Proliferation.

• Author: Silbaugh, Katharine B.
• Position: Specialized forum to promote feminist scholarship - Why a Feminist Law Journal?

In the spirit of intellectual inquiry, the editors have chosen to hold a symposium asking how the unique mission of the journal is to be justified. Self-assessment is a courageous undertaking. Here we see exemplified one of the great benefits of journals with a well-defined perspective: student editors take the mission of the journal seriously. They are not self-satisfied. They have chosen this perspective, not fallen into it, and they are willing to investigate whether it is worth their commitment. From this comes the simple answer--as long as there are students dedicated to the mission of feminist law journals, authors who seek to punish their work in feminist law journals, and individuals who are interested in reading that work, feminist law journals have a rightful place in the range of institutions that deepen learning.

Let me consider two of the objections to women's law journals, one from feminists, and one more broadly suggested. The first, and most common amongst feminists, (1) is a concern about drawing scholarly work away from the mainstream. By separating scholarship from the mainstream we lose the chance to influence and reform it; we do not reach the people who need our perspective the most.

I believe this common concern over women's law journals is, in practical terms, overstated. Because of the professional pressures within academics (to get a tenure track job, then to get tenure, possibly to move from one institution to another), most feminists either attempt to publish in high-ranked mainstream journals, or would if they thought their articles had a real chance of being published there. There are probably exceptions, such as those who always choose only feminist or other non-mainstream journals in order to put into practice their intellectual and political commitments. Probably most feminists choose feminist law journals sometimes for a version of that purpose. But over the course of a career, most feminists will seek publication in mainstream journals at times, and many will do so most of the time.

The truth is, the women's law journals are not a zero sum game with the mainstream journals, drawing scholarship away from them. More often, they are a reservoir to catch the great number of feminist works that will not be published in a high-ranking mainstream journal. In addition, many authors who publish in feminist law journals would have little chance to publish in a high-ranking mainstream journal no matter what the...