The Virginia Law Review Online is currently accepting submissions for its Fall evaluation. We look forward to reviewing your pieces.
Eligibility Requirements: The Virginia Law Review Online accepts submissions from:
- Professors or practitioners
- Current J.D. candidates at the University of Virginia School of Law and graduates within twelve months of earning their J.D. from the University of Virginia
Professor & Practitioner Submission Guidelines
Submission Details: Submissions must be emailed to valawrev.online@gmail.com in .docx format.
Publication Timeline: Submissions selected for publication will undergo an expedited editing process. Assuming author compliance with the editing schedule, VLR Online guarantees a quick turnaround between acceptance and publication.
Length: Pieces published in VLR Online are lightly footnoted and generally between 6,000 to 9,000 words in length. VLR Online does not have a maximum word limit. However, pieces longer than 10,000 words will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Font and Style: Please use double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font for the body of your submission. Please use single-spaced footnotes rather than endnotes for citations and references. Please use Bluebook style for your footnotes, rather than any other style guide.
Expedited Review Process: Expedite requests should be sent to valawrev.online@gmail.com. An expedite request should include: the author’s name, e-mail address, and daytime telephone number; the date by which an answer is required; and the name of the journal that has offered publication. Although we make every effort to review expedited material, we cannot guarantee a reply given the high volume and rapid turnover of submissions.
Student Submission Guidelines
Submission Details: Submissions must be emailed to valawrev.online@gmail.com in .docx format.
Length: Pieces published in VLR Online are lightly footnoted and generally between 6,000 to 9,000 words in length. VLR Online does not have a maximum word limit. However, pieces longer than 10,000 words will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Font and Style: Please use double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font for the body of your submission. Please use single-spaced footnotes rather than endnotes for citations and references. Please use Bluebook style for your footnotes, rather than any other style guide.
Cover Page: The document must include a cover page with the title of the piece, an abstract of 250 words or less, a table of contents, and a word count for the piece, both with and without footnotes.
Removing Identifying Information: Any identifying information must be removed from the body of the document as well as the personal information embedded in the digital file by following the instructions below. This includes removing identifying information typically included at the beginning of a Note in a * footnote, such as class information, Online Advisors, or professors that assisted in the drafting and editing of the piece. Correctly following all instructions will maintain each author’s anonymity.
Confidential Form: All submissions must include a separate document with the following information, which is to be emailed to valawrev.online@gmail.com in .pdf format. The PDF should be titled “[Piece Title].Confidential”. This separate document should be a single page and include:
- Your name, phone number, e-mail address, and mailing address
- The title of your submission
- A signed statement (an electronic signature will be accepted) that your piece was substantially written during law school
- The name(s) of any professor(s) with whom you worked when writing your piece
Publication: Students whose pieces are accepted for publication before March 1 of their final year of law school will be extended invitations to join the Virginia Law Review. To be considered, the deadline for submission of such pieces is February 20, 2026, at 11:59pm.
Student Advising: The Law Review offers advising to all students who are interested in submitting an online piece for publication, whether or not those students are current members of the Law Review. Student advisors are available to answer questions about the submission process and meet with students at any stage of the writing process (selecting a topic, reviewing an existing draft, etc.). However, pursuant to the University of Virginia’s Honor Code, we are unable to give substantive advice on any paper that will be submitted for a grade until the student has turned it in to his or her professor. Students interested in receiving advising may fill out this form and will be contacted promptly by an advisor. For further information and guidance for students, please refer to the Student Scholarship Manual here.
Please contact the Online Development Editor, Madhavi Subramaniam (rfe7hv@virginia.edu), with any questions.