SUBMISSIONS & EDITORIAL
Through our two flagship publications, we create space for a wide range of voices and experiences. The Annual Journal of the Canadian Law Review is our peer-reviewed academic publication, showcasing rigorous legal research and analysis from emerging scholars across the country. The Canadian Law Review Quarterly is our seasonal publication that breaks down legal concepts, spotlights pressing Canadian legal issues, and amplifies author perspectives on emerging legal topics.
Submission Process
Across both of our journals, the Canadian Law Review hosts two publishing pathways: The Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Program and as an External Research Publisher (ERP).
Junior Research Fellowship (JRF)
CLR's virtual fellowship program offers students a unique opportunity to learn to receive hands-on support from law school editors and lawyers. The publishing process provides up-and-coming legal advocates the opportunity to research and publish compositions that facilitate conversations about gaps, criticisms and solutions within jurisprudence and the practice of law in Canada. The Canadian Law Review is keenly interested in closing the gap within legal discourse which is often exclusive to legal scholars. For this reason, it is our mandate that we promote legal innovation and discourse by elevating youth voices through our programs and initiatives. The Review brings together various generations of legal advocates and experts with young legal minds to share perspectives, while also mentoring those who will be the future leaders in the legal sphere. Harmoniously with our mission to empower youth in their contributions to legal discussions, the Review operates virtually which permits nationwide dialogue about legal issues, no matter the jurisdiction.
The Junior Research Fellow is a coveted, competitive position with an acceptance rate of less than 5%. This renowned position offers selected writers the opportunity to be paired with editors (J.D. students) in writing a publication on a legal topic of interest. The Editors will guide them in the composition and submission of the article or essay for peer-review and publication.
External Research Publishers (ERP)
External Research Publishers are authors who are seeking to contribute previously unpublished, independently authored work to the Canadian Law Review through an expedited, non-mentorship publication track. Unlike Junior Research Fellows, External Research Publishers are not seeking editorial development or guidance. They submit polished, ready-for-review manuscripts and engage with CLR's publishing review board through the peer-review and cite-check process. This track is designed for upper-year law students, recent legal graduates, and legal and policy researchers who want to publish in either of the Canadian Law Review journals.
Editorial Process
Both journals offer editorial opportunities for Senior Editors and Associate Editors.
Senior Editors
Senior Editors at the Canadian Law Review take on a substantive editorial role, working directly with authors to strengthen the analytical depth, structure, and argumentation of submissions. This includes conducting thorough substantive reviews of articles and case comments, assessing the strength of legal arguments, identifying gaps in reasoning or research, and providing authors with constructive, detailed feedback to elevate their work before publication.
In addition to editorial review, Senior Editors assist with legal research to verify claims and strengthen citations, and often mentor and support Junior Editors through the copy editing and citation-checking process. They also work closely with the Editor-in-Chief on broader editorial decisions, including selecting submissions, setting priorities for each issue, and upholding the Review's overall editorial standards. This role suits students with strong legal research and writing skills who are ready to take on greater editorial responsibility and leadership within the journal.
Associate Editors
Associate Editors at the Canadian Law Review are responsible for the detailed, first-line editing that keeps every published piece accurate and consistent. This means close copy editing of submissions for grammar, clarity, and structure, along with rigorous citation checking against the McGill Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (the "McGill Guide"). Associate Editors verify pincites, confirm sources are cited correctly, and flag any substantive gaps for further review, all while meeting tight publication deadlines.
Beyond the technical editing work, Associate Editors are expected to develop a strong command of legal writing conventions and the Review's house style over time. They work closely with Senior Editors and authors to resolve formatting and citation issues, and their attention to detail directly protects the credibility of the journal. This role is well-suited to students looking to build foundational skills in legal editing and citation practice, with opportunities to take on more substantive editorial responsibilities as they grow into the position.
Advisory Process
Canadian Law Review is proudly peer-reviewed by scholars in the field. In our Annual Publication all papers undergo a second stage of review from our Advisors and our Publishing Review Board. In our Quarterly Publication, papers undergo a second stage of review from our Publishing Review Board, and select papers are paired with Advisors for additional review.
The CLR Peer Review Process
Following months of the editorial process, completed papers undergo an initial desk assessment. The Editor-in-Chief checks if the paper fits the journal's scope, meets basic formatting guidelines, and has acceptable quality. Many papers face a "desk rejection" at this stage.
Following this, papers undergo the peer review process. If the paper passes the initial screening, the editor invites independent experts in the subject area to review the work. This is the work of our expert legal advisors, who are all practitioners and scholars in their respective fields. Limited scope papers in our Quarterly Journal are peer-reviewed by senior editors and members of the Publishing Review Board. Larger Scope papers in our Quarterly Journal are paired with Advisors and undergo the higher standard of peer-review of our Annual Publication. The process for papers submitted to the Quarterly Journal is elected on an ad hoc basis.
Authors complete additional edits based on advisor feedback. Once approval is given from the Advisors, the Publishing Review Board reviews all submitted papers and provides a final recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the final right to accept or decline any papers at this stage. The Editor-in-Chief also reserves the right to request papers undergo additional edits, to delay papers to later issues, or to request papers be moved between journals.