Format your manuscript to the Law & Society Review requirements — abstract, a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) references, and required declarations — and submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts without a formatting rejection.
4.8
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Law & Society Review before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around LSR’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the LSR author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to LSR’s specifications for the social scientific study of law and legal institutions. Law & Society Review is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Law and Society Association. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an abstract of ≤150 words. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through ScholarOne Manuscripts — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what LSR’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the LSR journal home page. LSR offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through ScholarOne Manuscripts, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | LSR requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an abstract of ≤150 words |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | ScholarOne Manuscripts |
Read the LSR author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent LSR papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the LSR author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, a Chicago style (confirm in the instructions for contributors) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts.