Law and Contemporary Problems

Law and Contemporary Problems
Title	Law and Contemporary Problems
Discipline	Legal studies
Abbreviation	L. & Contemp. Probs.
Publisher	Duke University School of Law
Country	United States
History	1933–present
Frequency	Quarterly

Contents

Law and Contemporary Problems

Law and Contemporary Problems is a scholarly journal originating at Duke University School of Law that publishes interdisciplinary symposia on pressing legal and public affairs issues. Founded during the interwar period, the journal has convened contributors from institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of Chicago Law School to address topics ranging from constitutional crises to technological regulation. Its issues have involved contributors affiliated with United States Supreme Court, American Bar Association, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Council on Foreign Relations.

History

Established in 1933 contemporaneously with debates in the New Deal and amid legislative reforms associated with the National Industrial Recovery Act, the journal emerged as part of a network including Duke University Press and legal clinics such as those at Georgetown University Law Center. Early volumes featured essays by figures linked to the Roosevelt administration, commentators referencing the Securities Act of 1933, and analysts of the National Labor Relations Act. Throughout the mid‑20th century the journal intersected with discourse at institutions like Princeton University, Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, reflecting tensions evident in events such as the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The editorial mission has emphasized interdisciplinary engagement among scholars from Political Science, Economics, Philosophy, and Sociology anchored in legal analysis, often convening panels that included affiliates of Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, Hoover Institution, American Civil Liberties Union, and Cato Institute. Scope includes submissions on topics influenced by statutes like the Patriot Act, regulatory frameworks such as those overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, and jurisprudential questions reaching the United States Supreme Court and international tribunals like the International Court of Justice.

Notable thematic issues have addressed the constitutional implications of wartime measures exemplified in debates following the Korematsu v. United States ruling, administrative law controversies connected to the Administrative Procedure Act, and economic regulation concerns in light of the Glass–Steagall Act and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Symposia have convened contributors associated with Stanford Law School, Michigan Law School, Georgetown University, Columbia University, and think tanks including the Heritage Foundation and Progressive Policy Institute to debate topics such as surveillance in the era of National Security Agency, privacy questions tied to European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence, and intellectual property disputes involving World Intellectual Property Organization norms.

The journal has influenced debates cited in filings before the United States Supreme Court, briefs submitted to the International Criminal Court, and policy memoranda at agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission. Scholars publishing in the journal have held appointments at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, New York University School of Law, and University of Virginia School of Law, and have participated in commissions alongside members of the Federal Reserve Board, Department of Justice (United States), United Nations, and European Commission. Its articles have been incorporated into curricula at law schools including Berkeley Law, Vanderbilt University Law School, and Cornell Law School.

Published quarterly by Duke University School of Law and distributed through legal databases and academic libraries such as those at Library of Congress, Bodleian Library, Harvard Law School Library, and the British Library, the journal issues include full symposia, standalone articles, and responses from practitioners at firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Covington & Burling LLP. Formats encompass print volumes available via university presses and digital dissemination to repositories used by HeinOnline, JSTOR, and academic consortia including the Association of American Law Schools.

Reception among scholars at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School has been positive for the journal's interdisciplinary reach, while critics associated with schools such as Boston University School of Law and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation have contested particular editorial stances on issues exemplified by debates over the Patriot Act and administrative power. Debates echo controversies involving cases like Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and critiques voiced in venues including the New York Times, Washington Post, and specialized outlets like The Atlantic and The Economist.

Category:Law journals