Yale Law Review

The Yale Law Review is one of the most prestigious and widely read law reviews in the United States. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest law review published by a law school in the United States. The review is published eight times a year by the Yale Law School and features articles, essays, and book reviews on a wide range of legal topics. The Yale Law Review is known for its high-quality scholarship and its ability to attract prominent authors and contributors from the legal academy and beyond.
History and Impact

The Yale Law Review has a long and storied history, with a legacy of publishing influential and groundbreaking articles that have shaped the development of American law. Over the years, the review has featured contributions from some of the most prominent legal scholars and thinkers of their time, including Supreme Court justices, federal judges, and leading academics. The review’s impact extends beyond the legal academy, with many of its articles and essays being cited in court opinions, legislative hearings, and other forums where law and policy are shaped.
The Yale Law Review is also known for its innovative and forward-thinking approach to legal scholarship. The review has a strong tradition of publishing articles that challenge conventional wisdom and push the boundaries of legal thought. This approach has led to the publication of many influential and seminal articles that have helped to shape the development of new areas of law, such as constitutional law, administrative law, and international law. The review's commitment to intellectual curiosity and rigor has made it a leading voice in the legal academy, and its articles are widely read and cited by scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
Editorial Process and Structure
The Yale Law Review is edited by a board of student editors who are selected from among the students at Yale Law School. The editorial board is responsible for reviewing and selecting articles for publication, as well as editing and proofreading the articles to ensure that they meet the review’s high standards. The review also has a faculty advisor who provides guidance and oversight to the editorial board. The editorial process is rigorous and highly selective, with only a small percentage of submitted articles being accepted for publication.
The review's structure is designed to ensure that articles are thoroughly reviewed and edited before publication. The editorial board is divided into several departments, each of which is responsible for a different aspect of the review's operations. The articles department is responsible for reviewing and selecting articles for publication, while the notes department is responsible for publishing shorter essays and comments on recent developments in the law. The review also has a book reviews department, which publishes reviews of recently published books on legal topics.
Category | Statistics |
---|---|
Number of Issues Published per Year | 8 |
Number of Articles Published per Year | 40-50 |
Number of Submissions Received per Year | 1,000-1,500 |
Acceptance Rate | 5-10% |

Notable Articles and Authors

Over the years, the Yale Law Review has published many notable articles and essays by prominent authors. Some of the most influential articles published in the review include Robert Cover’s “Nomos and Narrative”, which explored the relationship between law and narrative, and Guido Calabresi’s “About Law and Economics: A Letter to Ronald Dworkin”, which critiqued the use of economic analysis in legal scholarship. The review has also published articles by prominent legal scholars such as Ronald Dworkin, Cass Sunstein, and Kathleen Sullivan.
The Yale Law Review has also been at the forefront of publishing articles on emerging areas of law, such as artificial intelligence and the law. The review has published several articles on this topic, including a seminal piece by Ryan Calo on the potential risks and benefits of using artificial intelligence in legal decision-making. The review's commitment to publishing innovative and forward-thinking scholarship has made it a leading voice in the legal academy, and its articles are widely read and cited by scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
Impact on the Legal Academy
The Yale Law Review has had a significant impact on the legal academy, with many of its articles and essays influencing the development of new areas of law. The review’s commitment to publishing high-quality, cutting-edge scholarship has made it a leading voice in the legal academy, and its articles are widely read and cited by scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. The review’s influence extends beyond the legal academy, with many of its articles and essays being cited in court opinions, legislative hearings, and other forums where law and policy are shaped.
The review's impact on the legal academy can be seen in several areas, including constitutional law, administrative law, and international law. The review has published many influential articles on these topics, including pieces by prominent legal scholars such as Akhil Amar and Harold Koh. The review's commitment to publishing innovative and forward-thinking scholarship has made it a leading voice in the legal academy, and its articles are widely read and cited by scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
What is the Yale Law Review’s acceptance rate?
+The Yale Law Review’s acceptance rate is around 5-10%. The review receives over 1,000 submissions per year, but only a small percentage of these articles are accepted for publication.
Who are some notable authors who have published in the Yale Law Review?
+The Yale Law Review has published articles by many prominent legal scholars, including Robert Cover, Guido Calabresi, Ronald Dworkin, Cass Sunstein, and Kathleen Sullivan. The review has also published articles by prominent judges and policymakers, including Supreme Court justices and federal judges.
What is the Yale Law Review’s editorial process like?
+The Yale Law Review’s editorial process is rigorous and highly selective. The review’s editorial board reviews all submissions and selects articles for publication based on their quality, relevance, and impact. The review’s faculty advisor provides guidance and oversight to the editorial board, and the review’s articles are thoroughly edited and proofread before publication.