The University of New South Wales Law Journal is one of Australia's leading academic legal journals and one of the few to be produced entirely by a voluntary student board.
As one of the most widely cited legal reviews in Australia, the UNSW Law Journal is renowned for its noteworthy and topical content aimed at contributing to contemporary legal debate. A refereed publication, the UNSW Law Journal is committed to publishing articles that are relevant not only to academics, but also to legal and business professionals.
The UNSW Law Journal has a diverse and influential readership. It is distributed among Judges of the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia and Supreme Court of NSW, as well as subscribers including government departments, non-government organisations and law firms. More than 250 universities worldwide receive the UNSW Law Journal.
Submissions for publication are received from local and international academics, judges, and legal professionals from a wide range of practice areas.
The first volume of the Law Journal was publicly launched in 1976 - the year that the first group of students graduated from the Faculty of Law. Produced by an Editorial Board of seven student members with Faculty Adviser John McMillan, the inaugural issue became the flagship publication of the emerging Law School.
Since that time, the Law Journal has continued the tradition of covering important legal issues of the day. It bears the distinction of being entirely managed and produced by students. Members of the Editorial Board are selected from among the most exceptional students of the Faculty of Law, and each Issue is conceived and produced by one student Editor. The students bring with them a fresh perspective and an enthusiasm for the law that ensures the Law Journal reflects contemporary legal thinking and exceptional editorial standards.
Forum was first published in August 1995. Initially, Forum was designed as a newsletter to complement the General and Thematic Issues, informing subscribers of upcoming topics, updating published Issues and providing an arena for comment and debate on current legal affairs. Forum has since developed into a 30-40 page review, containing various perspectives in a series of polemic articles on a current issue. Through Forum, the Law Journal aims to promote awareness and understanding of an important contemporary legal topic within academic, professional, judicial and other circles.
In 2002, the Law Journal celebrated the publication of its 25th volume. This is an important milestone for both the Law Journal and the Faculty of Law, and is a credit to the contributions made by the successive generations of student members of the Editorial Board, the Faculty Advisers, the Law Faculty, and the Law Journal's sponsors, all of whom have helped shape and guide the Law Journal since its inception.