The National Law Review print edition was founded in January 1888 in
Philadelphia by publishers and book sellers Kay & Brother, which initially specialized in publishing analysis on Pennsylvania legal developments authored by practicing attorneys. The print edition of
The National Law Review was a monthly scholarly
law review, which included sections such as Current Legal News, a
Book Review section, a Digest of Important Decisions which summarized recent judicial decisions in various states, and a section devoted to Current Legal Thought organized by legal topic.
The National Law Review premiered during an era when legal news and analysis resources authored by practitioners were considered an "almost indispensable auxiliary to the profession" and forty-two new law journals began in United States in the 1870s alone and even more in the 1880s. Academic law reviews continued going strong but few of the local law-focused and attorney-authored publications survived after
West Publishing began to dominate the legal publishing market in the early 1900s by eliminating or consolidating numerous local legal reporters and many of the attorney-authored law reviews. Articles in law reviews were often considered a persuasive authority in American courts, though this influence is generally thought to be waning in recent years.
21st century The online edition of
The National Law Review was founded by corporate attorneys and internet professionals in order to provide an easily accessible and reliable resource of litigation and regulatory news articles written by vetted experts analyzing legal news and trends. The on-line edition has been described as more straightforward, practical and informative than a traditional
law review, containing information of potential interest to both legal and business professionals, and it often serves as a reference source to other
legal periodicals. In addition to serving as a source on emerging American legal issues to mainstream media,
The National Law Review provides several services of interest to practicing lawyers and law students. Since 2018, the publication has honored approximately 75 noteworthy legal authors each year, which is less than 1% of the journal's contributing authors through the National Law Review's Go To Thought Leadership Awards! ==References==