Submission Guidelines
International Law Studies
Published since 1895, International Law Studies provides a forum for international law scholars and practitioners to publish articles that contribute to the development and broader understanding of the relationship between international security and international law. Particular emphasis is placed on maritime security law; the law of the sea, air and outer space; the law governing the use force; the law of armed conflict; international human rights law in armed conflict; international cyber law; and general public international law as it pertains to military strategy, policy and operations. The journal is renowned for publishing articles that impact the practice of States and upon which legal policy makers, government legal advisers, military attorneys and scholars dealing with international security law regularly rely.
Article Types International Law Studies publishes three types of articles:
- “Feature Articles”: Scholarly articles in traditional law review style providing in-depth analysis (8,000–20,000 words, including footnotes)
- “Situations”: Shorter analysis and commentary that addresses recent developments in international law or other international law topics of current interest (4,000–6,000 words, including footnotes). The title “Situations” is drawn from the original practice-oriented “Situations” that were published by the Naval War College beginning in 1895
- International law documents of particular significance prepared by government officials and agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, international groups of experts and other key international law actors
Publication Process International Law Studies typically publishes articles by invitation-only but will occasionally consider unsolicited submissions of high-quality original scholarship. Invitations to write often result from workshops and conferences the Stockton Center for International Law conducts for senior scholars and practitioners. Authors seeking to receive an invitation to publish should send a completed manuscript along with an abstract and current CV to ilssubmission@usnwc.edu. Submissions must also include a statement from the author that the article has not been published, submitted, or accepted in any other forum. Authors who receive an invitation to publish will have their pieces placed into our peer-review process and usually receive an expeditious acceptance/rejection decision.
Footnotes should conform to the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.), and authors must be prepared to supply any cited sources upon request. The Editorial Board is unable to provide feedback on articles that are not accepted for publication.
Editorial Process Articles are peer-reviewed by senior subject-matter experts in the field. A professional editorial staff of international law attorneys has responsibility for the editorial process.
