Law Review

Types of submissions

When establishing a Law Review it is important to keep in mind what kind of legal writing that publication will feature. The following are the four main types of papers which Law Reviews typically publish:

• Articles – scholarly research papers of various lengths. Articles typically seek to answer a single defined research question with the answer being conveyed through an argument supported by sourced evidence that is communicated in a structured manner.

• Case Notes – scholarly papers which are shorter than articles which analyse a judicial case. A case note will typically identify the issues which a court had to address, analyse the judgment the court came to, and assess the potential impact of the ruling and its significance.

• Letters to the Editor – A Letter to the Editor may be written in direct response to a previously published paper in the Law Review or it may be a paper on a field within the topic of the Law Review that is of “general interest” but does not meet the standard of an article in its own right. 

• Book Review – A book review is a paper the purpose of which is to present an academic critique of a recently published book relevant to a field of law. A book review typically covers the contents of the books and relays the arguments of the book’s author, the quality of which are then assessed, and counterarguments presented if appropriate. 

It is at the discretion of each Law Review to decide which types of papers they will publish, however, it is most common that at least articles and case notes are accepted for consideration. 

If you are interested in coordinating and publishing a Law Review, you can find all the information and many useful tips in the Law Review Handbook. In the Law Review Package, you can find useful materials for the coordination and organisation of the project. 

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at director.publications@elsa.org.