Scholastica is an article submission service that allows authors to submit articles to law reviews and journals. Scholastica is used by many law reviews to manage their article submission process.
How can students submit articles to Scholastica?
Students interested in using Scholastica to submit their articles should keep the following in mind:
Students must create their own Scholastica account. It is free to sign up and create an account. See author guide for a step-by step on how to create an account and how to submit a manuscript. There is a fee for submitting an article. Each journal that uses Scholastica for their peer review management, determines the cost to submit to their journal. It is best to check the websites of the journals to see if there is a system for submission other than Scholastica. Some journals allow free submissions directly via email. For a more detailed look at the submission process, including how to determine if there's a fee to submit, consult this document.
Before using Scholastica for submitting a student-written piece, check with the journal to make sure they accept student articles prior to spending money on submitting. Many journals do not accept articles from students other than their own law review.
Be aware of spring and fall submission cycles.
Look for symposia and similar opportunities as there may be journals interested in filling an issue with articles on a particular topic and may therefore be willing to accept an article from a student.
Consider specialty journals if you want to reach a specialized audience. For example, is the article about California law? Then only submit to California journals. Are other states considering following California law? Submit to journals in those states. Is the article relevant to a particular industry? Submit to journals likely to have an interest in that industry.
Always anonymize if the journal requires it. Scholastica has a function to help with this, but check by hand to be sure.
Consult the Scholastica blog for helpful information about submitting cover letters, CVs, abstracts and expediting.
Use Washington & Lee's law journal ranking to help locate journals and get an idea of how well-cited they are, but be realistic about placement. Don't waste your money on top ranked journals.
Expect a ton of rejections. You only need one offer to get published!