Journal profile · Medicine-Medicine (miscellaneous)
Journal of Law and the Biosciences
ISSN 2053-9711 · Oxford University Press · United Kingdom
Journal of Law and the Biosciences: CAS Zone 2 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.32; diamond open access (no APC); no APC; median 197 days to acceptance (55 articles, last 24 months); 31 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Law and the Biosciences is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 2 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Biomedical Ethics and Regulation, Ethics in Clinical Research and Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations, together about 33.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The ever-evolving nexus of technology and the biosciences is far-reaching, impacting areas well beyond traditional biology. From gene editing and synthetic biology to the ethical dilemmas of digital platforms on mental health and the potential threats and promises of AI for medical, scientific research, social institutions, and the legal profession, we are witnessing a convergence of scientific, technological, policy and legal developments. The intersection of science and technology with the intricacies of human biology and behavior calls for a deeper understanding of the ethical, social, and legal implications. The Journal of Law and the Biosciences publishes scholarship and commentary at the forefront of these discussions. Now entering its tenth year, the Journal of Law and the Biosciences (JLB) stands as a trailblazer, marking its reputation as the first fully open-access, peer-reviewed legal journal that rigorously explores the intersections of law, the biosciences, and the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Resulting from a collaboration between Duke University, Harvard University Law School, and Stanford University and proudly published by Oxford University Press, JLB serves as an interdisciplinary hub, dedicated to broadcasting innovative scholarship at the vanguard of these converging domains. The journal presents a rich tapestry of content, encompassing original research, discerning responses, analytical essays, and pertinent commentaries. Its scope delves into an expansive range of subjects, which, in addition to the aforementioned areas, also encompass AI's transformative impact on biosciences, medicine, and the legal sphere; the legal and ethical challenges posed by digital platforms; the societal implications of governance of science and technology; and the broader repercussions of tech advancements on human cognition, behavior, and rights. JLB publishes a consolidated volume featuring two issues every year, consistently refreshing its content online to ensure readers stay abreast of the latest developments. Journal metrics Citation metrics Clarivate 2025 Impact Factor 3.4 2025 5 Year Impact Factor 2.9 Law (Rank by Impact Factor) 12/443 Medicine, Legal (Rank by Impact Factor) 3/24 Ethics (Rank by Impact Factor) 13/78 Medical Ethics (Rank by Impact Factor) 7/22 2025 Cited Half-Life 4.6 years 2025 Immediacy Index 0.7 2025 Eigenfactor Score 0.00171 2025 Article Influence Score 1.031 Scopus 2025 CiteScore 6.2 Law (Rank by CiteScore) 54/1162 Biochemi
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Medicine (miscellaneous)
Editor-in-chief Nita FarahanyPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Biomedical Ethics and RegulationMedicine12.2%
- Ethics in Clinical ResearchMedicine11.7%
- Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical InnovationsNeuroscience9.7%
- Reproductive Health and TechnologiesMedicine8%
- Pharmaceutical Economics and PolicyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.2%
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of LifeEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Intellectual Property and PatentsBusiness, Management and Accounting4.9%
- Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric HealthcareMedicine4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medicine, Legal | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medicine, Legal | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medicine, Legal | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.32LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.08LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 50OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 228OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.81OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 98.89%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 28LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 266,115Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 523 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 23 | 13 |
| 2025 | 31 | 31 | 137 |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 | 259 |
| 2023 | 32 | 32 | 410 |
| 2022 | 33 | 33 | 498 |
| 2021 | 36 | 36 | 587 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
197 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 144 days – 253 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 40 days (58 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 257 days
- Sample
- 55 articles with submission and acceptance dates (61 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 13 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to final decision 2025
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 13 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Unspecified peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 0 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,625 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Discounts
- No discounts
- Page charges
- USD 3,625
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 20,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
- Templates
- Word
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- book reviewReviews of recently published books. Reviews should be no longer than 5,000 words.main text ≤ 5,000 words
- book reviewsReviews of recently published books. Reviews should be no longer than 5,000 words.Length not stated
- commentarye they contemporary or historical. Peer Commentaries Commentaries (of up to 2,000 words, including citations) on articles previously published in Jmain text ≤ 2,000 words
- essaysOriginal critical and academic essays up to 10,000 words on topics of interest be they contemporary or historical.Length not stated
- original articlel, practical, or policy oriented focus. Original Articles Original articles should explore their topic in depth in a manuscript ordinarily not to exceed 20,000 …main text ≤ 20,000 words
- original articlesOriginal articles should explore their topic in depth in a manuscript ordinarily not to exceed 20,000 words (all word limits include footnotes) in length, altho…Length not stated
- peer commentariesCommentaries (of up to 2,000 words, including citations) on articles previously published in JLB that provide experts in the field an opportunity to opine on a …Length not stated
- reviewws Reviews of recently published books. Reviews should be no longer than 5,000 words. Manuscript Requirements Manuscript Submissions Before submmain text ≤ 5,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
Each author listed on an article must participate sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. All authors should contribute substantially to the conception, execution, and analysis; be involved in drafting the article or revising it; and read and approve the final version of the manuscript. Other than in exceptional circumstances, the JLB does not add or remove authors'…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest is any personal, financial, or academic bias or interest in a subject matter that might reasonably be expected to affect the author's research findings or the manuscript's content. Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, personal relationships or rivalries, material financial interests or financial relationships, academic competition, agreements with study spo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Screening for Misconduct
Manuscripts submitted may be screened with iThenticate anti-plagiarism software in an attempt to detect and prevent plagiarism. Any manuscript may be screened, especially if there is reason to suppose part or all of the text has been previously published. Prior to final acceptance any manuscript that has not already been screened may be put through iThenticate. Please see more information about iT…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Open access Model summary
JLB is a fully open access journal, and all articles are published in the journal under an open access licence immediately upon publication. Details of the open access licences Journal (required) Please select Academic MedicineActa CytologicaActa HaematologicaAdaptationAesthetic Surgery JournalAesthetic Surgery Journal Open ForumAfrican AffairsAge And AgeingAJE Advances: Research in EpidemiologyAl…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Review Process
All articles published in JLB will be peer-reviewed. Unsolicited submissions will be initially reviewed by the managing editor, who will determine whether the submission meets the basic guidelines (e.g., addresses a topic relevant to law and the biosciences, is written in English, and is sufficiently understandable). If so, the managing editor will consult with the editors-in-chief to determine if…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy Model summary
Authors retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels, and this does not prevent submission to the journal. For further information see our Online Licensing, Copyright and Permissions policies. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including your published paper’s DOI, as described on our Author Self-Archiv…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2053-9711
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 13, Issue 2 (December 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Law and the Biosciences
What CAS zone is Journal of Law and the Biosciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Law and the Biosciences is in Zone 2 of Philosophy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Medicine, Legal / Ethics / Law / Medical Ethics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Law and the Biosciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.32; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 50.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Law and the Biosciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 55 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 197 days (interquartile range 144–253 days); authors report an average review time of about 13 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Law and the Biosciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 20,000 words; Reference style: Harvard; Templates: Word. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Journal of Law and the Biosciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Law and the Biosciences is indexed in SCIE, SSCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Journal of Law and the Biosciences open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Law and the Biosciences is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .