Law Review Rankings Forum

[Kronk]

Just thought this was sort of interesting. Clearly, the HLR is #1. I thought it was interesting that Chicago's was so low (relative to how good the school is).

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/index.aspx

Edit: To see the rankings, click the "2008" box under the "Combined" column and then hit submit.

[dextermorgan]

Just thought this was sort of interesting. Clearly, the HLR is #1. I thought it was interesting that Chicago's was so low (relative to how good the school is).

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/index.aspx

Edit: To see the rankings, click the "2008" box under the "Combined" column and then hit submit.

So much for that academic focus.

[Kronk]

Just thought this was sort of interesting. Clearly, the HLR is #1. I thought it was interesting that Chicago's was so low (relative to how good the school is).

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/index.aspx

Edit: To see the rankings, click the "2008" box under the "Combined" column and then hit submit.

So much for that academic focus.

No kidding. I thought that was really surprising. Not to mention that their faculty is 2nd in citations (according to Leiter). Would've thought it'd be one of the best law reviews.

[timertimer61]

was surprised to see fordham law review so high up there.

[OperaSoprano]

was surprised to see fordham law review so high up there.

I knew it was well respected, but very happy to see that.

[Kronk]

was surprised to see fordham law review so high up there.

I knew it was well respected, but very happy to see that.

OS, do you get an email alert everyone types "Fordham?"

[acdisagod]

Cooley is 547th, surprising that a top school has such a low ranking law review.

[Renzo]

Wow, do people loooooove making lists.

[soullesswonder]

Harvard has five secondary journals in the top 50

[ravens20]

Chicago, Michigan, and Duke with surprisingly poor showings.
Texas and Fordham with surprisingly strong showings.

[OperaSoprano]

was surprised to see fordham law review so high up there.

I knew it was well respected, but very happy to see that.

OS, do you get an email alert everyone types "Fordham?"

Lol, no, but I was trained in school trolling by Observationalist, so I've picked up a few of his tricks.

[soullesswonder]

Chicago, Michigan, and Duke with surprisingly poor showings.
Texas and Fordham with surprisingly strong showings.

In Chicago's defense, I noticed it is the only school besides Harvard to have two journals in the top 25 (Supreme Court Review + UC LR)

[ggocat]

Just thought this was sort of interesting. Clearly, the HLR is #1. I thought it was interesting that Chicago's was so low (relative to how good the school is).

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/index.aspx

Edit: To see the rankings, click the "2008" box under the "Combined" column and then hit submit.

It's a little more complicated.

HLR is not "clearly" #1. HLR is #1 if you use the default IF of 0.33, which the authors selected "because that weighting gives Harvard the highest combined-rank over each of 13 ranking surveys." http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/method.asp#combinedscore.

If you weight the IF at 0.577---the number used by another prominent ranking, see generally Ronen Perry, The Relative Value of American Law Reviews, 39 Conn. L. Rev. 1 (2006)---then YLJ is #1 in the W&L rankings. But YLJ and HLR often exchange the #1 spot.

It should be noted that the lower the IF factor, the greater W&L rises in the rankings: #59 with IF 0.000, #74 with IF 0.333, #85 with IF 0.577, and #105 with IF 1.000. In some disciplines, journals are ranked solely based on IF. So the lessening of the importance of the IF (and the relative benefit W&L receives by doing so) may be a valid criticism of the W&L rankings.

[Kronk]

Just thought this was sort of interesting. Clearly, the HLR is #1. I thought it was interesting that Chicago's was so low (relative to how good the school is).

http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/index.aspx

Edit: To see the rankings, click the "2008" box under the "Combined" column and then hit submit.

It's a little more complicated.

HLR is not "clearly" #1. HLR is #1 if you use the default IF of 0.33, which the authors selected "because that weighting gives Harvard the highest combined-rank over each of 13 ranking surveys." http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/method.asp#combinedscore.

If you weight the IF at 0.577---the number used by another prominent ranking, see generally Ronen Perry, The Relative Value of American Law Reviews, 39 Conn. L. Rev. 1 (2006)---then YLJ is #1 in the W&L rankings. But YLJ and HLR often exchange the #1 spot.

It should be noted that the lower the IF factor, the greater W&L rises in the rankings: #59 with IF 0.000, #74 with IF 0.333, #85 with IF 0.577, and #105 with IF 1.000. In some disciplines, journals are ranked solely based on IF. So the lessening of the importance of the IF (and the relative benefit W&L receives by doing so) may be a valid criticism of the W&L rankings.

Good to know. Thanks.

I just said HLR was #1 because I have read the HLR and seen articles from it far more often than any other law journal.

[jrobby6]

wait, how do you determine rankings? by how many times its cited?

[ravens20]

Chicago, Michigan, and Duke with surprisingly poor showings.
Texas and Fordham with surprisingly strong showings.

In Chicago's defense, I noticed it is the only school besides Harvard to have two journals in the top 25 (Supreme Court Review + UC LR)

True that's def. a good point.

[ggocat]

Good to know. Thanks.

I just said HLR was #1 because I have read the HLR and seen articles from it far more often than any other law journal.

No prob. I suspect HLR publishes many more articles than YLJ because, despite surpassing YLJ by about 1000-2000 citations per year, HLR has a lower IF.

I think we can make some decent generalizations from these rankings, but much like other rankings (*cough* Cooley *cough*), you can make rankings say what you want them to say by altering the weight of the variables or altering the variables themselves.

[ggocat]

wait, how do you determine rankings? by how many times its cited?

W&L ranking methodology: http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/method.asp#methodology.

In short, a combination of total number of cites and the impact factor. Impact factor is described here: http://lawlib.wlu.edu/LJ/method.asp#impactfactor. It's basically a ratio of cites to number of articles published.

[Maven]

Who the hell reads law reviews!

[thesealocust]

edit: never mind

[Maven]

Law Reviews are just not as relevant as they were 20 years ago. Law Professors may read them but I seriously doubt that most Judges do. LRs importance is tied to the prestiege associated with being an editor.