Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Law Review

Dear Readers,

As we officially launch the Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Law Review, I would like to take this time to recognize the journey that has brought us here, and the people who have made it all possible.

In December of 2017, I founded this journal with the hopes that it would become a lasting organization on campus dedicated to a necessary and inter-disciplinary discussion of the law. We had student publications devoted to politics and philosophy, clubs like Mock Trial—but nothing that was wholly devoted to law, thinking and writing about it, discussing and debating it. My desire to start our law review came from a desire to fill this void, to provide an avenue and platform for students like myself who were searching for something different.

As with all major undertakings, the journey to start this journal has had its challenges. It has sometimes been frustrating, and it has always required great persistence, but more than anything—and I owe this last part to our amazing advisors and editorial staff—it has also been incredibly gratifying. After the application process in December, we had our first meeting in the spring of 2018. Since then, we’ve assembled a team of talented writers and editors, from fields as diverse as neuroscience to international studies, to whom I am so grateful. They put their faith in me when all I had was a vision of what JHULR could be, when all we were was a group of students with the determination to make it succeed. Now, as the fall semester begins, I am so excited to announce the official launch of the Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Law Review.

In these past few weeks, our staff has worked tirelessly to prepare for our launch and upcoming semester. From the executive board to the editorial team, this has been a joint effort, and we are all so thrilled to see it come together. Looking ahead, we hope to further expand our presence on campus, regularly publish pieces to JHULR Online, and release the first print edition of the journal in the spring. We hope to establish a community of students and scholars who are passionate about the law, and who are able to convey that passion into thoughtful, informed commentary. We want voices that are bold, but never at the expense of being attentive; voices that cut through, push forward, and listen. There is power in the platform we are creating, in the stories that we share, and we intend to use it.

I am hopeful for what this year will bring and what our staff will continue to achieve.  I would like, also, to extend my sincerest thanks to our advisors: Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Stephen Morgan, and Associate Director of the Office of Pre-Professional Advising, Ms. Ana Droscoski. From the very beginning, Professor Morgan and Ms. Droscoski have been invaluable voices of guidance and support—both for me and for the journal—and without them, none of this would have been possible.

We are building this law review together, and already it has been so rewarding.

Kiana Boroumand

Editor in Chief