The journal is one of the most cited legal publications in the United States (with an impact factor of 5.000)[2] and usually generates the highest number of citations per published article.

[3] The journal, which is published eight times per year, contains articles, essays, features, and book reviews by professional legal scholars as well as student-written notes and comments.

Alumni include Supreme Court justices (Samuel Alito, Abe Fortas, Brett Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor, Potter Stewart) and numerous judges on the United States courts of appeals (Duane Benton, Stephanos Bibas, Guido Calabresi, Steven Colloton, Morton Ira Greenberg, Stephen A. Higginson, Andrew D. Hurwitz, Robert Katzmann, Scott Matheson, William J. Nardini, Michael H. Park, Jill A. Pryor, Richard G. Taranto, Patricia Wald, Cory T. Wilson).

Alumni have also served as United States Attorneys General (Nicholas Katzenbach, Peter Keisler) and United States Solicitors General (Walter E. Dellinger III, Neal Katyal, Seth P. Waxman).

In addition, numerous editors have gone on to serve as high-ranking public officials (Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Michael Bennet, Senator Richard Blumenthal, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler, National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, Vice President JD Vance).