Call for Commentaries
West’s Education Law Reporter
We invite thoroughly-researched manuscript submissions on a court opinion or topic of special interest in education law. Manuscripts submitted to West’s Education Law Reporter must not be under consideration by any other publication. We will circulate your paper for blind review by members of the Editorial Advisory Committee and Authors Committee who will use the following criteria:
- Significance: The paper should address an important issue of regional or national significance.
- Length: Twenty to thirty-five double-spaced pages, including footnotes. More lengthy papers may be accepted on a limited basis. Use 12-point Times New Roman font and add page numbers. Inserting a blank line between footnotes assists with edits.
- Substance: Accuracy and thoroughness are important. Case commentaries should develop the fact situation leading to the trial: the trial court’s holding; the procedural, statutory, and constitutional issues in dispute; and the opinion of the court, including its reliance on and distinctions from prior holdings. Topical analyses should cover the most significant holdings on the topic, trends in litigation, and contrary opinions. Empirical reports should address the objectives of the study, study design, data analysis, conclusions, and implications. Public policy essays or scholarly essays on a legal standard should provide the necessary factual background and analysis to evaluate the current policy or legal standard and justify the arguments for any recommended changes.
- Review of the Literature: The paper should identify and integrate relevant secondary sources, including those appearing in West’s Education Law Reporter.
- Style: The paper should communicate in a way that will be of interest to and understood by both educators and attorneys. Writing style should be clear, scholarly, and balanced. Paper should be well-organized, including sections with appropriate headings. The introduction should enumerate the order of the sections that follow.
- Orientation: In general, the writing should be future-oriented, calling attention to anticipated appeals and future litigation, recommended changes in public policy, the need for additional research, and practical implications.
- Citations: Court opinions and other references should be numbered in the main text and appear as footnote text at the bottom of the page. Footnotes and main text should conform to the latest edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Both parallel case citations and citations to commentaries appearing in West’s Education Law Reporter should use the following format, e.g., for cases, 570 F.3d 775, 246 Educ. L. Rep. 638 (6th Cir. 2009); and for citations to commentaries, 246 Educ. L. Rep. 589 (2009). Please note: WELR cannot publish LEXIS citations.
- Copies: Email your document as a Word (preferably .docx) file attachment to the e-mail address below.
- Authors: On a separate file, please enclose a list of all authors including names, degrees, professional positions, and institutions following the format used in the double asterisk footnote in Reporter commentaries. Email and mailing addresses for each author should be provided.
Please direct all correspondence to:
Allan Osborne, Chair, WELR Editorial Advisory Committee
Email: allan_osborne@verizon.net