The Vision and Mission of The Yale Journal of International Law

Abstract

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of The Yale Journal of International Law is an occasion to reflect on the origins of this remarkable journal, the sense of mission that animated its founders, and the context in which it was forged. It is also an occasion to look forward, for this journal, more than any other international law journal, saw itself engaged consciously and explicitly in an essentially futuristic enterprise. Unlike its contemporary counterparts, which were essentially retrospective, concerned with the codification and assembly of decisions from the past into a neat mosaic, then presented as "the law," the new Yale journal's avowed mission from the start was to contribute to the formation and appraisal of international policy. So let me begin with a brief informal history of The Yale Journal of International Law.