Articles that are less creative may include articles that describe a problem without a
solution, describe a single case without analysis, provide explanations of existing law, or
responses to other author’s work; and articles that do not take any stance. These types of articles
are less likely to be selected for publication.
6.
Citations: Support your arguments with thorough footnotes and citations.
Even if your paper is creative and aligned with the journal’s scope, your arguments need
to be supported with substantial evidence. Thorough footnotes and citations will show the editors
that you are committed to your topic and have dedicated a substantial amount of time to proving
your argument. However, be careful not to over-cite and rely too heavily on footnotes because
this may detract from your argument and may signal that your paper does not contain enough
original content. Striking the right balance means that all outside propositions have citations, but
the majority of your paper consists of your own original content.
7.
Polishing: Present a polished version of your paper.
Although students on law journals are expected to refine citations and correctly bluebook,
you should still put some effort into polishing your sentences and footnotes. When deciding
which paper to publish, law review editors choose papers that are more polished because editors
appreciate papers that do not need substantial refinement.
When reviewing your note, proofread multiple times and look for grammatical, spelling,
and citation errors. It may be helpful to get a second set of eyes to look over your piece. You
may also format your piece (margins, spacing, footnotes, font) so it reflects the format of
published articles.
8.
Flexibility: Be prepared to make revisions.
Some law reviews may extend an offer conditional on your willingness to make
substantial revisions to your piece or will have a strict deadline schedule. Try to keep an open
mind during this negotiation process because their comments could improve your paper. Also be
aware that their revisions have the possibility of drastically changing parts of your paper. Being
flexible with revisions and timing will improve your chances of publication. The negotiation
process can vary depending on how often the journal publishes. For example, some journals
publish annually whereas others may publish quarterly and will have a faster turnaround time.
9.
Politeness: If you don’t have anything nice to say… and how to respond to rejection.
Always remember to remain cordial throughout the negotiation process and to avoid
feeling frustrated if your paper is not chosen for publication. Keep in mind that any comments
about your paper are part of the publication process. Constructive criticism is not personal.
Rejection is an inevitable part of the process. Some students submit to over 200 journals
before receiving an offer. You may have more success with submissions to specialty journals