Empirical Legal Scholarship in Law Reviews

Posted: 14 Nov 2010

Date Written: December 2010

Abstract

Despite persistent calls for more empirical legal scholarship, only recently have scholars provided evidence that empirical legal scholarship has indeed entered the mainstream of the legal academy. Defining empirical scholarship as the systematic organization of a series of observations with the method of data collection and analysis made available to the audience, we analyzed the content of 60 law review volumes published in the years 1998 and 2008. Our content analysis revealed that by 2008 nearly half of law review articles included some empirical content. Production of original research is less common. The highest-ranked law reviews published more articles and included more complex research designs. Analyzing the benefits and costs of publishing in law reviews, we predict that law reviews will see more original empirical scholarship in the future, despite the increased availability of peer-reviewed publication outlets.

Suggested Citation

Seidman Diamond, Shari and Mueller, Pam, Empirical Legal Scholarship in Law Reviews (December 2010). Annual Review of Law and Social Science, Vol. 6, pp. 581-599, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1708405 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-102209-152848

Shari Seidman Diamond (Contact Author)

Northwestern University, School of Law & American Bar Foundation ( email )

375 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
United States
312-503-2040 (Phone)

Pam Mueller

Northwestern University ( email )

2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

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