American Journal of Jurisprudence

American Journal of Jurisprudence
Title	American Journal of Jurisprudence
Discipline	Law
Language	English
Abbreviation	Am. J. Jurisprud.
Publisher	University of Notre Dame Press
Country	United States
History	1956–present
Frequency	Biannual

American Journal of Jurisprudence The American Journal of Jurisprudence is a scholarly periodical devoted to topics in jurisprudence and legal philosophy, associated with the University of Notre Dame. It features contributions from scholars linked to institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, University of Chicago Law School, Columbia Law School, and Oxford University. The journal situates articles in conversation with traditions exemplified by figures associated with St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, John Rawls, H.L.A. Hart, and Lon L. Fuller.

History

Founded in the mid-20th century, the journal emerged amid intellectual currents connecting Catholic University of America, Notre Dame Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and scholars influenced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. Early editorial leadership included academics associated with University of Notre Dame and visiting contributors from Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Fordham University. The journal's evolution intersected with debates that involved participants from University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and legal thinkers responding to events like the aftermath of World War II and jurisprudential shifts prompted by decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States and comparative law currents in Naples and Paris.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes work on jurisprudence, natural law, legal theory, and the philosophy of law, engaging writers connected to Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jeremy Bentham, G.W.F. Hegel, and modern figures such as Ronald Dworkin, Richard Posner, Jürgen Habermas, and G. E. M. Anscombe. It has featured symposia addressing intersections with theology represented by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and scholars from The Pontifical Gregorian University and Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, alongside dialogues with specialists from Max Planck Society, American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Articles often reference canonical texts like Summa Theologica, Nicomachean Ethics, A Theory of Justice, and The Concept of Law.

Editorial Structure and Publication

The editorial board is based at University of Notre Dame with contributions from faculty and visiting scholars affiliated with Stanford Law School, Duke University School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and international partners including Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The journal appears biannually and follows peer review practices similar to those used by journals such as The Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and The Modern Law Review. Its production has involved collaborators from Cambridge University Press and distribution networks linked to Project MUSE and academic libraries at institutions like Library of Congress, British Library, and Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Notable Articles and Contributions

The journal has published influential articles engaging debates initiated by thinkers like Alasdair MacIntyre, Michael Sandel, Paul Ricoeur, Stanley Fish, J.L. Austin, and John Finnis. Special issues have convened essays responding to jurisprudential landmarks such as The Federalist Papers, Marbury v. Madison, Brown v. Board of Education, and comparative studies involving Code Napoléon and the German Civil Code. Contributors have included scholars from Georgetown University, Boston College, Vanderbilt University Law School, Emory University School of Law, University of Virginia School of Law, and visiting philosophers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Australian National University.

Reception and Impact

Scholarly reception has placed the journal among specialized venues alongside Ratio Juris, Law and Philosophy, American Journal of International Law, and The Journal of Legal Studies. Citations appear in work by academics at Princeton University, Yale University, Rutgers University, University of California, Berkeley, and in policy discussions referenced by practitioners at American Bar Association events and legal think tanks such as Brookings Institution and Cato Institute. The journal's influence extends to curricula at Notre Dame Law School, Georgetown University, Boston College Law School, and seminar programs at institutions like The Institute for Advanced Study.

Access and Indexing

Back issues are held in university libraries including University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Library, Harvard Law School Library, Yale Law Library, and repositories such as JSTOR and HeinOnline. The journal is indexed in databases used by scholars at Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and legal research services such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. Subscription and archival access are managed through the University of Notre Dame Press and participating academic consortia across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Category:Law journals Category:University of Notre Dame