Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives

 

We are Georgetown’s newest law journal and one of the few law journals in the country dedicated to legal scholarship on race, ethnicity, and identity. We were founded in 2007 by a driven group of students who were inspired by their experiences with critical race theorists at Georgetown. These students viewed the establishment of a race and identity law journal as a meaningful contribution to Georgetown Law, as well as the larger legal community.

 

 

MCRP is grounded in critical race theory and takes an interdisciplinary perspective on law and policy. Critical race theory examines race and identity with the goal of addressing and transforming the historically subordinate relationships that have defined race in America. Founders of this field include Georgetown Professors Mari Matsuda, Charles Lawrence and Gary Peller. MCRP is a scholarly forum for academics and professionals who are committed to racial justice, civil rights and civil liberties, and provides a platform for critical race theorists to discuss the unique challenges facing society in our postmodern age. In the past year, we have published on a wide range of topics, from race-based medical treatment to criminal prosecutions of Asian American gangs in California to the impact of the The Wire on popular culture.

 

Our journal strives to include the perspectives of our members throughout in the decision-making process. We have a culture of open communication between board members and staff, and our leadership acknowledges that students have other priorities in addition to journal. Many of our staff members are in clinics, hold externships, and have full or part-time jobs. Our staff possesses a camaraderie that comes from a shared sense of purpose. We provide a rigorous editorial experience for our members who benefit from discussing interesting (and oftentimes challenging) topics. As a staff editor, you will play an integral role in the organization and will learn from some of the brightest legal academics in not only critical race, but from scholars in other disciplines (law and economics, critical legal studies etc.) who regularly choose to submit to our journal.

 

 

As a journal, we provide unique opportunities for student leadership and community activism. By design, MCRP is a relatively small but highly dedicated and motivated organization. We organize group volunteer activities with local non-profits in Washington, DC, and hope to build strong lifelong bonds amongst our members. Staff editors have ample opportunity to take on a leadership position, and we strive to assign all members to an article of their choosing. We are also committed to the publication of student work, and while we do not require journal members to publish a student note, we highly encourage it. Additionally, we solicit short (500 word) reaction pieces from our staff members, and publish them in our journal, increasing the opportunity to get published while in law school. Student authors are mentored by our senior staff and are given a vital introduction to the published scholarship process.

 

 

In applying to enter our journal, we rely on a combination of factors, including the case comment, bluebook test, resume, grades and an optional personal statement. We encourage students of diverse backgrounds and life experience to apply. If you have any questions regarding the journal or membership, please feel free to email me.

 

Sincerely,

 

Avy Mallik

Editor-in-Chief 2011-12

Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives

am858@law.georgetown.edu