Emory Law Journal

Emory Law Journal
Title	Emory Law Journal
Discipline	Law
Abbreviation	Emory Law J.
Publisher	Emory University School of Law
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1950–present

Emory Law Journal is a student-edited legal periodical associated with Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. The journal publishes scholarship across multiple areas of United States law and comparative law, featuring contributions from judges, practitioners, and academics. It serves as a platform connecting legal scholars, federal and state courts, and policy institutions.

History

The journal was founded during the postwar expansion of American legal education, alongside developments at institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of Chicago Law School. Early volumes published commentary engaging with decisions from the United States Supreme Court, opinions by judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and materials from the Georgia Supreme Court. Over decades the journal has responded to major legal events and doctrinal shifts connected to cases like Brown v. Board of Education, statutory developments such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, constitutional questions raised in litigation including Roe v. Wade and United States v. Nixon, and regulatory reforms tied to agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. Editorial practices evolved in parallel with trends at journals such as Harvard Law Review and Yale Law Journal, integrating citation norms influenced by the Bluebook and administrative practices comparable to those at the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and Michigan Law Review.

Scope and Publication

The journal issues scholarly articles, essays, and student notes in topics spanning constitutional law, administrative law, corporate law, international law, and civil procedure, addressing jurisprudential matters involving institutions like the United States Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, and international bodies such as the International Court of Justice. Prior volumes have hosted symposia and special issues on subjects including intellectual property disputes exemplified by litigations before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, antitrust matters touching on the Federal Trade Commission or cases like United States v. Microsoft Corp., criminal law reforms discussed in the context of the Sentencing Reform Act, and environmental regulation intersecting with rulings under the Clean Air Act and cases involving the Environmental Protection Agency. The quarterly publication rhythm mirrors the cadence of peer journals like Georgetown Law Journal and NYU Law Review, while contributions have come from authors affiliated with institutions such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, University of Chicago Law School, New York University School of Law, and policy centers like the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute.

Organization and Membership

Editorial control is exercised by law students who manage selection, cite-checking, and production, paralleling student-edited models at Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and Michigan Law Review. Membership is typically determined by a combination of grades and a writing competition similar to practices at Yale Law Journal and University of Pennsylvania Law Review. The editorial board has included students who later clerked for judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, or who served as clerks to justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Administrative oversight involves faculty advisers from Emory University School of Law with backgrounds in areas linked to institutions like the Federal Reserve Board, the Department of Justice, and public interest organizations such as the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Notable Articles and Contributions

The journal has published influential pieces by academics, jurists, and practitioners addressing constitutional interpretation in the wake of decisions like District of Columbia v. Heller, administrative law scholarship responding to doctrines refined in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., and corporate governance analyses informed by cases such as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and transactions involving companies like Apple Inc., Google LLC, and Microsoft Corporation. Contributors have included faculty from Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, Columbia Law School, and judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, with citations used in briefs before tribunals such as the Supreme Court of the United States and in reports by agencies like the Department of Commerce and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The journal’s notes have examined statutory interpretation under statutes like the Affordable Care Act, immigration litigation tied to rulings under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and transnational disputes implicating treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Symposia and Events

The journal organizes symposia and panels attracting participants from the judiciary, academia, and think tanks including the Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, and Cato Institute. Past events have featured panels addressing criminal justice reform with speakers from the United States Sentencing Commission, constitutional scholars from Columbia Law School and NYU School of Law, and practitioners from firms litigating before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Co-sponsored conferences have brought together researchers from Oxford University, Cambridge University, and policy analysts from organizations such as the Brennan Center for Justice.

Notable Alumni and Faculty Editors

Alumni who served on the editorial staff have gone on to roles including federal judges on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, appellate judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, counsel positions at the Department of Justice, seats in state judiciaries like the Georgia Supreme Court, corporate counsel roles at Delta Air Lines, and academic appointments at Emory University School of Law, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, and Columbia Law School. Faculty advisors and contributors have included scholars associated with centers such as the Emory Center for Ethics, visiting professors from Oxford University and Cambridge University, and jurists who have authored opinions in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Category:Law journals