The Most-Cited Law Review Articles of All Time

 

An article in the June 2012 Michigan Law Review titled the Most-Cited Law Review Articles of All Time presents an updated study of the law review articles most often cited within other articles.  The author, Fred R. Shapiro, says of the 1985 study which this brings up to date, “Such a project falls somewhere between historiography and parlor game, and I will not claim any more significance for it than is warranted. It is my hope, however, that by listing these articles I will draw attention to writings that, by virtue of their objectively measured impact, deserve to be called classics of legal scholarship.”

The study lists both the 100 most cited articles of all time and the articles cited most within the last twenty years, as well as provides other rankings.  It offers an interesting look at current and historical trends in legal thought, as well as at characteristics of authors and law schools.  You can read the full article on the Michigan Law Review’s website and peruse various tables printed in the journal here.