Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy
The Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy (HJLP) is the peer reviewed law journal at South Texas College of Law Houston. The purpose of the HJLP is to inform and significantly impact the Hispanic legal community in Texas and across the nation.
Established in 2016 by esteemed STCL Houston alumnus Benny Agosto Jr.`95, the HJLP is part of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the law school and aims to unite attorneys – as well as leasers in social work, public policy, government, and other fields – around pressing current topics.
The South Texas College of Law Houston Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy culminates the commitment and hard work of a number of individuals at the law school. For years, it was the dream of some at STCL Houston to put together a law journal for the students and faculty, for the policy makers of this great country, and for all to see, reflecting the issues and ideas of the Hispanic community. The HJLP makes history in the law school’s continued hard work and efforts to influence law and public policy that affects the United States and the Hispanic community. We believe that the focus on these specific areas is of great interest to our readership.
The purpose of the journal is simple, to provide a forum and opportunity for the expression and dissemination of scholarly work on law related issues that affect the United States Hispanic community. We hope that the HJLP will help empower students, professors and authors, advocates, and leaders to take on challenges, core principles, and to explore and reflect upon the needs of our society in order to find solutions and further progress. It is our responsibility as lawyers to be a vanguard of such advancement in all aspects related to the law.
Founder: Benny Agosto, Jr. ’95
Benny Agosto Jr., a partner with Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz of Houston, Texas was born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico. From a young age, Mr. Agosto was taught by his parents that through hard work and determination, anything was possible – a principle he has applied throughout his life, in school, on the soccer field, and in the courtroom. “Both of my parents have a sixth-grade education,” Agosto shares, “and every day they would tell my siblings and me to be sure to get an education. I remember my father telling me that no one can ever take that away from you. My parents knew the struggles of being a migrant family without a formal education.” Hard work on the soccer field and in school paid off for Agosto. An avid soccer player in San Juan, Agosto was recruited by Houston Baptist University to attend and play NCAA Division I soccer. He went on to the University of Houston to work on his graduate degree in microbiology and taught high school and college students for six years. Agosto realized that although he loved teaching and coaching soccer, he needed more. He was accepted to South Texas College of Law Houston, where he excelled in mock trial and academics and is now a board certified trial lawyer.
[info coming soon]
Eligibility Requirements for the Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy:
- Good Academic Standing,
- At least two (2) semesters remaining,
- Completion of 20 credit hours, and
- Completion of LRW I & II
To Join the Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy:
Email your CV and a writing sample, e.g LRW II brief, etc. to hispanicjournal@stcl.edu. Upon review you will be contacted.
Submission Guidelines
Academics, practitioners, and judges are invited to submit articles and essays for publication. The Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy will accept submissions from current students.
How to Submit
The Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy will accept manuscript submissions electronically via:
- By email at hispanicjournal@stcl.edu
Submission Requirements
All submissions must be accompanied by an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV). Articles must be in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect format when submitted. The Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy uses endnotes for citations. Please format all citations using The Bluebook’s guidelines.
Review of Submissions
Once a submission is received, the Editor-in-Chief will ensure compliance with the submission requirements. If a manuscript meets these requirements, the Editorial Board will then review the submission for publication. Authors will receive an offer letter with an articulated time frame the offer will remain valid through the manner in which the submission was received.
If you have any questions regarding the submission process, please contact: HispanicJournal@stcl.edu
Questions about the Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy, submissions and the operation of the journal should be sent to Jake Hubble, Manager of Scholarly Publications at jhubble@stcl.edu and 713-646-1749.
