Harvard Law Review
Encyclopedia
The Harvard Law Review is a journal
of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School
.
, the Review is the most cited law review
and has the second-highest impact factor
in the category "law" after the Columbia Law Review
. It is published monthly from November through June, with the November issue dedicated to covering the previous year's Supreme Court Term. The Review is also published online. In addition, it publishes the online-only Harvard Law Review Forum, a rolling journal of scholarly responses to the main journal's content.
The Harvard Law Review Association, in conjunction with the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review
, and the Yale Law Journal
, publishes the Bluebook
: A Uniform System of Citation, a widely followed authority for legal citation
formats in the United States
.
, then a recent Harvard Law School alumnus
and Boston
attorney
who would later go on to become a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States
. The first female editor of the Review was Priscilla Holmes (1953-1955, Volumes 67-68); the first woman to serve as the Reviews president was Susan Estrich
(1978) who went on to become active in Democratic Party
politics and the youngest woman to receive tenure at Harvard Law School; its first minority president was Raj Marphatia (1987, Volume 101), who is now a partner at the Boston law firm of Ropes & Gray; its first African-American president was Barack Obama
(1991); its first openly gay president is current president Mitchell Reich (2011)
The Harvard Law Review headquarters, Gannett House, is located on the Harvard Law School campus. It is a white building constructed in the Greek Revival
style that was popular in New England
during the mid-to-late 19th century. Before moving into Gannett House in 1925, the Harvard Law Review resided in the Law School's Austin Hall
.
Fourteen editors (two from each 1L section) are selected based on a combination of their first-year grades and their competition scores. Twenty editors are selected based solely on their competition scores. The remaining editors are selected on a discretionary basis.
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...
of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Overview
According to the 2008 Journal Citation ReportsJournal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports is an annual publication by the Healthcare & Science division of Thomson Reuters. It has been integrated with the Web of Knowledge, by Thomson Reuters, and is accessed from the Web of Science to JCR Web. It provides information about academic journals in the sciences and...
, the Review is the most cited law review
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...
and has the second-highest impact factor
Impact factor
The impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed...
in the category "law" after the Columbia Law Review
Columbia Law Review
The Columbia Law Review is a law review edited and published by students at Columbia Law School. In addition to articles, the journal regularly publishes scholarly essays and student notes. It was founded in 1901 by Joseph E. Corrigan and John M. Woolsey, who served as the review's first...
. It is published monthly from November through June, with the November issue dedicated to covering the previous year's Supreme Court Term. The Review is also published online. In addition, it publishes the online-only Harvard Law Review Forum, a rolling journal of scholarly responses to the main journal's content.
The Harvard Law Review Association, in conjunction with the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review
University of Pennsylvania Law Review
The University of Pennsylvania Law Review is a law review focusing on legal issues, published by an organization of second and third year J.D. students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. It is the oldest law journal in the United States, having been published continuously since 1852...
, and the Yale Law Journal
Yale Law Journal
The Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
, publishes the Bluebook
Bluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal....
: A Uniform System of Citation, a widely followed authority for legal citation
Legal citation
Legal citation is the practice of crediting and referring to authoritative documents and sources. The most common sources of authority cited are court decisions , statutes, regulations, government documents, treaties, and scholarly writing....
formats in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Harvard Law Review published its first issue on April 15, 1887, and is the oldest operating student-edited law review in the United States. The establishment of the journal was largely due to the support of Louis BrandeisLouis Brandeis
Louis Dembitz Brandeis ; November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916 to 1939.He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Jewish immigrant parents who raised him in a secular mode...
, then a recent Harvard Law School alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
attorney
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
who would later go on to become a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The 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...
. The first female editor of the Review was Priscilla Holmes (1953-1955, Volumes 67-68); the first woman to serve as the Reviews president was Susan Estrich
Susan Estrich
Susan Estrich is an American lawyer, professor, author, political operative, feminist advocate, and political commentator for Fox News.-Early life:...
(1978) who went on to become active in Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politics and the youngest woman to receive tenure at Harvard Law School; its first minority president was Raj Marphatia (1987, Volume 101), who is now a partner at the Boston law firm of Ropes & Gray; its first African-American president was Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(1991); its first openly gay president is current president Mitchell Reich (2011)
The Harvard Law Review headquarters, Gannett House, is located on the Harvard Law School campus. It is a white building constructed in the Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style that was popular in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
during the mid-to-late 19th century. Before moving into Gannett House in 1925, the Harvard Law Review resided in the Law School's Austin Hall
Austin Hall (Harvard University)
Austin Hall is a classroom building of the Harvard Law School designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. The first building purpose built for an American law school, it was also the first dedicated home of Harvard Law. It is located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge,...
.
Fourteen editors (two from each 1L section) are selected based on a combination of their first-year grades and their competition scores. Twenty editors are selected based solely on their competition scores. The remaining editors are selected on a discretionary basis.
United States Presidents
- Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, served as President of Volume 104 - He was the law review's first black president.
Supreme Court Justices
- Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerStephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
, served as Articles Editor of Volume 77 - Felix FrankfurterFelix FrankfurterFelix Frankfurter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.-Early life:Frankfurter was born into a Jewish family on November 15, 1882, in Vienna, Austria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Europe. He was the third of six children of Leopold and Emma Frankfurter...
(1882–1965) - Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader GinsburgRuth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
, served as editor for one year before transferring to Columbia Law School - Elena KaganElena KaganElena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 7, 2010. Kagan is the Court's 112th justice and fourth female justice....
, served as Supervisory Editor of Volume 114 - John G. Roberts, Jr., served as Managing Editor for Volume 92
- Antonin ScaliaAntonin ScaliaAntonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
, served as Notes Editor for Volume 73 - Edward SanfordEdward Terry SanfordEdward Terry Sanford was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court from 1923 until his death in 1930. Prior to his nomination to the high court, Sanford served as an Assistant Attorney General under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1905 to 1907, and...
(1865–1930)
Other jurists
- Michael BoudinMichael BoudinMichael Boudin is a Judge and former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.Boudin was born in New York City, the son of the civil liberties attorney Leonard Boudin and older brother of Weather Underground member Kathy Boudin. He received a B.A. from Harvard...
, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
, served as President of Volume 77 - Henry FriendlyHenry FriendlyHenry Jacob Friendly was a prominent judge in the United States, who sat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1959 through 1974 and in senior status until his death by suicide in 1986.- Before the bench :Judge Friendly graduated from...
, late judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
, served as President - Merrick GarlandMerrick B. GarlandMerrick Brian Garland is an American federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit...
, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a... - Pierre LevalPierre N. LevalPierre Nelson Leval is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. At the time of his appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993, he was a United States District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York....
, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
, served as Notes Editor - Debra Ann LivingstonDebra Ann LivingstonDebra Ann Livingston is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.-Early life and education:...
, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals... - James L. OakesJames L. OakesJames Lowell Oakes was a senior circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit....
, late judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals... - Learned HandLearned HandBillings Learned Hand was a United States judge and judicial philosopher. He served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and later the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit...
, late judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
, served as an editor but later resigned. - Richard PosnerRichard PosnerRichard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...
, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
, served as President of Volume 75
Cabinet secretaries
- Dean AchesonDean AchesonDean Gooderham Acheson was an American statesman and lawyer. As United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Harry S. Truman from 1949 to 1953, he played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War...
, Secretary of State - Michael ChertoffMichael ChertoffMichael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
, Secretary of Homeland Security and former judge on United States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey... - William Coleman, Jr.William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. was the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation, from March 7, 1975 to January 20, 1977, and the second African American to serve in the Cabinet...
, Secretary of Transportation, Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
attorney, and first African-American Supreme Court clerk - Elliot RichardsonElliot RichardsonElliot Lee Richardson was an American lawyer and politician who was a member of the cabinet of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. As U.S...
, Attorney General, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Commerce, served as Law Review President (1947)
Other U.S. government officials
- Paul ClementPaul ClementPaul Drew Clement is a former United States Solicitor General and current Georgetown University legal professor. He is also an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law. He was nominated by President George W...
, former U.S. Solicitor General, served as Supreme Court Editor - Archibald CoxArchibald CoxArchibald Cox, Jr., was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy. He became known as the first special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and also an authority on...
, late U.S. Solicitor General - Christopher Cox, former Chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Viet Dinh, former Assistant Attorney General, served as Bluebook editor
- Michael FromanMichael FromanMichael Froman is deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, a position to be held jointly at the National Security Council and the National Economic Council...
, deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs in the Obama Administration - Julius GenachowskiJulius GenachowskiJulius Genachowski is an American lawyer and businessman. He became Federal Communications Commission Chairman on June 29, 2009.-Education:Genachowski grew up in Great Neck, New York. He attended yeshiva and studied in Israel...
, chairman of the Federal Communications Commissions - Erwin N. Griswold, a dean of the Harvard Law School and Solicitor GeneralUnited States Solicitor GeneralThe United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
under presidents Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
and Richard M. Nixon - Alger HissAlger HissAlger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
, former U.S. State Department Official and spy - Michael LeiterMichael LeiterMichael E. Leiter was the Director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center , having served in the Bush Administration and been retained in the Obama Administration. A statement released by the White House announced his resignation, effective July 8, 2011. His successor, Matthew G...
, current Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism CenterNational Counterterrorism CenterThe National Counterterrorism Center is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex near McLean, Virginia called Liberty Crossing...
, President of Volume 113 - Barry B. WhiteBarry B. WhiteBarry B. White is the current United States Ambassador to Norway. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 22, 2009 and was sworn in as Ambassador on October 21, 2009. In a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 15, 2009, Ambassador White...
, United States Ambassador to NorwayUnited States Ambassador to NorwayPrior to 1905, Sweden and Norway were politically united. The United States Ambassador to Sweden thus was the US representative for Norway as well as Sweden. In 1905 Sweden and Norway peacefully separated and Norway became an independent constitutional monarchy. On November 14, 1905, the US State...
Other government officials
- Preeta D. BansalPreeta D. BansalPreeta D. Bansal is an American lawyer who served as the General Counsel to the federal Office of Management and Budget from 2009 until announcing her departure for an undisclosed think tank in June 2011...
, former New York State Solicitor General, served as Supervising Editor - Allan GotliebAllan GotliebAllan Ezra Gotlieb, is a Canadian public servant and author.-Life and career:Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gotlieb received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley, his MA from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and his LL.B degree from Harvard University, where he was editor of...
, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States - Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, former New York Governor
Academics
- Stephen BarnettStephen BarnettStephen Roger Barnett was an American law professor and legal scholar who campaigned against the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 and the effects its antitrust exemptions had on newspaper consolidation...
(1935–2009), legal scholar at University of California, Berkeley School of Law who opposed the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970The Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 was an Act of the United States Congress, signed by President Richard Nixon, authorizing the formation of joint operating agreements among competing newspaper operations within the same market area. It exempted newspapers from certain provisions of antitrust... - Derek Bok, former Harvard University President
- Kingman Brewster, late Yale University President, served as Law Review Treasurer
- Charles Hamilton HoustonCharles Hamilton HoustonCharles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
, former Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director - Harold Koh, former Dean of Yale Law SchoolYale Law SchoolYale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
- David LeebronDavid LeebronDavid W. Leebron is the seventh president of Rice University. He has been a professor and dean of Columbia Law School, until he was named president of Rice University on July 1, 2004. Leebron is the first Jewish president of Rice University....
, President of Rice UniversityRice UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, served as Law Review President - William C. PowersWilliam C. PowersWilliam Charles Powers Jr. is the 28th president of The University of Texas at Austin, a position he has held since February 1, 2006....
, President of University of Texas, served as Managing editor - Jamie RaskinJamie RaskinJamie Raskin is an American law professor and politician. He teaches at American University, Washington College of Law, in Washington, D.C. He serves as the Director of the college's LL.M. program on Law and Government...
, Constitutional Law Professor at Washington College of LawWashington College of LawAmerican University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
at American UniversityAmerican UniversityAmerican University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
and Maryland State Senator - John SextonJohn SextonJohn Edward Sexton is the fifteenth President of New York University, having held this position since May 17, 2002, and the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law. From 1988 to 2002, he served as Dean of the NYU School of Law, which during his deanship became one...
, President of New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan... - John H. Garvey, President of Catholic University of America
Writers and journalists
- Archibald MacLeishArchibald MacLeishArchibald MacLeish was an American poet, writer, and the Librarian of Congress. He is associated with the Modernist school of poetry. He received three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.-Early years:...
, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet - Jeffrey ToobinJeffrey ToobinJeffrey Ross Toobin is an American lawyer, author, and legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker.-Early life and education:...
, print and broadcast journalist
Other alumni/ae
- Nadine StrossenNadine StrossenNadine Strossen was president of the American Civil Liberties Union from February 1991 to October 2008. She was the first woman and the youngest person to ever lead the ACLU. A professor at New York Law School, Professor Strossen sits on the Council on Foreign Relations...
, former American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties UnionThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
President - Andrew SchlaflyAndrew SchlaflyAndrew Layton "Andy" Schlafly is an American lawyer, conservative political activist, teacher of homeschooling classes, and the founder and owner of wiki Conservapedia...
, founder of ConservapediaConservapediaConservapedia is an English-language wiki project written from a self-described American conservative Christian point of view. The website considers itself to be a supporter of "conservative, family-friendly" content...
.