Introduction.

• Author: Oats, Jessica
• Position: SYMPOSIUM: Media, Justice, and the Law

The 2009 Stanford Law Review Symposium, "Media, Justice, and the Law," explores the intersection of media and criminal justice, and examines the ongoing dialogue among legal actors, policymakers, the media, and the American public that informs the opinions and behavior of all participants. The Articles presented in this Issue address media constructions of criminals, (1) crime, and the criminal justice process, (2) as well as past and future changes in criminal justice reporting; (3) the Note focuses on blogging as an emerging form of ex parte communication with the Supreme Court. (4)

The live Symposium at Stanford Law School on January 30-31, 2009, cosponsored by the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, further explored these themes. The event brought together the authors published in this Issue as well as Professor Penelope Andrews, blogger and Professor Douglas Berman, Sacramento Bee Staff Reporter Andy Furillo, author and journalist Jennifer Gonnerman, Professor Perry Moriearty, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello, former Duke lacrosse defendant Reade Seligmann, and former L.A. Times Reporter and Professor Henry Weinstein. The Law School's own Larry Marshall, Pamela Karlan, and Robert Weisberg moderated the Symposium. (5) Each panelist provided her perspective on the interplay between media and the law, and many shared their unique experiences working and living at the intersection between the two. The panelists' creativity, energy, and expertise created an engaging event that promises to launch an enduring dialogue on these important issues.

The Symposium's success would not have been possible without the...