The Harvard Law Review, a prestigious law journal, yesterday altered its method of selecting members to try to increase the number of minorities and women on the publication.

By a vote of 45 to 39, the review membership adopted an affirmative action proposal that gives minorities and women a greater chance to join the review.

Currently the Law Review has only one minority member, and fewer than a dozen women. Last year, it selected only three women and no minorities to join the organization which has more than 80 members.

"Everyone on the review recognizes the underrepresentation of minorities and women." Stuart Einger, president of the review, said recently, adding that the review created a committee last fall to consult with women and minority student groups to propose solutions to the problem.

In the past the review offered membership to the five highest - ranking students in each of four sections into which first-year students are randomly divided. Under the new procedure, the review will offer membership to the top four students in each section, and will then search for the highest-ranking minority member among the next 25 highest-ranking students in that section. If no minority student is found in this group, the review will select the section's highest-ranking woman.

The Women's Law Association (WLA), a student group at the school, supported the proposal, Cheryl Hoffman, chairman of the WLA, said yesterday, adding there is "no doubt that there will be more than one woman" among the top 29 students of each section--thus insuring a female representative for each section without a minority among its top 29 members.

Penny Marshall, president of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), another organization consulted by the Law Review committee, said yesterday BLSA "feels the proposal is a step in the right direction because it begins to deal with the question of minorities not being on the review."

The proposal does not change the rules of the review's annual writing competition, whose winners are also offered review membership. But the review did adopt a program to provide more information and encouragement about the writing competition for minority students.

Proponents of the affirmative action proposal argued that the new election procedure would increase diversity at the review and help to remedy the effects of past discrimination, Bruce N. Kuhlik, an editor of the review, said yesterday, adding that Law Review membership often helps members obtain an academic appointment. "Many Harvard Law faculty members were once on the review," he added.

Opponents of the new plan argued that all students should be evalued on their performance, not their race, Kuhlik said. He added that opponents also felt those students selected because of the new procedures might feel stigmatized.