Need to choose a topic for your Law Review Comment or your Journal Note? The resources below have been compiled by Law Library reference librarians to help you learn more about selecting and developing your topic. For specific resources and strategies for choosing your topic see: Starting Resources; Circuit Split Resources; Current Awareness Resources; Public Policy, Legislative & Regulatory Development Resources; and Resources for Cases of First Impression.
These Starting Resources provide a general discussion on topic selection strategies. This is a good place to start if you are trying to get a big picture understanding of the writing process.
Looking for newsworthy topics? Learn about news and get ideas from legal newspapers, general news sources, current awareness services and blogs.
Helpful Resources
Access Practice Areas off of the homepage in Westlaw.
Podcasts
Just listen to your favorite podcasts with your comment/note in mind!
Want to find topics in which states are divided or circuits are split? Look in 50 state surveys or on blogs such as Circuit Splits. Every month BNA U.S. Law Week describes the issues in circuit court splits. You will also find new scholarship on such topics in recent working papers published in SSRN and Bepress.
Helpful Resources
Want to discuss a subject in need of legislative change? Access recent CRS Reports in ProQuest Congressional to examine legislative issues. These are the same reports that Congress members use to be current on legislative issues.
Helpful Resources
Need to find topics in which the court is examining a question for the first time?
Searches: