The N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change publishes legal scholarship from law students and recently graduated law students on the page-to-practice model, scholarship that seeks to eliminate inequalities, correct injustices, or otherwise considers the relationship between the law and individuals’ lived experiences. Page-to-practice work does not have to advance discrete recommendations for practitioners; the term is meant to encompass novel theoretical approaches to intractable legal problems, concrete policy suggestions, and advice to litigators and direct-service providers. This is an expansive term that may mean something different to each scholar, and we recommend reading our past pieces to gather an idea of what page-to-practice could look like for your piece. Finally, RLSC looks for radical articles that challenge our current systems rather than advocate for reform. 

Please note: we only publish legal scholarship. We do not publish research surveys, book reviews, or purely historical articles.

Eligibility

We seek pieces from current or law students who have graduated within one year of their submission date.

Length

Submissions should be between 4,500 and 7,500 words, inclusive of footnotes. Work shorter than this is better suited to The Harbinger, our online publication (see below).

Submission Windows

We accept submissions during two windows each cycle, with the following deadlines:

• Fall window — deadline September 15, 2026
• Winter window — deadline January 15, 2027

We do not accept or review submissions outside of these two windows. Manuscripts received between windows will not be considered until the next cycle; please hold your submission until the next window opens. 

How to Submit

Submit your manuscript through this form. Please note: we do not accept submissions for the student publication process via Scholastica. 

Please also include a cover letter containing:

• A preemption statement, no more than a page single-spaced, identifying the existing scholarship on your topic and explaining what your piece contributes that is novel, and why you believe it would be a good fit for the Review of Law and Social Change.
• A ½-page abstract stating your thesis and a brief summary.

Formatting and Citation

Manuscripts should be submitted as a double-spaced Word document. Citations must be inserted in footnotes and conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (current edition). 

Anonymization Requirement

To help us ensure a fair process, please remove all personal identifiers, including your name and law school, in your manuscript and accompanying submission materials. 

However, if you are a current or former member of RLSC, please “check” the appropriate box indicating this. This information will be verified prior to formally accepting any manuscript.

What We Look For

In selecting scholarship, we value:

• Fit with the page-to-practice model — work that connects legal argument to inequality, injustice, or lived experience, and that shows why the argument matters beyond the page.
• A compelling, original argument about law and social issues, with a thesis that can be stated clearly and up front.
• Novelty relative to existing scholarship, demonstrated through a genuine preemption check.
• A framework that challenges current systems rather than advocates for their reform.
• Rigorous legal analysis grounded in primary authority that engages the strongest counterarguments.
• Clarity and accessibility: clean organization, readable prose, and language that reaches practitioners and affected communities, not only academics.
• Timeliness and relevance to current legal and social developments.
• Diverse and critical voices, including a range of author backgrounds.

If Your Piece Doesn’t Fit These Guidelines

If your submission does not meet the guidelines above; for example, if it is shorter than roughly 25 pages, or if it is commentary, an interview, a narrative, or another shorter form rather than full-length scholarship, we encourage you to consider The Harbinger, our online publication.

The Harbinger is dedicated to timely, approachable, high-quality content on law and social issues, and brings diverse and critical voices to the fore through swift online publication. Its criteria are less rigid than those of the print Review. In choosing what to publish online, The Harbinger values accessible language and clarity of organization, an engaging approach to an important issue, relevance to current events, diversity in author background, and a compelling and original argument about law and social issues. Harbinger submissions should run between 500 and 6,000 words, and, wherever possible, authors should include a link to a stable online version of cited materials in accordance with Rule 18.2 of The Bluebook.

If your work meets The Harbinger’s guidelines, we welcome your submission there.