Alumni Magazine Copyediting and Proofreading

Project Background

The University of Minnesota Law School is a prominent institution based in Minneapolis–St. Paul, known for its rigorous academic curriculum and emphasis on experiential learning. Its alumni include federal and state judges, ambassadors, CEOs, and public leaders, including former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale.

The law school publishes Minnesota Law, a general-interest alumni magazine featuring faculty and alumni profiles, institutional updates, and long-form articles.

The communications team approached Flatpage in search of an editorial partner with experience in higher education copyediting who could support both the editing of magazine content and the final proofreading of designed publications.

We are a small communications team that produces a relatively large volume of content for the print and digital versions of Minnesota Law magazine. I wanted to work with a company that has experience in copyediting and proofreading in higher education environments.

Monica Wittstock, Director of Communications

What began as a single project quickly developed into an ongoing collaboration supporting multiple publication types.

The Collaboration

To ensure continuity and consistency, Flatpage matched the law school with a dedicated editor experienced in academic copyediting and proofreading services. This allowed one person to manage both the copyediting and proofreading stages, helping maintain a consistent editorial approach across issues.

Because each issue of Minnesota Law includes contributions from many authors, materials were submitted on rolling and often unpredictable timelines. To manage this, the team used Flatpage’s Basecamp platform, which enabled direct communication between the editor and the law school’s communications lead. This streamlined the exchange of drafts, questions, and updates without slowing production.

Flatpage makes exchanging drafts, communicating about issues, and being flexible with timelines very easy. The editors make sensible suggestions and flag potential issues. Flatpage has exceeded my expectations in every way. 

During the copyediting stage, Flatpage focused on clarity, grammar, punctuation, and consistency across articles, while also performing light fact-checking of names and specialized terminology. Once the magazine was laid out, proofreading ensured that any remaining errors—or issues introduced during the design process—were identified and corrected before publication.

Expanding the Engagement

After completing the Spring 2025 issue, the law school expanded the scope of work to include web-only articles and additional publications. Because the workflow and communication system were already in place, Flatpage was able to step in quickly, often delivering edits within just a few days.

This flexibility proved especially valuable for handling smaller or time-sensitive projects alongside larger publication cycles. By the fall, the team transitioned smoothly back to alumni magazine editing for the next issue of Minnesota Law.

The Outcome

Flatpage’s ongoing editorial support has enabled the University of Minnesota Law School to maintain a consistent, high-quality publishing process across print and digital formats.

I enthusiastically recommend Flatpage for its editorial services. The work Flatpage does helps immensely in my role as director of communications and editor-in-chief of a law school magazine. I know that when I add articles or work to our shared folders, I can trust Flatpage to be as timely and thorough as possible.

The collaboration has resulted in the publication of two full issues of Minnesota Law, along with numerous reports, brochures, and online articles. Work on the Spring 2026 issue is currently underway, with continued editorial support in place.