Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

The Journal of Catholic Legal Studies is a scholarly journal devoted to the study of law and religion in general, and law and Catholicism in particular. Known for fifty years as The Catholic Lawyer, the journal was rechristened the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies in the spring of 2005, beginning with Issue 44, Volume 1.

The intent of the name change was not to alter the character of the journal, but rather to reflect what it had become—and to reflect our aspiration that it continue to be a home for high-level scholarship that will be of interest not just to Catholic lawyers, but to all who care about those areas where the law impacts Catholicism and, just as importantly, those areas where Catholicism may have something to say to legal thinkers. Such scholarship will often be interdisciplinary; it will also often be explicitly ecumenical, drawing on insights from scholars working from other religious perspectives.

Although the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies is primarily comprised of outside articles solicited by, and submitted to, the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies, the expansion of student contributions to the periodical remains an important objective. Accordingly, student contributions to the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies require adherence to the same strict standards of excellence with respect to analysis, research, Bluebooking accuracy, and writing style.

The Journal of Catholic Legal Studies is run under the rubric of the St. John's Law Review, whose members and editors are responsible for verifying sources, checking citations, proofreading, and critically analyzing the works set for publication. The Executive Publications Editor of the Law Review has primary responsibility for the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies, including overseeing the editorial process and preparing manuscripts for publication.