One of the things you begin to realize in law school is that the law is constantly evolving. Often it lags behind society, but it eventually catches up to bring some sense of order to previously ungoverned realms. So where do jurists and other policymakers look when deciding how to adjudicate these disputes of first impression? Often it's the same place that law students like you go to polish up resumes -- law reviews.
Law reviews are secondary sources that can help start important conversations in the broader legal community by providing historical context to legal issues on the horizon. They may address contemporary issues, such as the dischargeability of student loan debts in bankruptcy, or touch on far-fetched concepts like whether the Fourth Amendment applies in space. While not considered binding authority, they are certainly persuasive and even find their way into Supreme Court briefs (where it's especially important to ensure that they're properly cited).
How Do Law Reviews Operate?
Most law schools have at least one law review or journal, and some house several different legal publications. While law reviews tend to have a broader focus, other law school journals tend to focus on specific areas of law, such as bankruptcy, international law, or intellectual property.
Typically, a law review is a platform for attorneys and practitioners to publish articles. However, many journals also provide opportunities for law students to publish their own articles, usually after taking part in the law review application process.
In order to participate in law review, you'll need to develop an unhealthy devotion to your Blue Book. First or second-year law students usually apply to law review by completing an editing exercise that's heavy on Blue Book knowledge. After that, many law reviews will require a substantive exercise, usually in the form of a student comment. If you're worried about adding another paper to your law school workload, remember that this could simply be a paper that you're already writing for another law school class -- the ultimate double dip!
Once you've completed the law review requirements, you may be given the opportunity to apply for an editorial position, typically held by third-year students. Some journals will hold a formal interview process for these positions, during which the staff will evaluate your past performance and reliability.
Prominent Law Reviews
To help you get acquainted with the law review community, a list of law reviews from law schools nationwide is provided below.
| Law Review | Law School/Organization |
| Alaska Law Review | Duke University |
| Arizona Law Review | University of Arizona |
| Baylor Law Review | Baylor University Law School |
| Boston College Law Review | Boston College Law School |
| Boston University Law Review | Boston University Law School |
| Brigham Young University Law Review | Brigham Young University Law School |
| Brooklyn Law Review | Brooklyn Law School |
| Buffalo Law Review | State University of New York Buffalo Law School |
| California Law Review | U.C. Berkeley Law School |
| California Western Law Review | California Western Law School |
| Capital University Law Review | Capital University Law School |
| Cardozo Law Review | Yeshiva University Law School |
| Case Western Reserve Law Review | Case Western Reserve University Law School |
| Chapman Law Review | Chapman University Law School |
| Chicago-Kent Law Review | Chicago-Kent College of Law |
| Cleveland State Law Review | Cleveland Marshall College of Law |
| Clinical Law Review | New York University Law School |
| Columbia Law Review | Columbia Law School |
| Cornell Law Review | Cornell Law School |
| Creighton Law Review | Creighton University Law School |
| Cybaris®, an Intellectual Property Law Review | Mitchell Hamline School of Law |
| Denver Law Review | University of Denver Law School |
| DePaul Law Review | DePaul University Law School |
| Drake Law Review | Drake University Law School |
| Law and Contemporary Problems | Duke University Law School |
| Emory Law Journal | Emory University Law School |
| Florida State University Law Review | Florida State University Law School |
| Fordham Law Review | Fordham Law School |
| George Mason Law Review | George Mason University Law School |
| George Washington Law Review | George Washington University Law School |
| Golden Gate University Law Review | Golden Gate University Law School |
| Gonzaga Law Review | Gonzaga University Law School |
| Mitchell Hamline Law Review | Mitchell Hamline School of Law |
| Harvard Law Review | Harvard Law School |
| Hastings Law Journal | U.C. Hastings Law School |
| Hofstra Law Review | Hofstra University Law School |
| Indiana Law Journal | Indiana University Maurer School of Law |
| Indiana Law Review | Indiana University McKinney School of Law |
| Iowa Law Review | University of Iowa Law School |
| John Marshall Law Review | John Marshall Law School |
| Kentucky Law Journal | University of Kentucky Law School |
| King's Student Law Review | King's College London Law School |
| Louisiana Law Review | Louisiana State University Law School |
| Loyola Law Review | Loyola Marymount University Law School, Los Angeles |
| Loyola University Chicago Law Journal | Loyola University Chicago Law School |
| Loyola University New Orleans Law Review | Loyola University New Orleans Law School |
| Maine Law Review | University of Maine School of Law |
| Marquette Law Review | Marquette University Law School |
| Maryland Law Review | University of Maryland School of Law |
| McGeorge Law Review | McGeorge School of Law |
| McGill Law Journal | McGill University |
| Mercer Law Review | Mercer University Law School |
| Michigan Law Review | University of Michigan Law School |
| Michigan State Law Review | Michigan State University Law School |
| Minnesota Law Review | University of Minnesota Law School |
| Mississippi College Law Review | Mississippi College Law School |
| Mississippi Law Journal | University of Mississippi Law School |
| Missouri Law Review | University of Missouri Law School |
| North Carolina Law Review | University of North Carolina |
| Northeastern University Law Journal | Northeastern University Law School |
| Northern Illinois University Law Review | Northern Illinois University Law School |
| Northwestern University Law Review | Northwestern University Law School |
| Ohio Northern University Law Review | Ohio Northern University Law School |
| Oklahoma Law Review | University of Oklahoma Law School |
| Oxford Journal of Legal Studies | Oxford University |
| Penn State Law Review | Pennsylvania State University Law School |
| Pepperdine Law Review | Pepperdine University Law School |
| Quinnipiac Law Review | Quinnipiac University Law School |
| Regent University Law Review | Regent University Law School |
| Rutgers University Law Review | Rutgers University Law School |
| San Diego Law Review | University of San Diego Law School |
| Seton Hall Law Review | Seton Hall University Law School |
| South Texas Law Review | South Texas College of Law |
| Southern California Law Review | University of Southern California |
| Southwestern Law Review | Southwestern Law School |
| St. John's Law Review | St. John's University Law School |
| St. Mary's Law Journal | St. Mary's Law School |
| Stanford Law Review | Stanford Law Review |
| Stetson Law Review | Stetson University College of Law |
| Syracuse Law Review | Syracuse University College of Law |
| Temple Law Review | Temple University Law School |
| Tennessee Law Review | University of Tennessee Law School |
| Texas A&M Law Review | Texas A&M University Law School |
| The Georgetown Law Journal | Georgetown University Law School |
| The New England Law Review | New England Law Boston |
| The University of Kansas Law Review | University of Kansas Law School |
| Thomas Goode Jones Law Review | Faulkner Law School |
| Thomas M. Cooley Law Review | Western Michigan University Law School |
| Touro Law Review | Touro College Law Center |
| Tulane University Law Review | Tulane University Law School |
| Tulsa Law Review | The University of Tulsa |
| UC Davis Law Review | UC Davis Law School |
| UCLA Law Review | UCLA Law School |
| University of Akron Law Review | University of Akron Law School |
| University of Alabama Law Review | University of Alabama Law School |
| University of Chicago Law Review | University of Chicago Law School |
| University of Cincinnati Law Review | University of Cincinnati Law School |
| University of Colorado Law Review | University of Colorado Law School |
| University of Connecticut Law Review | University of Connecticut Law School |
| University of Dayton Law Review | University of Dayton Law School |
| University of Florida Law Review | University of Florida Law School |
| University of Georgia Law Review | University of Georgia Law School |
| University of Hawaii Law Review | University of Hawaii Law School |
| University of Idaho Law Review | University of Idaho Law School |
| University of Miami Law Review | University of Miami Law School |
| University of Missouri- Kansas City Law Review | University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School |
| University of North Carolina Law Review | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| University of North Dakota Law Review | University of North Dakota Law School |
| University of Oregon Law Review | University of Oregon Law School |
| University of Pennsylvania Law Review | University of Pennsylvania Law School |
| University of Pittsburgh Law Review | University of Pittsburgh Law School |
| University of Richmond Journal of Law & Technology | University of Richmond Law School |
| University of South Carolina Law Review | University of South Carolina Law School |
| University of Texas Law Review | University of Texas Law School |
| University of Toledo Law Review | University of Toledo Law School |
| University of Virginia Law Review | University of Virginia Law School |
| University of Washington Law Review | University of Washington Law School |
| University of Wyoming Law Review | University of Wyoming Law School |
| Utah Law Review | University of Utah Law School |
| Vanderbilt University Law Review | Vanderbilt University Law School |
| Vermont Law Review | University of Vermont Law School |
| Villanova University Law Review | Villanova University Law School |
| Washburn University Law Journal | Washburn University Law School |
| Washington and Lee University Law Review | Washington and Lee University Law School |
| Washington University Journal of Law and Policy | Washington University Law School |
| Washington University Law Review | Washington University Law School |
| Wayne Law Review | Wayne State University Law School |
| West Virginia Law Review | West Virginia University Law School |
| Western New England Law Review | Western New England Law School |
| Willamette Law Review | Willamette Law School |
| William and Mary Law Review | William and Mary Law School |
| Wisconsin Law Review | University of Wisconsin Law School |
| Yale Law Journal | Yale Law School |
Looking Ahead
Law school is a lot like exercising -- what you get out of it depends on what you put in. Law reviews are one way to not only build your experience and resume, they're also a great way to get plugged into the broader legal community. To learn more about law school and the steps you can take to advance your career, stay in tune with FindLaw for Law Students as your go-to guide to the legal profession.