Home Law School News Drake Law Review, AJS release joint issue on judicial independence

Drake Law Review, AJS release joint issue on judicial independence

The Drake Law Review teamed up with the American Judicature Society once again this year to publish their fourth annual collaborative issue.

“The Legacy of Republican Party of Minnesota v. White: Judicial Independence, Judicial Selection and the First Amendment in a Post-White Era” examines the highly influential White decision, which held that judicial candidates may not constitutionally be prohibited from announcing their views on political issues. The case seemingly opened the door for the politicization of judicial selections.

Articles in the issue analyze the decision, report on the impact on states and address judicial recusal. “The symposium issue provides a rare opportunity for members of the law review to work with leading experts, this year in the field of judicial selections and judicial independence,” said Jess Phelps, editor of Drake Law Review. “Working in a collaborative manner and drawing upon the resources and contacts of the American Judicature Society allows the Drake Law Review to put together a symposium issue of a quality few other journals can obtain.”

The previous three joint AJS/Drake Law Review symposium issues have broached the topics of wrongful convictions, criminal justice reform and the intersection of law and science.

Drake Law Review has enjoyed much success over the years and ranks among the nation’s top law journals in the frequency with which it is cited by U. S. courts during the preceding seven years.  For three years in a row it has ranked in the top 30 among more than 540 student-edited law journals on this basis.