Texas Intercollegiate Law Review

Texas Intercollegiate Law Review is a student-run legal periodical associated with intercollegiate debate and law study in Texas that publishes scholarly articles, notes, and commentary on legal issues. The review serves as a forum connecting law students, faculty, jurists, and practitioners from institutions across Texas and the broader United States, drawing contributors and readers from networks that include University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Baylor Law School, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law, and St. Mary’s University School of Law. Its role intersects with courts, bar associations, and policy groups such as the Texas Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and think tanks like the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

History

The review originated amid mid‑20th century expansion of legal scholarship tied to debates and moot court traditions exemplified by institutions like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, University of Chicago Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center. Early editorial boards included students with backgrounds from Stanford Law School, University of Michigan Law School, and New York University School of Law who drew inspiration from journals such as the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, and Michigan Law Review. Over time, the review developed relationships with litigators from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Latham & Watkins, and Baker McKenzie, and with judges from the United States Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and various Texas Courts of Appeals. Significant milestones include symposia modeled on panels that featured speakers from the United States Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and state agencies such as the Texas Attorney General’s office.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows structures comparable to editorial boards at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School journals, with an executive committee, articles editors, and notes editors. Advisory relationships extend to faculty from University of Texas at Austin, SMU Dedman School of Law, and visiting scholars associated with Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, and Hoover Institution. Institutional partnerships have included law schools such as University of Houston Law Center, Texas Tech University School of Law, and professional organizations like the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, the Federalist Society, and the American Constitution Society. Internal bylaws outline editorial review processes similar to protocols used by the Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press in peer consultation for legal scholarship.

Publications and Content

The review publishes articles, essays, case notes, and book reviews that engage subjects relevant to the United States Constitution, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Clean Air Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and other landmark statutes and decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Marbury v. Madison, and District of Columbia v. Heller. Symposia have hosted panels addressing topics in administrative law, intellectual property, antitrust, environmental law, immigration, and criminal procedure, with contributors affiliated with the Federal Communications Commission, United States Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency, National Labor Relations Board, and Office of the Solicitor General. The review’s citation practices mirror standards advanced by the Bluebook and have cited scholarship appearing in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, and UCLA Law Review.

Membership and Selection

Membership criteria combine editorial experience, writing competition performance, and academic credentials drawn from students at law schools across Texas and neighboring states, including applicants from Rice University Baker Institute affiliates and exchange programs with University of California, Berkeley School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Selection processes resemble those used by journals at Columbia Law School and NYU School of Law: anonymous submissions, Bluebook proficiency testing, and oral interviews. Training for members incorporates methods used in moot court competitions such as the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, National Moot Court Competition, and the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

Notable Alumni and Impact

Alumni have gone on to careers in federal and state judiciaries, including appointments to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, service in the Texas Attorney General’s office, positions at law firms like Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Jones Day, and roles in academia at University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Vanderbilt Law School, Duke University School of Law, and Cornell Law School. Graduates have contributed to opinions cited by the United States Supreme Court, briefs filed before the Supreme Court of the United States, and policy reports at organizations including RAND Corporation, Pew Research Center, Urban Institute, and National Institutes of Health. The review’s articles have been cited in judicial opinions at the Texas Supreme Court, United States Courts of Appeals, and trial courts, influencing litigation strategies and legislative drafting in arenas involving the Commerce Clause, First Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, and federal statutory schemes such as the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Category:American law journals Category:Legal organizations based in Texas