About the Drake Law Review
The Drake Law Review has enjoyed much success since its founding in 1951. The law review is currently ranked as the 36th most court-cited legal periodical. In addition, the Drake Law Review has published articles by legal scholars and judges such as former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Frank Michelman, Peter Edelman, former Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady, Erwin Chemerinsky, Cass Sunstein, Randy Barnett, Cheryl Harris, Paul Brest, Stephen Carter, and Michael Gerhardt. Further, in 2003, the United States Supreme Court once again cited the Drake Law Review. Former Justice Stevens’ dissenting opinion in United States v. Am. Library Ass’n, Inc., 539 U.S. 194 (2003), extensively quoted Gregory K. Laughlin’s article entitled “Sex, Lies, and Library Cards: The First Amendment Implications of the Use of Software Filters to Control Access to Internet Pornography in Public Libraries,” 51 DRAKE L. REV. 213 (2003).
About Discourse
Discourse, the online component of the Drake Law Review, was established in the summer of 2012. Discourse is a source for practitioners, scholars, and students to remain current on changes in local and national law. Discourse features short legal articles, essays, and case commentaries on current topics in the legal community. For information on Discourse submissions, please see this submissions page.
Joining the Drake Law Review
Working as a staff or editorial board member of the Drake Law Review is one of the most rewarding student experiences at Drake University Law School. In their collective efforts to edit the articles and notes published in the Drake Law Review, students sharpen their legal research and writing skills, enhance their critical-thinking abilities, and develop professional connections that set them apart from their peers. In addition, each junior staff member authors a student Note—an academic piece analyzing an original issue or problem in the legal field—that may be considered for publication. At least eight student notes are selected for publication in the Drake Law Review each year, with two student notes selected for publication in Discourse as well.
The legal community recognizes that service on the Drake Law Review represents an extraordinary achievement. Because of this, membership is highly sought by law students. Applications for the next year’s junior staff members are distributed on the last day of spring semester finals. Students will have several weeks to complete the application. Members of the editorial board extend invitations to up to 24 individuals with strong academic performance and sound writing abilities.
The Drake Law Review editorial board is the governing group of student editors that ensure quality production of each Drake Law Review issue. Each spring, the current editorial board selects their successors from the pool of current junior staff members.
Membership on the Drake Law Review often serves as a critical stepping-stone to a successful legal career. Serving the publication is a universal signal that an individual possesses initiative, dedication, superior legal research and writing skills, and the ability to work collaboratively. Drake University Law School graduates that serve on the Drake Law Review go on to careers at top law firms and leading public interest entities, as well as clerking for federal and state court judges.
Gregory Brunk Endowment
Funding for the Drake Law Review is provided by the Gregory Brunk Endowment. This endowment was created through a generous gift from the trust of Mr. Gregory Brunk, LW’19, who passed away in 1965. When the Drake Law Review began in the early 1950s, Mr. Brunk was the first donor to the publication.
A lifetime resident of Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. Brunk received his bachelor’s degree and law degree from Drake University. He was Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif. A highly respected Des Moines attorney, he helped establish the law firm of Brunk, Janss, Dreher, Wilson & Adams, now known as Simpson, Jensen, Abels, Fischer & Bouslog, P.C.