Foreword: The New Frontier of Participatory Law Scholarship
Introduction
The publication of this issue comprised solely of participatory law scholarship (PLS)—legal scholarship which merges the expertise of legal academics with the experiential expertise of those who have borne the bluntest consequences of law’s injustice—feels momentous. What makes this volume so significant is that it is only the first. By being “only the first,” we do not mean that it is the first volume of a law review dedicated exclusively to PLS.2 We mean that it marks the beginning of an ongoing commitment: the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change (RLSC) plans to publish PLS articles in every volume going forward. That is remarkable. It means RLSC now has editors devoted solely to PLS and has anchored PLS at the heart of its ongoing editorial vision. That bears unique significance because it means that PLS is not a passing trend. PLS has now been institutionalized at one of the most reputable law journals in the United States.