McGill Law Journal
The McGill Law Journal is a student-run legal publication at McGill University’s Faculty of Law in Montreal. It is a not-for-profit corporation independent of the Faculty and it is managed exclusively by students.[1] The Journal also publishes the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation and a series of podcasts since 2012.[1] In 2010, the Faculty of Law at Washington and Lee University gave the McGill Law Journal the award for best student-run legal journal in the world outside the United States.[1]
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| Language | English, French |
|---|---|
| Publication details | |
| History | 1952-present |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Yes | |
| Standard abbreviations | |
| Bluebook | McGill L.J. |
| ISO 4 | McGill Law J. |
| Indexing | |
| ISSN | 0024-9041 |
| Links | |
Overview
Since the 1970s, the McGill Law Journal has been cited more often by the Supreme Court of Canada than any other university-affiliated law journal in the world. Journal subscribers reside in more than twenty-five countries.
Following the Faculty’s policy of bilingualism, the McGill Law Journal is published in both French and English.[1] The editorial team is therefore composed of both French- and English-speaking students who select and edit articles written in both languages. The Journal publishes texts dealing with different topics in civil law, common law, and Indigenous legal traditions.[2] A member of the legal community wishing to have his or her article published in the Journal can make a submission through the McGill Law Journal website.[3]
History
The McGill Law Journal was founded in 1952 by Gérald Éric Le Dain and Jacques-Yvan Morin, two students at McGill University’s Faculty of Law.[1] The Journal was the third entirely student-run journal to appear in Canada.[4] The first issue was edited by the founding editor in chief, Jacques-Yvan Morin.[1] From its inception, the Journal has promoted the development of legal research, attracting a readership of law professors, lawyers, and students.[1] The goal of its founders was to create a forum for intellectual exchange for Quebec’s legal community.[4] Because the province is at the crossroads of the two great private law traditions of the Western world, civil law and common law, the first editors of the Journal immediately recognized its potential as a tool for the development of civil law doctrine in English and in French.[4]
Since it published its first volume in 1952, the McGill Law Journal has built its reputation over the years as a renowned legal source.[1] Today, the Journal is as renowned internationally as it is in Canada. Not only does the Journal produce high-quality publications for jurists and legal professionals, but it also enables its editors to learn and perfect important skills for their legal careers.
Other Publications and Events
Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation
The first Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation was published by the editors of the McGill Law Journal in 1986.[5] To date, the Guide is in its ninth edition. With the help of members of the legal community—lawyers, judges, librarians, and professors—the Guide evolves with the legal profession.[5] A new edition of the Guide is published every four years.[5]
The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation provides guidelines on how to build a bibliography and how to reference sources ranging from statutes and case law to Indigenous treaties and Talmudic law. The Guide is a reference standard for many courts and Canadian legal journals.[5] The Guide can be purchased online through the McGill Law Journal website.[5]
Podcasts
In 2012, the McGill Law Journal started publishing a series of podcasts exploring different aspects of Canadian law, the first Canadian law journal to do so.[6] In the podcast, leading academics, practicing lawyers, or other member of the legal community shed light on contemporary legal issues in conversation with members of the McGill Law Journal.[6]
Recent episodes published by the Journal cover topics such as the legal aspects of climate change, the debate over the notwithstanding clause in Quebec’s Act Respecting the Laicity of the State, and the use of artificial intelligence in the legal field.[6] By examining the legal dimensions of contentious issues, the podcast aims to share legal knowledge and expertise with members of the legal community and of the public.
Special Issues
Special issues of the McGill Law Journal, which are published about once per volume, are the Journal’s way of sharing legal information on a specific issue to a wider audience. Once a topic is chosen, the Journal invites internationally renowned specialists to write about it. Topics ranging from international human rights, contemporary Canadian constitutional law, and reform of the Russian Civil Code have all been selected for special issues. Other topics have included international dispute resolution, the legacy of Roncarelli v.Duplessis, technological innovations and civil liability, and legal pluralism in Indigenous communities.[2]
For just one example of how impactful these special issues can be, take the issue published by Volume 45 on genetics and the law. The issue was noticed by the Canadian National Judicial Institute and was used at a conference in June 2000. Copies were distributed to and read by more than fifty Canadian and American judges.
Events organized by the McGill Law Journal
The McGill Law Journal organizes several events throughout the year attended by the McGill community and members of the public. These events are designed to promote student involvement and academic research while allowing the Journal to attract high-quality submissions from legal scholars.[7] Each year, an English-language conference and a French-language conference are organized to enlighten the general public on a legal issue.[7] Following each conference, the Journal holds a reception that allows members of the legal community to discuss the topic.[7] The conferences help members of different bar associations obtain professional development credits.[7]
The McGill Law Journal’s Annual English Lecture
Since the early 2000s, the McGill Law Journal has invited a well-known speakers to give a presentation to the McGill legal community and other people residing in Montreal. The lecture is then published in the Journal. The annual English lecture is one of the most sought-after events of the year at the Faculty of Law.[7] In 1984, Jacques-Yvan Morin gave a presentation there, as did the Honourable Justice Beverly McLachlin in 1991.
| Year & Volume | Speaker | Title of Presentation |
| 2020
(vol 65) |
James Tully
(Philosopher & Professor Emeritus) |
“Sustainable Democratic Constitutionalism and Climate Change” |
| 2019
(vol 64) |
Patricia J. Williams
(American Legal Scholar) |
“From Underground Railroad to Overland Migration: When the North Star Can’t Be Found” |
| 2018
(vol 63) |
Tim Wu
(Professor at Columbia Law School) |
“The Curse of Bigness Revisited – Antitrust in the New Gilded Age” |
| 2016 (vol 62) | Mari Matsuda (Advocate, Activist, & Professor) | “The Next Dada Utopian Visioning Peace Orchestra: Constitutional Theory and the Aspirational” |
| 2015 (vol 61) | Suzanne Côté (Judge at the Supreme Court of Canada) | “The Firsts: Breaking the Glass Ceiling and Provoking Changes” |
| 2014
(vol 59) |
Mélanie Joly (Canadian Politician) | “Le cadre juridique des villes au Canada” |
| 2013
(vol 58) |
Goodwin Liu
(Judge at the Supreme Court of California) |
“Justice and Distribution of Equal Opportunity” |
| 2012
(vol 57) |
Sylvain Lussier (Canadian Lawyer) | “Equality of all Under the Law: Quand les gouvernements doivent répondre devant les tribunaux” |
| 2011
(vol 56) |
Carlos Fuentes (Renowned Author) | Untitled |
| 2010
(vol 55) |
Rosalie Abella
(Judge at the Supreme Court of Canada) |
“International Law and Human Rights: The Power and the Pity” |
| 2009
(vol 54) |
John Ralston Saul (Canadian Philosopher) | “The Roots of Canadian Law in Canada” |
| 2008
(vol 53) |
Patrick Macklem (Canadian Law Professor) | “What is International Human Rights Law? Three Applications of a Distributive Account” |
| 2007
(vol 52) |
Pierre Dalphond (Canadian Senator) | “What is the Future of Doctrine in Quebec?” |
| 2006 (vol 51) | John Gomery (Judge at the Superior Court of Quebec) | “The Pros and Cons of Commissions of Inquiry” |
| 2005 (vol 50) | Thomas R. Berger (Judge at the Supreme Court of British Columbia) | “One Man's Justice: My Life in the Courts” |
| 2004
(vol 49) |
John Fisher
(Former Director of Egale Canada) |
“Outlaws or In-laws?: Successes and Challenges in the Struggle for LGBT Equality” |
| 2003 (vol 48) | Gérald A. Beaudoin (Canadian Senator) | “Le contrôle judiciaire de la constitutionnalité des lois” |
| 2002
(vol 47) |
Kent Roach (Canadian Law Professor) | “Did September 11 Change Everything? Struggling to Preserve Canadian Values in the Face of Terrorism” |
| 2001
(vol 46) |
Philippe Kirsch
(President of the International Criminal Court) |
“Negotiating an Institution for the Twenty-First Century: Multilateral Diplomacy and the International Criminal Court” |
| 2000
(vol 45) |
Charles Gonthier (Former Judge at the Supreme Court of Canada) | “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: The Forgotten Leg of the Trilogy, or Fraternity: The Unspoken Third Pillar of Democracy” |
The McGill Law Journal’s Annual French Conference
The francophone conference uses the same general concept as its English equivalent, that is, the McGill Law Journal invites a renowned speaker to present on a contested or little-known legal topic to the McGill and broader Montreal legal community.[7] The following chart presents some of the speakers who have been invited to the francophone conference over the years as well as the topics covered in the presentations.
| Year & Volume | Speaker | Title of the Presentation |
| 2019
(vol 65) |
Mathieu Devinat | « L’évolution en trois temps de l’ouvrage, Interprétation des lois » |
| 2017
(vol 63) |
Me Eric Lavallée
(Lawyer and Trademark Agent at Lavery Lawyers) Christelle Papineau (Student Researcher at the Laboratoire de cyberjustice du Centre de recherche en droit public of the Université de Montréal) |
« Les enjeux juridiques de l’intelligence artificielle » |
| 2017
(vol 62) |
Mona-Lisa Prosper (Partner, Propulsio 360 Business Consultants)
Me Nathalie Beauregard (Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt) Davide Pisanu (Director General, Cirque du Soleil) Moderator : Pierre-Emmanuel Moyse (Professor at the McGill Faculty of Law) |
Conférence sur l’innovation et l’entrepreneuriat |
| 2014
(vol 60) |
Marc Mayrand (Director General of Elections Canada) and Jean-Pierre Kingsley (Former Director of Elections Canada) | « Le droit électoral et la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés : développements jurisprudentiels et enjeux actuels » |
| 2013
(vol 58) |
The Honourable Michel Bastarache (Former Judge at the Supreme Court of Canada)
Adrian Popovici (Université de Montréal) Sylvio Norman (Université Laval) Finn Makela (Université de Sherbrooke) Julie Paquin (University of Ottawa) |
« Colloque sur les aspirations et l’impact de la recherche universitaire en droit » |
Past Editors, Members, and Authors
Editors in Chief
Here is a list of the editors in chief of the McGill Law Journal from Volumes 1 through 66:[1]
- Vol 66: Nathaniel Reilly
- Vol 65: Lauren Weaver
- Vol 64: Joseph Spadafore
- Vol 63: Éléna Sophie Drouin
- Vol 62: Laura Cárdenas
- Vol 61: Fraser Harland
- Vol 60: William Stephenson
- Vol 59: Olga Redko
- Vol 58: Marie-Eve Goulet
- Vol 57: Will Colish
- Vol 56: Sara Ross
- Vol 55: Seo Yun Yang
- Vol 54: Erin Morgan
- Vol 53: Benjamin Moss
- Vol 52: David Sandomierski
- Vol 51: Kristin Ali
- Vol 50: Fabien Fourmanoit
- Vol 49: Toby Moneit
- Vol 48: Carole Chan
- Vol 47: Kevin MacLeod
- Vol 46: Robert Leckey
- Vol 45: Azim Hussain
- Vol 44: Karlo Giannascoli
- Vol 43: Sébastien Beaulieu
- Vol 42: Martin J. Valasek
- Vol 41: Mary-Pat Cormier
- Vol 40: Jodi Lackman
- Vol 39: Erica Stone
- Vol 38: Mark Phillips
- Vol 37: David A. Chemla
- Vol 36: Julia E. Hanigsberg
- Vol 35: Daniel Torsher
- Vol 34: Gary F. Bell
- Vol 33: M. Kevin Woodall
- Vol 32: Marc Lemieux
- Vol 31: Henry K. Schultz
- Vol 30: Peter Oliver
- Vol 29: Daniel Gogek
- Vol 28: Stephen Toope
- Vol 27: F. Jasper Meyers
- Vol 26: Linda R. Ganong (1979–1980) and Patrick Healy (1980–1981)
- Vol 25: Mona R. Paul
- Vol 24: Neil J. Smitheman
- Vol 23: Cally Jordan
- Vol 22: Louise Pelly
- Vol 21: Laura Falk Scott
- Vol 20: Frank H. Buckley
- Vol 19: Graham Nevin
- Vol 18: Michael David Kaylor
- Vol 17: Joel King
- Vol 16: André T. Mécs
- Vol 15: Leonard Serafini
- Vol 14: Ronald I. Cohen
- Vol 13: Douglas Pascal
- Vol 12: Stephen Allan Scott
- Vol 11: Larry S. Sazant
- Vol 10: Joseph J. Oliver
- Vol 9: Mark M. Rosenstein
- Vol 8: Alan Z. Golden
- Vol 7: Norman M. May
- Vol 6: A. Derek Guthrie
- Vol 5: Henri P. Lafleur
- Vol 4: Raymond Barakett
- Vol 3: Harold W. Ashenmil
- Vol 2: John E. Lawrence
- Vol 1: Jacques-Yvan Morin (issue one), Fred Kaufman (issues two and three), and William H. Reynolds (issue four)
Some Former McGill Law Journal Editors
Former McGill Law Journal editors include judges Benjamin J. Greenberg, Morris Fish, John Gomery, Jean-Louis Baudouin, Brian Riordan, Allan Lutfy, Suzanne Coupal, Brigitte Gouin, Ronna Brott, Nicholas Kasirer, and Max M. Teitelbaum; there have been some board chairs such as David P. O’Brien and Bernard Amyot; academics such as Dick Pound and Bartha Knoppers; entertainment professionals such as Lionel Chetwynd; and politicians such as Irwin Cotler, Yoine Goldstein, and Canada’s Minister of Justice David Lametti.[1]
Public Figures who have Published in the Journal
Renowned public figures who have appeared in the pages of the Journal include former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Supreme Court Justices Rosalie Abella and Gerald Fauteux, former Canadian Governor General David Johnston, and United Nations diplomat Yves Fortier.[1]
External Publications
Books
In 2013, author James Cummins published The Journal: 60 years of People, Prose, and Publication with 8th House Publishing in Montreal.[4] In celebration of the Faculty of Law’s sixtieth anniversary, the book recounts the history of the McGill Law Journal from the first volume to the fifty-seventh.[4]
The Journal also featured in the book A Noble Roster: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Law at McGill, written by a former McGill Law student, Ian C. Pilarczyk.[8]
Supreme Court of Canada References to Journal Articles
The McGill Law Journal was the first Canadian legal publication to be cited in a Supreme Court decision.[1] To date, the Journal has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada in over 150 cases.[1]
References
- "About". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- "Issues". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- "Submissions". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- Cummins, James (2013). The Journal: 60 years of People, Prose, and Publication. Montreal: 8th House Publishing.
- "The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- "Podcasts". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- "Events". McGill Law Journal. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- Pilarczyk, Ian C. (1999). A Noble Roster: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Law at Mcgill. Montreal: McGill University Press.