Law Journal Meta-Ranking, 2019 Edition – Bryce Clayton Newell, PhD, JD

Meta-Ranking of Flagship US Law Reviews

NOTE: an updated version of this ranking appears HERE.

This is an updated ranking of the top flagship law reviews at US law schools (updated as of July 23, 2019). The first version of this ranking is available at PrawfBlawg (2016), along with the rationale for why I created the “meta ranking” in the first place. The ranking table below includes 192 law reviews from ABA accredited law schools. Even if you ignore the “MetaRank,” the table provides access to the updated rankings from US News (peer reputation and overall rankings, averaged over the 10-year period from 2011 through the 2020 edition) and the current W&L (2010-2017) and Google Scholar (July 2019) rankings. Each column (ranking) is sortable, and you can use the search box to search for individual law reviews.

2019 Edition of the MetaRanking of Flagship US Law Reviews, by Bryce Newell

Journal	MetaRank	prRank	usnRank	wluRank	gRank	wlu(IF)Rank
Yale Law Journal	1	2	1	1	1	2
Harvard Law Review	2	1	3	2	2	26
Stanford Law Review	3	3	2	4	3	1
Columbia Law Review	4	4	4	5	5	7
University of Pennsylvania Law Review	5	9	7	3	4	3
New York University Law Review	6	6	6	11	13	12
Virginia Law Review	6	9	8	7	12	5
California Law Review	8	7	9	15	7	17
Georgetown Law Journal	9	13	14	6	6	8
Michigan Law Review	9	8	10	7	14	5
University of Chicago Law Review	9	5	4	21	9	29
Texas Law Review	12	15	15	10	7	19
UCLA Law Review	13	16	16	9	10	4
Duke Law Journal	14	11	11	16	16	9
Cornell Law Review	15	12	13	16	21	9
Minnesota Law Review	16	20	20	12	14	14
Vanderbilt Law Review	17	17	17	18	16	11
Iowa Law Review	18	28	25	14	10	15
Northwestern University Law Review	19	14	12	26	30	22
Boston University Law Review	20	26	24	20	19	36
Notre Dame Law Review	21	24	22	19	26	20
George Washington Law Review	22	23	21	31	24	34
Southern California Law Review	22	19	18	38	24	30
Emory Law Journal	24	21	23	35	21	26
Washington University Law Review	25	18	19	32	32	23
Boston College Law Review	26	29	30	23	21	24
Fordham Law Review	27	34	39	13	18	39
Indiana Law Journal	28	31	28	27	26	21
William & Mary Law Review	29	33	35	22	29	18
UC Davis Law Review	30	27	34	34	26	32
North Carolina Law Review	31	22	38	29	43	25
Wisconsin Law Review	32	25	33	36	39	28
University of Illinois Law Review	33	35	41	30	31	33
Washington Law Review	33	37	31	49	20	49
Washington & Lee Law Review	35	36	36	37	33	41
Florida Law Review	36	39	46	24	34	16
Ohio State Law Journal	37	30	37	39	40	31
Wake Forest Law Review	38	44	40	40	35	46
Hastings Law Journal	39	40	52	33	35	43
Arizona Law Review	40	42	43	42	35	43
Alabama Law Review	41	41	27	45	53	43
UC Irvine Law Review	42	32	26	66	51	57
Cardozo Law Review	43	53	59	25	40	38
Connecticut Law Review	44	52	56	28	47	13
Maryland Law Review	45	47	48	46	46	47
Colorado Law Review	46	42	44	60	43	69
American University Law Review	47	49	66	41	35	40
Arizona State Law Journal	48	45	29	67	51	82
BYU Law Review	49	50	42	48	53	60
Georgia Law Review	50	38	32	51	85	37
George Mason Law Review	51	55	45	44	65	35
Utah Law Review	52	51	47	47	68	50
Houston Law Review	53	66	54	52	47	56
Case Western Reserve Law Review	54	63	63	57	40	71
Tulane Law Review	55	46	51	61	74	83
Florida State University Law Review	56	48	50	68	72	55
University of Miami Law Review	56	54	67	70	47	62
Pepperdine Law Review	58	68	58	54	59	60
Lewis & Clark Law Review	59	82	86	42	47	41
Seton Hall Law Review	60	83	64	54	59	54
San Diego Law Review	61	57	76	72	56	69
University of Richmond Law Review	62	75	57	69	65	65
Brooklyn Law Review	63	69	81	56	68	72
Temple Law Review	63	59	55	83	77	59
SMU Law Review	65	64	49	98	68	115
Denver University Law Review	66	60	71	71	85	85
University of Cincinnati Law Review	67	80	72	61	77	74
Michigan State Law Review	67	97	92	58	43	81
Nevada Law Journal	67	87	70	74	59	58
Missouri Law Review	70	67	75	83	68	96
Chicago-Kent Law Review	71	70	80	85	65	96
University of Kansas Law Review	71	61	74	88	77	96
Oregon Law Review	73	56	89	63	93	67
Loyola University Chicago Law Journal	74	74	78	63	93	62
Tennessee Law Review	75	62	61	93	93	78
Nebraska Law Review	75	79	73	98	59	78
Seattle University Law Review	77	89	103	50	72	62
Penn State Law Review	78	92	69	53	101	47
DePaul Law Review	79	100	109	58	58	53
Oklahoma Law Review	80	78	68	122	59	125
Indiana Law Review	81	76	94	82	85	104
Rutgers University Law Review	82	73	83	92	93	85
Kentucky Law Journal	83	70	62	95	116	78
Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review	84	65	65	80	135	91
Santa Clara Law Review	84	77	104	63	101	52
Buffalo Law Review	86	101	98	72	77	51
Villanova Law Review	87	86	85	102	77	96
Marquette Law Review	88	90	101	75	85	74
Georgia State University Law Review	89	72	60	96	124	115
University of Pittsburgh Law Review	90	58	79	115	108	96
South Carolina Law Review	91	91	99	86	93	85
Louisiana Law Review	92	102	88	76	106	66
Mitchell Hamline Law Review	93	143	141	90	1000	123
Albany Law Review	94	126	116	78	56	115
Catholic University Law Review	95	96	100	91	90	74
Saint Louis University Law Journal	95	98	95	94	90	105
West Virginia Law Review	97	110	96	107	74	105
Arkansas Law Review	97	95	83	132	77	161
Hofstra Law Review	99	99	107	97	85	118
Syracuse Law Review	100	94	93	128	74	141
Mississippi Law Journal	101	104	108	89	93	85
Howard Law Journal	102	93	116	102	101	93
UMKC Law Review	103	106	115	100	93	123
Baylor Law Review	104	88	53	138	1000	126
Idaho Law Review	105	114	125	133	53	132
Akron Law Review	106	145	134	76	77	67
St. John’s Law Review	107	103	87	135	108	141
Vermont Law Review	108	109	132	79	116	73
Gonzaga Law Review	109	111	113	108	1000	94
Texas Tech Law Review	110	135	112	87	108	85
New York Law School Law Review	111	125	131	81	108	94
Maine Law Review	112	105	123	121	108	130
Duquesne Law Review	112	149	138	111	59	122
University of Louisville Law Review	114	107	97	128	1000	113
University of Hawai'i Law Review	115	80	90	170	124	166
Cleveland State Law Review	116	140	120	105	101	74
Drake Law Review	117	131	111	104	124	96
New Mexico Law Review	118	85	76	156	1000	152
Pace Law Review	119	133	136	100	106	110
University of San Francisco Law Review	120	119	140	109	1000	105
Wyoming Law Review	121	115	122	141	101	137
Texas A&M Law Review	122	134	133	1000	108	83
Quinnipiac Law Review	123	132	127	136	93	132
Mercer Law Review	124	120	118	116	135	150
University of Baltimore Law Review	124	122	121	123	1000	91
Tulsa Law Review	126	124	91	151	124	170
Wayne Law Review	127	116	102	142	135	135
Creighton Law Review	128	128	119	111	142	126
Washburn Law Journal	129	136	130	106	131	105
Chapman Law Review	130	141	129	116	120	103
University of the Pacific Law Review	131	127	137	119	124	155
City University of New York (CUNY) Law Review	132	118	127	136	1000	105
Drexel Law Review	133	117	114	145	1000	138
Stetson Law Review	134	112	105	155	1000	182
Southwestern Law Review	134	137	147	123	120	118
University of Memphis Law Review	136	144	145	109	131	90
Northeastern University Law Journal	137	84	82	182	1000	179
Loyola Law Review	138	113	143	127	148	126
Suffolk University Law Review	139	130	150	119	135	146
University of St. Thomas Law Journal	140	139	126	138	1000	118
South Dakota Law Review	141	146	145	118	135	110
University of Arkansas Little Rock Law Review	142	108	135	152	1000	161
Capital University Law Review	143	169	161	111	108	96
Montana Law Review	143	121	124	162	142	152
Willamette Law Review	145	123	139	146	1000	146
New England Law Review	146	166	161	114	1000	130
University of Toledo Law Review	146	142	142	125	146	146
Touro Law Review	148	167	161	134	108	158
FIU Law Review	149	153	110	160	150	170
John Marshall Law Review	150	150	153	126	150	141
Ohio Northern University Law Review	151	168	150	140	124	160
Campbell Law Review	152	172	148	142	1000	110
Northern Illinois University Law Review	153	155	154	148	1000	126
Charleston Law Review	154	183	161	131	1000	113
St. Mary's Law Journal	155	158	159	148	142	141
Regent University Law Review	156	187	161	130	1000	118
University of New Hampshire Law Review	157	129	106	188	1000	189
Northern Kentucky Law Review	158	163	161	144	1000	141
Widener Law Review	158	147	161	152	1000	146
Southern Illinois University Law Journal	160	152	157	150	155	161
Roger Williams University Law Review	160	154	161	164	135	176
North Dakota Law Review	162	137	152	173	153	184
University of Dayton Law Review	163	148	156	157	1000	150
South Texas Law Review	164	156	157	168	146	176
St. Thomas Law Review	165	177	161	146	1000	138
Mississippi College Law Review	166	164	161	157	1000	152
Cumberland Law Review	167	151	144	175	1000	179
California Western Law Review	168	161	161	164	1000	138
Florida Coastal Law Review	169	186	161	152	1000	135
Widener Commonwealth Law Review	170	159	155	169	1000	176
Nova Law Review	170	157	161	167	1000	174
Golden Gate University Law Review	172	160	161	166	1000	164
Western New England Law Review	173	174	161	160	1000	158
University of Detroit Mercy Law Review	174	173	161	162	1000	166
Belmont Law Review	175	182	149	1000	1000	1000
Barry Law Review	176	189	161	157	1000	132
Oklahoma City University Law Review	177	165	160	170	1000	174
John Marshall Law Journal	178	178	161	1000	1000	179
Elon Law Review	179	162	161	179	1000	183
Southern University Law Review	180	181	161	1000	1000	1000
Thomas Jefferson Law Review	181	180	161	173	1000	155
Thurgood Marshall Law Review	182	176	161	179	1000	166
Western State University Law Review	183	192	161	172	1000	164
University of the District of Columbia Law Review	184	175	161	181	1000	172
Appalachian Journal of Law	185	185	161	177	1000	155
University of Massachusetts Law Review	186	170	161	185	1000	189
North Carolina Central Law Review	187	171	161	186	1000	187
Ave Maria Law Review	187	191	161	176	1000	166
Liberty University Law Review	189	188	161	178	1000	172
Florida A&M University Law Review	190	179	161	186	1000	188
Faulkner Law Review	191	184	161	184	1000	184
Thomas M. Cooley Law Review	192	190	161	183	1000	186

Why make the Meta Ranking? (see more information, and the first edition of the ranking here)

In short, as an interdisciplinary scholar who publishes work in both peer-reviewed social science journals and law reviews, it strikes me as odd that legal scholars would discount measures of journal impact completely when choosing where to submit and which offers to prioritize. To be sure, all of the plausible contenders for ranking law reviews have their flaws (in methodology and/or coverage). Regardless, though, it appears important that some measures of citation or impact are taken into account, as direct correlations between US News rankings of law schools and law journal importance seem a bit weak as the primary (or only) measure to evaluate.

So, to get to the point, I decided to create a meta-ranking of the possible contenders for gauging the relative importance of journals and offers: US News Overall Ranking (averaged over ten years from 2011-2020), US News Peer Reputation Ranking (also averaged over 2011-2020), W&L Combined Ranking (at default weighting; 2010-2017), and Google Scholar Metrics law journal rankings (2019 edition; averaging the h-index and h-median of each journal, as proposed here by Robert Anderson). I’ve ranked each journal within each ranking system, averaged these four ranks using a 25% weighting for each, and computed and ranked the final scores. I think this approach benefits from incorporating a couple different forms of impact evaluation (W&L + Google) while not disregarding the general sentiment that law school “prestige” (something involving one or both of US News’ combined rank or Peer Reputation rank, each averaged over the 10-year period from 2011-2020) is an important factor in law review placement decisions. (Note that I have also included a ranking by the Impact Factor reported in the W&L ranking, but I have not included it in the meta rank.)

Additional notes about method:

Google Scholar Metrics are currently based on the most recent Google index (updated in July 2019; if a school has not been listed in Google Scholar Metrics within the past 2 years (2018-2019), I have generally used its most recent W&L score twice rather than rely on old Google Metrics).

W&L: Some journals that began after 2010 are effected by W&L’s ranking formula described here. If a journal does not have full ranking data available in the W&L ranking index, I have used the prior year’s rank (when available; if not, I have used Google Metrics data twice).

Because the US News Ranking has changed how it reports 3^rd and 4^th Tier schools over the relevant period, I have done the following: for the 2010 and 2011 editions of the ranking, I gave all “Tier 3” schools a value of 115, and all “Tier 4” schools a 150; for 2012-2017, I assigned all unranked schools (those not ranked 1-149) to 150.

* As some schools were not included in the US News Rankings for all 10 years (e.g., UC Irvine was only in the 2016-2020 rankings), I have averaged the ranks over just the years they appear, rather than by 10.

** Rutgers and Mitchell-Hamline both recently consolidated two law journals into one and Penn State now also has two ranked law schools but only one flagship law review. For each of these schools, I have used the rank in each category (W&L/US News, etc.) that is the highest. Similarly (although not appearing in the top 100 reported here), Widener split and was ranked separately in 2017 by US News (each school taking a separate flagship journal). As such, I have used the separate 2017-2020 ranks from US News but shared the single Widener school ranking reported in US News in its 2011-2016 editions of the rankings.

*** In the 2019 US News rankings, Pepperdine received a peer score of 2.6, but was listed as unranked after originally submitting incorrect data about incoming JD students (see Paul Caron’s note about this for more about this). As such, I used the 2019 peer score and the 2018 overall rank for Pepperdine for that year.

**** The following journals do not appear in either of the W&L or Google Metrics rankings: Belmont Law Review, John Marshall Law Journal, Southern University Law Review.

Last note: I cannot locate the 2015 US News Peer-Reputation score (or rank) for Loyola-New Orleans (it is missing from Paul Caron’s annual posting at TaxProf, and I don’t have access otherwise). If someone has that information and could pass it along, I would appreciate it.