Atlanta's John Marshall Law Journal

The John Marshall Law Journal proudly announces the Volume XIX Editorial Board for the 2025-26 term, under the guidance of Law Journal Faculty Advisor Professor Jeffrey A Van Detta. Congratulations to this new leadership team on their appointments!

The John Marshall Law Journal congratulates the December graduates of Volume XVIII (2024-25) for achieving a 100% pass rate on the February 2025 Georgia Bar Exam

Professor Jonathan Rapping's article, “Return From Wonderland: Public Defender Workloads, Georgia, and the Opportunity to Return from a World Where the Justice System is Anything But” is published in Volume 17, Issue One of the John Marshall Law Journal. The article examines the constitutional promise made under Gideon v. Wainwright, which required states to honor the Sixth Amendment right to counsel in criminal proceedings. As the criminal justice system ballooned and the right to counsel became increasingly important, states failed to live up to the promise of Gideon. However, the National Public Defense Workload Study provides a possible solution to combat crushing workloads and a Return to Wonderland. Read Professor Rapping's article here:https://www.johnmarshall.edu/lawreview/wp-content/uploads/3_Professor-Rapping-Article_Published.pdf

Read Professor Rapping’s faculty bio here:
https://www.johnmarshall.edu/facultystaff/jonathan-rapping/

Professor Jeffrey A Van Detta's lead article, “A Primer and Update on Georgia’s Conflict of Laws”, is published in Volume 17, Issue One of the John Marshall Law Journal.

Designed as a practical primer on principal topics within Conflict of Laws, the article examines the nature of the Conflict of Laws; explores five key areas of conflict of laws, including Georgia’s unique and “traditional rules”; and proposes that the Georgia legislature reset the state’s choice-of-law rules in a way that is coterminous with legislative jurisdiction under Allstate Insurance v. Hague. Read the article here: https://bit.ly/3Ete0zI

Read Professor Van Detta's Faculty biography here: https://bit.ly/4isVTYG

John Marshall Law Journal Members visited the Capitol on Sine Die 2025, the last day of the Georgia legislative session. Members met Governor Kemp, House Speaker Jon Burns, and State House Representative Tyler Paul Smith, who generously recognized the Law Journal's contributions to the legal community while on the House floor. Thank you to the Capitol staff and the Atlanta's John Marshall Law School alumni who made this experience possible, including Capitol photographers who captured the moments.

The John Marshall Law Journal proudly announces the publication of Volume 17, Issue One, available on Westlaw, HeinOnline, Lexis, and the Law Journal's website. This publication is our largest issue to date, consisting of two Articles, two Notes and Comments, nine Case Summaries, and 17 Legislative Summaries.

Our team is grateful to the Law Journal's Faculty Advisor, Professor Jeffrey A Van Detta, the authors, our Editors, and everyone who made this accomplishment possible. Read more: https://www.johnmarshall.edu/lawreview/volume-xvii-issue-i-2024-2025-full-text/

The Vol. XVIII Editorial Board has a long ‘Thank You’ list following yesterday’s spectacular 2025 CLE Symposium — including our Sponsors and our Speakers, Dean Gatewood, the Alumni Relations team, Faculty Advisor Professor Van Detta, our alumni, the Georgia legal community, and more. Most importantly, we recognize our Members for their outstanding efforts, teamwork, and professionalism that made yesterday’s event a success. Thank you!

The John Marshall Law Journal Members' recent Porsche Cars North America ("PCNA") Experience took us through the heart of innovation and design that makes PCNA truly special. Highlights included a behind-the-scenes look at the PCNA Classic Factory Restoration facility, a building tour and automotive talk with PCNA Ambassadors, and an insightful panel discussion with the PCNA Legal team. A huge thank you to everyone at PCNA for their warm hospitality and for sharing their expertise with us! We look forward to applying all the knowledge we gained during this amazing visit!

Congratulations to the John Marshall Law Journal Members who earned CALI Awards for the Fall 2024 Semester! The award is given to the student with the highest grade in the class for each section as determined by the instructor or registrar. Complete listings are available at https://www.cali.org/award-listing/2688.

The John Marshall Law Journal is pleased to introduce CLE Symposium Speaker Jen Giles. Professor Giles graduated with her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and launched her legal career in 2005 with Atlanta Legal Aid Society, helping low-income people navigate the complexities of the court system at the most vulnerable times in their lives. Her commitment to people getting their legal needs met inspired a transition to private practice, allowing her to train her focus on family law issues. Professor Giles discovered her love for teaching when she began teaching with the Emory Law School Trial Techniques program and coaching their mock trial team. She transitioned into teaching full time in 2023. Register for the March 14th Symposium at http://bit.ly/3BSNwWV.

The John Marshall Law Journal is pleased to introduce CLE Symposium Speaker Jeanette Holmes, an Associate Professor of Legal Practice at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. Professor Holmes spent a decade practicing family law in the Atlanta area with an emphasis on complex divorce litigation. Holmes was honored by Georgia SuperLawyers® as a Rising Star for six consecutive years (2018–2023) and served in leadership roles in the Charles Longstreet Weltner American Inn of Court. In 2023, she shifted her career from the practice of family law to supporting law students. Prior to joining AJMLS, she was an Academic Advisor, Adjunct Professor, and Trial Techniques Instructor at her alma mater, Emory University School of Law. Register for the March 14th Symposium at http://bit.ly/3BSNwWV.