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Drake Law Review Ranks Among Top 25 Most-Cited Journals
Drake Law Review ranks in the top 25 journals in the number of times judges have used its articles in deciding cases, according to rankings compiled by Washington and Lee Law School. Citations to nearly 1,000 law journals were analyzed for the ranking, which covers cases decided between 1997 and 2004."This is a wonderful honor for Drake that recognizes the important contributions our Law Review makes in helping judges decide cases," said Drake University Law School Dean David S. Walker. "For the judiciary to find so many articles helpful is a tribute to the fine work the Law Review has done over the years."
The Law Review publishes articles by professors, lawyers and judges that examine developing areas of the law and ones for which few court decisions may be available. "When courts wrestle with difficult cases, having a well-reasoned law review article can be invaluable," said Keith Miller, professor of law and faculty adviser of the Law Review. "The reason Drake Law Review ranks near the top is that it publishes articles intended to be useful to judges and lawyers."
Editor-in-Chief Bryan Dearinger, a third-year law student from Vancouver, Wash., said the ranking is a tremendous honor to the staff and supporters of the Drake Law Review. "It is a testament to the efforts of staffs past and present, and a vivid reminder of the prominent role law journals play in the American legal system," he added.
Drake Law Review publishes four issues each year under the direction of a student-run editorial board. Law reviews differ from journals published in other disciplines in that law students do all the editorial work to prepare a work for publication.
"Our students do a phenomenal job in selecting and editing articles," said Law Library Director and Professor John Edwards. "They check every citation in every article to make sure all references are accurate." Students also contribute case comments and notes, shorter articles that may analyze a legal subject, summarize the law and its development, or recommend changes in the law.
The rankings are available at a Web site maintained by John Doyle, associate law librarian at Washington and Lee University, at http://law.wlu.edu/library/research/lawrevs/mostcited.asp.
Date Posted: 11/14/2004
