Since its inception in 1915 as the Iowa Law Bulletin, the Iowa Law Review has served as a scholarly legal journal, noting and analyzing developments in the law and suggesting future paths for the law to follow. Since 1935, students have edited and have managed Iowa Law Review, which is published at least five times annually. Iowa Law Review ranks high among the top “high impact” legal periodicals in the country, and its subscribers include legal practitioners and law libraries throughout the world.

Alumni of the Iowa Law Review have gone on to become successful lawyers, federal and state judges, law professors, politicians, and business people. The Iowa Law Review Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes former members of the Iowa Law Review for outstanding personal and professional achievement.

For a history of the Iowa Law Review’s first one hundred years, see Willard Boyd & Randall P. Bezanson, Iowa Law Review Centennial: Its Mission, History, and Future, 100 Iowa L. Rev. 455 (2015).

Other Articles discussing the history of the Law Review include:

• Todd Pettys, Iowa Law Review: A Century of Work Worth Doing, 100 Iowa L. Rev. 1917 (2015).
• Fred R. Shapiro, The Most-Cited Articles from the Iowa Law Review, 100 Iowa L. Rev. 1 (2014).
• Willard Boyd & Randall P. Bezanson, Ninety Years of the Iowa Law Review: The Personalities, Policies, and Events that Shaped an Enduring Tradition in Iowa Legal Education, 91 Iowa L. Rev. 1 (2005).
• Randall P. Bezanson, Reflections on the Iowa Law Review Past and Future, 75 Iowa L. Rev. 829 (1990).
• Willard L. Boyd, Judging the Iowa Law School, 75 Iowa L. Rev. 819 (1990).
• N. William Hines, The Iowa Law Review: A Tradition of Excellence, 75 Iowa L. Rev. 821 (1990).
• Richard A. Matasar, In Celebration of Seventy-Five Years of the Iowa Law Review, 75 Iowa L. Rev. 833 (1990).
• Mason Ladd, The Iowa Law Review: Maturity of Fifty Years, 50 Iowa L. Rev. 5 (1964).
• Frank R. Strong, The Iowa Law Review at Age Fifty, 50 Iowa L. Rev. 12 (1964).

Recent top-cited Articles published in Iowa Law Review include:

• Anya E.R. Prince & Daniel Schwarcz, Proxy Discrimination in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, 105 Iowa L. Rev. 1257 (2020). 
• Carissa Byrne Hessick & Michael Morse, Picking Prosecutors, 105 Iowa L. Rev. 1537 (2020).
• Jonathan H. Adler & Christopher J. Walker, Delegation and Time, 105 Iowa L. Rev. 1931 (2020).
• Leo E. Strine, Jr., Kirby M. Smith & Reilly S. Steel, Caremark and ESG, Perfect Together, 106 Iowa L. Rev. 1885 (2021).
• Shima Baradaran Baughman, Dividing Bail Reform, 105 Iowa L. Rev. 947 (2020). 

The Iowa Law Review is also committed to publishing scholarship that focuses on important issues facing the state of Iowa. Recent publications include:

• Holden C. Sinnard, Note, Family Time Is Money: Modernizing Iowa’s Child Labor Laws, 109 Iowa L. Rev. 1361 (2024).
• Joshua Winters, Note, A Case For Restricting Routine Vehicle Roadblocks in Iowa, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 2003 (2023).
• Luke W. Harvey, Note, Letting the Katz out of the Bag: Recent Developments in Iowa Trash-rip Jurisprudence, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 1437 (2023).
• Grace L. Vorbrich, Note, Ensuring Insurer Security: Where the Iowa Data Security Act Falls Short, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 1503 (2023).
• Mark Stephen Hart, Note, It Sure Can Get Cold in Des Moines: Why the Iowa Legislature Has Remained Frozen on Transfer on Death Deeds for Real Property, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 901 (2023). 
• Jenna E. Nelson, Note, Medicaid Recovery for All?: Iowa’s Controversial Managed Care Organization and the State’s Abrogation of the Collateral Source Rule, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 929 (2023). 
• Samantha S. Rose, Vindication for Victims: A Proposal to Eliminate the Civil Statute of Limitations for Minor Sexual Abuse Claims in Iowa, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 957 (2023). 
• Jad G. Elchahal, The Iowa General Assembly Must Act to Protect the Personal Property Rights of Tenants, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 409 (2022).
• Sean S. McGiverin, Regulating Alcohol Delivery by Third-Party Providers in Iowa, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 445 (2022).
• Rachel B. Zingg, Lights, Camera, Cause of Action: Bringing a Right of Publicity Statute to Iowa that Balances First Amendment Concerns, 108 Iowa L. Rev. 505 (2022).