upcoming: neil gotanda lecture in asian american jurisprudence

The Asian American Law Journal is proud to present the Neil Gotanda Lecture in Asian American Jurisprudence. A pivotal figure in legal academia, Professor Gotanda (class of '72) is a constitutional law expert and is widely considered the founder of Asian American jurisprudence. AALJ has created a lecture series in honor of Professor Gotanda. The lecture will be delivered annually by an established or up-and-coming scholar in the field of Asian American jurisprudence with the goal of fostering development of the field at Boalt Hall and across the country.

Professor Gotanda will deliver the inaugural lecture entitled "New Directions in Asian American Jurisprudence" on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 4pm in Goldberg Room at Boalt Hall School of Law.

welcome

Asian American Law Journal, created by students at the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, provides a comprehensive forum for legal scholars, practitioners and students to discuss legal issues concerning Asians in the United States and abroad.

AALJ recognizes the need to develop an Asian Pacific American legal scholarship. Asian Pacific Americans are a rapidly growing part of the population. Consequently, they are entering the legal and political fields as professionals and academics in increasing numbers. As their representation becomes more prominent, so does the importance of their voice in legal scholarship and political discourse. However, not all ethnic groups participate equally in the legal or political system, nor does the law, as written and applied, treat all ethnic groups alike. Furthermore, the diversity of the Asian Pacific American community results in differing viewpoints. AALJ recognizes these differences and examines their implications in affirmative action, hate crimes, accent discrimination, immigration policy and other issues.

AALJ serves dual purposes for the Asian Pacific American and legal communities. First, the journal sets a scholarly foundation for exploring the unique concerns of Asia and Asian America. While AALJ's focus is primarily on Asian Pacific American issues at home, the journal also addresses topics of international concern. Global developments can, and do, impact domestic interests. Second, AALJ seeks to put that scholarship in action and open the dialogue between those who study law and those who are affected by it. In pursuit of these goals, AALJ strives to provide a forum for the many voices and opinions of the Asian Pacific American community through annual symposia and the journal's publication.

our mission

member's manual

mandate

Our mandate is to publish commentary, analyses, and research on the lives and struggles of Asian Pacific American communities. We believe that excellence in Asian American Critical Legal Scholarship demands nurturing scholarship that critically engages the project of anti-subordination as it concerns Asians in the Americas. Therefore, scholarship that either rejects anti-subordination struggle or else is limited in substance to Asians in Asia falls outside of our mandate. The gist of our mandate is to speak truth to power; to borrow from poet Janice Mirikitani: "We give testimony. Our noise is dangerous."

subscriptions

For subscription and ordering information, please visit Boalt Hall's
Journal Publications Department.