Law & Literature

Scope & Guideline

Illuminating the Synergy Between Law and Literary Expression.

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of Law & Literature with our comprehensive guidelines detailing its aims and scope. This page is your resource for understanding the journal's thematic priorities. Stay abreast of trending topics currently drawing significant attention and explore declining topics for a full picture of evolving interests. Our selection of highly cited topics and recent high-impact papers is curated within these guidelines to enhance your research impact.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1535-685x
PublisherROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1989 to 2003, 2007, from 2010 to 2024
AbbreviationLAW LIT / Law Lit.
Frequency3 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Law & Literature' serves as an interdisciplinary platform that explores the complex relationships between legal systems, literary narratives, and philosophical inquiries. By bridging these domains, it aims to foster critical discussions and innovative perspectives on how law and literature influence and inform each other.
  1. Interdisciplinary Exploration:
    The journal focuses on the intersection of law, literature, and philosophy, encouraging contributions that analyze how literary texts can illuminate legal concepts and vice versa.
  2. Critical Examination of Legal Narratives:
    Papers often investigate legal narratives in various forms, including literature, theater, and media, examining how these narratives shape public understanding of justice and law.
  3. Cultural and Historical Contexts:
    The journal emphasizes the importance of cultural and historical contexts in understanding the law, encouraging submissions that analyze legal issues through the lens of specific literary traditions or historical events.
  4. Theoretical and Philosophical Underpinnings:
    Contributions frequently engage with theoretical frameworks from legal studies, literary criticism, and philosophy, aiming to deepen the understanding of both fields.
  5. Focus on Marginalized Voices:
    The journal highlights narratives that explore the experiences of marginalized groups within legal frameworks, emphasizing the role of literature in giving voice to these perspectives.
Recent publications in 'Law & Literature' reveal emerging themes that reflect contemporary societal challenges and evolving academic interests. These trends highlight the journal's responsiveness to current events and cultural shifts.
  1. Narratives of Justice and Injustice:
    There is a growing focus on narratives that address systemic injustices, particularly regarding marginalized communities, reflecting contemporary societal concerns about equity and representation in the legal system.
  2. Interrogation of Legal Fictions:
    An increasing number of papers are examining the role of legal fictions in both literature and law, exploring how these constructs influence perceptions of truth and justice.
  3. Environmental Justice and Law:
    Emerging discussions on environmental justice highlight the intersection of ecological concerns with legal frameworks, reflecting a broader societal focus on sustainability and climate change.
  4. Global Perspectives on Law:
    The journal is increasingly publishing works that explore law and literature within a global context, addressing issues like migration, colonialism, and transnational legal frameworks.
  5. Digital Humanities and Legal Narratives:
    There is an emerging interest in the application of digital humanities methodologies to legal narratives, which allows for innovative analyses of text and context in the digital age.

Declining or Waning

While 'Law & Literature' continues to thrive in various areas, certain themes have become less prominent over recent years. This decline may reflect shifts in societal interests or the evolving landscape of interdisciplinary studies.
  1. Traditional Legal Theory:
    There appears to be a waning interest in papers strictly adhering to traditional legal theories or doctrines, as the journal increasingly favors innovative, interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate literary analysis.
  2. Historical Legal Analysis:
    Submissions focusing purely on historical legal texts without a contemporary or literary lens have been decreasing, suggesting a shift towards more current and relevant discussions.
  3. Legal Realism:
    Themes centered around legal realism, which emphasizes practical law application over theoretical frameworks, have become less frequent, indicating a move towards more abstract and theoretical explorations.

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