The Yale Journal of International Law (YJIL) publishes two types of online content:
- Short-form “YJIL Forum” pieces
- Longer-form “Features Essays”
These two formats are collectively referred to as “YJIL Online“. YJIL Online is particularly interested in submissions that examine recent developments, discuss practitioner experiences, or respond to articles published in YJIL or on YJIL Online. YJIL Online publishes works that include international, comparative, or transnational elements as an intrinsic part of the central legal argument. YJIL Online does not publish pieces that confront solely the domestic law of nation-states, as well as articles on the topic of foreign actors in a domestic legal context, such as U.S. immigration law. The goal of YJIL Online, furthermore, is to publish new ideas and viewpoints rather than to summarize areas of international law.
Forum
Length: YJIL Forum is comprised of short-form pieces that range from 500-2,000 words
Format: These pieces generally use hyperlinks, where possible, rather than footnotes.
Timeline: These pieces may be published anywhere from within a few days to two weeks, depending on the level of editing necessary and the timeliness.
Review Process: These pieces generally receive simple redline edits but also may receive more substantive or structural comments, where necessary.
Features Essays
Length: Feature Essays are longer-form submissions of 5,000-10,000 words.
Format: All manuscripts should be submitted in English with both text and footnotes typed and text double-spaced. Footnotes must conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed.), and authors should be prepared to supply any cited sources upon request.
Timeline: The timeline for a Feature Essay is entirely dependent on the degree of editing that is necessary.
Review Process: In addition to rigorous cite-checking and Bluebooking, all pieces selected for publication will receive one round of substantive feedback in the form of an “edit letter” (usually around two to three pages each in length), containing the Editorial Board’s suggestions for further honing the author’s argument and improving the structure and development of the piece. Nevertheless, our authors retain full control over the final content of their work, and all comments and suggestions offered by YJIL Online’s Editors are optional.
General YJIL Online Requirements
Submission Process: YJIL Online accepts submissions on a rolling basis. Authors should email their submissions, along with a copy of their résumé or CV, to yjil.online@yale.edu. A brief statement discussing the contribution of the submission to existing scholarship is welcome but not required. Please name your submission “[series].[lastname].[date].doc.” Due to the high volume of submissions that YJIL receives, we regret that we are unable to offer feedback on submitted drafts not accepted for publication. If you wish to withdraw your piece from consideration, please send an email to yjil.online@yale.edu. Please put “Withdraw” as the subject of your email, and include in the text the author name and title of your manuscript.
Author Eligibility: YJIL Online accepts submissions in all categories from Ph.D. and S.J.D/J.S.D. students as well as practitioners and legal scholars. Current Yale Law School J.D. and L.L.M. students are eligible to submit YJIL Forum pieces or may co-author pieces with practicing attorneys and legal scholars.