Fordham Law Review

Fordham Law Review is a scholarly legal journal published by students at Fordham University School of Law in New York City. Established in 1914, it is one of the oldest and most cited law reviews in the United States, consistently ranked among the top general-interest legal periodicals. The journal publishes articles, essays, and notes on a wide array of legal topics, featuring contributions from prominent judges, legal scholars, and practitioners. Its editorial board is composed of students selected through a competitive process based on academic performance and a writing competition.

History and background

The journal was founded in 1914, making it one of the earliest law reviews established at a Catholic university in the United States. Its creation coincided with the growth of Fordham University School of Law and the broader legal education movement in early 20th-century America. Throughout its history, the publication has been housed at the law school's locations, including its original home in the Woolworth Building and later at the Lincoln Center campus. Key figures in its early development included deans like Ignatius M. Wilkinson and faculty advisors who helped shape its editorial standards. The review has maintained continuous publication through significant events including World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and shifts in American jurisprudence.

Content and focus

The journal publishes six issues annually, featuring long-form articles, shorter essays, and student-written notes. Its content spans a broad spectrum of legal disciplines, including constitutional law, criminal procedure, intellectual property, international law, and corporate governance. A significant portion of each volume is dedicated to symposia and special issues that delve into pressing contemporary legal debates, often featuring proceedings from conferences hosted by the law school. These collections have addressed topics such as securities regulation, cyber law, religious liberty under the First Amendment, and reforms to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The publication is indexed in major services like Westlaw, LexisNexis, and HeinOnline.

Editorial process and selection

Editorial control is vested in a board of student editors who manage the entire publication process, from article selection to final citation checking. The Editor-in-Chief and other senior editors are typically third-year Juris Doctor students. Membership is highly competitive, with candidates selected based on a combination of their first-year grade point average and performance in a annual writing competition, which involves editing a sample piece and analyzing a legal problem. The editorial process includes a rigorous peer-review and substantiation procedure, where staff editors meticulously check all citations to sources like United States Reports, the Federal Reporter, and scholarly texts. This training in legal writing and bluebook citation is a hallmark of the experience.

Notable articles and impact

The journal has published numerous influential articles that have shaped legal discourse and been cited by courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Seminal works have included early analyses of the Sherman Antitrust Act, critiques of *Miranda* doctrine, and pioneering scholarship on alternative dispute resolution. Its volumes are frequently cited in briefs before the United States courts of appeals and in opinions by jurists like Judge Richard Posner and Justice Stephen Breyer. The review's high "impact factor" in legal academia is regularly noted in rankings by Washington and Lee University School of Law. Its annual survey of Second Circuit decisions is a particularly well-known and frequently cited feature.

Associated programs and events

The organization hosts several major events each year, most notably the annual **Fordham Law Review** Symposium, which gathers academics, judges, and practitioners to discuss a cutting-edge legal topic. It also administers the **Judge James O. Ellison** Best Note Competition, awarding prizes for outstanding student scholarship. Furthermore, the review collaborates with other institutions at Fordham University, such as the Fordham Urban Law Journal and the Fordham International Law Journal, on joint conferences. Editors often participate in the National Conference of Law Reviews and engage with alumni through the Fordham Law Alumni Association. These activities extend the publication's influence beyond its pages into the wider legal community in New York and nationally.

Category:American law journals Category:Fordham University Category:Publications established in 1914