Law Journal Meta-Ranking, 2023 Edition – Bryce Clayton Newell, PhD, JD

Meta-Ranking of Flagship US Law Reviews

This is an updated ranking of the top flagship law reviews at US law schools (updated as of July 25, 2023). For a summary and more details about method, see below the table. You can also compare MetaRanking since 2018, including changes in ranking over time here: MetaRank Comparison 2018-2023.

The MetaRank was computed by averaging ranks (using a 25% weighting from each) of the following rankings:

prRank = US News Peer Reputation score ranking (averaged over 10 years);
usnRank = overall US News school ranking (averaged over 10 years);
wluRank = Washington & Lee Law Journal Ranking;
gRank = Google Scholar Metrics ranking (note: “1000” means journal was not indexed).

Meta-Ranking of Flagship US Law Reviews (2023 Edition), by Bryce Newell

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

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 (see also: 2022 Edition; 2021 Edition; 2020 Edition; 2019 Edition; 2018 Edition). The ranking table below includes 192 flagship 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 2015 edition through the 2024 edition of US News’ rankings) and the current Washington & Lee Rankings (2018-2022; released on July 15, 2023) and Google Scholar (July 2023) rankings. Each column (ranking) is sortable, and you can use the search box to search for individual law reviews.

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 (rolling average over the most recent ten years), US News Peer Reputation Ranking (also averaged over the previous 10 years), W&L Combined Ranking (at default weighting), and Google Scholar Metrics law journal rankings (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 most recent 10-year period, is an important factor in law review placement decisions.

Additional notes about method:

Google Scholar Metrics are currently based on the most recent Google index (updated in June 2022, with data collected in September 2022; if a school has not been listed in Google Scholar Metrics within the past 2 years (2022/2023), I have used its most recent W&L score twice rather than rely on old Google Metrics). Otherwise, I have used the most recent (1-year-old/2022) Google Scholar metric.

W&L: The W&L rankings changed several years ago. Their rankings now only include calculated scores and ranks for the top 400 ranked law journals (including all specialty journals). W&L’s ranking methodology is described here. If a journal is not ranked, I have given a score of “150.”

Because the US News Ranking has changed how it reports unranked schools over the relevant period, I have done the following: for 2015-2022 editions, I assigned all unranked schools (those not ranked 1-149) to 150. For the 2024 edition, US News ranked schools 1-175; as such I assigned 176 to unranked schools for that year.

* As some schools were not included in the US News Rankings for all 10 years (e.g., UC Irvine was only in the 2016-2024 rankings), I have averaged the ranks over just the years they appear, rather than by 10.

** Rutgers and Mitchell | Hamline each recently consolidated two law journals into one and Penn State now also has two ranked law schools and two separate law reviews (but only had one flagship law review for a portion of the relevant period). For each of these schools, I have used the rank in each category (W&L/US News, etc.) that is the highest when the school/journal is shared. Similarly, 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 2017-2023 ranks from US News but shared the single Widener school ranking reported in US News in its 2015-2016 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.

Meta-Ranking of Flagship US Law Reviews

About the Meta-Ranking