How to Get Published in a Law Review or Legal Journal

Where to Submit: Choosing Target Journals

The first decision is where to send the piece. Law reviews fall into rough tiers, and a smart submission list mixes ambitious “reach” journals with titles where your article is a strong fit. Match the topic to the journal: a piece on data privacy belongs in front of technology and internet-law journals as well as general reviews. A well-placed article in a respected specialty or regional journal usually does more for you than an unanswered submission to a flagship. Our law review rankings and directory can help you build that list.

The Submission Process (Scholastica)

Most US law reviews accept article submissions through Scholastica, an online platform that lets an author send the same manuscript to many journals at once and track the responses. You upload the article, an abstract, and a CV, then select your target journals. A minority of journals take submissions only through their own websites or by email, so check each journal’s current instructions before you send. There is usually a per-submission fee on the platform, with fee waivers available in some cases.

Timing: The February and August Windows

Timing matters as much as content. Student boards read submissions in concentrated periods and largely ignore the manuscript pile in between. Traditionally there are two seasons: a larger one in late winter — often described as the February window, when new boards begin reviewing — and a second in late summer, around August. Submitting a few weeks into a window, rather than at its very end when editors are swamped with offers already out, tends to give a piece a fairer read. These are patterns, not guarantees; individual journals set their own calendars.

Expedite Requests, Explained

The expedite request is the engine of law-review placement. When a journal offers to publish your article, that offer comes with a deadline. You can then contact journals you would prefer — typically higher-ranked ones — and ask them to review your submission before that deadline in light of the standing offer. Editors expect this; it is how authors move up. The etiquette is simple: only expedite to journals you would actually accept, be truthful about your offers and deadlines, and respond promptly.

What Editors Look For

Editors are reading for a clear, original contribution: a thesis that adds something to the existing literature, an argument that holds together, and writing an intelligent non-specialist can follow. A tight abstract and a strong introduction do a lot of work, because a busy editor may decide from the first page or two whether to keep reading. Claims must be supportable — every assertion will eventually be checked against its source during editing — so accuracy and careful citation help at the selection stage too.

Publishing as a Student or Practitioner

Students usually publish first through their own journal’s note-and-comment process rather than the open article market; a published student note is a meaningful credential. Practitioners can and do place articles in law reviews, and many bar journals and specialty publications actively welcome practice-oriented writing, which can reach working lawyers more directly. If you are new to how journals operate, start with what law review is, then return to our legal journals directory to find the right home for your work.