Journal of Education Finance & Law (JEFL) - Submission Guidelines

All manuscripts should be submitted electronically to Kayla Wester, Managing Editor, at JEFL@educationlaw.org. For questions or inquiries regarding submissions, contact JEFL@educationlaw.org.

Publication Standards

Contributors submitting manuscripts should consult University of Illinois Press’ Publication Policies & Ethics.

To maintain the integrity of our peer-review process and published scholarship, the following disclosures are mandatory at the time of submission:

• AI Disclosure Statement: Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies (such as LLMs or image generators) in the preparation of the manuscript. This statement should identify the tool used and the nature of its application (e.g., “Generative AI [Tool Name] was used to assist in data organization/drafting”). Basic tools for grammar and spell-checking do not require disclosure. AI cannot be listed as an author.
• Conflict of Interest and Funding: Authors must include a statement disclosing any financial or non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the research. If no conflict exists, please state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this manuscript.” Additionally, please list all sources of funding or grants that supported the work.

Manuscript Style, Length, and Format

Authors may determine which style guide, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed., The Chicago Manual of Style, or The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 20th ed., is appropriate to their discipline. However, all manuscript must have a reference list.

The manuscript text should be as brief and concise as proper presentation of research and concepts will allow. Below are recommended guidelines for length, depending on the type of manuscript. These recommendations are based on Times New Roman font, 12 pt., double-spaced, and 1 inch margins on all sides.

• Research articles: 10,000-12,000 words (not including tables, graphs, and images)
• Law reviews: 20,000-25,000 words, including footnotes
• Policy Briefs: 2,500-7,500 words
• References are not included in the page count

All manuscripts must include a concise abstract of no more than 250 words. The abstract should clearly state the research problem, methodology, key findings, and implications for education law or policy.

When appropriate, present data in figures and tables to clarify information for readers.

• Refer in the text to any figure or table so readers can find the supporting documentation.
• Place all figures and tables at the end of the text, and type figure captions on a separate page rather than with the original figures. This page is not counted in the manuscript length limit.
• For every table, figure, or image, authors must provide a text-based description (Alt-Text). This description should summarize the core data or visual message in 1-3 sentences so that the content is fully ADA-compliant. Do not rely solely on titles or captions; the description should allow a reader to understand the data without seeing the graphic.