Submission Guidelines
Clause and Claws Law Review
I. Types of Submissions
We accept manuscripts on any topic of contemporary legal relevance, meeting the following criteria:
II. General Submission Guidelines
- Manuscripts must not be co-authored by more than two people.
- Authors may submit only one manuscript per author or co-author team.
- Authors will be informed of manuscript status after every review stage.
- Editorial decisions are based solely on final manuscript review.
- Manuscripts not conforming to guidelines may be rejected at the Editorial Board's discretion.
- The Editorial Board may request modifications at any stage.
- The Editorial Board's decisions are final and binding.
III. Citation Standards
- Citations must strictly conform to Bluebook (21st Edition) standards.
- Use only footnotes for citations.
- Speaking/substantive footnotes are highly discouraged.
- SCC citations for cases must be preferred where available.
IV. Style & Formatting Guidelines
Text Formatting
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Title | Times New Roman, 14pt, 1.5 spacing, Bold, ALL CAPS, Center |
| Abstract | Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.15 spacing, Italics, Justified, 2cm indent |
| Heading Level 1 | Times New Roman, 14pt, Bold, Small Caps, Center (I, II, III...) |
| Heading Level 2 | Times New Roman, 12pt, Italics, Sentence case, Center (A, B, C...) |
| Heading Level 3 | Times New Roman, 12pt, Italics & Underlined, Left (a), b), c)...) |
| Heading Level 4 | Times New Roman, 12pt, Italics, Left (i., ii., iii....) |
| Main Body | Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.15 spacing, Justified, 1-inch margins |
| Footnotes | Times New Roman, 10pt, 1.0 spacing, Justified |
Additional Style Rules
- Acronyms and short forms must be spelled out in parentheses on first use.
- Case names, publications, books, and foreign words should be italicized.
- Numbers should be written in words.
- Use the '%' symbol for percentages.
- For case names, use bold & italic font (e.g., KS Puttaswamy vs. Union of India).
- Page Layout: Portrait orientation with 2cm margins on all sides.
- No page borders should be used.
V. Evaluation Parameters
A. Technical Review
Plagiarism Policy (Grounds for Immediate Rejection):
- Manuscripts must be original and free of plagiarized content (less than 10%).
- Manuscripts without footnotes will be rejected at Stage I.
- Paraphrasing or verbatim usage without citation qualifies as plagiarism.
- Any plagiarism in abstract or conclusion = immediate disqualification.
- Secondary plagiarism (plagiarism of sources) = immediate disqualification.
B. Content Review Criteria
1. Grammar and Language
Language must be crisp and concise. Direct statements preferred over indirect. Minimize passive voice. Avoid unnecessary repetition and long-winded sentences.
2. Structure and Logical Coherence
Manuscript must be logically sound with clear structure and proper flow. Arguments must be based on correct premises, not incorrect presumptions.
3. Contribution to Existing Literature
For extensively written topics, clearly state your contribution. Merely quoting/summarizing precedents is inadequate. Novel explanations and interpretations are appreciated.
4. Contemporary Relevance
Include recent developments. Address trending societal and legal issues deserving attention. Highlight relevance in the introduction.
5. Referencing and Research
Demonstrate in-depth research, not superficial. Be aware of when to cite, what to cite, and the relevance of citations.