The best way to learn how to practice law is by doing it. But what if you want to get a head start on your legal education? What if you want to practice law in a particular field? One of the best ways to do this is to read journals in that area.
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What is a law Journal?
Law journals are publications that report and analyze court decisions from around the country. The primary purpose of law journals is to publish articles and opinions from appellate courts, called cases. Cases have facts and circumstances surrounding them, which gives them more context than can be found in a typical textbook.
By reading cases from different sources, you can compare different rulings about similar issues and better understand how the law applies in different situations, thereby enhancing your ability to predict outcomes in unfamiliar circumstances. Reading cases also enhances your ability to read legislation.
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You will become familiar with the legal language used by legislators and understand why they use that language. Studying cases will also improve your reasoning abilities as you analyze case facts, apply rules of statutory interpretation, and draw conclusions based on prior court decisions or common law principles.
The more you know about logic, the better able you will be to create arguments on your exam essays and during court hearings.
What are the top law Journals to read?
With the number of law journals offered by over 1000 legal colleges across India, it may be difficult for new law students to find the right journal for their academic and professional aspirations.
Law schools offers you plenty of opportunities to broaden your academic horizons. Among the library, the choice of journals is staggering. It might be difficult to choose the right journal for you, but your seniors and friends from college or for that matter your teachers will always offer advice if you ask them for help.
However, here’s a small compact list of journals:
- National University of Juridical Sciences Law Review (NUJS LR)
- National Law School of India Review (NLSIR)
- Indian Journal of Arbitration Law (IJIAL)
- Aligarh Law Journal (ALJ)
- Chanakya National Law University Journal (CNLU J)
- Nirma University Law Journal (NULJ)
- Journal of Indian Law and Society (JILS)
- Pune University Journal of Legal Studies (PUJOLS)
- Karnataka State University Journal of Law (KSUJL)
- University Institute of Legal Studies Student’s Journal (UIOLS SJ)*
Should you write in a legal journal?
If you are a law student, the question of whether you should contribute to legal journals may have crossed your mind. If this is the case, then you are not alone. Law students across the country ask themselves this question on a regular basis.
There are several reasons why law students ask this question, but the major one is due to the fact that they currently lack experience in legal writing and do not know if or how an article will be beneficial to them in the future.
Students who have already decided that they want to write for a journal ask themselves when and how to start contributing. This can be a tricky decision, because there is no correct answer. There are many reasons why law students should consider contributing to legal journals.
The first reason is simply because that is what lawyers do. Like it or not, the legal profession places a high value on publishing in law journals. Many judges and attorneys view legal articles as valuable sources of information and new ideas that can impact their practice. In addition, professors place a high emphasis on article writing in their courses (and often require students to write one), so students who do not publish risk being at a disadvantage as compared to those who do publish. There are also other reasons why law students should consider writing for law journals
There are numerous law journals dedicated to advancing the legal system. Should law students contribute to one of them?
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Akshay, a 3rd year student at the University of North Bengal, explains the top ten reasons why law students should contribute to these journals. He also provides some insightful tips on how to get published in a journal and how it can help with your career goals.
- Improve Your Writing Skills
- Gain Experience as a Researcher
- Build Your Professional Network
- Enhance Your Credibility as an Expert in Your Field
- Gain Experience Working with Others and Developing Leadership Skills
- Learn How to Write for an Audience Outside of Law School
- Learn How to Manage Multiple Projects at Once and Prioritize Different Duties within a Project
- Increase Your Knowledge of Law, Legal History, and Legal Theory by Examining Issues from Many Angles
- Pursue Opportunities that May Not be Available Anywhere Else (such as working with non-profit organizations or government agencies on projects of national importance).
- Contribute to Public Good
Contribute to journals. Not getting a journal article published is like failing to send a resume with your application for a job: it’s the one thing that defines you, and yet somehow it’s optional. Treat contributing to legal journals as a professional responsibility.
Conclusion
People have a lot of opinions about the future of law journals. There are those who think that law journals are becoming obsolete and that there is no use for them. However, there are others who believe that the future of law journal lies in digital publishing. As technology brings mass production and content to the average person, we will see changes in how people want information. There will be more on-demand/streaming services, and we’re going to see them mirrored in popularized legal practice and education.
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By publishing in law journals, law students get a chance to partner with professionals and build their reputation at school. This can help them develop their writing skills and learn from the contributions of others. Unlike popular magazines, legal journals do not just rely on a catchy title; they rely on scholarly authors to produce the best content possible. Legal scholarship is an important area of research as it contributes to the evolution of laws and regulation that affect every citizen. This is why students should make efforts to publish their research and opinions in law journals.
These top 10 law journals for students in India are doing a great job of making people aware of current, critical issues. In addition, many of these journals provide an opportunity for students to learn how to prepare and write articles that will be beneficial to their future careers.
Passionate about using the law to make a difference in people’s lives. An Advocate by profession.
