The case note is a vehicle for thoughtful, original analysis of a court's decision. Authors are required to think critically about the reasoning and result of the opinion, and explore its impact in a particular area of law. The case note format also affords authors an opportunity to recommend how a difficult or controversial legal issue could be resolved.

Every incoming staff member is expected to research and write a case note or comment on a recent decision in the Maryland Court of Appeals or the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Student-authored work of the highest quality will be published in the Maryland Law Review's Survey of Maryland Law.

To receive credit for their work on the Law Review, staff members must participate in the student-writing process, complete their editorial assignments and perform assigned tasks during weekly office hours.

Staff members may choose to write a comment instead of a case note. A comment is an in-depth, original treatment of a legal problem or issue. Unlike a case note, however, a comment is not focused on one principal case.

Each staff member can expect approximately three or four edits during the course of the year. These edits consist of proofreading content and checking sources for substance and technical form. Staff members will work on small editorial teams with an articles editor and an associate editor. Each team will be responsible for an article from the time it is accepted until it is published.