This comprehensive survey of 134 law school faculty from 80 law schools across the United States summarizes their opinions about their law school’s law review. Survey respondents give their opinion on the quality of the law review, its operating procedures, and current and future practices.
Just a few of the Key Findings from this 95 page report are that:
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Faculty Oversight: A significant portion of faculty (61.19%) feel that the current level of oversight is "about right." However, 8.21% believe faculty are too assertive, while 6.72% think oversight is insufficient.
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Satisfaction with Law Review Quality: Opinions on the quality of law reviews are mixed. While 11.19% of faculty are "very satisfied" and 38.06% are "satisfied," a notable 32.84% remain neutral, and 11.94% express dissatisfaction.
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Diversity Considerations: The faculty is divided on whether ethnic, racial, or gender balance should be a factor in selecting law review editors. 31.34% believe it should be considered, while 55.22% oppose it.
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Faculty Participation: Participation in law reviews is generally low, with only 8.21% of faculty having served as an editor, 17.16% as a peer reviewer, 22.39% as a contributor, and 25.37% as a faculty advisor.
The survey also gathered open-ended responses, highlighting common concerns and suggestions for improving law reviews.
This survey provides a crucial snapshot of faculty perspectives on law reviews and offers a roadmap for enhancing their quality and management practices. The findings underscore the importance of balancing student involvement with faculty oversight to ensure the continued success and relevance of law reviews in legal education.