Law and Contemporary Problems

Aims & Scope

Law and Contemporary Problems was founded in 1933 and is the oldest journal published at Duke Law School.

It is a quarterly, interdisciplinary, faculty-edited publication of Duke Law School.

L&CP recognizes that many fields in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities can enhance the development and understanding of law.

It is our purpose to seek out these areas of overlap and to publish balanced symposia that enlighten not just legal readers, but readers from these other disciplines as well.

L&CP uses a symposium format, generally publishing one symposium per issue on a topic of contemporary concern.

Authors and articles are selected to ensure that each issue collectively creates a unified presentation of the contemporary problem under consideration.

L&CP hosts an annual conference at Duke Law School featuring the authors of one of the year’s four symposia.

Metrics & Ranking

Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar

Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Social Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

Licensing & Copyright

This journal operates under an Open Access model. Articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to share and adapt the work with proper attribution.

Copyright remains with the author(s), and no permission is required for non-commercial use, provided the original source is cited.

Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• The Effects of Volunteering on the Volunteer

  Citation: 252

  Authors: John, Marc

• Youth Violence in Boston: Gun Markets, Serious Youth Offenders, and a Use-Reduction Strategy

  Citation: 223

  Authors: David M., Anne M., Anthony A.

• Where Now for Saving Lives?

  Citation: 185

  Authors: Richard, Donald

• Judicializing Politics, Politicizing Law

  Citation: 178

  Authors: John

• Volunteering in Cross-National Perspective: Initial Comparisons

  Citation: 173

  Authors: Helmut K., Lester M.

• Learning the Skills of Policing

  Citation: 169

  Authors: David H., Egon

• Child-Custody Adjudication: Judicial Functions in the Face of Indeterminacy

  Citation: 155

  Authors: Robert H.

• Presidents and the Politics of Structure

  Citation: 126

  Authors: Terry M., Scott A.

• International Crimes: "Jus Cogens" and "Obligatio Erga Omnes"

  Citation: 112

  Authors: M. Cherif

• The Frequency and Severity of Medical Malpractice Claims: New Evidence

  Citation: 112

  Authors: Patricia M.