When to submit
The academic publishing service Scholastica has identified two key dates for journals receiving and reviewing submissions: Feb. 1 and Aug. 1. However, student pieces are more likely to receive offers later in the cycle, and ASU Law Professor Troy Rule recommends a target date of late March. Submitting on schedule can help because a significant number of journals close themselves off from submissions for parts of the year. Scholastica also suggests that if you are hoping for a place in a particular journal to ask the staff when to submit your paper.
How to submit
Scholastica provides a law review author guide including instructions on creating an account, submitting your writing, communicating with prospective publishers, and submitting to multiple journals, as well as general tips to get your ideas in print. It also details how to withdraw papers and how to respond to publication offers.
Where to submit
Law schools typically offer themed journals concerning particular aspects of law or society in addition to general, flagship law reviews and journals. If you have an offer but want to know whether another journal is interested in your paper, an expedited decision request can help.
Arizona State Law Journal: Criminal Justice Reform National Writing Competition
This contest offers prize money and potential publication in the Arizona State Law Journal Online. It is open to law students across the country. Articles must not exceed 10,000 words and must concern criminal justice reform.
American Indian Law Review National Writing Competition
Three awards offered annually by the American Indian Law Review at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. The competition is available to any currently enrolled law student who submits a paper on any issue concerning American Indian law.
Suffolk University Law School ICompete Writing
A breakdown of writing contests into particular areas of law.
Georgetown Law Technology Review Student Writing Competition
This competition for law students invites submissions addressing a legal or public policy question relating to the intersection of technology law and policy.
ABA for Law Students Writing Competitions
Contests in a variety of subject areas offer money prizes.
AccessLex Writing Competitions
This is a searchable database of law school writing competitions put together by a non-profit dedicated to legal education.
Getting it Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious About Serious Books (William Germano, 2016)
This title, also available as an ebook, provides clear and practical guidance on choosing the best path to publication of scholarly writing. The author focuses on book publication but the lessons provided are applicable to article publication as well.
Information for Submitting Articles to Journals and Law Reviews (Allen Rostron & Nancy Levit, 2024)
This frequently updated guide to submitting articles to law reviews and journals includes information on methods of submission (such as through Scholastica, another academic publication submission program, or direct email), word counts, formatting, and how to request an expedited decision. This resource focuses on flagship law reviews and journals rather than subject-specific secondary journals.
Information for Submitting to Online Law Review Companions (Bridget J. Crawford, 2023)
Online journal companions provide another outlet for academic writing. Although these major law review companions may be a difficult destination for student writing to reach, the submission principles that the author identifies may help you associate with a big-name journal or prepare your work for consideration by other journals and online services.
Modern Legal Scholarship: A Guide to Producing and Publishing Scholarly and Professional Writing (Christine Coughlin et al., 2020)
This book provides a comprehensive approach to researching, writing, and publishing a variety of documents relevant to legal practice in today's world. It covers a variety of publishing options in modern contexts including law journal articles, seminar papers and capstone projects, bar journal articles, policy papers, op-eds, social media posts, blogs, and even creative works.
Submission of Law Student Articles for Publication (Nancy Levit et al., 2016)
This guide is geared specifically toward students, with practical tips such as withholding publication until after beginning a clerkship, when national flagship law reviews may be more receptive toward submissions. It provides tips on maximizing publication chances, such as co-authoring with a professor and optimizing the cover letter and abstract.
Professors at ASU Law and S.J. Quinney College of Law, as well as students and alumni who have published articles, provided the following tips:
Write for Your Audience
Legal audiences are diverse, and your paper should be useful or interesting to legal academics or legal professionals. Commentators can provide guidance on how to conceptualize, organize, and execute your legal arguments.
Seek Guidance
Meet Publications' Expectations
Get Noticed
Arizona State's law journals publish student works in print and online.
Arizona State Law Journal
ASU Law's quarterly flagship law journal publishes professional and student works on general legal topics.
Jurimetrics
This quarterly journal focuses on intersections between the law and science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.
Sports and Entertainment Law Journal
This journal publishes professional and student writing biannually in print and online.
Law Journal for Social Justice
This online journal focuses on local, national, and international social justice issues and provides a topical blog.
Corporate and Business Law Journal
This journal publishes articles by students and academics, and it provides a forum for shorter, topical works.
Law Journal Submissions and Ranking
For students seeking journals that will maximize their work's impact, the Washington & Lee Law School Library provides rankings, primarily based on citation counts.
Alfred L. Brophy, The Signaling Value of Law Reviews: An Exploration of Citations and Prestige, 36 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. (2009) .
A study of citations finds that articles published in secondary or subject specific journals can receive as many citations or more than articles published in top ranked general law journals.
Social Science Research Network
SSRN can help academics notice your work before it is published. Academics provide feedback and may even cite to draft articles hosted on the website.
Faculty Scholarship Repository - Arizona State University
Published articles by ASU Law faculty can help you identify topics for further research or find a mentor for your writing project.
HeinOnline Law Journal Library (available on campus or through ASURITE)
This resource archives full text PDF copies of law journal articles dating back decades to help researchers identify topics or find potential publishers.
Google Scholar
This resource compiles interdisciplinary and nonlegal scholarship in addition to law journal articles.