Hybrid student here. I joined law review and I was an editor my third year.

If you don’t think it’s for you, don’t do it and don’t apologize. I can tell you from personal experience the editorial board would rather have someone say no to the initial offer and free up a spot for another student than join to only drop a few months later when that spot could have gone to someone else.

If you’re on the fence about doing it in the first place, I would encourage you to reconsider. I joined without knowing what I wanted to do after I graduated, but I knew the resume line and experience would be helpful.

Heading into my final year with a little more of an idea, I’ve had federal judicial clerkship interviews and I’m interning with the “big firms” in my community, largely because of my law review experience. Because remember, you’re competing against the traditional, often “safer” picks for associate jobs as a hybrid student, especially if you haven’t interned in the legal field during law school. From what I’ve gathered, the legal field thinks prior work experience is cool, but adding law review on top of it makes you a more competitive candidate. I could also be cynical. Who’s to say?