Georgetown Immigration Law Journal Call for Paper Proposals Symposium - Spring 2027
The Georgetown Immigration Law Journal is seeking paper proposals for an in-person symposium to be held in Spring 2027, with publication of featured papers to follow in a symposium issue of the Journal’s 41st Volume. We invite scholars and practitioners to submit proposals for the Journal’s Spring 2027 Symposium.
The Georgetown Immigration Law Journal is excited to announce our Spring 2027 Symposium: The Future of Constitutional Jurisprudence and Immigration Law. While the scholarly focus of immigration law is often centered around administrative regulations and Congressional legislation, the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal is taking a step back. The Spring 2027 Symposium will focus on the Constitutional issues facing immigration and the larger trends of judicial interpretation by the Court. In 2026, the Supreme Court held in Trump v. Barbara that “every free-born person in this land” be afforded the promise of citizenship. In so doing, the Court upheld birthright citizenship for persons born on American soil to unlawfully or temporarily present parents in the United States. Birthright citizenship, long having been considered settled law, has been reopened by three dissenting opinions and a concurrence rejecting the majority’s constitutional reasoning.
Barbara arguably reaffirms a growing debate regarding the philosophical direction of the Court, its docket, and individual justices. The Georgetown Immigration Law Journal is calling for papers regarding the varying judicial philosophies of the Court and the implications on immigration law. We are intentionally leaving this an open-ended question. Paper coverage can range from specific opinions, particular Justices or overarching judicial philosophies; from the history of judicial interpretation regarding immigration law to the separation of powers. Any piece seeking to engage in the constitutional dimension of immigration law and how it serves as a microcosm for larger constitutional interpretation movements throughout the American legal tradition is welcome.
Submissions should include:
• A brief prospectus explaining the significance of the topic and how it has developed over time, its relevance to the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal symposium topic, and the submission’s potential contribution to legal scholarship.
• A draft article regarding a proposed topic related to the symposium. The deadline for submissions is December 1st, 2026. We envision making paper selection decisions no later than February 1st, 2027. Please send symposium article proposals and any questions to Connor Owen and Aly Jimenez, Symposium Editors, at [email protected] and [email protected].
