---
name: hlr-placement-strategy
description: Use when planning where and when to submit a law-review article and how to leverage offers — the distinctive Scholastica multi-submit, expedite mechanics, and the February-March / August seasons, with the Harvard Law Review (HLR) as a top target. Plans placement and timing; it does not run the final upload preflight (hlr-submission).
---

# Placement Strategy (hlr-placement-strategy)

US law-review placement is unlike peer review. Authors submit a **near-final** article to **many journals
at once** through **Scholastica** (some also use ExpressO), then use an **offer from one journal to
expedite** review at higher-ranked journals. Timing is everything: there are two seasons, and slots fill
fast. This skill plans the submission set, the expedite ladder, and the calendar — with HLR as a reach
target that does not skip its review stages for expedites.

## When to trigger

- Deciding which journals to submit to, and in what wave
- You hold an offer and must decide whether and how to expedite
- Timing the submission to a season
- Setting the order: submit broadly, or start narrow and widen?

## The two seasons (time the submission)

| Season | Opens | Dynamics |
|--------|-------|----------|
| **Spring (main)** | journals open late Jan; most on **Feb 1** | The big window — ~one-third of submissions in the six weeks after Feb 1; most slots open |
| **Fall (smaller)** | journals open late July; most on **Aug 1** | Smaller window — ~one-fifth of submissions after Aug 1; fewer remaining slots |

> Earlier in a season = more open slots; top journals fill fastest. Submitting mid-season into a crowded
> hot topic is the weakest position. (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准 for exact open dates.)

## The multi-submit + expedite mechanic

1. **Submit broadly through Scholastica.** A single manuscript goes to a chosen set of journals at once.
   Many authors run a **wave** strategy: a core target set first, widening if no offers come.
2. **Get an offer.** An offer from a journal comes with a deadline to accept.
3. **Expedite up.** Using Scholastica's bulk expedite, notify higher-ranked journals that you hold an
   offer with a deadline, asking them to review before it expires. Expedite requests are visible to
   editors immediately in their work area.
4. **Ladder the offers.** A better offer becomes the new floor for the next expedite round.
5. **Withdraw** from lower journals once you accept, in bulk, promptly and courteously.

> **Only expedite with an offer in hand.** Expediting without one wastes editors' time and burns goodwill.

## HLR-specific placement facts (verify on the official page)

- HLR itself intakes on its **own electronic submission system** — **not Scholastica**; you still run the
  broad multi-submit/expedite **ladder on Scholastica for peer journals** (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准 for any
  additional channel/email).
- HLR states it makes every effort to honor expedite requests but **does not omit any of its review
  stages** in response — an HLR expedite does not buy a shortcut, only attention.
- HLR and several peer journals have committed to give every author **at least seven days** to decide
  whether to accept an offer of publication — build that window into your ladder. (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准.)
- HLR is a **reach** target for most authors; pair it with realistic peers in your submission set.

## Building the submission set

| Tier | Role in your set | Strategy |
|------|------------------|----------|
| Reach (incl. HLR, peer flagships) | The dream placement | Submit early in the season; expect long odds |
| Match (strong generals/specialties) | The realistic best case | The core wave; likely source of your first real offer |
| Floor (solid placements you'd accept) | The expedite engine | An early offer here is the lever to move the reach tier |

## Checklist

- [ ] Submission timed to a season (early > late); open dates checked
- [ ] Submission set tiered: reach / match / floor
- [ ] Wave plan decided (broad at once, or core-then-widen)
- [ ] Expedite plan: only after an offer; ladder offers upward in bulk
- [ ] The 7-day decision window and each offer deadline tracked
- [ ] Withdrawals sent promptly to journals you decline

## Anti-patterns

- Submitting off-season or late into a crowded hot topic
- Single-submitting when the norm is multi-submit + expedite (you forgo your only leverage)
- Expediting without an offer in hand (burns editor goodwill)
- Expecting an HLR expedite to skip review stages (it will not)
- Letting an offer deadline lapse because the ladder was not tracked

## Output format

```
【Season】Spring (Feb) / Fall (Aug) + how early
【Set】reach (incl. HLR) / match / floor — named
【Wave】broad-at-once or core-then-widen
【Expedite plan】offer-in-hand → ladder upward (bulk)
【Deadlines】offer windows + 7-day rule tracked? [Y/N]
【Next】hlr-submission (final upload preflight)
```

## Supplementary resources

- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — HLR submissions page, Scholastica, expedite/seven-day policy
- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — Scholastica, ExpressO, season-tracking resources