Symposium Proposals

2021 Symposium – Now Accepting Proposals

The Northwestern University Law Review is excited to be accepting proposals for its 2021 Symposium.

The Law Review will consider submissions until February 20th, 2021. Symposium proposals should be submitted via email at NULRSymposium@gmail.com.

After February 20th, 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 March 1st, 2021.

Given the unique circumstances of the pandemic, we do not yet know whether an in-person Symposium event will be possible; however, we would like to keep open the possibility that by the time of our Symposium in Fall 2021, we may be permitted to host live panels and lectures on campus. That said, we ask that you specify in your proposal a roster of potential participants for an in-person event and for an online, remote event.

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, including its originality, timeliness, and how it fosters diversity of legal scholarship;
  • list potential Symposium speakers and panelists that would add to the academic quality of the event, specifying those who could participate online and/or in person;
  • list potential authors who could write articles and/or essays for publication by Law Review;
  • provide the name and contact information of the proposed Symposium Director, 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.

When formulating symposium proposals, please keep in mind:

  • The Law Review anticipates any in-person event occurring in October–November 2021. 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 117, Issue 1, which will be published in early fall of 2022.
  • 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.
  • 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 by a member of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law faculty for the 2021 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.

Questions should be directed to Symposium Editor Summer Zofrea at NULRSymposium@gmail.com.