BlackWell Law Review

I. Overview and Purpose

The Blackwell Law Review (BLR) is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published quarterly by the Bastiat Institute for Legal Studies and Natural Law. It is the flagship academic platform for rigorous engagement with libertarian legal theory, natural law philosophy, and critiques of contemporary legal positivism.

 

Core Purpose:
BLR exists to reintroduce moral philosophy, natural rights, and classical legal thought into the modern legal conversation. It aims to challenge dominant paradigms in legal academia by offering a principled, liberty-centered alternative grounded in the natural law tradition.

 

II. Scope and Focus Areas

BLR publishes original research, critical essays, legal commentary, and historical analyses that explore themes such as:

• Natural Law and Legal Foundations
  Articles defending and refining natural law theory as the true basis of legal order.

• Libertarian Legal Philosophy
  Examination of the non-aggression principle, private property rights, and minimal state enforcement within a coherent jurisprudential framework.

• Legal History and the Common Law Tradition
  Studies on the historical development of decentralized legal systems, especially the English common law and its libertarian features.

• Constitutionalism and Classical Liberal Theory
  Works on federalism, constitutional limitations, and the rule of law within a natural-rights context.

• Critiques of Legal Positivism and Statism
  Academic challenges to mainstream legal philosophies that sever law from morality or rely on coercive monopolies.

• Austrian Law & Economics
  Applications of Austrian economic theory to jurisprudential problems: contracts, torts, property, and legislation.

III. Editorial Philosophy

BLR operates under the belief that legal scholarship must be more than technical—it must be moral, philosophical, and rooted in the nature of man and justice.

 

Key Editorial Principles:

1. Philosophy over Procedure
   Articles must engage the ethical foundations of law, not just its institutional mechanics.

2. Liberty as the Guiding Ideal
   All scholarship must reflect a commitment to liberty as a pre-political, natural right.

3. Scholarly Rigor
   Peer-reviewed articles must meet the highest standards of logical reasoning, source use, and clarity.

4. Civil Discourse
   BLR welcomes debate and dissent within the classical liberal tradition, but always in the spirit of constructive, respectful engagement.

 

IV. Structure and Content

Each quarterly issue contains a balanced range of content, typically comprising:

1. Lead Articles (4–5)
   In-depth scholarly pieces (5,000–10,000 words) presenting original research or argumentation on major themes in libertarian jurisprudence.

2. Legal Notes & Commentary (2–3)
   Shorter essays or responses (~2,000–4,000 words) engaging current legal developments or recent articles in the field.

3. Historical Perspectives (1–2)
   Papers exploring the legacy of thinkers such as Frederic Bastiat, John Locke, Lysander Spooner, and Bruno Leoni.

4. Book Reviews (2–3)
   Critical reviews of newly published works in natural law, libertarian theory, law and economics, and constitutional thought.

5. Model Legislation Feature
   Annotated example of a liberty-centered bill, with jurisprudential commentary and policy rationale.

 

V. Editorial Board and Review Process

 

Editorial Board:

• Composed of scholars from law schools, think tanks, and independent research institutes.

• Includes representatives from the Bastiat School of Law and the Bastiat Institute.

Peer Review:

• Double-blind review process for all submissions.

• Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise and philosophical alignment.

• Articles are evaluated for originality, scholarly merit, argumentation, and relevance.

VI. Submission Guidelines

• Eligibility: Open to professors, legal scholars, PhD students, and advanced JD candidates with a demonstrable commitment to libertarian legal theory.

• Style Guide: Conforms to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, supplemented by the Chicago Manual of Style for non-legal references.

• Publication Fee: None. BLR is committed to open-access publishing without author-side fees.

VII. Accessibility and Distribution

• Print Edition: Available to subscribers and academic libraries quarterly.

• Digital Access: Open-access digital platform with full archive, downloadable PDFs, and citation tools.

• Indexing: Indexed in SSRN, HeinOnline, and Google Scholar (planned expansion to JSTOR and Scopus).

VIII. Strategic Role in the Bastiat Ecosystem

• Scholarship Pipeline: Articles published in BLR will often be expanded into books, whitepapers, and teaching modules for the Bastiat School of Law.

• Public Influence: Select pieces may be distilled into policy briefs or legislative recommendations by the Bastiat Institute.

• Cultural Engagement: Offers a bridge between high-level legal philosophy and the broader liberty movement by translating academic content into public-facing arguments.