The controlled radical polymerization of mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymers has triggered great interests in synthesis of complex structures as well as well-defined linear homopolymers with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distributions. This review highlights the synthetic strategies of controlled radical polymerization of linear homopolymers, star polymers, superbranched polymers, graft polyrners, block Copolymers, star block Copolymers, and so on. The employed living methods include nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 319-330, 2009