Success in the law review submissions arena depends on the quality of the article you’re trying to place. Particularly the strength of your arguments, the novelty of your theory, and the clarity of your content. But, there’s also another critical factor — timing.
Understanding the law review submission cycle is crucial for submitting articles at the right time and maximizing your chances of acceptance.
In good news, law reviews adhere to a pretty predictable schedule, which we’ve tracked closely over the years in Scholastica’s annual submission cycle insights report!
In this blog post, we’ll break down the key phases of law review article selection to help you plan your submission strategy accordingly, based on Scholastica’s latest data and information we’ve gleaned from working with thousands of e-boards.
Phase 1: Off-season (late October to mid January)
What’s happening
Most law reviews are closed for submissions during this time (which some refer to as the “off season”) so editors can focus on publishing the articles they recently accepted and getting ready for their winter exams. It’s also when e-boards start the process of electing new editors to replace those who are about to graduate.
By late January, most law reviews will have elected their next e-boards (or be in the final stages of elections) and will be preparing to commence new editor training in early spring.
What authors should focus on
Now is the ideal time for deep work. Authors should use the off-season to plan, write, and revise articles. Consider presenting your draft paper at academic conferences or faculty workshops to get feedback. It’s also a good time to conduct comprehensive literature reviews, shore up any lingering gaps in your research or argument, and prep your Bluebook citations.
You can also start compiling a targeted list of top-choice and next-choice law reviews for your paper, so you’re ready to hit that submit button when journals reopen!
Key tips for this time
- Hone your article theme: Pick your next law review article topic and start developing an outline and writing schedule.
- Finish your first draft: Aim to have a complete, polished draft of your article by early January, so you can do final workshopping before peak spring submission season starts.
- Keep an eye on calls for papers: Look for general law review openings as well as calls for papers for symposia or special themed issues, which may have unique timelines.
- Research exclusive tracks: If you’re interested in possibly pursuing an exclusive submission track, now is a good time to research your options and make a plan.
For more comprehensive article preparation advice, check out our “Top Law Review Submission Tips for Authors” in this blog post.
Phase 2: Start of spring submissions (late January to early February)
What’s happening
Historically, this period marks the start of the “spring submission season” (an early start to spring, we know!). Most law reviews begin accepting submissions between late January and early February (with many considering February 1st to be the official “opening day”), and the submission frenzy typically peaks in mid to late February. Based on past data, the spring season is the busiest time of the submission cycle, with the highest volume of papers processed.
What does this mean for timing submissions?
Once law reviews open, they review submissions on a rolling basis. So, submitting early in the spring season may give you a better chance of catching the attention of editors before their dockets fill. Conversely, submitting late may mean your piece will have to compete with hundreds of others when editorial capacity is limited.
However, there can be benefits to submitting toward the end of the usual spring season if you’re able to swoop in and grab one of the remaining slots editors are eager to fill.
With that said, there is no “right” submission strategy. All authors will want to weigh their options. Consider factors like the readiness of your article and your bandwidth for managing pending submissions, and pinpoint the target submission window that you think will offer you the best chance at getting an offer.
What authors should focus on
- Finalize your manuscript: Your article should be carefully edited and citation-checked by this point if you plan to participate in spring submissions.
- Prepare your materials: Get your abstract, CV, cover letter, and anything else your target law reviews require ready to go (if you’re wondering whether editors read cover letters, here’s what we know).
- Track journal openings: Monitor law review openings to know when your target journals start seeking submissions, leveraging resources like Scholastica’s automatically updating table of open and closed law reviews, daily law review opening alert emails, and law review openings posted to X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky with #LRSubmissions.
- Submit strategically: Consider a “wave” approach: Plan to submit to a core group of journals to start, then widen your net if you don’t receive offers.
Key tips for this time
- Submit strategically: Tailor your law review list based on your article’s aims and scope. The more targeted your submissions are, the higher your chances of getting published.
- Expedite carefully: If you receive a publication offer and want to send out one or more expedite requests, be sure to follow each law review’s guidelines exactly (and only expedite if you have an offer in hand out of respect for editors’ time — full board review doesn’t count).
- Stick to law reviews’ submission guidelines: Before submitting to law reviews, be sure to read their author guidelines and preferences and adjust your article accordingly (editors post them for a reason!).
Phase 3: Rolling reviews and expediting (February to April)
What’s Happening
At this point, if you have or are about to submit an article to law reviews, prepare for the speed of article selection activities to pick up.
Papers that attract attention will begin receiving review requests, rejections, and offers in quick succession. Journals often have tight deadlines (as short as 48 hours) on offers, so it also means tight windows for expedite requests.
What authors should focus on
- Be responsive: If you get an offer, act quickly to request expedited reviews from higher-ranked journals.
- mind your time: Don’t rush to take the first offer you receive, unless it’s from a journal you’re excited about, but also know when to stop expediting and accept a good placement.
- Communicate professionally: Law review editors are usually students balancing multiple commitments — keep that in mind and remember that clear, concise, and courteous communication makes a big difference.
Key tips for this time
- Track submissions in Scholastica: As you submit to law reviews via Scholastica, remember that you can track their progress via the Manuscript Work Area to filter by accepted, rejected, and pending publication offers and quickly scan offer status information.
- Leverage Scholastica’s bulk communication options: Remember, from Scholastica, you can send discussion messages, expedite requests, and withdrawal notifications to law reviews in bulk to save time.
- Put expedite requests into context: Consider writing a brief explanatory email to editors when expediting, explaining your article’s contribution to the field and noting the other journal(s) that sent you acceptance letters to let them know why they should fast-track reviewing it.
Phase 4: Late spring to early summer (April to June)
What’s Happening
While some law reviews will still be seeking submissions for remaining article slots in April, by the middle of the month, many top-tier and mid-tier journals will have filled their books. By the end of April, the majority of law reviews will finish sending out offers for their upcoming volumes. So if you have one, now’s the time to take it!
That doesn’t mean that all law reviews will close at that point, though. Some may choose to continue accepting submissions to have papers in their queue when they’re ready to resume reviewing articles. In such cases, Scholastica strongly advises editors to add a note to their “For Authors” page with their planned review timelines.
Note: If you find that a law review is open for submissions on Scholastica but is listed as closed elsewhere (e.g., on its school’s website), let us know. We will reach out to ensure that the law review closes its Scholastica account if it is no longer seeking articles.
What authors should focus on
- Make a decision: If you’ve been holding onto offers, now’s the time to pick a spot for your article before the window closes.
- Consider fall submissions: If you didn’t get an offer for a piece you submitted during the spring submission season, consider revising it and submitting during the fall cycle.
- Prep for publication: If you’ve accepted a publication offer, you’ll need to begin working with the journal on edits and cite checks (prepare to respond promptly to editing queries over the summer).
Key tips for this time
- Keep an open mind: If you didn’t get an offer from your top-choice law review, remember not to fixate on that letdown but to instead focus on the positives of any offers at hand.
- If you didn’t get any offers, don’t panic: Use this as a reset period and seek input from trusted colleagues to help strengthen your piece or identify a different direction to go in.
- Withdraw pending submissions: If you accept an offer, don’t forget to withdraw any pending submissions you still have in respect of the time of the editors assigned to them (remember, Scholastica has a bulk withdrawal option to save time).
Phase 5: Summer and fall submissions (August to early October)
What’s Happening
A smaller but still significant submission window traditionally occurs in late summer, typically from August to early October. This “fall cycle,” as it’s often called, is an opportunity for prolific authors to place new pieces and for those who missed the spring submission window or didn’t get placed to have a second chance at publication. The fall submission cycle can also be a prime time for submitting essays or responses, as journals tend to be more receptive to shorter pieces.
Not all journals are open during this phase, and some may open late in the fall to fill unexpected gaps or publish online-only pieces. So, keep a keen eye out for author announcements.
What authors should focus on
- Target journals wisely: As in the spring, compile a list of the best-fit law reviews for your paper and plan a staggered submission approach.
- Know your options: The fall submission window is typically more receptive to shorter articles, online supplements, and specialized topics. So, if you have a piece that fits any of those criteria, now is a good time to submit it.
- Check opening dates: Journal availability may vary at this time, so closely monitor law review openings and reading timeframe announcements.
Key tips for this time
- Consider submitting to specialty journals: If you prepared a paper on a niche topic, research specialty law review options where the editors may be better versed in that legal area and interested in covering it.
- Don’t view fall submission season as second best: Many great pieces get accepted during fall cycles, so if you revised a spring paper or have a new one ready to submit, seize the day!
- Start thinking about your awareness strategy: Great scholarship doesn’t stop with an acceptance decision — to get people to notice your work, you need to raise awareness of it. We cover digital-publishing best practices to look for in the law reviews you submit to here and ways to promote your latest research here.
Year-round strategies for success
Even outside of the defined law review submission windows, you can take steps year-round to improve your odds during the next article selection cycle season, including:
1. Stay Current in Your Field
Follow new developments in case law, policy, and scholarly debate to ensure the articles you prepare contribute meaningfully to contemporary discussions and factor in the latest research.
Read recently published articles in your target journals. What topics are trending? What methodological or theoretical approaches are gaining traction?
2. Build Relationships
Join academic networks and participate in conferences to engage with other scholars and potentially be early readers of your forthcoming pieces. Trusted colleagues can offer insights to improve your draft articles, and they’ll be eager to help spread the word about your work as you get published.
4. Keep Revising
Remember, many successful articles were rejected or reworked multiple times before finding a home. So, stay open to edits and don’t be afraid to change the direction of your drafts.
Also, bear in mind that published articles often look different than original submissions. Once you accept an offer, be open to working with the editors at that journal to sharpen your piece from your citations to the structure of your argument and everything in between.
Closing Thoughts
Timing isn’t everything in law review submissions, but it plays a big role in success. Use the off-season to write and revise pieces, submit strategically during peak periods, and remain agile and professional when navigating expedite request windows. By aligning your writing and submission efforts with the rhythm of the law review cycle, you can avoid common pitfalls and increase your chances of acceptance.
