Writing a law review article requires substantial research and thought. As a result, finding viable topics can be a challenge. Three key considerations can simplify the process of choosing a topic.
Focus on Current Controversy
Successful student note articles tend to focus on a current issue of legal controversy. Generally speaking, these issues involve matters of law that are not settled and that engender debate as to the proper legal outcome. The existence of controversy is typically indicated by a lack of consensus in the legal community, the presence of conflicting decisions on the subject matter, and sound reasoning in both the majority and dissenting opinions in cases on the issue.
Search for Topics on SSRN
Another approach to finding potential law review topics is to conduct a thorough research of recent legal cases on a particular subject area that interests you. This can be done through the Lexis or Westlaw databases and by searching SSRN (see Zief Library guide Source Collection for Law Reviews and Journals). This approach can be time consuming but can be useful in producing a topic that may be suitable for a note, comment or article.
One last approach to finding a law review topic is to read previously written law review articles on the subject area you are interested in. This can be a good way to gauge whether the issue has already been sufficiently explored in existing legal scholarship and to identify the specific elements of the controversy that may be worthy of further study.
