Judicature is a forum for judges, practitioners, and scholars to discuss and explore ideas, research, opinion and trends that affect the judiciary and the legal profession. We welcome submissions from judges, scholars, practitioners, students, and others who have expertise in relevant subject areas.
Judicature explores all aspects of the administration of justice and its improvement. We publish articles based on empirical research as well as articles based on fact and opinion from members of the bench, the bar, and the academy. We particularly encourage articles on emerging legal issues, case management techniques, and matters pertaining to the daily work of judges. Submissions may relate to any aspect of the administration of justice in both civil and criminal cases and judicial reform, at both the state and federal levels. Articles that may be of interest to an international audience of judges and legal professionals may be considered for publication in Judicature International, which is an online-only edition of Judicature targeting international readers.
All submissions are reviewed and selected by the publisher and editorial staff in consultation with members of the editorial board and/or selected scholars or experts in the field. Articles that are accepted for publication may be edited for substance, style, clarity, length, and clarity in consultation with the author(s).
Please see our instructions for authors page for details on how to submit (including formatting rules and style notes), as well as an overview of the review process.
These are substantive, scholarly articles of 3,500-7,000 words. They may be fact or opinion based. Endnotes may be included, though we encourage authors to reduce citations where possible for improved readability. Typically, we will not publish articles containing multiple charts and long statistical tables. Links or other references to outside sources containing such information may be included. We look for crisp, clear, concise writing that is engaging and thought-provoking — magazine-style writing is preferable to law review writing.
Book Reviews should examine a recent publication of interest to judges. It can be a scholarly or mainstream book as long as it addresses a topic that is relevant to the judiciary. Reviews should be 3,500 words or less.
The Storied Third Branch is a series of tributes to judges, written by judges. We encourage personal reflections on how a judge has influenced the author or the judiciary. Submissions should include high-resolution photos of the author and the judge who is the subject of the article. Total word count should be less than 2,500 words.
We include a section of short news items in each edition. Research, surveys, new policies and procedures, law reform efforts, tips for best practices in the courtroom, news about new technologies, and other items of broad interest to judges may be included in this section. You may submit either a short article (300-500 words) for publication in this section or a topic for our staff to consider.
We publish a selection of significant, timely judicial honors in each publication, space permitting. If you wish to submit a judicial honor to be considered for publication, email all relevant details and a high-resolution photo of the honoree to judicature@law.duke.edu.
A Finer Point is an op-ed article or personal essay on a topic of interest to the judiciary that appears on the last page of each journal. Submissions should not exceed 750 words.
Point/Counterpoint is a Q&A-style debate article that offers two to three authors with varying (if not opposite) viewpoints to discuss an issue of current interest to the judiciary or the legal world more broadly.
We encourage general comments on our publication and specific responses to the content. Email your letter, including your full name and title, with Attn: Editor in the subject line, to judicature@law.duke.edu.
