The Case for Professionally Edited Law Reviews

Abstract

Law reviews are too important to legal education and the profession to be left in the hands of law students. The essay denominates the values and benefits of law reviews to law schools and the profession. It reviews the classic complaints including footnoteitis, ignorance in the selection of articles, poor editorial training, poor editing, no institutional memory, non-descript editorial personality, and tardy publication. The essay next details several attractive alternatives: faculty-edited journals, seminars that train law review editors, and radical modifications to the student-edited model. The author proposes that faculty advisors be active in the selection of members, direct timely publication, professionalize review management, and assist in selection and editing. This proposal offers educational benefits that eclipse the current model. Yet it retains much of the independence and values of well-run student journals. Professionally-edited reviews promise to be of greater value to the academy and the profession.

Keywords: Law Reviews, Legal Education

JEL Classification: K10