Publishers often make distinctions between three versions of a manuscript when detailing the archive or deposit rights retained by authors: the pre-print, the post-print and the publishers version.
Pre-print – A pre-print is the original version of the manuscript as it is submitted to a journal. While the authors may have sought help from their colleagues in selecting data analysis techniques, improving manuscript clarity, and correcting grammar, the pre-print has not been through a process of peer review. It typically looks like a double spaced Word file with minimal formatting.
Post-print – A post-print is has been through the peer review process and incorporated reviewers comments. It is the final version of the paper before it is sent off the the journal for publication. It may be missing a final copyedit and won’t be formatted to look like the journal. It still looks like the double spaced Word file.
Publishers version/PDF/Version of Record – This is the version of record that is published on the publishers website after being professionally typeset by the publisher. Library databases will link to this version of the paper. It usually has copyright imprints, final pagination, and volume/issue information.
Review your author agreement to understand your rights. Many law reviews do not place restrictions on authors sharing the final version of an article on institutional repositories or networks like SSRN. Other interdisciplinary journals that are affiliated with commercial publishers will likely have restrictions on sharing the final version of an article. Each journal is different, and authors typically can negotiate for more favorable sharing terms when executing a publication agreement. This agreement typically includes a copyright transfer and is the best place to find this information.