The University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform publishes leading scholarship by legal scholars and practitioners in areas of law requiring reform. It has long been a core belief of the Journal that it is necessary to challenge existing conventions and encourage innovation in order to advance the rule of law. The Journal is committed to the development of constructive, well-reasoned law and policy reform proposals. The Journal also regularly sponsors symposia that bring together scholars and policymakers to discuss particular areas of law in need of reform.
Legal reforms can have profound effects on access to justice, especially for marginalized populations who cannot afford to hire lawyers and must go it alone. These reforms are often seen as a way to lower costs and increase accessibility to legal services, but they also raise concerns about consumer protection and quality of representation.
In the long run, legal systems are infinitely plastic; they will change to fit the society they are embedded in. A feudal system will generate a legal system that deals with institutions of feudalism, while a capitalist or socialist system will create a legal system that deals with the norms and structures of those societies. In the short run, however, social forces may exert a force against legal systems that is equal to or greater than the social force generated to preserve them.
One of the most common ways for this to happen is through popular election of judges and magistrates, which is a dangerous path that compromises judicial independence. In addition, these reforms can give groups in society a convenient hook and formal excuse to advance their interests in the courts.
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