Rutgers Law Review

Rutgers Law Review
Title	Rutgers Law Review
Discipline	Law
Former names	Rutgers Law Review: New Jersey Law Review
Abbreviation	Rutgers Law Rev.
Publisher	Rutgers University
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1948–present

Rutgers Law Review is a student-edited legal journal affiliated with Rutgers University School of Law. It publishes scholarship on United States constitutional law, civil rights, corporate law, intellectual property, criminal law, administrative law, and comparative law. The journal has hosted contributions and debates involving judges, legislators, scholars, and practitioners from institutions such as the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals, the United States District Court, and leading law schools.

History

Founded in 1948, the journal emerged during a period of postwar legal scholarship alongside titles such as Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and Michigan Law Review. Early issues engaged with cases from the United States Supreme Court including decisions influenced by doctrines from Brown v. Board of Education, Marbury v. Madison, and debates connected to New Deal litigation and the legacy of Cardozo Court. Over decades the journal published symposia and articles responding to landmark rulings like Miranda v. Arizona, Roe v. Wade, United States v. Nixon, and discussions of statutory developments such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Affordable Care Act. The journal’s trajectory paralleled the growth of Rutgers through mergers and expansions associated with institutions like Rutgers University–Newark and Rutgers University–Camden.

Organization and Governance

Governance is student-led with faculty advisors drawn from Rutgers faculty who have served alongside judges and practitioners from institutions including the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, WilmerHale, and Covington & Burling. Editorial structures mirror those of peer journals including Stanford Law Review and Chicago Law Review, with editor-in-chief, managing editors, articles editors, and notes editors. Advisory boards have included former officials from the United States Department of Justice, academics from Princeton University, Columbia University, New York University, and judges appointed by presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Publications and Notable Issues

The journal publishes four issues annually featuring articles, essays, and student notes. Notable symposia issues have addressed topics intersecting with rulings from the United States Supreme Court and legislation such as the Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind Act, and debates over the Bankruptcy Reform Act. Contributors have included scholars associated with Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law, and practitioners from the American Bar Association, the Federalist Society, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Special issues have gathered essays responding to events like the 9/11 attacks, the Financial Crisis of 2007–2008, and decisions following Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and Obergefell v. Hodges.

Symposia and Events

The Review sponsors annual symposia and conferences attracting participants from institutions such as Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Brennan Center for Justice, Kennedy School of Government, and law faculties of Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. Panels have featured speakers like federal judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, members of Congress from delegations such as New Jersey's congressional delegation, state supreme court justices, and scholars known for work on cases like Plessy v. Ferguson and doctrines traced to Lochner v. New York. Events have been hosted at university centers including Rutgers Law School–Newark, Rutgers Law School–Camden, and partnered with organizations such as the National Constitution Center.

Membership and Selection Process

Selection processes historically combine writing competitions, grades-based criteria, and faculty recommendations similar to those used by Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and Yale Law Journal. Membership has included students who later clerked for justices of the United States Supreme Court, judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and trial judges at the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Students selected have pursued careers at law firms like Cravath, Swaine & Moore and government offices such as the Office of the Solicitor General.

Notable Alumni and Contributors

Alumni and contributors include judges, legislators, scholars, and advocates who have served on courts or in public office, including figures affiliated with the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Prominent legal scholars who have contributed work appeared from institutions like Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law, and Stanford Law School. Private practitioners who published include partners from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Latham & Watkins, and Kirkland & Ellis. Elected officials tied to the journal’s network include former governors and members of Congress from New Jersey.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited in judicial opinions at the state and federal level, in briefs before the United States Supreme Court, and in scholarship across law faculties at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Penn Law, and Michigan Law School. Its articles have been discussed at policy centers like Brookings Institution and in media outlets that cover legal affairs linked to institutions such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Debates spawned by its publications contributed to scholarly conversations about precedent from cases like Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, and statutory interpretation surrounding the Administrative Procedure Act.

Category:American law journals