Fordham University School of Law’s Voting Rights and Democracy Forum welcomes submissions for our online journal and blog (the Forum’s Commentary section). Please see below for details regarding submission guidelines and our selection criteria.

General Information:

The Forum is an online publication dedicated to publishing timely articles, essays, and commentaries on voting rights and democracy-related issues, as well as how these areas intersect with racial and gender justice, and issues of social equity more generally. The primary focus of the Forum is the United States, however, comparative pieces dealing with other countries are welcome. As one of the first journals exclusively focused on voting rights and democracy-related issues, the Forum publishes pieces on topics including, but not limited to:

• ballot access,
• ballot initiatives,
• campaign finances,
• contested elections,
• democracy reform,
• executive powers,
• election administration and monitoring,
• election reform,
• legislation and statutory interpretation,
• judicial reforms,
• political campaigns,
• political parties,
• lobbying and ethics reform,
• presidential succession,
• recall elections,
• redistricting,
• the rule of law, and
• voting technology.

Submission Guidelines:

Articles & Essays:

The Forum publishes scholarly pieces by law professors and students, judges, legal practitioners, policymakers, and other legal experts. We publish throughout the academic year and accept submissions on a continuous basis. We are currently reviewing submissions for Volume 1 (Issues No. 4) to be published during the 2023 spring academic year. The Forum publishes two types of content in our online journal: 

• Articles: are 10,000 words or less (including footnotes) and tend to analyze a problem and offer a solution. Articles usually provide some background information to the reader before addressing a novel argument. While there is no preferred structure, most published articles make concise arguments and follow a traditional roadmap of an introduction, background, analysis/arguments, and conclusion. Articles tend to be formal in tone and ground analysis in substantive support with consistent citation.  Article submissions should include a brief abstract.
• Essays: are 3,000 words or less (including footnotes) and are shorter pieces that, for example, advance an idea, analyze a judicial case, or summarize a legal development. While essays are similar to articles with respect to scope and tone, there is no “typical” or preferred structure.  Essay submissions do not have to include an abstract.

Article and essay submissions to the Forum should be in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, with footnotes, not endnotes, according to the conventions found in the 21st edition of The Bluebook:  A Uniform System of Citation. 

How to Submit an Article or Essay:

Prospective authors are encouraged to submit through Scholastica or via email.

Submitting via Scholastica:

Submitting via Email:

To offer a submission via email, please email the Editor-in-Chief at democracyforum.eic@law.fordham.edu with “Article Submission” or “Essay Submission” in the subject line. Authors should submit a C.V. (or resume) with their manuscript. All sources must be sent by the author upon request. 

Commentaries:

The Forum publishes blog posts (commentaries) from law professors, students, and other legal practitioners. The Forum‘s Commentary section provides a space for immediate reactions and analysis of today’s most pressing legal issues affecting voting rights, civil rights, democratic institutions, elections, legislation, and democracy.

We are seeking commentaries between 400 and 1,000 words for publication with light editing from the Forum staff.  Additionally, submissions should contain hyperlinks to sources, but do not need to contain footnotes.  Examples of commentaries include:

• Explainers on a case, legislation, statute, or regulation;
• Opinion-editorials with a clear topic and theme;
• Analysis on an under-analyzed or undeveloped topic;
• Reactions to cases, active litigation, legislation, or regulations;
• Reviews of books and scholarly legal articles;
• Letters to the Editor in response to previously published commentaries, articles, and essays in the Forum.

How to Submit a Commentary:

All contributions should be sent to the Executive Commentary Editor at democracyforum.ece@law.fordham.edu with “Commentary Submission” in the subject line. Current law students should additionally submit a C.V. (or resume).

Resources Page:

Election law, voting, and democracy are complicated. The Forum hosts a Resources page that provides succinct explanations of relevant topics. Additionally, the Forum Resources page highlights scholarly articles, opinion editorials, and blog posts by a variety of legal professionals. If you would like your scholarship to be featured, please email our Executive Resources Page Editor at democracyproject@law.fordham.edu with “Resources Page Submission” in the subject line.