Submissions

The University of Illinois Law Review Online (ILR Online) is currently accepting submissions. See instructions below for how to submit.

University of Illinois Law Review is currently closed to submissions.

The submission process for the University of Illinois Law Review will reopen in 2023. The Law Review strongly encourages authors to submit manuscripts electronically via Scholastica. Alternatively, authors may submit manuscripts by mailing their work to:

Articles Editors
University of Illinois Law Review
University of Illinois College of Law
244H Law Building
504 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820-6996

Please indicate whether your submission is an article, book review, or essay. The Board of Editors encourages authors to include a cover letter and curriculum vitae with their manuscript. Manuscripts should conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) and to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st edition).

Student Notes

Students wishing to Note-On to the Law Review must submit their note to Jen Duffy (jmsuits@illinois.edu). The Law Review will announce the annual deadline for Note-On submissions during the spring semester of each year. Submissions must conform to the following guidelines:

  • Two copies must be submitted:
    • One copy with endnotes (double-spaced text, triple-spaced endnotes)
    • One copy with footnotes (single-space text, single-space footnotes)
  • At least 40 pages of text, double spaced
  • At least 35 pages of endnotes, triple spaced
  • Working title of note on page one
  • Page numbers centered on every page
  • Citations comply with the 21st edition of Blue Book
  • 1.5-inch margins on every page
  • 12 point, Times New Roman font (including page numbers)
  • All quotes of 50+ words are single-spaced and indented in compliance with R. 5.1(a)
  • Any charts, tables, or graphs are labeled for placement in the text and included in a separate document
  • Note cannot be written for another journal
  • Note cannot be previously published

Submissions to ILR Online

The University of Illinois Law Review Online (ILR Online) publishes shorter, more timely scholarly pieces accessible for a broader audience than our print publication. We strive to publish relevant, topical, and thought-provoking short essays, commentaries, responses to articles, and book reviews. ILR Online prefers to publish pieces between 2,000 and 5,000 words. We will accept pieces containing up to 7,000 words (including citations), and, in special circumstances, we may accept pieces containing more than 7,000 words. 

How to submit

ILR Online accepts submissions on a rolling basis throughout the year. Authors may submit their pieces via email at: law-reviewonline@illinois.edu. Please direct any questions regarding the submission process or ILR Online to the above email addressed to: Carly Ross, Managing Internet & Symposium Editor.

Online Symposium Submissions

ILR Online also accepts online symposia submissions. These are comparable to law review print symposia. We prefer submissions of 3,000 words or less for each symposium article. To submit a proposal please email law-reviewonline@illinois.edu.

Light Edit Policy

The Law Review follows a light edit policy. After an article is accepted, we discuss the scope of editorial input that the author desires. Even if an author does not request a light edit, our editors presume that the author carefully chose his or her diction and syntax. Accordingly, we make stylistic changes only when such changes are strictly necessary to enhance clarity, grace, or uniformity consistent with our style guidelines. This policy reflects our belief that legal scholarship should express its author’s voice, not ours.

Citation and Style Guidelines

The Law Review edits consistent with Bryan Garner’s Modern English Usage (2016), The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition), and The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th edition).

For more information on the Law Review’s editing style, please email law-review@illinois.edu.