Submissions

Submissions to Boston University Law Review are open

The editors of Boston University Law Review are pleased to announce that we are accepting submissions for our 2024-2025 issues starting on February 3rd. Published seven times a year, Boston University Law Review provides analysis and commentary on all areas of the law. All manuscripts must be submitted via Scholastica here. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement, Transparency Statement, and Data Retention Policy can all be viewed here. Our past issues can be viewed here

Published seven times a year, Boston University Law Review provides analysis and commentary on all areas of the law. All manuscripts must be submitted via Scholastica here. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement; Transparency Statement; and Data Retention Policy can all be viewed below. Our past issues can be viewed here.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Statement: The Boston University Law Review is deeply committed to publishing diverse voices and topics that reflect the lived experiences of all people. Diversity is not limited to a list of identities, but we recognize how varied life stories create values and perspectives that are not traditionally amplified in legal scholarship and academia. We spotlight diverse authors in all our books, and our February book is specifically dedicated to topics of race and gender, as well as publishing diverse and untenured scholars. As part of our expanded diversity and inclusion efforts, the Law Review encourages submissions grounded in issues facing historically marginalized communities and underrepresented identities, particularly by authors who are traditionally underrepresented in legal academia.

We invite authors to consider how their scholarship impacts and intersects with disenfranchised communities and identities. Authors may include a short statement in their cover letter summarizing how their unique identities shape their article’s contribution to the field. This statement is not required, and the Boston University Law Review is sensitive to the pressures on underrepresented scholars to perform their trauma. We would like to get to know you, your experiences, and your values in a way that is comfortable and authentic to you.

Transparency Statement: As part of the Boston University Law Review’s commitment to expanding access to legal scholarship for first-generation professionals and scholars, we share this statement to shed light on how our Articles Selection Committee reviews and selects articles for publication.

Through Scholastica, our Senior Articles Editor, Articles Editors, and Managing Editors review the thousands of articles submitted to Boston University Law Review each year. If an article is found to be of exceptional quality, it is elevated to Board Review, which includes our Diversity & Inclusion Editors, Senior Managing Editor, and Editor-in-Chief. After lengthy review and discussion by the entire Articles Selection Committee, the Committee votes on whether to extend an offer.

Our Committee finds the strongest articles to be novel, clearly written, well cited, highly likely to generate further discussion and debate, and between approximately 15,000 to 25,000 words, including footnotes. The Committee also considers authors’ backgrounds to ensure the Law Review is representative of the broader community and to elevate otherwise underrepresented voices. All these factors are weighed holistically.

Data Retention Policy: The Boston University Law Review requires authors of articles containing empirical analysis to submit the data used in that analysis to lawrev@bu.edu within 72 hours of submitting the article for publication consideration on Scholastica. If an article is selected for publication and an author elects to publish with us, we will keep the data confidential throughout the editing process and will make the data public on our website at the time of publication of the article. If an article is not selected for publication, we will delete our copy of the data at the conclusion of our article selection period. If you are unable to share your data for whatever reason (e.g., because the data are proprietary), you must email lawrev@bu.edu with a detailed explanation of why the data cannot be shared.

Expedited Review Request Instructions: To request an expedited review of a manuscript that you submitted via Scholastica, please use Scholastica to send an expedited review request.

Seven-Day Offer Windows: On April 19, 2011, the Boston University Law Review and several peer journals released a joint letter committing to give every author seven days to decide whether to accept an offer of publication. Eliminating “exploding offers” will improve deliberations and the scholarship we publish by giving law journals and authors time to make informed decisions. We invite all other student-edited law journals to join this letter. Download Joint Letter.

Submissions to Boston University Law Review Online

The Boston University Law Review Online publishes submissions of short essays, notes, and comments from law professors, practicing lawyers, judges, and law students. The submission period is currently closed for Boston University Law Review Online.

Online Expedited Review Process: Authors may submit requests for expedited review when another journal has made an offer to publish the submission or a longer variation of it. Requests should include the author’s preferred email address, the name of the publication that has made an offer, and the date by which an answer is needed.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact us. Thank you for considering the Boston University Law Review for submission.