Meet the leaders of KU Law's student publications 

With the new school year underway, the Kansas Law Review and the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy are in full swing, putting together this year’s issues. This year, the publications are run by third-year Kansas-natives and double Jayhawks, Peyton Emler and Hunter Bach.

The students received calls about their selections as Editors-in-Chief last spring and have been hard at work ever since. From selecting the next group of staff editors for their publications to browsing Scholastica, a web-based software platform for managing academic journals, for each of their specifically curated issues, all while being full-time law students, Emler and Bach have taken on the roles with gratitude and a drive to succeed. 

Last year, the two EICs joined their respective journals as staff editors, so they are no strangers to the work that goes into each publication. 

While both are scholarly student-led journals, Law Review and Journal differ slightly in the content that they publish. The Law Review focuses on the legal analysis and issues that are new and emerging in the legal realm. The Journal of Law & Public Policy publishes pieces that advocate for reform and policy change. In simpler terms, the Law Review focuses on what the law “is”, while the Law Journal focuses on what the law “should be.”

Aside from faculty advisors, the journals are completely student edited, something not often seen in professional or research journals.

“I think that it's really important for law schools to have a multitude of journals,” said Emler. “For many people, it can be a stepping stone to clerkships or other sorts of jobs that require more research-intensive skills. Globally, I think it is great for all students because you develop skills in bluebooking, which is important both in legal writing and also in practice.”

Despite long hours, both editors say the experience is rewarding. For Emler, it’s the chance to shape scholarship that has real-world impact. For Bach, it’s the journal community itself. Together, the two represent the spirit of KU Law’s journals, while carrying on the legacy of student-run publishing that sets legal education apart.

Peyton Emler

Editor-in-Chief of the Kansas Law Review – Volume LXXIV

Emler was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. She received her undergraduate degree in art history and communications from the University of Kansas in 2021. Because of the pandemic, Emler found her options for jobs in the art history field limited, with art museums shutting down and funding scarce. Emler knew she had to pivot, so she found a role as a paralegal for the firm Shank & Heinemann, LLC in Kansas City, where she worked for two years.

Although it was not her initial plan, Emler fell in love with the work she was doing at the firm and felt inspired to dive deeper into the law and become an advocate for her community. She applied to her alma mater’s law school, and the rest is history.

During her time at KU Law, Emler has been a member of Women in Law, the Kansas Law Review and was even invited to compete with the Mock Trial team this year. 

“I am incredibly proud and grateful,” she said, noting that she hadn’t expected to be selected as editor-in-chief. “I want to produce work that the school and I can be proud of. I want everyone to be proud of what we do here at the Law Review and here at the University of Kansas Law School.”

Emler approached her new role knowing how strong the Law Review has been in the past but understanding that there are always ways to improve. 

“I am less concerned about keeping all of our articles strictly legal and strictly about the black letter law,” she said. “For me, I think it's also important to consider how the law affects people and the world. I think that there is some element of policy that needs to be, and should be, in every Law Review article.”

Emler’s editorial vision includes ensuring a strong mix of voices are in every issue. She set a personal goal to publish at least one female author per volume and has already secured commitments toward that aim. She also hopes to demystify Law Review for first-year students.

“The only thing I knew about Law Review before joining was just that I should do it,” she said. “I want to really reach out to the students in the law building and try to convince them to do the write-on competition because I think that's the biggest barrier to entry. A lot of people think that they're not ranked high enough or their grades aren't good enough, so they'll never have a shot at Law Review. And that is just simply not the case.”

Hunter Bach

Editor-in-Chief of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy – Volume XXXV

Bach is originally from Olathe, Kansas. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Kansas in 2022. He worked in medical insurance before returning to Lawrence for law school. Now a 3L, he balances his role as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Public Policy with moot court competitions

Bach sees his selection as an honor and a great responsibility.

“It really shows a reflection that I earned the trust of my fellow 2Ls and 3Ls in that they saw the quality of work that I was doing, they saw the relationships that I had built, and they entrusted the future of the publication with me,” he said. “So, it was really just an honor to be recognized by them and to have their confidence in me.”

One of Bach’s main goals for the year is one that any EIC would hope for: to get through the year without any major issues and to develop the relationships between the returning third-year staff and the new second-year staff editors. 

For Bach, the highlight of his role is the journal’s sense of community and the ability to interact with his peers in a meaningful way. To boost morale, he and the Journal’s managing editor, Charlie Ketchum, have set up bi-weekly lunches for the staff to get together and socialize.

“I really, really love my staff. I like the relationships that we have. And I like that we get to work together on things,” Bach said. “And because we have such good relationships, we can have such open dialogue about everything, and we can voice our concerns aloud. There's no fear of anything, which is just an awesome relationship to have. And it's something that when I'm actually in the working world one day, I will strive to have again.”

- By Casey Bacot