Google Scholar Metrics 2018 Law Review Rankings

Google Scholar has released its 2018 Scholar Metrics data, and the new law review rankings are available here. I have published these rankings for law reviews for most of the past several years, although they have often stimulated some controversy. 

This year, I decided to compare the Scholar Metrics results with the widely used Washington and Lee law review rankings. Both methodologies have strengths and weaknesses, which is why a combination of multiple ranking systems is preferable to any single ranking (see, for example, Bryce Newell's composite ranking here). 

I collected the Washington and Lee "combined" rankings for the top 250 law reviews from the Washington and Lee website (based on total citations by journals), as well as the Google Scholar h5-index for the same journals. The table below contains the numbers for each of these measures. The table is sorted by the average of Google’s h5 index and h5 median. Note that a fair number of journals were not available in Google Scholar, especially among the less-cited ones, so the data includes fewer than 250 total journals. This is not a complete list of journals and there are may, many journals ranked below all of these!

Note that you can click the hyperlinked numbers in the “Google h5-index” column to see the most cited articles published in the last five years for each journal.

Rank	Journal	Google h5-index	Google h-median	Google Avg	W&L Combined	W&L Journals
1	Harvard Law Review	45	76	60.5	100	6240
2	Yale Law Journal	45	67	56	94.7	5539
3	Columbia Law Review	34	61	47.5	78.6	4260
4	University of Pennsylvania Law Review	34	60	47	74.8	4204
5	Stanford Law Review	36	56	46	73.2	4005
6	Law and Human Behavior	34	48	41	7.2	394
7	Georgetown Law Journal	31	49	40	77.6	4223
8	California Law Review	27	53	40	60.3	3269
9	Cornell Law Review	31	48	39.5	60.1	3030
10	American Journal of International Law	26	53	39.5	24.2	1490
11	Texas Law Review	29	49	39	61.7	3646
12	Fordham Law Review	31	46	38.5	61.4	3661
13	New York University Law Review	31	44	37.5	63	3277
14	Virginia Law Review	29	46	37.5	55.4	3174
15	The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics	32	40	36	11.3	700
16	UCLA Law Review	29	41	35	60.5	3256
17	Minnesota Law Review	28	41	34.5	62.8	3376
18	University of Chicago Law Review	31	38	34.5	48.9	2873
19	The Journal of Law and Economics	25	43	34	8.8	462
20	Iowa Law Review	29	38	33.5	60.6	3229
21	Vanderbilt Law Review	25	41	33	52.6	2842
22	Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy	23	41	32	33.7	1798
23	Duke Law Journal	26	37	31.5	60.1	3030
24	Michigan Law Review	28	34	31	69	3540
25	Boston University Law Review	26	35	30.5	52.2	2997
26	George Washington Law Review	25	34	29.5	42.6	2298
27	William & Mary Law Review	26	32	29	47.3	2625
28	Emory Law Journal	23	35	29	37.2	1840
29	Boston College Law Review	25	32	28.5	50.6	2737
30	Indiana Law Journal	24	33	28.5	48.9	2578
31	Southern California Law Review	21	36	28.5	31.2	1639
32	Journal of Empirical Legal Studies	22	35	28.5	18.8	901
33	Washington Law Review	22	34	28	22.8	1217
34	University of Illinois Law Review	23	32	27.5	41	2360
35	Berkeley Technology Law Journal	21	34	27.5	29.4	1463
36	European Journal Of International Law	22	33	27.5	10.7	645
37	Notre Dame Law Review	24	30	27	55.5	3021
38	Law & Society Review	23	31	27	10.4	575
39	The Journal of Legal Studies	20	34	27	13.6	562
40	Washington University Law Review	22	31	26.5	36.9	1980
41	Washington & Lee Law Review	22	31	26.5	32.9	1842
42	Maryland Law Review	17	35	26	27	1364
43	Family Court Review	17	35	26	8.4	491
44	Northwestern University Law Review	22	29	25.5	49.1	2611
45	Wisconsin Law Review	20	31	25.5	33.6	1809
46	German Law Journal	23	27	25	6.9	407
47	Ohio State Law Journal	19	30	24.5	33.3	1611
48	Florida Law Review	19	29	24	49.5	2514
49	Law & Social Inquiry	20	28	24	11.3	590
50	Case Western Reserve Law Review	19	27	23	20.9	1094
51	American Journal of Comparative Law	17	29	23	20.4	976
52	Journal of Corporation Law	19	27	23	20.1	941
53	Hastings Law Journal	19	26	22.5	37.5	2028
54	Law and Contemporary Problems	19	26	22.5	18.5	984
55	UC Irvine Law Review	18	27	22.5		675
56	UC Davis Law Review	19	25	22	34.9	1914
57	Harvard Law Review Forum	15	29	22	16.2	834
58	Columbia Journal of Transnational Law	16	28	22	9.2	409
59	Arizona Law Review	19	24	21.5	30.6	1549
60	Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology	19	24	21.5	31	1387
61	Wake Forest Law Review	18	24	21	29.3	1628
62	American University Law Review	17	25	21	31	1557
63	Cardozo Law Review	16	25	20.5	49.1	2799
64	Business Lawyer	15	26	20.5	18.2	1030
65	American Journal of Law & Medicine	15	26	20.5	10	603
66	Utah Law Review	14	26	20	24.9	1376
67	Fordham International Law Journal	16	24	20	13.2	679
68	North Carolina Law Review	16	23	19.5	44.1	2313
69	Connecticut Law Review	16	22	19	46.5	2188
70	Lewis & Clark Law Review	14	24	19	30.8	1544
71	Fordham Urban Law Journal	15	23	19	23.6	1254
72	University of Colorado Law Review	15	23	19	18.4	1015
73	Alabama Law Review	15	22	18.5	28.1	1370
74	George Mason Law Review	15	22	18.5	28.5	1333
75	Houston Law Review	16	21	18.5	23.3	1189
76	American Criminal Law Review	16	21	18.5	17.4	928
77	University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law	16	20	18	27.6	1431
78	Arizona State Law Journal	15	21	18	18.6	974
79	Washington University Journal of Law & Policy	12	24	18	13.7	752
80	Chicago Journal of International Law	15	21	18	15.7	638
81	New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy	11	25	18	11.6	530
82	University of Cincinnati Law Review	11	24	17.5	18.1	1011
83	Administrative Law Review	14	21	17.5	20.4	960
84	Brigham Young University Law Review	15	19	17	25.2	1340
85	Michigan State Law Review	15	19	17	20.6	1108
86	DePaul Law Review	14	20	17	20.6	981
87	University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform	15	19	17	18.2	927
88	University of Miami Law Review	15	19	17	16.6	869
89	Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law	14	20	17	16.9	842
90	University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law	13	21	17	11.6	533
91	Brooklyn Law Review	15	18	16.5	21.2	1117
92	Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law	14	19	16.5	12.9	698
93	American University International Law Review	11	22	16.5	8.4	409
94	William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal	12	20	16	19.6	1015
95	Loyola University Chicago Law Journal	12	20	16	19	935
96	Journal of Legal Education	14	18	16	14.4	766
97	Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology	14	18	16	15	667
98	West Virginia Law Review	10	22	16	10.9	575
99	Duquesne Law Review	13	19	16	10.4	508
100	Albany Law Review	14	17	15.5	16.8	940
101	San Diego Law Review	13	18	15.5	16.4	865
102	Chicago-Kent Law Review	14	17	15.5	16.1	860
103	Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law	13	18	15.5	14.1	714
104	Hofstra Law Review	12	18	15	13.4	711
105	SMU Law Review	11	19	15	12.4	696
106	Constitutional Commentary	11	19	15	14.2	594
107	Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics	13	16	14.5	18.6	1010
108	University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law	12	17	14.5	16.9	866
109	Marquette Law Review	12	17	14.5	17	857
110	Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly	12	17	14.5	15.7	634
111	Theoretical Inquiries in Law	13	16	14.5	8.7	420
112	Penn State Law Review	12	16	14	23.2	1093
113	Louisiana Law Review	10	18	14	17	804
114	Texas Tech Law Review	10	18	14	14.2	759
115	Georgetown Journal of International Law	12	16	14	12.4	595
116	Ecology Law Quarterly	11	17	14	11.7	577
117	Florida Tax Review	11	17	14	12	452
118	Seattle University Law Review	12	15	13.5	23	1318
119	Pepperdine Law Review	12	15	13.5	21.6	1105
120	Seton Hall Law Review	12	15	13.5	20	1064
121	Tulane Law Review	11	16	13.5	18.1	1032
122	Indiana Law Review	12	15	13.5	16.4	890
123	Florida State University Law Review	12	15	13.5	18.4	839
124	Nevada Law Journal	12	15	13.5	17.3	798
125	Temple Law Review	11	16	13.5	14.6	724
126	Maine Law Review	10	17	13.5	9.5	458
127	New York University Journal of Law & Liberty	10	17	13.5	11.2	416
128	Missouri Law Review	11	15	13	16.2	864
129	University of Kansas Law Review	12	14	13	14.4	803
130	Buffalo Law Review	11	15	13	17.7	762
131	Catholic University Law Review	11	15	13	14.8	702
132	Environmental Law	12	14	13	13.2	622
133	Nebraska Law Review	11	15	13	13.4	594
134	Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts	11	15	13	12.4	536
135	Journal of Gender, Race & Justice	10	16	13	10.5	448
136	Georgia Law Review	11	14	12.5	24.4	1062
137	Tennessee Law Review	11	14	12.5	13.3	685
138	University of Chicago Legal Forum	12	13	12.5	9.7	453
139	Oklahoma Law Review	11	14	12.5	9.3	440
140	Arkansas Law Review	11	14	12.5	8.1	436
141	New York University Review of Law & Social Change	10	15	12.5	10.5	404
142	Oregon Law Review	10	14	12	19	950
143	South Carolina Law Review	11	13	12	14.4	768
144	Villanova Law Review	11	13	12	12.1	648
145	New York University Journal of International Law and Politics	10	14	12	8.7	486
146	Denver University Law Review	9	14	11.5	17.8	938
147	University of Richmond Law Review	11	12	11.5	16.8	884
148	Saint Louis University Law Journal	9	14	11.5	13.2	738
149	Kentucky Law Journal	9	14	11.5	14	643
150	Brooklyn Journal International Law	10	13	11.5	11.1	523
151	Urban Lawyer	9	14	11.5	7.7	431
152	William Mitchell Law Review	8	14	11	14.9	831
153	Vermont Law Review	9	13	11	15.4	818
154	UMKC Law Review	10	12	11	12.4	704
155	Howard Law Journal	9	13	11	13.2	637
156	Capital University Law Review	9	13	11	10.5	462
157	Syracuse Law Review	6	16	11	7.9	419
158	Emory International Law Review	9	13	11	8.5	400
159	Cleveland State Law Review	9	12	10.5	12.6	536
160	Food and Drug Law Journal	10	11	10.5	9.3	414
161	Santa Clara Law Review	9	11	10	17.3	858
162	Mississippi Law Journal	9	11	10	15.2	744
163	Pace Law Review	9	11	10	13.2	679
164	Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal	8	12	10	15.2	660
165	Drake Law Review	8	12	10	12.8	625
166	New York Law School Law Review	7	12	9.5	16.5	875
167	Suffolk University Law Review	8	11	9.5	8.9	499
168	University of Toledo Law Review	8	11	9.5	8.3	457
169	University of Memphis Law Review	8	11	9.5	9.5	438
170	John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law	7	12	9.5	9.7	434
171	Chapman Law Review	8	11	9.5	9.9	429
172	William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review	8	11	9.5	8.9	408
173	Loyola Law Review	8	10	9	16.5	868
174	Rutgers Law Review	8	10	9	13.6	715
175	South Dakota Law Review	7	11	9	8.8	431
176	Yale Law Journal Forum	7	10	8.5	18.8	869
177	Washburn Law Journal	8	9	8.5	11.6	627
178	Valparaiso University Law Review	7	10	8.5	8.9	484
179	Touro Law Review	8	9	8.5	7.5	416
180	Southwestern Law Review	7	10	8.5	8.1	400
181	Georgia State University Law Review	7	8	7.5	13.7	724
182	Mercer Law Review	6	8	7	9.9	526
183	John Marshall Law Review	7	7	7	8.8	445
184	University of Pennsylvania Law Review Online	5	8	6.5	8.5	450
185	Seattle Journal for Social Justice	6	7	6.5	7.7	416
186	Creighton Law Review	5	7	6	10.5	530

 

Comments

[Irine]

Hi, could you please share how you were able to list more than 20 journals in the top journals list from GS metrics? I tried using similar query setting as the article result list, but was unable to. The url that i tried: https://scholar.google.com/citations?start=30&view_op=top_venues&hl=en&vq=hum

Thanks!

[Rob Anderson]

Irine: Unfortunately I had to search them one-by-one. I don't think there is a way to load more than 20 at a time.