Journal rankings · indicator year 2025
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Subfield ranking · 2025
Law journal rankings 2025
46 ranked journals · Subfield in Social Sciences
Law has 46 ranked journals in 2025. The median journal has an OJR of 0.81, below the world average of 1.00, down 0.02 on 2024; Q1 starts at OJR 1.73. No journal’s likely rank range stays within the top 3, so the intro names none.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2025. Journal access status and listed APC: source snapshot September 23, 2026.
Journals whose main subfield sits in this category and that published at least 30 citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) in 2022–2024, the window the 2025 score is computed on.
The OpenJournalRank Indicator (OJR) is a free, publicly available metric of a journal’s field-normalized citation impact, computed from open OpenAlex citation data. It compares citations to a journal’s papers from the previous three years with the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and values can be compared across fields. It is computed with the NCI3 method.
The middle OJR among ranked journals in this category: half score higher, half lower. 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type.
The dot is this category, the solid tick is the median of all ranked journals and the dashed line is the world average.
Share of ranked journals in this category that are fully open access, so every paper is free to read. Hybrid journals, which sell subscriptions and open single papers for a fee, are not counted.
Median list price of the article processing charge, in US dollars, among ranked journals in this category that list a price above zero. Journals with a listed APC of $0 and journals with no known price are left out of this median. The At a glance table below gives a second median that includes the $0 prices.
Subfields of Social Sciences (22)
46 ranked journals
Filters
Rank is the position by OJR within the list on screen; 1 is the highest. The small range under it is the likely rank range: in 95% of 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers, it ranked inside that range. Journals whose ranges overlap are not clearly different. | OJR is field-normalized 3-year citation impact: 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so values compare across fields. The badge is the journal’s quartile in this list. | Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is not field-normalized, so compare it only between journals of the same field. ▲ or ▼ is the change from 2024. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2022–2024, the window the 2025 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2022–2024 papers that are free to read in any open-access form. The green OA tag next to a title marks a fully open-access journal. | List price of the article processing charge in US dollars. “$0 listed” means the listed price is zero; a dash means no price is listed. | The line is the journal’s OJR from 2016 to 2025. A label compares the 2022→2025 change with the median change of the journal’s field or domain. Rising needs a relative change of +10% or more that is at least 2 standard errors above zero; Falling needs -9.1% or less (rounded), at least 2 standard errors below zero. Sorting uses that relative change. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank 1; likely between #1 and #13 of 46Journal of Human Rights and the EnvironmentEdward Elgar Publishing | 3.02Q1 | 1.27 0.84 down from 2024 | 48 | 25% | — | ||
Rank 2; likely between #1 and #11 of 46Transnational Environmental LawCambridge University Press · United Kingdom | 2.55Q1 | 2.56 0.11 up from 2024 | 88 | 87% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 3; likely between #1 and #24 of 46Journal of Law and CourtsUniversity of Chicago Press | 2.25Q1 | 2.24 1.02 up from 2024 | 49 | 91% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 4; likely between #1 and #14 of 46Law & Society ReviewCambridge University Press · United States | 2.23Q1 | 1.99 0.15 up from 2024 | 117 | 58% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 5; likely between #1 and #19 of 46The Law TeacherTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 2.13Q1 | 0.98 0.22 up from 2024 | 117 | 68% | — | ||
Rank 6; likely between #1 and #22 of 46International Journal of Discrimination and the LawSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 2.09Q1 | 1.37 0.13 up from 2024 | 48 | 75% | $3,650 | ||
Rank 7; likely between #1 and #23 of 46Australian Feminist Law JournalRoutledge · Australia | 2.05Q1 | 2.26 1.08 up from 2024 | 40 | 50% | — | ||
Rank 8; likely between #2 and #20 of 46International Journal of Legal DiscourseDe Gruyter · Germany | 2.03Q1 | 3.38 0.67 up from 2024 | 54 | 9% | $2,712 | ||
Rank 9; likely between #3 and #15 of 46Review of European Comparative & International Environmental LawWiley · United Kingdom | 1.94Q1 | 2.29 0.06 up from 2024 | 129 | 58% | $3,750 | ||
Rank 10; likely between #3 and #17 of 46Journal of Consumer PolicySpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.86Q1 | 3.10 0.36 up from 2024 | 71 | 74% | $3,390 | ||
Rank 11; likely between #4 and #18 of 46Journal of Law and SocietyWiley · United Kingdom | 1.75Q1 | 1.28 0.49 down from 2024 | 118 | 70% | $3,170 | ||
Rank 12; likely between #4 and #18 of 46Journal of Political EcologyOAUniversity of Arizona · United States | 1.73Q1 | 2.49 0.11 up from 2024 | 185 | 100% | — | Rising vs field, 2022–25 | |
Rank 13; likely between #3 and #21 of 46Feminist Legal StudiesSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.70Q2 | 1.54 0.56 up from 2024 | 71 | 66% | $2,190 | ||
Rank 14; likely between #2 and #30 of 46Philosophers ImprintOAMichigan Publishing · United States | 1.55Q2 | 0.44 1.35 down from 2024 | 110 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 15; likely between #3 and #33 of 46International Journal of the Legal ProfessionTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.53Q2 | 1.15 0.31 up from 2024 | 46 | 71% | — | ||
Rank 16; likely between #2 and #36 of 46Philosophy Theory and Practice in BiologyOAUniversity of Michigan Library · United States | 1.50Q2 | 1.45 0.44 down from 2024 | 38 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 17; likely between #4 and #28 of 46Justice System JournalTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.45Q2 | —no 2024 value | 31 | — | — | ||
Rank 18; likely between #12 and #23 of 46International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridiqueSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.22Q2 | 1.19 0.43 down from 2024 | 339 | 46% | $3,090 | ||
Rank 19; likely between #4 and #38 of 46Tilburg Law ReviewOABrill · Netherlands | 1.18Q2 | 0.67 0.27 down from 2024 | 39 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 20; likely between #13 and #25 of 46Modern Law ReviewWiley · United Kingdom | 1.16Q2 | 0.79 0.30 down from 2024 | 211 | 69% | $3,400 | ||
Rank 21; likely between #16 and #26 of 46International Journal of Law in ContextCambridge University Press · United Kingdom | 1.02Q2 | 1.07 0.05 down from 2024 | 123 | 89% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 22; likely between #17 and #34 of 46Legal StudiesCambridge University Press · United Kingdom | 0.85Q2 | 0.74 0.01 down from 2024 | 128 | 89% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 23; likely between #15 and #38 of 46Law and CritiqueSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 0.82Q2 | 0.50 0.42 down from 2024 | 74 | 67% | $3,090 | ||
Rank 24; likely between #17 and #36 of 46Revista Española de Investigación CriminológicaOASpain | 0.81Q3 | 0.70 0.06 down from 2024 | 60 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 25; likely between #17 and #37 of 46Global JuristDe Gruyter · United States | 0.80Q3 | 0.75 0.56 down from 2024 | 40 | 22% | $2,712 | ||
Rank 26; likely between #17 and #35 of 46Journal of Property Planning and Environmental LawEmerald Publishing Limited · United Kingdom | 0.80Q3 | 1.15 0.67 up from 2024 | 32 | 40% | — | ||
Rank 27; likely between #14 and #40 of 46Law Culture and the HumanitiesSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 0.79Q3 | 0.27 0.15 down from 2024 | 58 | 27% | $3,650 | ||
Rank 28; likely between #17 and #37 of 46The International Journal of Evidence & ProofSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 0.78Q3 | 0.90 0.07 down from 2024 | 58 | 65% | $3,650 | ||
Rank 29; likely between #19 and #34 of 46Environmental Policy and LawIOS Press · Netherlands | 0.77Q3 | 1.80 0.99 up from 2024 | 105 | 100% | $0 listed | Rising vs field, 2022–25 | |
Rank 30; likely between #18 and #37 of 46Journal of Electronic PublishingOAMichigan Publishing · United States | 0.74Q3 | 0.48no change | 59 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 31; likely between #20 and #42 of 46Currents Journal of Diversity Scholarship for Social ChangeOAUniversity of Michigan Library · United States | 0.61Q3 | 0.50 0.24 up from 2024 | 34 | — | — | ||
Rank 32; likely between #23 and #41 of 46Open Library of HumanitiesOAOpen Library of Humanities · United Kingdom | 0.60Q3 | 0.42 0.32 down from 2024 | 86 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 33; likely between #21 and #42 of 46Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly CommunicationOAPacific University Library · United States | 0.59Q3 | 0.48 0.27 down from 2024 | 88 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 34; likely between #27 and #40 of 46Zygon®OAWiley · United States | 0.54Q3 | 0.56 0.03 up from 2024 | 237 | 100% | $2,630 | ||
Rank 35; likely between #27 and #40 of 46Journal of Social Welfare and Family LawTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.54Q3 | 0.58 0.26 down from 2024 | 122 | 86% | — | Falling vs field, 2022–25 | |
Rank 36; likely between #25 and #42 of 46Liverpool Law ReviewSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 0.50Q4 | 0.57 0.31 up from 2024 | 66 | 33% | $3,090 | ||
Rank 37; likely between #29 and #42 of 46IDP Revista de Internet Derecho y PolíticaOAOpen University of Catalonia · Spain | 0.47Q4 | 0.50 0.26 down from 2024 | 63 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 38; likely between #28 and #42 of 46Canadian Journal of Law and Society / Revue Canadienne Droit et SociétéOACambridge University Press · United Kingdom | 0.46Q4 | 0.41 0.09 down from 2024 | 75 | 100% | $3,550 | ||
Rank 39; likely between #32 and #42 of 46GRUR InternationalOxford University Press · Germany | 0.41Q4 | 0.51 0.07 down from 2024 | 418 | 23% | $4,380 | Rising vs field, 2022–25 | |
Rank 40; likely between #30 and #43 of 46REI - REVISTA ESTUDOS INSTITUCIONAISOAFederal University of Rio de Janeiro · Brazil | 0.41Q4 | 0.32 0.42 down from 2024 | 121 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 41; likely between #28 and #43 of 46Zeitschrift für RechtssoziologieDe Gruyter · Germany | 0.38Q4 | 0.24 0.02 down from 2024 | 60 | 90% | $0 listed | ||
Rank 42; likely between #30 and #44 of 46Theoretical Roman Archaeology JournalOATheoretical Roman Archaeology Conference · United Kingdom | 0.34Q4 | 0.22 0.07 down from 2024 | 48 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 43; likely between #40 and #45 of 46Revista de Estudos Empíricos em DireitoOARede de Pesquisa Empírica em Direito · Brazil | 0.22Q4 | 0.18 0.09 down from 2024 | 90 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 44; likely between #43 and #46 of 46Amicus CuriaeOAUnited Kingdom | 0.14Q4 | 0.16 0.04 up from 2024 | 146 | 100% | — | ||
Rank 45; likely between #43 and #46 of 46Datenschutz und Datensicherheit - DuDSpringer Science+Business Media | 0.12Q4 | 0.11 0.05 down from 2024 | 442 | 19% | $3,190 | Falling vs field, 2022–25 | |
Rank 46; likely between #44 and #46 of 46Legal Information ManagementCambridge University Press · United Kingdom | 0.08Q4 | 0.12 0.34 down from 2024 | 154 | 21% | $3,550 |
3 Law journals are labelled rising: their OJR moved up between 2022 and 2025 clearly faster than the median journal of their field or domain.
A journal is rising when its OJR grew from 2022 to 2025 faster than the median journal of its field (or domain, when the field is small), by two tests: the relative change is +10% or more, and it is at least 2 standard errors above zero. So the range of the change at 2 standard errors stays above zero, though not necessarily above +10%.
The bar is that range on a ratio scale; the shaded band, -9.1% to +10%, holds changes too small for a label. The list is ordered by the low end of the range, so the surest rises come first.
- 1Environmental Policy and LawIOS Press · Netherlands+303% vs groupOJR 0.20 → 0.77range +140% to +577%
- 2Journal of Political EcologyOAUniversity of Arizona · United States+87% vs groupOJR 0.98 → 1.73range +22% to +188%
- 3GRUR InternationalOxford University Press · Germany+89% vs groupOJR 0.23 → 0.41range +5.6% to +238%
No-label zone, -9.1% to +10%Group median changeBar scale -87% to +645% (ratio scale)
2 Law journals are labelled falling: their OJR moved between 2022 and 2025 clearly behind the median journal of their field or domain.
A journal is falling when its OJR changed from 2022 to 2025 by less than the median journal of its field (or domain, when the field is small), by two tests: the relative change is -9.1% or less (rounded), and it is at least 2 standard errors below zero. So the range of the change at 2 standard errors stays below zero, though not necessarily below -9.1%.
The bar is that range on a ratio scale; the shaded band, -9.1% to +10%, holds changes too small for a label. The list is ordered by the high end of the range, so the surest falls come first.
- 1Journal of Social Welfare and Family LawTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom-64% vs groupOJR 1.59 → 0.54range -79% to -37%
- 2Datenschutz und Datensicherheit - DuDSpringer Science+Business Media-46% vs groupOJR 0.24 → 0.12range -67% to -13%
No-label zone, -9.1% to +10%Group median changeBar scale -81% to +425% (ratio scale)
Subfields of Social Sciences, with Law highlighted.
- Sociology and Political Science1,388
- Education693
- Political Science and International Relations322
- Communication71
- Gender Studies65
- Safety Research61
- Urban Studies54
- Health53
- Transportation51
- Linguistics and Language50
- Public Administration49
- Law46
- Demography38
- Library and Information Sciences38
- Anthropology37
- Geography, Planning and Development34
- Cultural Studies8
- Development4
- General Social Sciences2
- Human Factors and Ergonomics1
- Life-span and Life-course Studies1
- Archeology0
Journals
The endpoints below each rank show its likely range. How rank ranges are calculated
Citations made in 2025. Corpus-wide, 84.3% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
13 additional Law journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2022–2024, at least 80% of them with a subfield, and a positive world-average expectation. Ranks are within the whole category; filters hide rows without re-ranking. OJR excludes self-citations.
At a glance
Indicator year: 2025. Publication window: 2022–2024. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 46
- Window papers (baseline)
- 126,586 +9.1% from indicator year 2022
- Median OJR
- 0.81 -9.4% from indicator year 2022
- Rising journals (2025)
- 3
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2022–2024 in all journals of the world-average baseline, including non-core journals, counted by each paper’s own subfield. They are not the papers of the ranked journals alone.
| Measure | Year series | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked journals | 26 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 39 | 37 | 40 | 45 | 42 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 45 | 46 | 46 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 20,760 | 23,088 | 25,138 | 27,078 | 29,298 | 32,993 | 37,542 | 42,263 | 45,900 | 49,233 | 52,379 | 56,365 | 60,266 | 63,498 | 67,376 | 75,231 | 83,225 | 90,875 | 93,598 | 96,498 | 99,517 | 107,426 | 115,990 | 118,267 | 121,355 | 126,586 | |
| Median OJR | 0.526 | 0.55 | 0.483 | 0.478 | 0.482 | 0.41 | 0.535 | 0.43 | 0.530 | 0.70 | 0.65 | 0.52 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.74 | 0.87 | 0.8856 | 0.91 | 0.95 | 0.99 | 0.901 | 0.85 | 0.896 | 0.8862 | 0.83 | 0.81 |
How to read these rankings
- OJR, the OpenJournalRank Indicator
- A field-normalized 3-year citation impact, computed from OpenAlex with the NCI3 method. It divides the citations a journal’s papers received by the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and 2.00 means twice as many citations as expected. Because it is normalized, it can be compared across fields. Read the methodology
- Quartiles
- Q1 to Q4 split the ranked journals of the list you are viewing into four equal groups by OJR. A journal’s quartile depends on the list: the same journal can be Q1 in its subfield and Q2 among all journals.
- Impact factor (2-year)
- Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is easy to compare with familiar impact factors but is not field-normalized, so compare it only within a field. It is not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. Why it differs from the Journal Impact Factor
- Rank ranges
- Each rank in the latest year carries a likely range from 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers. Where two journals’ ranges overlap, the data cannot tell them apart, so treat neighbouring ranks as ties.