment industries, and the legal profession with scholarly analysis and research related to the legal aspects of the sports and entertainment world. The legal issues raised in these fields frequently draw from areas as diverse as antitrust law, civil procedure, constitutional law, contract law, corporate law, copyright law, labor law, and real estate law, among others. JSEL serves as a forum in which scholars from these and other disciplines can discuss legal issues relating specifically to the sports and entertainment industries and the unique issues raised therein. JSEL strives to be the premier source for academic analysis of these issues, such that scholars, industry professionals, news media, and the general public turn to JSEL when complicated legal issues arise in the sports and entertainment community.
Section 2.2. JSEL Online. The Journal shall operate and maintain a website, accessible at https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jsel/, that provides its readers with access to digital versions of the Print Issues and commentary on legal developments and interviews with persons in the entertainment and sports industries. The purpose of JSEL Online is (i) to provide insight on current issues within the Journal’s purview, (ii) to create a creative outlet for members of the Journal to develop their legal writing and voice, and (iii) to grow the total readership of the Journal.
ARTICLE 3: CALENDAR
Section 3.1. Publishing Calendar. The Journal shall publish one (1) volume in the Winter and one volume in the Summer, and Special Issues as the Upper Masthead deems necessary. The editing for each volume shall take place during the preceding semester.
Section 3.2. Symposia Calendar. Each year, the Journal shall host one (1) Symposium that shall take place during the academic year.
Section 3.3 Elections Calendar. The Journal shall hold Elections in the Spring no later than March 31 of each year. Elections shall be conducted in accordance with Article 7.
ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP
Section 4.1. Membership. All Harvard Law Students who serve on the Masthead or who have completed one (1) JSEL subcite shall be considered members of the Journal until that person’s graduation from Harvard Law School or Removal by the Journal.
ARTICLE 5: REMOVAL
Section 5.1. Removal. Any member of the Journal, including all Officers, may be removed by a vote of no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Upper Masthead.
ARTICLE 6: MASTHEAD
Section 6.1. Masthead. All members of the Journal that either (i) occupy a position as an Officer or (ii) participated in a Subcite shall be deemed members of the Masthead and shall be listed as such on the relevant Issue.
Section 6.2. Upper Masthead. The Upper Masthead shall be composed of the Editors-in-Chief, the Managing Editors, the Executive Editors, the Submissions Chair(s), the Production Chair(s), the Senior Articles Editors, and the Online Content Chair(s). All members of the Upper Masthead are considered Officers of the Journal.
Section 6.3. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Editors-in-Chief and the Managing Editors.
Section 6.4. Officers. All members of the Upper Masthead shall be considered Officers. Their responsibilities are as follows:
Section 6.4.1. Presidents & Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for overseeing all operations of the Journal, including submissions, production, symposia, recruitment, meetings, social and academic events, and online content. The Editors-in-Chief shall set the Journal calendar and yearly agenda. Editors-in-Chief will lead the efforts on article selection. They shall make the final decisions on all article submissions, after receiving recommendations from the Executive Editor(s) of Submissions. Editors-in-Chief shall coordinate with the Managing Editors of Print and Online Content to ensure Journal operations are performed smoothly. Editors-in-Chief shall manage and approve all Journal events.
The Editors-in-Chief carry ultimate responsibility for leading the operations of the Journal and resolving unforeseen challenges as they arise.
There shall be two (2) Editors-in-Chief during each term, unless in exceptional circumstances where either (i) only one candidate runs for the position during Elections or (ii) the Upper Masthead determines prior to an election that there is only one (1) qualified candidate.
Section 6.4.2. Managing Editor(s) of Print shall oversee the substantive side of the Journal’s print edition and make significant substantive edits to all articles before, during, and at the end of the editing process, including the first substantive review of articles. Aside from working with the Editors-in-Chief to provide substantive feedback on the articles, responsibilities include leading the editing process for our print edition, organizing the subcites and collecting edits to return to the authors, and assisting in the symposium planning process.
Section 6.4.3. Managing Editor(s) of Online Content shall be responsible for the planning, review, and production of all Online Content. They shall direct the Executive Editor of Online Content, the Online Content Chairs, and the Online Contributors to produce written work for JSEL Online. They shall manage or delegate management of the Journal’s social media accounts.
Section 6.4.4. Executive Editor(s) of Production ensure that all of our articles get edited on schedule, get edited accurately, and get published on schedule. Their primary duty is to keep the SAEs on track with our production timeline and keep the Editors-in-Chief in the loop regarding any delays in our timeline. They, alongside the Executive Technical Editor will lead the subcite training session at the beginning of the year. They also ensure that the SAEs carry out a uniform and consistent method at the subcites. When the SAEs finish editing their articles, they (and the Production Chair) will proofread the articles before sending them to the Editors-in-Chief for final approval and publication.
Section 6.4.5. Executive Editor(s) of Submissions oversee the process of receiving and assessing articles submitted for the Journal’s print edition. This ordinarily begins by discussing with the Editors-in-Chief what pieces the Journal is looking to publish. Then, the Executive Editors of Submissions monitor Scholastica for articles submitted to our journal. They may also draw from members of the Submissions Committee to help us review these pieces, including 1Ls. They discuss with the Editors in Chief the strongest pieces and whether the Journal should give them an offer. The Executive Editors of Submissions also might include overseeing the solicitation of articles from certain academics or professionals.
Section 6.4.6. Executive Technical Editor shall be responsible for overseeing the Journal’s substantive and technical elements of style. They shall manage the Journal’s style guide and its final review process prior to publication. They resolve complex Bluebook questions, ensure style consistency throughout the articles, and perform a final Bluebook review of each article. They also lead the subcite training session at the beginning of the year and assist with subciting and article edits as needed.
Candidates with significant prior experience using the Bluebook and working across a diverse range of journals and/or design experience will be preferred. Being highly detail-oriented is a must.
Section 6.4.7. Executive Operations Director shall be responsible for managing JSEL’s finances, fundraising, relationships with sponsors, and symposium events. They shall work with the Editors-in-Chief on both devising and executing JSEL’s fundraising and sponsorship-outreach strategy. They shall manage JSEL’s financial accounts.
Section 6.4.8 Executive Editor of Online Content shall be responsible for editing all online content. They shall organize the schedule of publication for online content and maintain internal documentation about the editing pipeline. They shall maintain and operate the social media accounts of the Journal.
Section 6.4.9. Production Chair(s) work closely with the Executive Editor of Production. Each semester, the Executive Editor will divide up the articles with the Chair. They will be one of the last pairs of eyes to proofread the articles before they are sent to the publisher.
Section 6.4.10. Submission Chairs work closely with the Executive Editor of Submissions. They will evaluate all of the “recommended” articles vetted out by the submissions committee and discuss the merits of these articles with the Executive Editor of Submissions so that they may make an informed recommendation to the Editors-In-Chief as to which articles are the most appropriate to publish in JSEL.
Section 6.4.11. Senior Articles Editors are assigned to an article each semester. SAEs work closely with the author of their article to resolve major problems and questions, as well as to respond to concerns from the author. SAEs pull sources for the article prior to subcites, and lead subcites twice a semester. After each subcite, they will implement all of the edits made by the subciters into the article, and will be responsible for making substantive and grammatical changes to the body of the articles. Additionally, they will work closely with the Executive Editor of Production to resolve any questions or problems that may arise and to ensure that the editing process is following our production timeline.
Section 6.4.12. Online Content Chair(s) shall be responsible for the creation of online content in their respective areas (e.g. Sports or Entertainment). They shall assign online pieces to contributing writers and review drafts. They write no less than two (2) online pieces during each semester.
Section 6.4.13. Discretionary Positions. The Executive Committee retains the discretion to add additional positions each year.
- As they may deem necessary, the Editors-in-Chief and the Executive Editor of Production may hire “Production Chairs” to support activities relating to the production of the Journal. Production Chairs are defined at Section 6.4.9.
- As they may deem necessary, the Editors-in-Chief and the Executive Editor of Submissions may hire “Submission Chairs” to support activities relating to the production of the Journal. Submission Chairs are defined at Section 6.4.10.
Section 6.5. Terms. Terms begin the day after publication of the Summer Issue following each Officer’s election and continue for one (1) year until the publication date of the subsequent Summer Issue.
Section 6.6. Vacancies. All reasonable efforts shall be taken to fill vacancies. If no eligible candidates are available, a vacancy is permitted.
ARTICLE 7: ELECTIONS
Section 7.1. Elected Positions. The Editors-in-Chief and the Managing Editors shall be elected each year. Prior to the Elections, the Editors-in-Chief shall determine the number of Managing Editors in that term and shall announce its determination to the members of the Journal by email.
Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editors may not run as a slate of candidates nor suggest that the voting members of the Journal vote for a particular set of candidates as a slate. All candidates for these roles are elected on an individual basis.
Section 7.2. Appointed Positions. All other Officers shall be interviewed and appointed by the then-elected Editors-in-Chief, with the consultation of the Managing Editors, no later than April 15 of each year for the incoming term.
Section 7.3. Administration. The outgoing Editors-in-Chief shall be responsible for organizing and conducting elections.
Section 7.4. Executive Committee Review. In order to be eligible for an Elected Position, candidates must announce their interest to the Editors-in-Chief. The Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editors shall convene with each candidate individually to interview them. This process may be conducted in-person or via videoconferencing. The Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editors shall vote to confirm the qualifications of each candidate. Candidates must receive no less than 66% of the votes of the Executive Committee and no less than two (2) votes to be qualified.
Current members of the Executive Committee who are running for any Elected Position(s) may not participate in this process. If there are fewer than three eligible members of the Executive Committee, candidates shall be deemed qualified unless the Executive Committee unanimously votes otherwise.
Section 7.5. Statement of Interest. Persons seeking election shall submit a statement of no more than three-hundred (300) words to the Editors-in-Chief, along with a resumé, in a timely manner. The Editors-in-Chief shall distribute the Statements of Interest to the members prior to the Elections. Resumés shall only be distributed among members of the Executive Review Committee prior to candidate interviews.
Section 7.6. Qualifications. Persons must meet the below qualifications to become an Officer.
Section 7.6.1. Editors-in-Chief. Candidates must have either (i) previously held a position as an Officer or (ii) be in their second year of law school and have participated in at least one (1) Subcite.
Section 7.6.2. All Other Positions. Candidates must have participated in at least one (1) Subcite.
Section 7.7. Order. The Elections shall begin with Editors-in-Chief. Then, Managing Editors shall be elected in order of (i) Managing Editor(s) of Print and (ii) Managing Editor(s) of Online Content.
Section 7.8. Eligible Voters. Members that have (i) completed at least one (1) Subcite or (ii) hold an Officer position at the time of the Elections may cast votes.
Section 7.9. Election Process. For each position, candidates shall give a speech no longer than five (5) minutes in length. The order of speeches shall be randomized.
After speeches conclude, a link will be distributed to all voters. Voters will be able to select to cast the same number of votes as there are available positions for that election. For example, voters will cast two (2) votes for Editors-in-Chief. For a Managing Editor election with only one available position, voters would cast (1) one vote.
The candidates receiving the most total votes wins the election. For example, the two (2) candidates that receive the most total votes for Editor-in-Chief shall be elected. For a Managing Editor election with only one available position, the candidate with the most votes would win the election
Section 7.10. Runoff Procedure. If a number of candidates greater than there are available positions receive an equal number of votes, which is greater than any other candidates, there will be a Runoff Election. All other candidates will be removed from the ballot. Voters will cast their votes again among only the remaining candidates. This process shall continue until the appropriate number of candidate(s) receive the most voters.
Section 7.10.1. Additional Discussion. If the election is not concluded after two (2) rounds of voting, the candidates will be asked to leave the room for no longer than ten (10) minutes during which time the current Editors-in-Chief will facilitate a group discussion about the election. This process will repeat after every three (3) unsuccessful votes thereafter.
Section 7.11. Candidacy for Multiple Positions. Candidates who are not elected a position may choose to run for any election conducted thereafter. For example, an unsuccessful candidate for Editor-in-Chief may announce their candidacy for a Managing Editor position after the election for Editor-in-Chief has concluded. They may deliver a speech no longer than two (2) minutes in length for any such positions.
ARTICLE 8: RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT
Section 8.1. Ratification. This Constitution shall take immediate effect only upon Ratification. Ratification requires a meeting that satisfies the Quorum requirement. The Constitution may be amended during open discussion among the members and shall only take effect upon a vote of the membership wherein no less than two-thirds (67%) of present members vote in favor of Ratification.
Section 8.2. Amendment. Amendments may be offered by email to the Upper Masthead. Amendments shall be considered during open discussion in a meeting that satisfies the Quorum requirement. After discussion, the Amendment may be put to vote that requires (1) quorum and (2) two-thirds percent (67%) of present members to vote in favor of the amendment.
ARTICLE 9: NEUTRALITY & PUBLIC STATEMENTS
Section 9.1. Release of Public Statements. The Journal shall not issue or sign onto public statements on current international or domestic political and social issues, except with the unanimous agreement of the Upper Masthead. Any publication in the Journal shall not be construed as an endorsement of the author nor any of their views.