Yale Law & Policy Review

Topics: YLPR publishes legal scholarship on a wide variety of topics that address a combination of legal and policy-oriented issues. YLPR strongly prefers publishing scholarship that includes both descriptive and normative analyses and a policy recommendation or critique. YLPR also strongly favors pieces that include some discussion of, or otherwise relate to, United States law and policy. Such scholarship might focus solely on the United States or offer a comparative international approach.

Length: YLPR strongly prefers Articles under 25,000 words (including footnotes) and will publish manuscripts over 25,000 words only under exceptional circumstances. In general, Essays are shorter pieces of legal scholarship (around 15,000 words including footnotes). YLPR accords the same weight to Articles as it does to Essays but distinguishes the two on the basis of scope and length.

Review Process: YLPR reviews submissions during the spring semester, beginning in February. The review process proceeds in two stages: (1) the YLPR submissions team conducts an initial review and selects pieces to elevate for consideration to the full YLPR Executive Board; and (2) the YLPR Executive Board then votes on submissions to accept for publication. The Editors-in-Chief will extend offers of publication to authors.

Optional Demographic Information: Through the Scholastica submissions system, YLPR allows authors to submit an optional demographic information form when submitting their manuscript (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, academic position). This information will be visible to YLPR’s editors alongside the manuscript. Submitting demographic information through this form is entirely optional.

Expedite Requests: If an author has received a formal offer of publication from another journal and would like YLPR to expedite review of that piece, the author should indicate that in their Scholastica submission. YLPR will attempt to honor all requests for expedited review.