NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2011
CONTACT: ERIKA MARZORATI
517/432-6848, marzorat@law.msu.edu
Michigan State Law Review Climbs Again in National Journal Rankings
East Lansing, MI — The Michigan State Law Review continued its rise in the annual law journal rankings by Washington & Lee University School of Law, the leading source for data on legal periodicals.
The publication is placed at number 54 out of 312 ranked flagship journals, marking an eight-point rise from last year. This is the seventh year in a row the Law Review has climbed in the W&L Law rankings.
“Our ascent is a tribute to the hard work of our student editors, our advisor, our professors, and the Law College as a whole,” said Elinor Jordan, editor-in-chief of the publication. “We stand on the shoulders of giants to reach for a kind of excellence we can hardly imagine.”
The Law Review also received an impressive boost in the broader field of student-edited journals, which includes those covering specialty subjects. It is currently placed 72nd out of 687 such journals—a 23-point jump from last year.
The journal’s rising status stems in part from a string of successful symposia the Law Review has organized with MSU Law professors. The events have brought together leading experts on innovative legal topics, culminating in highly-publicized and highly-cited issues. A November 2010 “Modernizing Marriage through E-Marriage” symposium drew legal scholars, legislators, and economists from across the country to explore a proposal by Professors Adam Candeub and Mae Kuykendall, which suggests reforming marriage licensing in the United States to meet the needs of modern couples.
In April, the Law Review will team up with Professors Catherine Grosso and Barbara O’Brien to host “Moving Beyond ‘Racial Blindsight’? The Influence of Social Science Evidence after the North Carolina Racial Justice Act.” The symposium will address the implications of the North Carolina Racial Justice Act of 2009, which broke new ground by allowing a role for social science research in identifying racial discrimination within the criminal justice system.
“The Law Review continues to distinguish itself at every level, and the fact that the rankings have shown such consistent and dramatic improvement year after year is a reflection of the members’ dedication to building and maintaining a top-flight journal,” said Professor Daniel Barnhizer, faculty advisor to the journal. “I am really proud of these students.” Jordan added, “If the team I surround myself with today is any indication, then this will be just the beginning of even more amazing things to come.”
W&L Law’s ranking system is based on a composite of each journal’s impact factor—the average annual number of citations to the journal’s articles—and the total number of citations to the journal in the preceding eight years. Complete rankings and a detailed description of the methodology are available at http://lawlib.wlu.edu/lj/index.aspx. The W&L Law rankings are considered the authority on journal quality and are used by authors to select journals in which to publish.
Founded in 1931, the Michigan State Law Review is an entirely student-edited and -published journal that is dedicated to advancing scholarship throughout the entire legal community. The Law Review’s publications—filled with works authored by top legal scholars and professionals—focus on the most intriguing and timely legal issues of the day, providing an invaluable resource for scholars, practitioners, and other interested readers. For more information about the Law Review, visit www.msulawreview.org.
Michigan State University College of Law is a leading institution of legal education with a long history of educating practice-ready attorneys. As one of only a few private law schools affiliated with a major research university, MSU Law offers comprehensive interdisciplinary opportunities combined with a personalized legal education. After 100 years as a private and independent institution, the affiliation with MSU has put the Law College on an upward trajectory of national and international reputation and reach. MSU Law professors are gifted teachers and distinguished scholars, its curriculum is rigorous and challenging, and its facility is equipped with the latest resources—all affirming MSU Law's commitment to educating 21st-century lawyers.
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Michigan State Law Review 2010–11 Senior Editorial Board (from left): Daniel Greenhalgh (senior notes editor), Salina Maxwell (senior articles editor), Zachary Risk (executive editor), Carrie Waggoner (senior managing editor), and Elinor Jordan (editor-in-chief)
