VJIL 45 Years Strong

Forty-one years ago Law School Dean and later International Court of Justice Judge Hardy Cross Dillard wrote a letter to the editors of the Virginia Journal of International Law (VJIL) commending the Journal on its contribution to establishing international law as a rigorous, technical field of law, as well as its students on their willingness and capacity to “generate fresh thought, accent burdensome responsibilities, and maintain high standards.” The Journal published an excerpt from that letter on the occasion of its 40th anniversary in 2000:

“Some years back the notion prevailed, at least in unenlightened quarters, that International Law was merely a polite curricular ornament to be viewed with tolerant indulgence by students, mild skepticism by the faculty, and benign indifference by the Bar.”

The world is a vastly different place since Hardy Dillard’s words rang true. Boundaries indicating where international law issues begin and end are no longer solid lines in the legal and academic communities. But VJIL has been one of the leading forums for the discussion of those boundaries for 45 years.

“VJIL has been recognized as one of the top journals of international law,” said Stephen Piepgrass, Editor-in- Chief. “Because of its reputation, it has the opportunity to publish some of the best known academics and practitioners in the field, as well as newer authors just setting out in their careers. Recent issues have been cited by high courts and tribunals around the world and by the Supreme Court of the United States.

“The source of VJIL’s success lies not only in the dedication of the students who serve on its editorial and managing boards, but also in the support of the Law School’s renowned international law faculty and the active involvement of a network of VJIL alumni from across the country and around the world.”

VJIL remains the oldest continuously published, student-edited law journal in the United States devoted exclusively to public and private international law. Receiving more than 300 submissions a year, the Journal addresses issues such as international commercial transactions and trade law, international litigation and arbitration, international organizations, international humanitarian and human rights law, and comparative law. Its pages contain a mix of full-length articles, comments, essays, and book reviews by scholars and practitioners, as well as notes, recent developments, and book notes by students.

VJIL subscribers come from more than 25 countries and include the libraries of law schools, law firms, bar associations, and multinational corporations, as well as government agencies, courts, and foreign missions. Surveys of senior international law faculty have ranked VJIL as part of a select top tier of international journals, and many of VJIL’s nearly 1,000 alumni have gone on to assume leading roles in the international legal community.