University of Louisville Law Review

Editor: Amy Dorsch

About the University of Louisville Law Review:

Founded in 1961, the University of Louisville Law Review is the principal publication of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Formerly known as the Journal of Family Law and later as the Brandeis Law Journal, the University of Louisville Law Review is a scholarly publication devoted to developing the law, evaluating legal institutions and analyzing issues of law and public policy. The Law Review features student notes and articles written by nationally and globally recognized experts. The Editorial Board and Staff of the Law Review publish three issues per year and have editorial control over its content. In its March 2013 comprehensive survey of law journals, Washington and Lee University ranked the University of Louisville Law Review among the top one-third of journals nationally. The Law Review ranks among the top quarter of journals in terms of the number of citations to the journal's published content. As of 2012, materials published in the Law Review since 2005 have been cited 520 times in journal articles and cases. Candidates for staff membership on the Law Review are selected during the spring semester of their first or second year of law school. The selection process is chosen by the incoming editorial board and typically consists of an evaluation based on a review of the candidate’s analysis of a legal topic and cumulative GPA. After evaluation of each candidate, the editors extend invitations of first-year membership to meritorious applicants. During the first year, members submit a student note for potential publication in the following year's volume. The first-year members also assist in publishing the Law Review by performing tasks such as proofreading and cite checking. When first-year members have completed the requirements, they are accorded second-year membership and the opportunity to be considered for editorial positions. Some of the benefits of Law Review membership are receipt of academic credit, earned as follows: two credit hours upon completion of first-year membership requirements, one credit hour for publication, one credit hour for second-year membership absent a Board position, and one, three, or four credit hours for Editorial Board membership depending on the Board position for a total of seven potential credits. The completion of a publishable student note may fulfill the upper division writing requirement. The most beneficial aspects of Law Review membership are the writing experiences the members receive during their service and the recognition they receive in the legal community. Law Review membership is an academic honor for which students are encouraged to strive.