Journal Information and Membership Benefits
All five of the law journals offer law students the chance to engage with cutting-edge academic work as part of a close-knit community of scholars. Journal membership is also a sought-after credential in almost all legal and JD-advantage fields and shows potential employers that the Journal member possess an eye for detail, strong writing skills, and the ability to critically evaluate the work of others. Journal work provides four hours of academic credit over two years, and permits students to complete their writing requirement without taking a dedicated class. To learn more about the particular benefits of each Journal, expand the drop-down sections below.
The Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal (EBDJ) has the largest subscription circulation at Emory Law, and it is the nation’s most prestigious student-led bankruptcy journal. With its close ties to the bankruptcy bar and bench, EBDJ provides its members with unique opportunities for mentorship, post-graduate judicial clerkships, and employment.
EBDJ BENEFITS: MORE THAN BANKRUPTCY
Bankruptcy scholarship necessarily addresses the interrelationship between the Bankruptcy Code and other areas of law. Writing about the Bankruptcy Code is the consistent foundation from which EBDJ members work. However, each member is encouraged to delve into other areas of the law in their writing. Since individuals, businesses, and municipalities may file for bankruptcy relief, the range of subject matter for a student comment is very broad. Recent student comments have focused on topics such as
- sexual abuse in the context of the Bankruptcy Code,
- critical vendor status,
- the reentry of the wrongfully convicted, and
- the role of government in bankruptcies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Knowledge of bankruptcy law is not a prerequisite to successful participation on EBDJ. In fact, most members begin EBDJ participation with little to no knowledge of bankruptcy. To facilitate their participation, all Staff Members are automatically enrolled in the Bankruptcy course for the fall semester. Additionally, an interest in a career in bankruptcy is not necessary for incoming Staff Members, as the legal skills developed through EBDJ membership are transferable to other areas of law.
Students gain important statutory interpretation skills when studying the Bankruptcy Code. These skills are applicable to any federal or state statutory scheme. The skills gained include how to (1) effectively and accurately interpret statutory provisions; (2) understand and define the interrelationship of two or more provisions in the same statutory scheme; and (3) identify and apply the appropriate weight afforded to pre-Code case law and considerations. Evidence, intellectual property, environmental, tax, and employment law are all based on statutory codes analogous to the Bankruptcy Code.
EBDJ membership is worth the time and effort it demands. The research, writing, and editing responsibilities inherent in EBDJ membership provide Members with an invaluable educational and professional experience. Students whose work is published through EBDJ receive national exposure, providing them with enhanced professional opportunities. A number of student comments are published annually in EBDJ and this achievement is recognized as an outstanding credential for any law student beginning a legal career. Additionally, students will fulfill their upper- level writing requirement by writing a student comment for EBDJ. Students will also have access to a wide range of bankruptcy practitioners through EBDJ’s alumni network.
Emory Corporate Governance and Accountability Review (ECGAR) is Emory's only journal published fully online and its first student-run journal in thirty years. Focusing on the relationship between corporations and their stakeholders in the United States and abroad, ECGAR publications explore a wide range of topics related to corporate law, such as corporate political involvement, white-collar crime, securities regulations, and commercial real estate.
WHY ECGAR?
Participation on ECGAR offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a young journal paving its way to national recognition. While the journal is corporate-focused, it is interdisciplinary in nature. Working as a Staff Member will grow your knowledge of corporate law while allowing you to connect with practitioners in the field and sharpen your analytical, legal research, and citation skills. Participation also indicates a particular interest and expertise in business law, something valuable to future prospective employers.
Corporate law has a hand in nearly every area of the law. J.D. graduates with a solid understanding of corporate governance and the issues facing corporations in the modern age are highly sought-after, no matter their career path. ECGAR provides members with an opportunity to hone in on a specific area of corporate law, demonstrate their knowledge of corporate law and the issues that affect it, and display their proficiency in legal research and writing. Membership also indicates a particular interest in corporate or business law to future employers and colleagues.
As a smaller journal, ECGAR Candidates will join a close-knit group of students who are passionate about business law and dedicated to helping their fellow members succeed, both on the journal and in law school generally. EGCAR is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for our Candidates through informal social events, office hours with the Editor-in-Chief, an anonymous “comment box,” and our student-to-student mentorship program. Candidates will be guided by the ECGAR Editorial Board, a group of third-year students devoted to ensuring that all Candidates prosper from the experiences and networks available to ECGAR’s members.
The Emory Corporate Governance and Accountability Review strongly encourages all first-year students to participate in the Write-On Competition.
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES
ECGAR’s commitment to addressing current business and corporate governance issues requires students to produce one main piece during their 2L year. ECGAR’s online publication medium provides Candidates with a broader and more diverse audience for their published works than traditional print law journals. The ECGAR Editorial Board will select several student Comments for publication in the spring semester.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
ECGAR’s online presence affords Candidates a unique opportunity to conduct recorded interviews with practitioners. This allows candidates to establish a working relationship with an attorney, who Candidates can later reach out to for mentorship or employment opportunities. The interviews also enable Candidates to develop their knowledge in an area of the law that is of particular interest to them. Additionally, ECGAR offers a mentorship program where its 2L members are connected with students on the journal and alumni or associates of the journal to help them navigate law school and the professional world.
The Emory International Law Review enjoys a worldwide reputation as a leader in international and comparative legal scholarship. EILR publishes articles and essays submitted by scholars, professionals, and students from around the world on a vast array of topics. EILR’s reputation has flourished due to the concerted efforts of past Editorial Boards to focus individual editions on important and pertinent topics in international law. For example, several years ago, EILR published a 700-page special issue on freedom of religion in Russia. Several hundred copies were flown to Russia on Air Force 2 and distributed to members of the Russian Parliament. In the last few years, EILR has featured articles on women’s health, patent and trade agreements in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, appropriate venues for prosecuting detainees in the so-called War on Terror, international legal responses to natural disasters, and the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court. By publishing articles and commentaries by Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and Shirin Ebadi, EILR has become a destination for high-profile discussion of pressing international law topics.
EILR is edited entirely by students and is known for excellence in scholarship, legal research, analysis, and professionalism in the publication process. The growth of EILR and the enthusiasm of its members reflect the increasing significance of international law at Emory School of Law and in the legal field. In addition to collaborating regularly with Emory’s stellar international law faculty and the Emory International Humanitarian Law Clinic, EILR is especially fortunate to have worked closely over the years with The Carter Center, Justice Buergenthal of the International Court of Justice, international law firms based in Atlanta and around the country, and numerous international organizations.
WHY JOIN THE EMORY INTERNATIONAL LAW REVIEW?
International law is not only a rapidly expanding field of study, but international issues now pervade almost every area of the law. It is increasingly likely that lawyers working in transactions, litigation, public interest, or any aspect of the legal field will encounter issues of international law. The lawyers on the cutting edge today are those with backgrounds and exposure to international law. EILR is an invaluable opportunity to gain this exposure and/or develop an expertise in an area of law of your interest through comparative studies of legal systems in the international community.
EILR candidates are exposed to the vast array of sources used in the international legal field, from treaties and United Nations documents to international arbitration agreements and foreign case law. The ability to identify, locate, read, and understand these sources of international law are valuable skills that candidates are uniquely positioned to acquire through their work with EILR. However, EILR candidates acquire not only these basic skills, but also learn to analyze and critique international legal sources and scholarship in international law. Furthermore, candidates also have the opportunity to learn about cutting edge issues in international law through spading and research for Comments.
For these reasons, EILR candidacy is highly regarded by prospective employers. International organizations and firms find participation on an international law journal to be an essential experience for potential employees. Law review membership is also critical for consideration for judicial clerkships. Moreover, the essential skills—effective research, legal analysis, writing, and editing—are invaluable to any legal career. Prospective employers value the practical experience offered by law review membership, and thus rank law review experience high among selection criteria for summer associate positions.
EILR candidates also benefit from joining an organization of accomplished and dedicated students. The EILR Editorial Board is not only dedicated to publishing an exceptional law review; they are also committed to creating a welcoming and collegial environment for candidates. Candidates will have the opportunity to benefit from the skills and experience of the Editorial Board members, both in the publication field and in the larger world. The Emory International Law Review encourages all first-year students to participate in the Write-On Competition.
The Emory Law Journal, the flagship journal for the Emory University School of Law, is issued six times per year and edited entirely by students. The Journal publishes professional and student articles on a broad range of legal topics. The Journal also publishes essays and responses to published articles in its online companion.
The Emory Law Journal serves a national audience of judges, practitioners, scholars, and students, by both illuminating the current state of the law and exploring new directions for its future. As Emory University School of Law’s only general-interest law review, the Journal receives thousands of article submissions each year from professionals eager to add the Emory Law Journal to their résumés. Indeed, the Emory Law Journal is one of the preeminent law reviews in the nation.
The functions of the Emory Law Journal are threefold: (1) to foster excellence in legal research, writing, analysis, and editing; (2) to provide the legal community with reliable and thoughtful commentary on new developments and trends in the law; and (3) to enhance the reputation of the Emory University School of Law.
The achievement of these goals rests on the ability and dedication of the Emory Law Journal’s staff, which consists of second- and third-year law students who have demonstrated superior ability in legal writing and analysis. The Emory Law Journal accepts approximately forty students each year, who will become Candidates for the Editorial Board. Those who successfully complete the Candidacy Program are elevated to be Members of the Editorial Board and become eligible for election to executive board positions or appointments to editorial positions. Members and Candidates bear sole responsibility for the editorial content and the substantive and technical accuracy of each article published in the Emory Law Journal. The writing and editing responsibilities associated with candidacy and membership provide an intensive and invaluable experience that will serve Candidates and Members well in school and in practice.
WHY JOIN THE EMORY LAW JOURNAL?
Candidates and Members of the Emory Law Journal will have the opportunity to develop expertise in an area of law of their interest and develop their voice in the scholarly community. Members play a crucial role in publishing the cutting-edge work of eminent legal commentators and, in the process, become highly proficient in legal writing, analysis, and research. The skills developed would serve Members well in their future work as a judicial clerk, legal practitioner, or scholar. Members would gain a prodigious credential that is highly sought-after by employers and that distinguishes its holders throughout their careers.
The Journal of Law and Religion is the oldest and most distinguished journal publishing in the field of law and religion world-wide. For twenty-eight years, JLR was independently edited by a consortium of scholars and published with the support of Hamline University. In 2013, JLR moved to Emory University, where it is edited by the Center for the Study of Law and Religion and published in collaboration with Cambridge University Press.
The Journal of Law and Religion is a faculty-edited, interdisciplinary, and peer-reviewed journal. Editorial policy and decisions are made by a board of sixteen Co-editors, which includes prominent scholars of law and religion from around the globe. JLR publishes the best scholarship from authors in law, theology, religious studies, philosophy, political science, political theory, sociology, anthropology, and other disciplines analyzing important issues at the intersection of law and religion. All articles for JLR undergo a rigorous peer review process before being considered for publication. The Co-editors make final publication decisions.
Participation on the Journal of Law and Religion is an opportunity to work on the leading journal in the field of law and religion with a global audience. Engaging the interdisciplinary scholarship published in JLR is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of religion and the law and the intersections between the two, as well as improve your analytical capacities by thinking outside of disciplinary boundaries. By working on a faculty-run journal of international prominence, you will benefit from the experience and expertise of the faculty editors.
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