About This Journal
The Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies has celebrated excellence in student legal scholarship for over 30 years.
The DJLS was established on October 17, 1991 by its first editor Ryerson Symons. Symons had completed a degree in law at the University of Oxford before coming to Dalhousie University to earn a Canadian degree for admission to the bar in North America. During that time, Symons laid the ground work for what has become the largest and one of the most respected student societies at Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law.
The first volume of the DJLS was published in Spring 1992. The issue featured articles, case notes and comment, and book reviews. At the time, it was only the second legal journal in Canada published entirely by students.
Much has changed since those early days. The Journal has moved away from book reviews, choosing to focus instead on compelling articles and case comments. However, the core ethos of the Journal remains unchanged: we seek to publish only the best legal scholarship written by current law students and recent graduates on contemporary issues.
An important part of our mission is our blind-review reading group process, which depends on the contributions of dozens of student volunteers every year at the Schulich School of Law. Through the combined efforts of the managing team and volunteers, the DJLS has received many accolades over the years and has been cited by Canadian courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Authors have gone on to lead successful legal careers in a variety of areas, including clerkships at all levels of court, academia, private practice, government, and more.
Equally important is recognizing the best students for their scholarship. To that end, the DJLS awards more than $2,000 to our authors every year. The John D. Stevenson Essay Prize is awarded to the author of the top essay in each volume as selected by prize panellists. Further, each year the Think Tank Student Legal Research Conference provides select Schulich students with the opportunity to present their research on a current legal topic. Participants have the chance to win a cash prize and the opportunity to publish their research in the next volume of the Journal.
Today, the Journal remains an independent, non-profit, entirely student-run society. We publish on an annual basis in print and online. The DJLS is headquartered at Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
If you have any questions about us or what we do, contact us.
Editors-In-Chief
Beatrix Marsh, Dalhousie University
Alicia Jacob, Dalhousie University
Contact
Email:
djls@dal.ca
Address:
Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies
Weldon Law Buidling at Dalhousie University
6061 University Ave PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2
Indexed in CanLII, HeinOnline Law Journal Library, Index to Legal Periodicals, Index to Canadian Legal Literature and Scott Index of Canadian Legal Periodicals.