TheMichigan Law Review was established in 1902, after Gustavus Ohlinger, a student in theLaw Department (now the Law School) of theUniversity of Michigan, approached the dean with a proposal for a law journal.[1] TheMichigan Law Review was originally intended as a forum in which the faculty of the Law Department could publish its legal scholarship. The faculty resolution creating theMichigan Law Review required every faculty member to submit two articles per year to the new journal.[1]
From its inception until 1940, theMichigan Law Review's student members worked under the direction of faculty members who served aseditor-in-chief.[1] The first of these was Floyd Mechem, the last Paul Kauper. In 1940, the first student editor-in-chief was selected. During the years that followed, student editors were given increasing responsibility and autonomy; today, theMichigan Law Review is run with no faculty supervision.[1] The current editor-in-chief is Heather Jane Foster.[2] Day-to-day production operations are overseen by the current managing editor, Robert N. Brewer, executive production editor, Margaret R. Larin, and executive development editor, James W. Fitts III.[2]
Seven of each volume's eight issues ordinarily are composed of two major parts: "Articles" by legal scholars and practitioners and "Notes" written by the student editors. One issue in each volume is devoted to book reviews. Occasionally special issues are devoted to symposia or colloquia.[citation needed]
In 2016, PrawfsBlawg ranked theMichigan Law Review as the sixth best law journal by weighing its Google Scholar Metrics law journal ranking, US News Peer Reputation Ranking, US News Overall Ranking, and the W&L Combined Ranking.[3][4] Based on data from 2009 through 2016,Washington and Lee University School of Law ranked theMichigan Law Review as the seventh best law journal.[5] According to Google Scholar Metrics, theMichigan Law Review was the seventh best law journal in 2015 and the sixth best law journal in 2014.[6][7]
According to Washington and Lee University School of Law's Law Library, theMichigan Law Review is the seventh most cited law journal in academic works, being cited in journals 3888 times between 2009 and 2016, and the sixth most cited law journal by courts, being cited in 128 cases between 2009 and 2016.[5] As of 2012, theMichigan Law Review has published 4 of the 100 most cited law journal articles of all time—the fifth highest of any law journal.[8] Of the 95 articles that constitute the 5 most cited law journal articles from each year between 1991 and 2009, 9 of them were published by theMichigan Law Review—the 5th most of any law journal.[8]
TheMichigan Raw Review, a parody of theMichigan Law Review, was published annually by the Barristers Society, a self-styled honorary at the University of Michigan Law School. TheRaw Review used the same cover, layout, and typeface, but contained content totally dissimilar, leaning to the "insulting and semi-pornographic".[9]
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