Land Acknowledgment
The
University of Colorado Law Review (CLR or
Law Review), housed within the University of Colorado Law School, honors and recognizes the many contributions of Indigenous Peoples to our journal, our university, and our state. We acknowledge that the university and, concurrently, our journal are located on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute, and many other Native American nations. Their forced removal from these territories has caused devastating and lasting impacts which continue to this day.
While we can never undo the past, we commit to recognizing these lasting harms, enhancing engagement with Indigenous issues, and supporting the work of Indigenous scholars. We affirm the strong, enduring presence and vitality of Indigenous peoples in Colorado and beyond. CLR is proud of the University of Colorado Law School’s legacy as an outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights and leader in American Indian law, and we commit to continuing this legacy.
Restorative Justice at Work: Addressing Inequity in the Journals Application Process
In Spring of 2022, seven Black Colorado Law students applied to the
Law Review and none were accepted. The difficult conversations that followed concerning the harm caused and the institutional deficiencies that contributed to this harmful result gave rise to a Restorative Justice dialogue between the Black Law Students Association, the
Law Review, and law school administration. This process also resulted in a critical review and overhaul of the application processes for the
Law Review and the role of the larger Law School Administration. To read a statement from Dean Inniss, an apology from
Law Review‘s Volume 94 leadership, and an acceptance of apology from the Black Law Students Association, please click
here.
Commitment to Inclusivity
Further, we at the
University of Colorado Law Review believe we share a continuing responsibility nationwide with other law journals to serve as critical platforms for shaping legal discourse and forming equitable legal frameworks, particularly in addressing issues regarding inequality, social justice, and historically disadvantaged communities. Likewise, we must also address those within our own institutions.
Law journals across the nation, including the University of Colorado Law Review, have historically been predominately White institutions that have played an integral role in maintaining racial inequities in the legal profession. The Law Review has recently undertaken efforts to become more inclusive. In doing so, we both recognize the harm caused and acknowledge the role that the Law Review itself has assumed in perpetuating these inequalities. As a measure of concrete change, the Law Review has amended and will continuously review its member-recruitment and application process, its article-selection process, and its collaboration with non-law-review members. As a result, the Law Review will continue to publish provocative articles that challenge structural inequalities while striving to also challenge such inequalities in our organization and the larger legal community. These efforts will constitute important, though not exclusive, steps in making the University of Colorado Law Review a more inclusive and equitable institution.
