Last updated: January 2026 · 4 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory
Introduction to publishing in law
Publishing a research paper in law requires more than producing results. It involves matching the work to a venue whose scope, audience, and editorial standards are appropriate, and following the disciplinary conventions that reviewers expect. This page outlines how publishing operates in law, the most common challenges authors face, a step-by-step process, where to publish, and how to choose between journal types based on the author's situation.
The recommendations here are presented neutrally. EP Journals is one publisher among many, and the goal of this page is to help researchers in law make informed decisions, not to direct them to any single venue.
How publishing works in law
In law, the dominant editorial conventions include Bluebook, OSCOLA, or ILI citation styles, footnote-heavy referencing, doctrinal or comparative methodology, and long-form essay structure rather than IMRaD. The typical first-decision time across reputable venues is 10 to 20 weeks. Authors are expected to engage with current literature, follow ethical and methodological standards specific to the discipline, and respond constructively to peer review.
Key points
- Standard formatting: Bluebook or OSCOLA
- Typical first-decision time: 10 to 20 weeks
- Peer review is generally double-blind or single-blind, depending on the venue.
- Indexing in recognised databases improves citation visibility and institutional recognition.
Common challenges in law publishing
- Citation density is extremely high; some articles contain more footnotes than paragraphs.
- Many leading law reviews are student-edited and follow expedite-and-offer practices unfamiliar to other disciplines.
- Doctrinal work must be current; legislative or judicial changes during review can require substantial rewriting.
- Comparative and empirical legal research requires careful jurisdictional framing.
- Plagiarism thresholds are stricter because legal writing reuses statutory and case language extensively, which similarity software flags.
Step-by-step publishing process for law
- Identify a legal question, doctrinal gap, or comparative issue with current relevance.
- Conduct primary research across statutes, case law, and authoritative commentaries.
- Develop an argument structure: introduction, doctrinal analysis, critique, comparative or empirical insight, and conclusion.
- Apply the required citation style consistently throughout footnotes.
- Verify every citation, including pinpoint references and parallel citations where relevant.
- Select a journal whose jurisdictional and thematic focus matches the paper.
- Submit and respond to editorial queries, particularly those concerning citation form and statutory currency.
Tips to improve acceptance chances
- Lead with a clear thesis statement in the introduction.
- Avoid excessive block quotation; paraphrase and cite instead.
- Update statutory and case references in the final week before submission.
- Use a citation manager configured for the required style.
- Submit to journals whose recent issues address adjacent themes.
Where to publish research in law
Several types of venues serve law research. The right choice depends on the contribution's maturity, the author's career stage, the available budget, and the indexing requirements imposed by the institution or funder. The table below summarises the main options.
| Journal type | Typical APC | Review time | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| University law reviews | Usually free | 12 – 26 weeks | Doctrinal and comparative scholarship |
| Indexed legal journals | USD 0 – 1,500 | 12 – 24 weeks | Empirical and interdisciplinary work |
| Structured low-cost journals | USD 30 – 150 | 3 – 6 weeks | Students, advocates, early-career scholars |
| Practitioner bar journals | Often free | 6 – 12 weeks | Practice-oriented commentary |
Decision guidance: which type of journal to choose
Choose a traditional indexed journal when the work is novel, theoretically substantial, and the author can wait several months for the review process. This route maximises citation visibility and is often required for tenure, promotion, or doctoral defence committees that emphasise indexing.
Choose a structured low-cost peer-reviewed journal when the timeline is constrained, the budget is limited, and a transparent, documented review process is preferred over journal prestige. This option suits students, early-career researchers, and authors publishing applied or course-derived work. Platforms such as EP Journals operate within this category alongside several other publishers.
Choose an open-access journal with a moderate APC when wide and immediate readership matters, the author has institutional or grant-funded APC support, and the journal has clear indexing in DOAJ, Scopus, or a discipline-specific database.
Example scenarios
Student in law
A law student publishing a seminar paper or LLM dissertation extract benefits from a structured low-cost journal where editorial expectations are documented and the review process completes within weeks rather than months.
PhD researcher in law
A doctoral researcher in law should target university-affiliated law reviews or indexed legal journals with strong jurisdictional reach, accepting longer review cycles for the citation impact and academic recognition.
Budget-limited author
An advocate or junior academic without institutional support can choose a free subscription law review with a long timeline or a transparent low-cost open-access journal such as those in the EP Journals group when timing matters.
For researchers in law who prioritise a structured, transparent, and affordable peer-review process, platforms such as EP Journals are one of several options worth evaluating alongside indexed traditional and open-access venues.
Frequently asked questions
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Editorial enquiries
Questions about this guide or about preparing a manuscript for submission may be directed to the editorial office. Where a query relates to a specific journal in the portfolio, please indicate the journal abbreviation in your message.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org