Growing forward.

AuthorVera, Michael A.
PositionSt. Thomas Law Review 25th Anniversary Issue

The 2010-2011 St. Thomas Law Review Executive Board convened with a simple purpose in mind: What can we, as a group, do to further establish the St. Thomas Law Review as a serious academic publication, while also enhancing the Law Review's brand and venturing out beyond the traditional publication format by embracing new media. With these lofty goals in mind, the Executive Board, the membership, and our wonderful office manager, faculty advisor, and the entire faculty, embarked upon a truly exciting year in the St. Thomas Law Review's history.

From the beginning of our tenure, expanding the Law Review's reach by utilizing new media was a primary goal, especially when considering that print media, whether traditional newspapers or legal publications, was in steep decline. Though the Law Review did have a website, it was the equivalent of a beat up 1980s era Volkswagen Beetle: sure, you could drive it, but did you really want to? Realizing we needed a complete overhaul, I spoke with then Dean of the School of Law, Alfredo Garcia, about the idea. Dean Garcia has always been a champion of his students' pursuits, and this time was no different. Dean Garcia granted the Law Review the budgetary flexibility as the fiscal year was nearing its end, and, just like that, a professional first class website was being designed. This web design effort was spearheaded by Michael Skiscim, the Articles Selection Editor, who every day over the summer spent countless hours working with the web designer and debating with me over the most meticulous of details. Before summer's end, the effort paid off and the Law Review had its new and vastly improved web presence. The new website is not only aesthetically pleasing, it is also a repository for legal articles published by the Review. In addition, there is a feature blog which permits the membership to review, comment, or opine on breaking legal news and the implications that local legal decisions may have on the South Florida community. The website, though seemingly a simple concept, changed the fundamental way in which the Law Review could communicate with the legal community. Most importantly, the Law Review met one of its first goals for the year and began the school year with great momentum.

As the school year began, the Low Review found itself brimming with new, bright, and eager member-candidates--thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of our notes and comments editors, Lauren Shoemake and Emily...

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