About the Review

A law review is a publication dedicated to examining legal questions in depth. At many law schools, law reviews publish articles by legal scholars and practitioners alongside work written by law students. Student editors evaluate submissions, check sources, edit arguments, review citations, and prepare each issue for publication. The process asks both writers and editors to engage closely with the law: What does a rule say? How have courts applied it? Where do reasonable people disagree? What should happen next?

For many law students, joining a law review is one of their first opportunities to take part in that process. They learn to read legal scholarship critically, make precise arguments, support claims with authority, and respond to rigorous editing. Their work contributes to conversations that extend beyond the classroom.

Undergraduates can take part in those conversations, too. A growing number of universities have established undergraduate law reviews to give students a place to explore legal questions before law school. An undergraduate author might examine a recent court decision, compare laws in different states, study how a legal rule affects a community, or argue for a change in policy. Students gain practical experience with legal research and writing while producing work that others can read, question, and build on.

The Kappa Alpha Pi National Undergraduate Law Review creates a new opportunity for students across the country. Most undergraduate law reviews are connected to one campus. KAPi’s Review will bring together students from our national network and give their work an audience beyond their university. A student researching an issue in one state can share that analysis with readers and fellow students in many others.

The Review is staffed by KAPi students and alumni who serve on its editorial board. Together, they review submissions, work with authors to develop their notes, check sources and citations, and prepare selected work for publication. Serving on the editorial board gives KAPi students experience with the other side of the publication process: reading closely, giving useful feedback, and helping a writer make an argument stronger.

The Review will publish student notes. A note is a focused, researched piece that asks a legal question and makes an original argument. It is more than a summary of a case or an opinion about a policy. A strong note explains the relevant law, examines the evidence, considers competing views where appropriate, and shows readers how the author reached a conclusion.

Students do not need to be law or political science majors, and they do not need to have their careers planned out. Law touches every field—from health care and technology to housing, education, business, and elections. We want students with different interests and experiences to bring their questions to the Review.

Publishing a note is also a chance to grow as a writer. Authors selected for publication will work with editors to strengthen their arguments, clarify their writing, and check their citations. The goal is to produce work students are proud to put their names on—and to give readers a reason to think more deeply about the issues it raises.

The inaugural edition of the Kappa Alpha Pi National Undergraduate Law Review is scheduled for summer 2027. Students interested in being considered for that edition should submit a note by December 31, 2026.