June 15, 2011
The
Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, the
official student publication of
The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic
Development, recently relaunched with a new cover design and a
refined mission of providing a robust forum for discussing
important issues of racial, social, economic and legal
significance.
The Journal
builds on the rich tradition of its predecessor, the Journal of
Legal Commentary, which first published in 1985 to cover
contemporary and historical legal topics and to give students a
vital opportunity to develop their legal writing, research and
analytic skills. In 2008, the Journal of Legal Commentary
affiliated with The RHB Center and, in 2009, the editorial board
approved the name change to reflect the affiliation.“Capitalizing on St. John's Law's unique
position as a powerhouse of prominent and diverse alumni, along
with its geographic proximity to Manhattan, are key elements that
the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic
Development will explore as we continue under its new banner,”
said Brendan Lantry ’11, the Journal’s Symposium Editor.
Published
quarterly, the Journal culls submissions from scholars and students
on a range of topics, including:
- Child advocacy
- Foster care
- Criminal justice
- National security
To complement its
written work, each year, the Journal presents a symposium at the
Law School featuring some of the most respected scholars and
professionals in a given field. Its past symposia have addressed
legally significant social justice issues related to the following
topics:
- Legal, Secular, and Religious Perspectives on Marriage
Equality/Marriage Protection/Same Sex Marriage
- The Fall of the Economy: How New York Can Rise to the
Challenge
- Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Ronald H. Brown’s
Graduation from St. John’s School of Law
- Thinking Outside the Box: New Challenges and New Approaches to
Domestic Violence
The Journal
extends its mission to the classroom with its new Perspectives on
Justice course. Through this unique offering, second-year journal
members write notes, blog posts and op-eds on topics of social
justice under the supervision of The RHB Center’s faculty. The
Journal publishes high quality second-year student notes, and a
select number of high quality student op-eds will be published in
Jurist, the
world's only law school-based comprehensive legal news and research
service.
With its
inaugural issue, the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic
Development celebrates the 40th anniversary of Ronald H.
Brown's graduation from St. John's School of Law and commemorates
the symposium, "Modern Adaptations of Issues of Racial, Social and
Economic Justice, " held to honor that milestone. At the symposium,
a number of St. John's faculty members presented their scholarly
interests through the prism of racial, social and economic justice.
The premier issue contains a selection of these faculty
presentations. “As faculty advisors to the Journal, Professor
Janai S. Nelson and I have the goal to make the Journal the
premier journal in the nation on issues of racial, social and
economic justice,” said Professor
Leonard M. Baynes, Director of The RHB Center. "The Journal
issue highlighting the 40th anniversary of Ron Brown's graduation
is part of that strategy. It allows us to showcase the scholarship
of the St. John's law faculty and their commitment to justice
issues.”
Several articles in the inaugural issue address issues of racial
justice, including Professor
Lawrence Joseph’s analysis of the impact and symbolism of
President Barack Obama’s presidency, and Dean
Michael A. Simons’ examination of incarceration rates in the
U.S. and the race implications of those rates.
Margaret V. Turano, Associate Academic Dean and Professor of
Law, and
Rosemary C. Salomone, the Kenneth Wang Professor of Law,
explore the effect and impact of increased immigration. Dean Turano
focuses on the Surrogate’s courts, while Professor Salomone looks
at education. Additionally, two articles highlight issues of
economic justice.
G. Ray Warner, Associate Dean for Bankruptcy Studies and
Professor of Law, considers how the consumer bankruptcy system can
stimulate the economy. Professor
Nina J. Crimm analyzes economic issues through the lens of
universal health care. Rounding out the issue are two discussions
of social justice, including Associate Dean
Larry Cunningham’s exploration of the treatment of mentally ill
individuals in the criminal justice system.
“As law
school students, we are often taught the law absent any emotion or
personal feelings. But as a journal executive, I am able to see the
human side of the arguments made. The passion is in the writing,”
observed Nadav Zamir ‘11, the Journal’s Editor-in-Chief. “The
Journal board and staff are very fortunate to have Professors
Baynes and Nelson to guide us as we move into this new chapter of
our important work in the Law School and with the larger legal
community.
“This is an
exciting milestone for the Law School” said Dean Simons. “The RHB
Center and the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic
Development carry out St. John's steadfast commitment to
investigating and engaging multiple perspectives on pressing issues
of racial, social and economic justice.”
To learn more
about the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic
Development, visit the
Journal website.