Beginning in August 2026, CBLR is comprehensively overhauling its submissions policy.

Timeline
CBLR reviews submissions twice a year, beginning on February 1st and August 1st. Each cycle will last as long as needed, but we expect to go no longer than six weeks.

Process
Every piece is reviewed by one to two staffers who then elect whether to forward the piece to Board Review. At Board Review, the selection committee (composed of Senior Executives and our Articles and Submissions team) votes on the piece, with a supermajority requirement to extend an offer of publication.

Expedited Review
CBLR intends to honor all expedited review requests—understanding that the greater notice we receive, the more attention and thought we are able to give to your piece.

Prior Author and Columbia-Affiliated Faculty Policy
Beginning in the August 2026 round, CBLR is offering an opt-in, guaranteed expedited review process for authors who have published with us previously or are affiliated with Columbia Law School (in recognition of the significant time and energy faculty spend on service related to CBLR).

Under this process, qualifying authors may inform CBLR they would like expedited review of their piece. An expedited piece will be automatically sent to Board Review and an author will be provided a decision within seven days. CBLR also commits to hold open any offer of publication for a minimum of one week. The same substantive standards for publication apply to expedited pieces as apply to all others.

Qualifying authors wishing to exercise this option may contact the Editor-in-Chief at bpt2110@columbia.edu or the Executive Articles Editor at hls2161@columbia.edu.

Format
CBLR accepts submissions in both double-spaced, 12-point font and pre-formatted law review style. CBLR ordinarily looks for pieces between 15,000 and 35,000 words. Authors should include a Word copy of their article, a cover letter, and a copy of their CV.

Expedited Review

If you have an offer from another journal and are interested in an expedited review, please contact us immediately using Scholastica’s expedite feature. Please note, however, that if CBLR extends an offer of publication as the result of an expedited review, the author has only 24 hours from actual notification to accept the offer.

Should you have any questions regarding submissions, please feel free to contact Crystal Le, Senior Submissions Editor, at cl4621@columbia.edu.

Content Policy

CBLR regularly receives questions about the scope of the subject matter we cover. What follows is an attempt to set out a conceptually coherent description of content we are interested in. Of course, our ultimate priority is publishing good and accurate scholarship—we encourage authors who are not certain whether their article falls within our content guidelines to submit.

CBLR publishes scholarship on Business Law, defined broadly.

To us, business law sits within three distinct pillars.

First, the law of corporations and other organizational forms—how corporations are organized, governed, and make decisions, as well as what rights directors, owners, executives, and employees have against each other. Often this is Delaware law, but not exclusively. We remain interested in and invite scholarship discussing other jurisdictions.

Second, the law regulating business and financial transactions. Traditional areas of doctrine include but are not limited to Securities Regulation, Bankruptcy, Antitrust and Utility Regulation, Administrative Law, Commercial Law, Secured Transactions, and the law of regulated industries. We also welcome scholarship on Civil Procedure and the courts that relates to business.

Third, the common law doctrines and concepts that underpin business relationships and transactions. This includes the theory of contracts, property, agency and torts. Often, it also includes scholarship on equity and remedies.

Two areas that we generally do not publish in are Tax and International law. These subjects often lie outside of our staffers core area of expertise, and we presumptively refrain from publishing in the area as a prudential matter. This is not a bright-line rule, and we are open to taking a piece in either subject if we think it is a good fit