HOW TO SUBMIT

 

 

Topic and Theme:

 

The Midwest Law Journal is an open topic publication. We will consider and publish pieces written on any area of law. The National theme this year is "40 Years of Inseverable History", which embraces 2008 as the 40th anniversary of NBLSA. The Midwest Region's motto this year is "Embracing the Past to Ensure the Future." 

 

Types of pieces accepted:

 

We will review and publish student notes and comments, as well as articles and essays written by professionals. For more detailed information, please click on the appropriate link located under "Submission Criteria" to your left.

 

We accept submissions from students and professionals nation-wide,  with the exception of those from the states that are within the Southern Region of NBLSA.*

 

The Midwest Journal requests that contributors comply with the following guidelines:

 

1.  Electronic Submission:

We strongly encourage contributors to submit their manuscripts through our electronic submission system,  preferably in Microsoft Word format.  If you encounter difficulty using the electronic submissions system or you would like to submit a hard copy, please contact us at submit@midwestBLSAlawjournal.org for alternative electronic and mailing information.

 

2. Anonymous Review:

To facilitate our anonymous review process, please confine your name, affiliation, biographical information, and acknowledgments to a separate cover page. Please include the manuscript's title on the Cover page and the first text page of the manuscript.

 

3. Citation Format:

Please use footnotes rather than endnotes. Footnotes should conform to the 18th edition of The Bluebook. 

 

4. Length Limitations:

  1. Professionals:  We encourage submissions between 10,000 and 15,000 words, excluding footnotes. We will give preference to Articles that are under 25,000 words - the equivalent of 50 Journal pages.
  2. Students: We are seeking Notes that are 15,000 words or less, excluding footnotes; there is no minimum length for Notes.  Comments must be no longer than 3,500 words, excluding footnotes.

 

5. Deadlines:

The Journal will next publish in early 2009. To be considered, pieces must be submitted no later than December 15th, 2008. We HIGHLY encourage EARLY submissions to facilitate our review process!

 

 

The Review Process: 

 

The Midwest Journal staff carefully considers all manuscripts that it receives. We review pieces anonymously, without regard to the author's name, affiliation, prior publications, or pending publication offers. Our selection process has many steps: at least two editors review every submission, and many pieces go through substantially more stages of review.

 

We will notify authors of the decision by email. We hope to respond within two to three weeks of submission and will then give your further information regarding publishing dates. As a matter of policy, we do not discuss the reasons for our publication decisions.

 

Thank you and we look forward to reviewing your submission




*The Southern Region includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Please contact www.srblsalawjournal.org for more information regarding the third volume of the Southern Region's Law Journal.

Qualifications:

I.        What is a Note and Comment?

a.      Notes and Comments are written by law students and typically shorter than Article submissions. A Note is an analysis of the holding or issue in a specific court case, while a Comment is focused on either legislation or on a more general legal theory or principle.

 

II.      Basic Formatting:

a.      Length:

 i.      Word Limit: 5,000 to 10,000 words, excluding endnotes OR

ii.      Page Limit: 20-25 pages, excluding endnotes

b.      Endnotes in 9 point font, formatted with the 18th ed. of the Bluebook. No footnotes allowed.

c.       Double spaced with 1" margins on all sides

d.      12 point font, Courier New style for text, page numbers, and endnotes

e.       Page numbers must be centered on the bottom margin and in 9 point font.

f.        Include a title page with the title of your work and a brief biography of the author no more than 100 words in length.

 Qualifications:

I.        What is an Article?

a.      Articles are written by law professors, judges and legal practitioners. They serve an important purpose in that they express the ideas of legal experts with regard to the direction the law should take in certain areas. Such writings have proven influential in the development of the law and have frequently been cited as persuasive authority by the United States Supreme Court and other courts throughout the United States.

 

II.      Basic Formatting:

a.      Length:

i.       Word Limit: No less than 10,000 words, excluding endnotes OR

ii.       Page Limit: At least 25 pages, excluding endnotes

b.      Endnotes in 9 point font formatted with the 18th ed. of the Bluebook. No footnotes are allowed.

c.       Double-spaced with 1" margins on all sides

d.      12 point font, Courier New style for text, page numbers, and endnotes.

e.       Page numbers must be centered on the bottom margin and in 9 point font.

f.        Include a title page with the title of your work and a brief biography of the author, no more than 200 words in length (provide a picture, if possible).