By Selah Hurd, Staff Writer
A new student-led journal is taking shape on campus this year — reviving a similar publication last seen in 2016. The Wheaton College Journal of Law and Public Policy is led by a cabinet of nine women, most of them first-years and sophomores, who hope their early start will give the publication longevity and reach.
First-year philosophy and economics major Inae Kim said she joined because she wanted to “go more in depth and meet a lot of different people who are interested in law.”
She described the journal as an accessible space for engaging complex issues. The idea, said Kim, is to make legal discussion more digestible.
Organizers hope to recruit writers who may not have prior experience in legal or policy research. Cabinet members plan to guide students through sourcing, drafting and refining articles so that beginners can grow in their research skills. Kim said the goal is to help new writers learn how to research effectively.
Senior editor Susanna Brink, a history and international relations double major, emphasized the group’s collaborative structure. Sophomores Hope Mellinger, an international relations major, and Victoria Vassell, an economics major, serve as co-editors-in-chief and oversee the project. But, Brink said, student writers may propose topics of interest to them that fit under the broad categories of law and public policy and are relevant to the campus community.
The cabinet — whose members hold interests ranging from human rights law to international law — expects to host writer workshops, work with the Writing Center and collaborate with the Pre-Law Society on events. Brink noted that legal writing often intimidates newcomers.
“There are very technical citations that legal writing requires, and I think that’s really intimidating to people. Even if they’re really interested in some legal or public policy issue,” Brink said.
Mellinger, the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief, said she and Vassell revived the journal because they believed both students interested in law careers and the wider campus would benefit from it. She explained that, unlike traditional law reviews, the group wants to include multiple sections, visual design elements and pieces that vary in length from two-page summaries to ten-page deep dives.
The goal, according to Mellinger, is for the journal to read more like a visually appealing magazine so that “it doesn’t just look like homework.”
Vassell added that their mission is to expand beyond students in the pre-law certificate program, stressing that law and public policy affect everyone. She believes the journal’s hands-on editorial approach will set it apart. Rather than simply accepting or rejecting submissions, the cabinet plans to work closely with each writer to walk them through the submission process.
The cabinet aims to publish around 20 pieces in its first issue later this spring.
