George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal
Encyclopedia
The George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal is a law review
run by students at the George Mason University School of Law
. It published one or two issues each school year from 1990 to 2006-2007, and three issues each year since then. The journal is published by William S. Hein & Co.
The Civil Rights Law Journal is published three times a year by a Board of Editors composed of select students at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia. The Board's stated mission is to provide informative and innovative commentary on a wide variety of issues pertaining to civil rights that contribute to the legal community. The Civil Rights Law Journal is intended to serve as a forum for thought-provoking scholarly articles written by leading academics and experienced practitioners on current legal developments. The journal covers issues on a plethora of civil rights related topics including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, free speech, abortion rights, cruel and unusual punishment, search and seizure, voting rights, and rights of the disabled.
Beginning with Volume 20, the journal gives a "Best Note" award for its student-written pieces. Additionally, the Civil Rights Law Journal, whilst not carrying the masthead of George Mason University School of Law, is the University's longest running consecutive student run law journal and has published more volumes than any of the University's other law journals.
(R-VA). The 2009 symposium was on education and had then-chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee
as the keynote speaker. The 2010 symposium focused on immigration and the recent Arizona law SB 1070, and was hosted by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.
The United States Supreme Court recently cited Christopher R. Green's The Original Sense of the (Equal) Protection Clause: Subsequent Interpretation and Application (19 Geo. Mason U. Civ. Rts. L.J. 219 (2009)) in former Justice Stevens
' dissent in McDonald v. City of Chicago
.
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
run by students at the George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law is the law school of George Mason University, a state university in Virginia, United States...
. It published one or two issues each school year from 1990 to 2006-2007, and three issues each year since then. The journal is published by William S. Hein & Co.
History
The Civil Rights Law Journal was established in 1990 in the wake of a rash of Supreme Court cases that undermined and weakened the effectiveness and purpose of the Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 1983). Darrell Jackson, the law journal's first editor-in-chief, prefaced the inaugural volume with the assertion, "[The] Supreme Court will no longer act as a major guardian of minority rights. Because minority groups must now travel the path alone, George Mason University School of Law has created the Civil Rights Law Journal to provide guidance and to serve as a forum for civil rights issues."The Civil Rights Law Journal is published three times a year by a Board of Editors composed of select students at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia. The Board's stated mission is to provide informative and innovative commentary on a wide variety of issues pertaining to civil rights that contribute to the legal community. The Civil Rights Law Journal is intended to serve as a forum for thought-provoking scholarly articles written by leading academics and experienced practitioners on current legal developments. The journal covers issues on a plethora of civil rights related topics including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, free speech, abortion rights, cruel and unusual punishment, search and seizure, voting rights, and rights of the disabled.
Beginning with Volume 20, the journal gives a "Best Note" award for its student-written pieces. Additionally, the Civil Rights Law Journal, whilst not carrying the masthead of George Mason University School of Law, is the University's longest running consecutive student run law journal and has published more volumes than any of the University's other law journals.
Membership selection
First-year students and second-year evening students with a minimum 2.5 GPA may enter a competitive write-on to join the journal. The selection process takes into account individual's first-year grades, performance in the write-on competition, and Blue Book editing proficiency. The George Mason Civil Rights Law Journal offers membership to somewhere between 15-20 percent of the first year law school class.Annual symposia
Each year, the journal holds a symposium on a current civil rights issue. The 2008 symposium was on election law and featured Rep. Tom DavisThomas M. Davis
Thomas Milburn "Tom" Davis III was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Virginia's 11th congressional district in Northern Virginia. Davis was considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by five-term incumbent and fellow Republican John...
(R-VA). The 2009 symposium was on education and had then-chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee
Michelle Rhee
Michelle A. Rhee is a public figure involved in the American education system. She was chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010...
as the keynote speaker. The 2010 symposium focused on immigration and the recent Arizona law SB 1070, and was hosted by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.
Law panels
In addition to the legal symposiums, the journal hosts occasional legal panels on a topic in civil rights law. A 2008 panel focused on employment law, and more recently a 2011 panel discussed the legal and political effects counter-terrorism efforts have had on civil rights and civil liberties.Impact
The George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal is currently ranked sixth amongst student-edited civil rights law journals in the United States by Washington & Lee’s law review rankings.The United States Supreme Court recently cited Christopher R. Green's The Original Sense of the (Equal) Protection Clause: Subsequent Interpretation and Application (19 Geo. Mason U. Civ. Rts. L.J. 219 (2009)) in former Justice Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
' dissent in McDonald v. City of Chicago
McDonald v. Chicago
McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025, 130 S.Ct. 3020 , was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that determined whether the Second Amendment applies to the individual states...
.
Notable alumni
- The journal's only alumnus to clerk at the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
was William Consovoy, who was editor-in-chief of the journal. - Darrell Jackson, the journal's founding editor-in-chief, served several years as George Mason University's Dean for Diversity.