Established 2026  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  Publishing Weekly

Vol. I, No. 1
2026
Chicago, IL

Judicial Law Review

National Student Legal Scholarship
Weekly Publication
Open Access
Submit Your Work

Submission Guidelines

Manuscript Types

Article
8,000 – 15,000 words
Doctrinal, theoretical, or empirical scholarship on any area of law.
Case Note
3,000 – 6,000 words
Analysis of a single significant decision with doctrinal context.
Essay
2,500 – 5,000 words
Argumentative pieces responding to recent legal developments.
Book Review
2,000 – 4,000 words
Critical engagement with recent or significant legal scholarship.

Formatting Requirements

  • Citations must conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.)
  • Double-spaced manuscript body; single-spaced footnotes
  • Times New Roman, 12pt body; 10pt footnotes
  • One-inch margins on all sides
  • Footnotes, not endnotes; no in-text citations
  • Submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.docx)
  • Author identifying information removed from manuscript

Eligibility

The Judicial Law Review accepts submissions from current J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. students enrolled at ABA-accredited law schools, as well as recent graduates within two years of receiving their degree. Co-authored submissions are welcome provided all authors meet eligibility requirements.

Exclusivity Policy

We request that authors notify us of any simultaneous submissions to other journals at the time of submission. If your manuscript is accepted elsewhere during our review period, please withdraw it promptly.

Cover Letter

All submissions must include a cover letter containing the manuscript title and type, the author's full name, law school and expected graduation year, a brief abstract of no more than 250 words, and a statement confirming the work is original and unpublished.

Submission Portal

Ready to Submit?

All manuscripts are submitted through our dedicated portal. Create a free account to track your submission status in real time.

  • 1Create a portal account with your law school email
  • 2Upload your manuscript (.docx) and cover letter
  • 3Complete the submission form with abstract and metadata
  • 4Receive confirmation email within 24 hours
  • 5Track editorial review status through your dashboard
Access Submission Portal Access Submission Portal →rarr;

Editorial Timeline

Initial review1 – 2 weeks
Full editorial review3 – 5 weeks
Author revisions2 – 3 weeks
Final edits & cite-check1 – 2 weeks
PublicationRolling weekly

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit a paper I wrote for a law school seminar?

Yes, provided the work has not been previously published. Substantially revised seminar papers are welcome and common among our submissions.

Do you accept submissions on any area of law?

We welcome scholarship across all legal disciplines — constitutional, criminal, commercial, international, administrative, and more.

How will I know my submission was received?

You will receive an automated confirmation email within 24 hours of submission through the portal.

Does the Review publish student notes only?

The Judicial Law Review is a student-authored publication. We do not currently accept faculty or practitioner submissions.

What happens after acceptance?

Accepted authors enter our editorial process: substantive editing, cite-checking, and author review rounds before a publication date is assigned.

Is there a submission fee?

No. The Judicial Law Review charges no submission fees and is fully open access at every stage.

Questions not addressed here? Contact our editorial team at [email protected]

Contact the Editorial Board →