The Colorado Environmental Law Journal is a student edited academic legal journal dedicated to natural resources and environmental law and policy at the local, national, and global scales. The Journal was formerly known as the Colorado Natural Resources, Energy & Environmental Law Review and we continue to publish articles within the same scope as under our former title.

The Environmental Law Journal is interested in articles submitted by authors that fall within our stated purpose. Authors uncertain whether their article is suitable for publication are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief to discuss the subject matter of their article.

Articles or other materials from authors may be accepted for publication prior to undergoing any editorial modifications. Such materials may also be conditionally accepted with the understanding that the author will undertake major modifications prior to publication. Where appropriate, papers may be reviewed by experts within the relevant field to aid the Environmental Law Journal’s publication decisions and editing processes. Editors will work with authors to refine the written product throughout the publication process, with the overall objective being to enhance the effectiveness of written communication.

Views expressed in the Environmental Law Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Environmental Law Journal’s Editors or Staff.

Articles Submission Information

The Colorado Natural Resources, Energy & Environmental Law Review welcomes the unsolicited submission of articles and provides the following guidance regarding submissions.

  1. The article must be accompanied by the author’s CV or resume. The author must have completed an advanced graduate degree, but a JD is not required.
  2. Most accepted articles are between 35 and 75 double-spaced manuscript pages in 12-point type. Papers longer than 125 pages will generally not be considered. Longer articles may be edited to meet publication requirements.
  3. The article must address one of the following fields: natural resources, energy, or environmental law and policy.
  4. Student notes are not accepted.
  5. Electronic submissions are preferred, either through ExpressO (http://www.bepress.com), Scholastica (https://cu-law-elr.scholasticahq.com/for-authors) or by email (elr.articles@colorado.edu).
  6. Hard copies submitted via mail are also accepted. Please submit a printed copy of your manuscript, accompanied by a Microsoft Word version on a PC compatible compact disc (CD). Once received, manuscript originals will be returned only if accompanied by sufficient postage. Please address manuscripts as follows:

Leads Articles Editor
Re: Manuscript Submission
Colorado Natural Resources, Energy & Environmental Law Review
320 Wolf Law Building
Campus Box 401
Boulder, CO 80309-0401

  1. Papers submitted for publication should use citation conventions from The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, Nineteenth Edition (2010), available from The Harvard Law Review Association; Gannet House; 1511 Massachusetts Avenue; Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, or at most law school bookstores and libraries. If you are unable to obtain this manual or are unfamiliar with legal citation format, please provide complete citation information in your footnotes. Please note that authors who cite to sources or references which are difficult or impossible to obtain will be expected to provide the Journal with a copy of the cited source by mail or fax after acceptance for publication and within a reasonable time after the Journal has requested it.

Articles Selection and Editing Process

To be accepted for publication, all papers must meet both the substantive and stylistic criteria of the Journal. Simply stated, papers must involve an examination of natural resources, energy, or environmental issues and be rigorously footnoted. In addition, we will select one exceptional article that addresses environmental issues with international implications for each issue.

The preliminary review process takes about two weeks.  Where appropriate, papers may be reviewed by experts in the relevant field to aid the Journal's selection decision and subsequent editing processes. You will be notified of the Journal’s decision upon completion of the review. In most cases of acceptance, we will make an offer of publication by electronic mail and then provide an electronic letter and copy of our standard author's contract. Articles or other materials from authors may be unconditionally accepted for publication prior to undergoing any editorial modifications. Materials may also be conditionally accepted with the understanding that the author will undertake major modifications prior to publication. Articles Editors will work with authors to refine the written product with the overall objective to enhance the effectiveness of written communication.

The Journal reserves the right to revoke acceptance of any paper which, upon closer examination, is not acceptable to the Journal in form or substance, or which contains information or citations which cannot be verified.

Accepted papers will be edited for substance, grammar, and verification of citations. The author retains control of any substantive changes, while the Journal staff controls grammatical and stylistic changes.

Authors of published papers receive two copies of the Journal issue containing their work and twenty bound reprints of their paper. Additional reprints are available upon request at the author's expense.

For more information about the article submission process or for answers to specific questions, please contact the Lead Articles Editor via e-mail at elr.articles@colorado.edu.