HOW TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE
The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law invites articles for review and publication consideration from academics, practitioners, policy markers, and students. Submissions must be previously unpublished, original works, demonstrating a high quality of writing, proper Bluebook citation for footnotes, and sound legal analysis.
The Journal will publish four times in academic year 2023–2024 for Volume 25.
Please submit an electronic Microsoft Word version of your article to articlesVJEL@vermontlaw.edu.
For a description of how we evaluate submissions, please see below.
Please direct submission and publication queries to Scott Berkley, Senior Articles Editor, TaylorScottBerkley@vermontlaw.edu, or Hope McLellan-Brandt, Environmental Justice Editor, HopeMcLellanBrandt@vermontlaw.edu, or Monica Nerz, Editor-in-Chief, MonicaNerz@vermontlaw.edu.
SELECTION PROCESS
Preliminary Review
The Senior Articles Editor conducts a preliminary review of the author’s submission to assess the following: (1) Use of authority; (2) Quality of writing; (3) Novelty of topic; and (4) Citation. If the submission does not pass this preliminary review, then the Journal will decline to offer publication and notify the author. If the submission passes this preliminary review, then the Senior Articles Editor will assign it to the Article Committee for further review.
The Environmental Justice Editor works in conjunction with the Senior Articles Editor and the Committee to review articles with an environmental justice focus. The Journal commits itself to publishing at least one environmental justice article per book for the academic year.
Full Review
At least two Articles Committee members will conduct a full review of the submission. Full review consists of reading and reviewing the submission with the following criteria in mind: (1) Use of authority; (2) Citation form; (3) Organization; (4) Grammar; and (5) Quality of writing.
Additionally, the Committee members consider the depth of the author’s argument, the submission’s potential value to the field of scholarship, and whether the submission furthers the Journal’s leadership as a top environmental law journal. Based on their review, the Committee members will either recommend or not recommend the submission for publication. The Senior Articles Editor, using member feedback and the Editor-in-Chief’s input, if necessary, will ultimately decide whether the Journal will offer publication to the author.
Once a final decision is made, the Senior Articles Editor or Environmental Justice Editor will notify the author of the Journal’s decision.
Please email Senior Articles Editor, Scott Berkley, Senior Articles Editor, for additional information or questions about the selection process at, TaylorScottBerkley@vermontlaw.edu.
EDITING PROCESS
The Journal’s production process includes three stages:
1. Cite Check
2. Line-by-Line
3. Final Proof
Please see below for more information.
Cite Check
Cite Check is the first stage of the production process. This stage involves staff editors thoroughly checking each footnote to ensure the footnotes support the corresponding assertions and reflect accurate citation formatting according to the 21st Bluebook Edition. Senior staff editors review staff editors’ work, checking that assertions are properly cited with appropriately formatted footnotes. In addition, the senior staff editors will notify the Senior Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief anytime a source cannot be found. The Senior Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief may then contact the author for further guidance.
Line-by-Line
Line-by-Line is the second stage of the production process. In this stage, staff editors review the manuscript for typographical and grammatical errors. This stage is fulfilled by the staff editors physically marking up the manuscript in hard copy format. The senior staff editors double check the corrections made by the staff editors and incorporate changes into the Microsoft Word manuscript version. Neither staff editors nor senior staff editors are allowed to make material changes to the manuscript. Staff editors and senior staff editors are encouraged to comment when language is unclear, however. If the language is so unclear as to require rewriting, then the Senior Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief will contact the author for his or her revision. After the Senior Managing Editor and the Editor-in-Chief review the work, the manuscript will be sent electronically to the author for review. This is an opportunity for the author to review our comments and corrections. Also, the author can recommend additional changes. The Journal values its relationships with authors. For this reason, author satisfaction of the revised manuscript is important to the Journal. The Journal’s production process seeks to ensure that not only is the work product of high quality, but also that the author is happy with their manuscript.
Final Proof
Final Proof is the last stage of the production process. The Journal incorporates the author’s changes into the manuscript, and the staff editors review the article once more for facial errors.
The production process is a thorough and highly meticulous process. Typically, the process takes between six and eight weeks.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the editing process.
WRITING COMPETITION
Contest Information
Submissions for the 2024 competition are now open! Click here for more information.
The winning essay will receive a $1000 cash prize and an offer of publication with the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law . At the discretion of the reviewing editors, additional submissions may also receive offers of publication. The winner of the competition will be announced in Spring 2024.