Published: Feb. 5, 2024 By
Students editing the law review

Issue 1 of Volume 95 of the University of Colorado Law Review is now available online! The articles in this issue touch on what it means to be human: analyzing the intersection of law with beauty, race, the marketplace, data privacy, immigration, labor, and AI. Ìý

An entirely student run publication, the Law Review stands as a beacon of intellectual rigor and academic excellence. With a commitment to advancing legal discourse, members of the Law Review meticulously curate, refine, and publish groundbreaking general-interest legal scholarship quarterly. Ìý

This issue’s esteemed contributors range from distinguished law professors to promising students, bringing a wealth of perspectives and expertise to the publication. Through the diverse insights and tireless efforts of the editorial team, the University of Colorado Law Review produces dynamic legal analyses that not only dissect complex legal challenges but also propose inventive and forward-thinking solutions.Ìý

In this Q&A, Editor in Chief Caitlin Dacus ’24 answers a few questions about the significance of this issue, the mission of the journal, and what readers can expect from Volume 95’s upcoming issues. Ìý

Hi Caitlin, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me! To start, can you share a little more about the content in this issue? Ìý

CD: When our volume considered what sort of scholarship we wanted to put out into the world, we wanted to publish articles that were intersectional in their approach. This means we wanted to select articles that dealt with the confluence of law with intersecting identities, including varying combinations of race, gender, sexuality, national origin, etc. This goal was inspired by the desire for the University of Colorado Law Review's legal scholarship to resonate with readers from multiple angles and inspire readers to think creatively about legal issues. We also wanted to equip judicial decision makers and policy makers with the tools to promote a more just and equitable Colorado and United States. The articles that came together for Issue I do just that.Ìý

Sounds interesting! I would love to hear more about your role as Editor in Chief - what do you view as the most critical part of your job? What interested you in the position?Ìý

CD: As Editor in Chief, I wear many hats. I speak to groups of 1Ls to recruit them to apply for membership; I brainstorm with teams of editors to solve challenges with a given article; I put the final formatting touches on an issue and correspond with the printer. The list goes on! However, what I view as the most critical part of my job is fostering relationships. The Law Review has seventy-two members and is entirely run by student editors. We all work together—starting in July before our 2L year right up until graduation from law school—to run what is essentially a publishing company. To produce four issues and publish twenty-three articles in a single year, we have to trust one another. We have to ask one another for help and give help when needed. Additionally, as Editor in Chief, critical relationships extend outside of the organization. Relationships with fellow leaders within the law school have been invaluable as well as relationships with Law Review alumni who encourage and support our labor.Ìý

What is one article that stood out to you from this past issue, and why?Ìý

CD: One of the articles in Issue 1 that stands out to me the most (it is difficult to pick!) is Beyond Discrimination: Market Humiliation and Private Law by Dr. Hila Keren. Dr. Keren’s article bravely takes on the 2023 SCOTUS decision in that overturned Colorado’s antidiscrimination law. The law would have protected Colorado consumers in the private marketplace from discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, disability, etc. As a queer person who moved to Colorado to attend law school in a state where my partner and I would feel safer, Dr. Keren’s analysis of 303 Creative and passionate defense of a private marketplace that does not humiliate is deeply impactful to me. It was a privilege to publish this timely article.Ìý

In your own words, how would you describe the mission of the University of Colorado Law Review?ÌýÌý

CD: I see the mission of the University of Colorado Law Review as twofold. The first, and probably most apparent, is to produce excellent scholarship that both amplifies solutions to pressing legal challenges and promotes a more just and equitable legal system. The second prong of our mission is to uplift the students of Colorado Law by equipping our members with critical skills for their careers and fostering lasting relationships in the legal community in Colorado and beyond.Ìý

What can we expect from the remaining issues in Vol. 95?Ìý

CD: The University of Colorado Law Review will publish three more issues this year. Issue 2 is our Symposium Issue and will feature pieces from presenters at the 2024 Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference on Constitutional Law, an annual conference put on by Colorado Law’s . The Rothgerber Symposium Issue will feature articles addressing access to reproductive health care as well as federal Indian law. Issue 3, our Natural Resources Issue, will include pieces that address climate change and just transition, the law of the Colorado River, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), and more. Our fourth and final issue will present analyses ranging from government seizure of property belonging to incarcerated people to the unionization of Minor League Baseball. I hope readers are as excited to read these pieces as I am!Ìý

Learn more about the journal, and access Issue 1, Vol. 95 of the University of Colorado Law Review on the publication's website: .Ìý