At least two law reviews currently have exclusive submission windows. See below for details.
Exclusive submission windows seem like a good idea, in general, and more law reviews seem to be using them recently. Most of the traditional peer reviewed journals already require exclusive submissions and it is nice to see some law reviews following along. The exclusivity requirement should cut down, substantially, on the number of submissions, allowing for a more thorough review. Exclusivity will also likely lead to some helpful self-selection because professors will not want to submit to a journal that is either too far above their target (unlikely to be accepted, which will delay their process) or below their target (may be accepted and they will be prevented from trading up).
I still think more law journals should move to blind review, which these exclusive submission window announcements do not promise, but the fact that exclusive submission windows cut submissions to a manageble number is important as well. While law review websites usually say the editors review each submitted article carefully, I find that unlikely when some of those law reviews get 2,000 or more submissions. The editors don't even have time to read each abstract carefully.
The promised information about the exclusive submission windows is below.
The University of Memphis Law Review:
The University of Memphis Law Review has 3 immediate openings for submissions for publication in issue 3 of this year's volume, which will be published in April 2015. The Editorial Board is looking for authors willing to submit exclusively to The University of Memphis Law Review in return for a guaranteed quick and thorough review and response (not later than four days after receipt). This expedited, exclusive review will be open until November 8, 2014. Articles may be submitted after this date, however there is not guarantee of an expedited response and open slots will be filled on a first-come basis.
Please direct submissions to Nick Margello at lawreview_editorinchief@memphis.edu and include the subject line “Exclusive Review.” No specific topics are requested, but the Law Review seeks timely, relevant articles between 7,000-18,000 words in the text. The University of Memphis Law Review has an excellent staff that works professionally with authors and consistently meets its own strict deadlines. If you have an article looking for a placement, please consider sending it along. Thanks for your interest.
The Kentucky Law Journal (h/t Faculty Lounge):
The Kentucky Law Journal is opening an exclusive submission window for articles until November 14, 2014, at 5:00 PM EDT. All papers submitted during this window will be reviewed for publication in Volume 103, Issue 4, set for publication in Spring 2015. By submitting your article during this window, you agree to accept a publication offer, should one be extended. This window is available for articles on all topics, including articles previously submitted to the Kentucky Law Journal, though resubmission will be required. Submissions should be between 15,000 and 25,000 words with citations meeting the requirements of The Bluebook.
Submissions should be sent via email to chrisheld.klj@gmail.com. Please include your article, a copy of your C.V. and a short abstract or cover letter.