National Law University, Jodhpur announces the NLUJ Law Review call for submissions for Volume 5, Issue 1, inviting unpublished manuscripts across long articles, short articles, case comments, and legislative notes from legal academics, practitioners, judges, and law students in India and abroad.
About the NLUJ Law Review
The NLUJ Law Review is the flagship academic journal of National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ), established with the primary objective of promoting rigorous academic research and promoting debate on contemporary legal issues. Published bi-annually, the journal operates as a double-blind, student-reviewed, and student-edited publication. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches to legal scholarship, bridging doctrinal theory with public policy, economics, sociology, and global governance.
The remit of the National Law University Jodhpur journal is broad and inclusive. Submissions are not confined to any single branch of law, welcoming scholarly analysis on constitutional law, administrative law, criminal jurisprudence, corporate regulation, intellectual property rights, environmental law, human rights, and international dispute resolution. The editorial board seeks manuscripts that provide innovative perspectives, analytical depth, and clear public interest value.
Categories of Submissions and Word Limits
Authors interested in submitting manuscripts under this official NLUJ Law Review submission document must strictly observe the following category classifications and word limits:
- Long Articles (6,500 to 8,500 words, including footnotes): Manuscripts in this category must provide a thorough, systematic, and in-depth doctrinal or empirical analysis of a legal issue, policy development, or theoretical framework. Long articles must outline existing literature, identify structural gaps, and propose concrete solutions or normative conclusions.
- Short Articles (3,500 to 5,000 words, including footnotes): Short articles should present a focused inquiry into a specific contemporary legal development, recent statutory reform, or emerging jurisprudential debate. They require analytical clarity without exhaustive doctrinal surveys.
- Case Comments (1,500 to 3,000 words, including footnotes): Case comments must deliver a critical analysis of a significant judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of India, a High Court, or an international judicial body. Authors must examine the legal reasoning, historical context, and long-term implications of the decision.
- Legislative Notes (1,500 to 3,000 words, including footnotes): Legislative notes should scrutinize recent legislative enactments, pending bills, executive ordinances, or regulatory notifications, analyzing their constitutional validity, policy coherence, and practical enforceability.
Editorial Formatting and Style Guidelines
To ensure consistency across published issues, all submissions must comply with the established law review manuscript submission guidelines outlined below:
- Document Format: Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). Files submitted in PDF or other formats will not be considered for review.
- Main Body Typography: The text of the manuscript must be in Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing, and justified alignment. Page margins must be set to one inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
- Footnote Typography: Citations must appear as footnotes in Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing, and justified alignment. Endnotes and inline citations are strictly prohibited.
- Citation Methodology: All citations must strictly adhere to the standards prescribed in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th edition). Non-compliance with Bluebook citation rules may result in desk rejection.
- Anonymity and Blinding: To facilitate the double-blind review process, the body of the manuscript must not contain the author's name, institutional affiliation, acknowledgments, or any other identifying information. Identifying details must be submitted in a separate cover page.
Authorship Rules, Originality, and Plagiarism Policy
The NLUJ Law Review permits co-authorship for up to a maximum of two authors across all submission categories. Collaborative submissions between legal academics, practitioners, and students are welcomed.
All submissions must represent original, unpublished work. Manuscripts that have been published, accepted for publication, or are currently under consideration by any other journal, book, or online repository will not be accepted. The journal maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against plagiarism. Every manuscript undergoes automated plagiarism detection and manual editorial scrutiny. Any submission found to contain unattributed text, unverified data, or paraphrased work without proper citation will be immediately disqualified.
Interdisciplinary Scope and Academic Research Value
The editorial board strongly encourages manuscripts that intersect traditional legal doctrine with other academic disciplines. Articles that explore the interaction between statutory frameworks and economic principles, sociological realities, technological disruption, or ethical philosophy are given particular consideration.
Authors examining foundational legal scholarship and curriculum notes can draw upon established theoretical principles to address contemporary problems. Similarly, scholars investigating emerging legal fields like information security and cyber regulation will find a welcoming forum for rigorous peer-reviewed legal academic writing publication.
Editorial Review Stages and Publication Workflow
Manuscripts submitted to the NLUJ Law Review progress through a structured multi-stage evaluation process designed to maintain high academic standards:
- Preliminary Editorial Screening: The Senior Editorial Board conducts an initial desk review to verify adherence to word counts, citation rules, and thematic relevance.
- Double-Blind Peer Review: Blinded manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to external academic referees and student editors for in-depth substantive review.
- Author Revisions and Edits: Authors receive constructive feedback and suggestions for revisions where necessary to meet publication benchmarks.
- Final Copyediting and Proofreading: Selected papers undergo technical formatting and citation verification prior to final volume compilation.
Submission Timeline, Deadlines, and Contact Details
Submissions for Volume 5, Issue 1 must be sent by email to the editorial board at lawreviewnluj@gmail.com with the subject line formatted as 'Submission: NLUJ Law Review Volume 5 Issue 1 - [Title of Manuscript]'.
- Submission Deadline: September 9, 2017, by 11:59 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST).
- Cover Letter Requirements: The email must include a separate cover letter stating the title of the manuscript, category of submission, word count (separately indicating text and footnotes), full names of author(s), professional designation or year of study, institutional affiliation, postal address, email address, and contact telephone number.
- Review Notification: Authors will receive an acknowledgment email upon receipt of the manuscript. Decisions on peer review outcomes, including revisions and final selections, will be communicated following editorial evaluation.
For general inquiries or clarifications regarding the submission process, authors may contact the Board of Editors via email.