The Law Review Manuscript Glut: The Need for Guidelines

Journal of Legal Education, Vol. 39, p. 383, 1989

Case Legal Studies Research

6 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2009

See all articles by Erik M. Jensen

Erik M. Jensen

Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Abstract

Legal academics generally publish in student-edited journals that have no sole-submission requirement, and it is common for authors to submit articles to dozens of journals at a time. As a result, law reviews are buried in manuscripts. Most manuscripts cannot even be looked at, much less evaluated, and there’s not much reason for evaluation anyway: a journal has little chance to publish any particular article. In short, the legal publication system is broken. (Indeed, given the ease and trivial cost of electronic submission - why not submit the article on artichoke law to Yale as well as So-So State? - things have worsened since 1989.) This article recommends the creation of a new professional norm: that an author shall submit an article to no more than five journals at a time, thereby (1) forcing authors to be realistic in selecting possible homes for their articles, (2) reducing the glut in law review offices, and (3) giving editors a realistic shot at publishing articles they review.

Keywords: Legal Scholarship, Professional Norms, Five Journal Rule

JEL Classification: K49

Suggested Citation

Jensen, Erik M., The Law Review Manuscript Glut: The Need for Guidelines. Journal of Legal Education, Vol. 39, p. 383, 1989, Case Legal Studies Research, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1396697

Erik M. Jensen (Contact Author)

Case Western Reserve University School of Law ( email )

11075 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106-7148
United States
216-368-3613 (Phone)
216-368-2086 (Fax)

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