Law reviews, also called law journals, are scholarly journals usually published by law schools. Law reviews can provide a good overview of a legal topic. They often cite the leading cases and statutes for the topic and comment on the legal issues involved. They are valuable for the depth in which they analyze and critique legal topics, as well as their extensive references to other sources. Some law reviews are dedicated to a particular topic, such as gender and the law or environmental law, and will include in their contents the proceedings of a wide range of panels and symposia on timely legal issues.
Law reviews publish two types of articles:
- Lengthy, comprehensive treatments of legal topics ("articles), generally written by professors, lawyers, and judges.
- Shorter essays ("notes" and "comments") written by students. They are valuable for the depth in which they analyze and critique legal topics, as well as their extensive references to other sources.
Law review articles offer critical commentary, expressing the thinking of legal specialists and experts about problems with current laws and potential solutions to those problems, as well as their thinking on new or emerging areas of law. Law review articles have been influential in the development of the law, and frequently cited as persuasive authority by courts in the United States.
