Legal Definitions - law review

Law Review

The term "law review" refers to two related concepts within the legal academic world:

• 1. A Scholarly Legal Journal: A publication, typically produced by a law school, that features in-depth articles, essays, and commentary on various legal subjects. These contributions are often written by legal scholars, judges, practicing attorneys, and advanced law students. Law reviews serve as a primary forum for legal scholarship and are edited and managed by law students.
• 2. The Student Editorial Board: The group of law students at a particular law school who are responsible for editing, fact-checking, and publishing the scholarly journal. Membership on a law review is generally considered a significant academic achievement for law students.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of "law review":

• Example 1 (Referring to the journal): A corporate attorney, preparing for a complex merger negotiation, spent hours researching articles in the Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal to understand the latest antitrust interpretations and their potential impact on the deal.

  Explanation: This example illustrates "law review" as a scholarly publication that legal professionals consult for in-depth analysis and current legal thought.

• Example 2 (Referring to the student board): After achieving top grades in her first year of law school, Sarah was thrilled to receive an invitation to join the editorial board of her university's flagship Law Review, recognizing it as a prestigious opportunity to hone her legal research and writing skills.

  Explanation: Here, "Law Review" refers to the student organization responsible for producing the journal, highlighting the academic achievement and experience associated with membership.

• Example 3 (Referring to the journal's influence): During oral arguments before the Supreme Court, a lawyer cited a recent article from the Stanford Law Review to support their interpretation of a constitutional clause, demonstrating the persuasive power of academic legal scholarship.

  Explanation: This example shows a law review as a respected source of legal analysis whose articles can influence legal arguments at the highest levels of the judiciary.