Mission
Founded in 1942, the New York University Annual Survey of American Law is a student-edited journal at New York University School of Law. The Annual Survey is NYU's second-oldest legal journal and was originally compiled by NYU faculty members as a comprehensive annual reference to developments in American law. Now a quarterly publication, the Annual Survey continues its dedication to exploring contemporary legal developments in the United States from a practice-oriented perspective. Annual Survey articles analyze emerging legal trends, interpret significant recent court decisions and legislation, and explain leading legal scholars' and judges' perspectives on current legal topics. The journal is widely distributed throughout the world, giving lawyers both inside and outside the United States insight into American law and legal issues.
Scholarship
The Annual Survey publishes several unique issues each year that help to develop and deepen contemporary understanding of legal developments and influential figures in American law. Each year, the journal sponsors a symposium that brings eminent scholars and advocates to the Law School and publishes a special issue of the journal featuring articles arising out of the symposium. This year's symposium focused on Election Law, examining recent developments in campaign finance, partisan redistricting, and voting access and integrity. Past symposia have analyzed current issues in constitutional law and foreign policy, reparations law (co-sponsored with BALSA), environmental law, hate crimes legislation, poverty law, affirmative action, education law, media law, church-state separation, technology and evidence law, and federalism's intersection with immigration policy. Other issues of the journal include a survey of legal developments in the preceding year and an issue devoted primarily to student writing. (symposia | issues)
Dedication
In the spring, the Annual Survey dedicates a volume to a preeminent jurist, scholar, or legal practitioner. The dedicatee is personally honored in a ceremony and dinner attended by all journal members, and an Annual Survey issue features tributes and scholarship on the dedicatee's achievements and contributions to American law. In 2007, the Annual Survey honored Associate Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court. Past dedicatees include President Herbert Hoover; Supreme Court Justices Harry Blackmun, William Brennan, Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Antonin Scalia; Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and George Mitchell; Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr. Alexander Boraine of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Attorney General Janet Reno; Professor Ronald Dworkin of NYU School of Law; Professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School; and NYU President and former Dean of NYU School of Law John Sexton. (dedications)