Setting a new standard for scholarly legal publishing, Stanford Law Review has become the first general interest, national law review to publish a digital edition in e-book formats including kindle, iPad, and Nook, among others.

With a focus on increased convenience, the e-book format allows readers to search for key terms and names in each issue. The digital version also includes relevant hyperlinks within the text.

“This gives our readers the opportunity to interact with articles, to search content, and more,” says Jonathan Goodwin ’11, the Stanford Law Review finance editor. Goodwin also notes the convenience of being able to quickly download new editions of casebooks in a digital format as they are updated, rather than having to purchase the same, often expensive, physical casebook with each update.

The launch of the digital issue in January has set off a number of similar ventures and the review’s digital publisher, Quid Pro Books, has seen an uptick in inquiries, according to Goodwin.

As more legal reviews follow, and lawyers and legal scholars become accustomed to digital reading, Goodwin sees additional potential to expand the review’s readership. “I can see us becoming more relevant for practitioners,” he says. “We have the opportunity to get more people involved in the conversation.”

And as e-book technology continues to develop, Stanford Law Review management plans to add increased interactivity, such as facilitating conversations among readers on its website and perhaps on e-readers. Digital editions of Stanford Law Review, Volume 63, Issues 1, 2, and 3 can be found in various e-book marketplaces online.