Social Justice Reporter

About the Reporter

The Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter takes its name from the storied Race Relations Law Reporter (RRLR), a pioneering social justice journal launched at Vanderbilt in 1956 and funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation. The RRLR was published until 1972 to wide readership. During the 2022-2023 academic year, five Vanderbilt Law students—four in the Class of 2022 and one in the Class of 2023—worked to lay the groundwork for the journal as members of the New Journal Student Committee. This academic year, thirteen students—four in the Class of 2023 and nine in the Class of 2024—serve on the Social Justice Reporter Working Group.

The creation of the Social Justice Reporter (SJR) is an appropriate and timely response to the current historical moment and the need for fresh and responsive perspectives to inform current debates. It is also a vital component of Vanderbilt Law School’s commitment to social justice, diversity and inclusivity. Building on the legacy of the Race Relations Law Reporter, SJR provides a dedicated forum for social justice, civil rights and public interest scholarship both within Vanderbilt Law School and externally.

SJR is the only Vanderbilt Law journal with an explicit social justice mission. This publication is envisioned as a national go-to resource for social justice-oriented scholars, practitioners, students and community members, with content spanning intersectional issues of law and social equity. SJR will offer a unique mix of high-quality scholarship presented through long-form articles, short essays and opinion pieces, as well as contributions on current events and legal debates with direct and immediate policy relevance. The first round of publications are expected during the 2023-2024 academic year.

As a digital-only publication, one of SJR’s unique aims is to publish solutions, best practices and think pieces in a timelier manner than permitted by the traditional legal scholarship publication process. Topics related to social justice are varied, multi-faceted and constantly evolving as national attitudes about racial justice, voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, gender justice, economic and environmental inequality and other issues shift over time. As such, social justice discussion, in particular, requires timely and consistent engagement. SJR is committed to providing a forum for these discussions under the expert guidance of a Vanderbilt Law faculty panel.