Hofstra Law Review
The basic legal periodicals in the United States are law reviews, which are sponsored by law schools and managed and edited by law students. The Hofstra Law Review is a legal journal of general scope, published quarterly by the Hofstra Law Review Association. The Review is recognized as a leading journal in the legal community, cited by numerous other journals and in legal opinions across the country.
The Hofstra Law Review is entirely student-run, with a faculty advisor. Each spring members of the first- and second-year classes of the full-time program and the second- and third-year classes of the part-time program take part in a writing competition for membership on the Review. The membership is responsible for soliciting articles from legal scholars, considering unsolicited manuscripts for publication, editing published works and maintaining the Review’s reputation for timely publication of articles that expand the frontiers of legal scholarship.
There are several ways to qualify for membership:
- The top 5 percent of each division, part-time and full-time, based on their first- year cumulative grade point average, receive an invitation to join.
- First-year students in the full-time program and second-year students in the part-time program may take part in an annual writing competition in which they are asked to write a memorandum of law analyzing a particular legal problem. Students may be selected on their writing competition scores alone or on a combination of writing score and cumulative grade point average. Second-year students in the full-time program or third-year students in the part-time program may also participate in the writing competition, but may not become Review members unless they plan to complete both the fall and spring semesters of their third year in the full-time program or both the fall and spring semesters of their fourth year in the part-time program at Hofstra.
- A student may be invited to join on the basis of submission of a completed note deemed to be of publishable quality by the Board of Editors. Notes from third-year students in the full-time program or fourth-year students in the part-time program must be submitted by the end of the second week of classes in the fall semester.
- Transfer students-both those transferring to Hofstra from another institution and those transferring from a part-time Hofstra division to the full-time division-may compete in the Hofstra Law Review Transfer Writing Competition, held at the beginning of the fall semester.
Please be advised that the selection process for the Review is ultimately governed by the Hofstra Law Review Association Amended and Restated Bylaws, which can be obtained at the Review’s Managing Office.
Each March, a 15-member Board of Editors is selected, headed by the Editor-in-Chief. The Board is responsible for carrying out Review policy and managing the publication.
Review membership presupposes a student’s commitment to legal research and writing and a willingness to work long hours. In addition to the Review’s publication work, each student member is required to write an analytical note or case comment for publication in the Review. Members may elect to take Law Review for three credits during their second year of law school. During the spring semester of their third year of law school, members of the Board of Editors may elect two credits, and associate editors may elect one credit. During the spring semester of their second year of law school, upon the recommendation of a faculty advisor and the Board of Advisors, members are awarded two credits for the completion of a note of publishable quality and one credit for completion of staff responsibilities. During the spring semester of their third year of law school, upon recommendation of the Board of Advisors, members of the Board of Editors are awarded two credits for satisfactory service, and associate editors are awarded one credit for satisfactory service.
The Board invites new students to visit its office and learn more about the organization. (See the Rules for Election of Non-Classroom Courses.)
Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal
The Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal is a scholarly publication devoted entirely to the discussion of current issues in labor and employment law. Established in 1982, the Journal is widely regarded as one of the premier authorities in this field. Published semiannually, the Journal has played an important role in helping build the prestige of the Law School. The Journal has recently published such renowned authors as Professor William B. Gould IV, the Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board under President Clinton, and Vivian Berger, a nationally recognized mediator who specializes in labor and employment law cases. In addition, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the Introduction for the Journal’s Symposium Edition on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The Journal is student-run with faculty serving on a Faculty Board of Advisors. Membership on the Journal is highly competitive and consists of the finest students from each Law School class. The majority of new staff members are chosen on the basis of a combination of their grade point average and an annual school-wide writing competition. Two students after their first year are also invited to join the Journal solely on the basis of their cumulative grade point average. Additionally, a student may be invited to join on the basis of submission of a completed article deemed to be of publishable quality by the Board of Editors. Articles from third-year students in the full-time program or fourth-year students in the part-time program must be submitted by the second week of classes in the fall semester. Students are required to take Labor Law, Employment Discrimination or Employment Law in the first semester following their selection to be on the journal.
Each March, a 16-member Board of Editors is selected, headed by the Editor-in-Chief. Serving on the Board of Editors demands dedication to hard work and a commitment to the publication of a high-quality journal. The Board of Editors is responsible for carrying out Journal policy and managing the publication of scholarly articles.
In addition to the Journal’s publication work, each student member is required to write an analytical note or case comment in the area of labor and employment law for publication in the Journal. During the spring semester of their second year of law school, upon the recommendation of the Board of Advisors, members are awarded two credits for the completion of a note of publishable quality and one credit for completion of staff responsibilities. During the spring semester of their third year, members of the Board of Editors, upon the recommendation of the Board of Advisors, are awarded two credits, and senior staff members are awarded one credit for satisfactory service.
Family Court Review
Family Court Review (FCR) is a quarterly, interdisciplinary journal that promotes the constructive resolution of family law disputes. Topics covered include all aspects of divorce and separation, child custody problems, child abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, adoption, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, gender issues in family law and courts, court-affiliated family education programs, conciliation, mediation, forensic evaluation, arbitration and family court organization. Contributors come from the fields of law, mental health, medicine, the behavioral and social sciences, and other disciplines concerned with the welfare of children and families.
FCR has more than 2,500 subscribers worldwide, including family court judges, lawyers, court administrators, mediators, mental health evaluators and parent educators. It is sponsored by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), and published at Hofstra Law School through a collaborative effort of faculty and student staff as part of the Center for Children, Families and the Law. FCR has a distinguished international editorial board. All articles published in FCR are peer-reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of recognized experts. FCR is indexed in Westlaw, Lexis and numerous mental health indices.
Editorial production of FCR is facilitated entirely by the student staff, which is competitively selected through the journal writing competition. Special consideration is given to students who are seriously interested in family law and alternative dispute resolution. Professor Andrew Schepard, the director of Hofstra’s Center for Children, Families & the Law oversees FCR and coordinates efforts with AFCC. Mental health doctoral fellows from North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and Hofstra’s Psychology Department also participate in the editorial process.
Student editors are required to write a note on a topic related to FCR’s mission. Students formally present their note topics and research to a panel of family law experts. As many as eight student notes are selected for publication each academic year. FCR staff members are required to meet weekly as a group during the school year.
Students receive three to five credits over two years for their work as student editors of FCR. Junior staff members receive three credits over the course of the year and senior staff members receive two. Junior staff credits are allocated to the student’s research and writing project and editorial duties. Senior staff credits are awarded for duties associated with individual editorial positions.
Journal of International Business and Law
The Journal of International Business and Law is a joint scholarly publication of the Hofstra University Frank G. Zarb School of Business and the students of the Hofstra University School of Law. The Journal explores the interaction of business and law in the global marketplace from both legal and business perspectives.
As globalization continues and the legal and business worlds collide, the need for wide ranging scholarly debate and critical thinking on a broad range of topics will be great. JIBL hopes to bridge the gap between law and business in international entrepreneurial matters.
The Journal of International Business and Law extends memberships to law students on the basis of a combination of their writing ability and grade point average. JIBL places great emphasis on choosing only the best writers to ensure the production of quality publications. A student may also be invited to join on the basis of submission of a completed article deemed to be of publishable quality by the Board of Editors. These articles may range from the law or business aspect of any international matter. Students are required to take an international class within their first year of membership on JIBL.
Each spring, JIBL publishes student articles written by both students of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business and Hofstra Law School. Upon the recommendation of an advisor, members of JIBL are awarded two credits for the completion of a note or comment of publishable quality and one credit for competition of staff responsibilities.
Each March, a 13-member Board of Editors is selected, headed by the Editor-in-Chief. Serving on the Board of Editors is a prestigious position on JIBL which requires hard work and dedication to the publication of a high-quality journal. The law school’s Board of Editors is also responsible for the coordination of both the Business School and Law School staff. During the spring semester of their third year, members of the Board of Editors, upon the recommendation of an advisor, are awarded two credits, and senior staff members are awarded one credit for satisfactory service. |