YJLL prioritizes work that exposes how the law legitimizes existing power structures and proposes strategies to realign those dynamics for greater equity. Our goal is to serve as a forum for voices that are often silenced in mainstream legal discourse. Our publications focus on civil rights, liberation, abolition, social justice, Critical Legal Studies, Critical Race Theory, decolonial studies, and related areas.

Submissions for Volume 5 are OPEN!

Please review the information below to learn more about our submission process and relevant deadlines.

[WHAT IS A STUDENT SUBMISSION?]

For YJLL, a student submission is a piece of writing authored by a current law student that ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 words. This can encompass writing you completed for a course, clinic, summer internship, or on your own time. We are not delineating or classifying submissions based on length but are rather reviewing submissions for quality. In other words: do not arbitrarily submit something longer. We will publish the strongest submissions, regardless of length. Some of the best writing is punchy, short, and to the point.

[WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT?]

YJLL accepts submissions from all current J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., M.S.L., and Ph.D. candidates at any Connecticut-based law school. Recent graduates (Class of 2024) are also eligible to submit.

[WHERE DO I SUBMIT MY STUDENT PIECE?]

When the cycle for Volume 5 opens, email your submission(s) to yjll.notes@yale.edu with the title of your note in the subject line. Managing editors will download and share the submissions with the Student Submissions editors anonymously.

[WHAT ARE THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES?]

In preparing your note, please pay attention to the following formatting and length guidelines:

• Use double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font for the main text of your piece and single-spaced, 10-point Times New Roman font for the footnotes.
• Do not exceed 15,000 words (including the footnotes) for your initial submission.
• Follow The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation edition 21 for typefaces and footnotes.
• Submit your piece in a Word document.
• And, importantly, please remove any identifying information on your submission, including your name, class year, background, advisor, or anything else that could tie you to the piece.

Submissions with identifying information may be disqualified if editors cannot review the piece anonymously.

[WHEN IS THE NEXT STUDENT SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE?]

We will review submissions in three rounds and on a rolling basis (deadlines listed below).

Round 1 deadline: November 15, 2024

Round 2 deadline: December 20, 2024

Round 3 deadline: January 17, 2025

[WHO SHOULD I CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS?]

We encourage you to reach out with any questions about our process! To maintain the anonymity of student submissions, we kindly ask that you refrain from contacting any YJLL members directly about your submission. Instead, please email our student submissions email (yjll.notes@yale.edu) to ensure your identity remains confidential throughout the process.