How to Submit
The First Amendment Law Review (“FALR”) accepts submissions on a rolling basis through two platforms:
• Scholastica (https://scholasticahq.com/)
• Via Email (falr@unc.edu)
Please feel free to send submissions through whichever medium is most convenient for you. We will check both platforms at the same frequency, and none receive preference.
Please include a copy of the author’s curriculum vitae with all submissions. Cover letters and other information about submissions are welcome. FALR reviews multiple submissions at a time, and the Executive Board will make every effort to review all incoming submissions as promptly as possible.
Length Limitations
FALR strongly prefers submissions under 25,000 words in length (roughly the equivalent of 50 law review pages including text and footnotes). The more a submission exceeds this preference, the greater the weight against selection.
Student Author Policy
FALR does not review submissions for inclusion in its Articles section if the sole or primary author is a student. We will consider articles co-authored by students if the primary author holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
Citation Format
Please use footnotes instead of endnotes. All footnotes must conform to the Bluebook 22nd Edition.
The FALR Review Process
FALR carefully considers all submissions it receives through two main steps. First, our Chief Articles and Notes Editor (“CANE”) assigns the submission to an Articles Editor for an initial review to decide whether he or she recommends the submission for publishing. Second, our CANE sends the submission to the Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor. These three Executive Board members review the submission and decide on whether to grant the publication request.
Our CANE will notify authors of our decisions by email. As a matter of policy, we do not discuss the reasons for our publication decisions.
FALR accepts submissions year-round with two caveats. When all submissions for the current volume have been accepted, submissions for that volume will be closed. If the current volume is closed, please feel free to submit your article for consideration in a subsequent volume. Separately, due to Board turnover and our law school’s Joint Journal Competition, we do not review submissions between mid-May and the beginning of July.
Expedited Review
Although we strive to honor requests for expedited review, we do not skip any part of our review process to accommodate such requests. If you request an expedited review, please understand that our review process will take time.
Seven-Day Offer Window
To avoid “exploding offers,” we give every author seven days to decide whether to accept an offer of publication.
AI Policy
Authors must disclose any use of generative AI that contributed to the substance of the piece at the time of submission. This includes AI assistance with: drafting or revising body text, footnotes, or parentheticals; identifying, summarizing, or characterizing case law or other sources; developing or structuring the piece’s thesis or argument; or conducting data analysis, coding, or empirical work presented in the piece. Authors who are unsure whether a use requires disclosure should disclose it. Disclosure must be submitted as a separate statement on the cover sheet of their submission identifying: (1) which tool(s) were used, (2) how they were used, and (3) what steps the author took to independently verify the resulting content. FALR will require a published footnote acknowledging AI use in matters covered by this disclosure as a condition of publication.
FALR will not publish writing generated entirely by AI. No AI tool may be listed as an author or co-author. No submission may rely on an AI-generated citation, quotation, or characterization of a source that the author has not personally verified against the primary source. Submitting AI output as though it reflects the author’s own original analysis, without the disclosure required above, is treated as a material misrepresentation to FALR.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for considering publication with FALR! We look forward to the opportunity to review your work. Please refer to our Contact page if you have any questions or comments.