Start With a Writing Guide
When searching for a topic, start with one of the books listed under the Writing Guides tab, especially Volokh's Academic Legal Writing. Writing guides provide detailed information on how to identify and tailor topics so that they are interesting, relevant, broad enough to provide enough material to write about, and narrow enough to be manageable.
Sources of Inspiration for Topics
Many news sources and scholarly publications can provide inspiration for fresh, relevant legal topics:
- Legal Scholarship Blog: Calls for PapersA compilation of calls for papers from law reviews and conferences. A great source of inspiration, especially if you hope to publish your paper.
- United States Law Week Circuit Split ChartsU.S. Law Week is a popular legal newspaper that is part of the BNA Law Reports family of newsletters. Its circuit split charts identifies cases where different federal circuits have ruled differently on the same issue. Circuit splits are popular topics for law review articles.
- Seton Hall Circuit Law ReviewJournal analyzing circuit splits and other major developments in the law of the circuit courts.
- American Law Reports (ALR)ALR compares the law of different states and federal circuits on highly specific topics. ALR articles provide both topic inspiration and extensive citations to cases to start your research.
- Law Library of Congress- Current Legal TopicsReports prepared by the Library of Congress at the request of members of Congress. Great inspiration for current, compelling topics.
- The Journal of Things We Like (Lots)Law professors discuss recent law review articles they liked (lots.) Great for both inspiration and getting a sense of what makes a good paper topic.
- How AppealingBlog covering cases currently on appeal. Like issues that have resulted in circuit splits, issues that are on appeal are popular topics for law review articles.
Other popular newsletters and blogs to check for inspiration include:
More Strategies for Finding a Topic
In addition to checking news sources, consider these strategies:
- Talk to a professor in the area of law that interests you. Because professors write articles of their own on a regular basis, they are the most likely to have ideas for topics that are interesting, relevant, and appropriate for an article-length work. A professor with expertise in the area of law you are writing about may be able to tell you instantly that your topic needs to be broadened to find enough material or narrowed to be manageable.
- Talk to attorneys where you work.
- Flip through your casebooks. Are there any cases or discussion questions that interest you?
- Think back to legal problems you have encountered at legal jobs, non-legal jobs, or even in your personal life. Are there any you would like to write about?
For even more advice on locating topics, see: