6.3 Policy for New Student Journals or Reviews

Note: due to the founding of a new student journal in 2021, the Law School has begun a period of evaluation and will not consider any proposals for a new journal for a period of five years.

Law School students seeking to establish a new journal or review are encouraged to speak with the following individuals for advice and guidance in this order:

1. The Director of Academic Publications
2. The chair of the faculty-led Student Journals Committee
3. The Deputy Dean
4. The Dean of Students

Due to the challenging process and rigorous standards for academic publications, it is generally advised that students seeking to establish a new journal shall have prior experience on one of the Law School student-run journals. 

The Law School will consider proposals for new journals once per year at the end of the Autumn Quarter. Students shall submit copies of their proposal to the Deputy Dean and Dean of Students. The proposal shall include the following:

1. A description of the intended journal or review;
2. A statement as to the need for a new journal or review in the relevant field;
3. An  assessment  of  whether  sufficient  scholarly  source  material  exists  to  support  sustained publication in the field;
4. A discussion of how the journal or review will build upon or create new strengths at the Law School;
5. A plan for funding the journal or review and an estimate of the start-up and annual operating costs;
6. An analysis and information showing that there is significant student interest in participating on such a journal or review over the long term;
7. The name of a faculty member who has reviewed your proposal and agreed to serve as the faculty advisor; and
8. The proposal shall also include bylaws which will cover at least the following topics:
9. The planned timing and frequency of publication of the journal or review;
   • The proposed format of the journal or review (online format and/or hard copy edition);
   • The planned organization of the journal or review including the level of student staffing and governance structure for its leadership (e.g., Board of Editors, Executive Board, etc.);
   • The eligibility requirements for student participation on the journal or review; and
   • The timing and process for student selection.

The Deputy Dean and the Dean of Students may return the proposal to students with a request for additional information. After this period of review, the Deputy Dean and Dean of Students may seek input on the proposal from the Editors-in-Chief of the existing student-run journals, or forward it on to the faculty committee on Student Journals for review. The faculty committee will evaluate the proposal and forward it to the Dean with a recommendation for approval or denial of the request.

Once a new journal has been approved, the Law School will not consider proposals for a new journal for a period of five years. During that five-year period, the new journal will be under evaluation. At the end of the five-year period, the faculty assigned to the Student Journals Committee will make a recommendation to the Dean as to whether the new journal was successful and remains viable.