Symposium Proposals

2025 Symposium – Submissions Closed

The Northwestern University Law Review is no longer accepting proposals for its 2025 Symposium to be held in October 2025, at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. 

What to Include in Your Proposal

A strong Symposium proposal should do all of the following in at least 2-3 pages:

  • describe the Symposium idea and its contribution to legal scholarship in as much detail as possible;
  • list potential Symposium speakers and panelists that would add to the academic quality of the event;
  • list potential authors who could write articles and/or essays for publication by the Law Review;
  • provide the name and contact information of the proposed Symposium Organizer[s], who will serve as the point person for coordination and decisions with the Law Review executive board; and
  • include a draft budget outline and any secured or potential funding sources.

How to Submit a Proposal

To submit a proposal, please send an email to lilypieper@law.northwestern.edu with your proposal and a copy of your CV(s) attached. The Law Review will accept submissions until November 1, 2024.

Proposal Selection

After November 1, the Law Review will review all submissions. Organizers should expect that the Law Review may request further information or the opportunity to discuss the proposal in further detail. The Law Review will notify organizers whether they remain under finalist consideration by November 15, 2024.

The Law Review executive board will review each proposal based on:

  • Originality
  • Timeliness
  • Academic quality and diversity of perspectives
  • Societal impact

Prioritization of Northwestern Faculty

  • This call for proposals is an open call made to the legal academic community. Nevertheless, in the same way that members of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law faculty receive article review prioritization, proposals led by or including members of the Northwestern Law faculty will also be prioritized in our review process. We encourage all proposals to include Northwestern faculty among their participants.
  • If the Law Review selects a proposal made or co-sponsored by a member of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law faculty for the 2025 Symposium, the Office of the Associate Dean of Faculty and Research has committed to fund part of the Symposium. Non-faculty organizers are not eligible for this funding and are responsible for securing their own funding. All potential funding sources must be disclosed to the Law Review in the proposal.

Publication of the Symposium Issue

The Law Review anticipates the 2025 Symposium event occurring in October 2025. The first drafts would be due in early fall, with revised drafts due by the end of the calendar year. Symposium pieces selected would be included in Northwestern University Law Review Volume 121, Issue 1, which will be published in early fall of 2026.

Publication is not guaranteed to any speaker and the Northwestern University Law Review retains full discretion in selecting pieces for publication in our print and online editions. Pieces should be around 10,000 words in length; the entire issue should be 90,000 words or under. The Law Review will offer publishing contracts to certain contributors based on the recommendations of the Law Review board and Symposium organizers.

Questions should be directed to Senior Symposium Editor Lily Pieper at lilypieper@law.northwestern.edu.