Honoring JURIST’s Publisher Emeritus: Instilling a Deeper Sense of Purpose Commentary
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Honoring JURIST’s Publisher Emeritus: Instilling a Deeper Sense of Purpose
Edited by: Ingrid Burke Friedman | JURIST Editorial Director

In 1996, when Professor Bernard Hibbitts first established JURIST, few could have foreseen the impact the project would have. Whether measured in terms of the individual lives it has touched, its global reach, or the impressions it has left on the landscape of online legal news coverage, JURIST’s role cannot be overstated.

What began as a modest online repository for legal scholarship evolved under Professor Hibbitts’ visionary leadership into a groundbreaking service that revolutionized how legal news reaches the public. Through his innovative approach of empowering law students as reporters and editors, he created a unique educational model that has trained generations of legal professionals while delivering accessible, authoritative coverage of rule-of-law issues to millions of readers worldwide. Upon his retirement in December 2024, after nearly three decades of service, his legacy endures in JURIST’s continued commitment to bridging the gap between legal academia and public understanding, fostering transparency and justice across borders. 

A festschrift is a collection of writings published in honor of a scholar, traditionally during their lifetime. This digital festschrift for Professor Hibbitts will grow organically through regular contributions published several times weekly. All entries will be permanently archived and indexed on a dedicated section of JURIST’s website, creating a living testament to his transformative vision and lasting impact on legal journalism and education. This is the eighth entry in this ongoing series, the (as-yet) entirety of which can be found here.

I hesitated writing this essay, fearing I would not be able to capture everything about Professor Hibbitts I could say. And I couldn’t possibly. 

I only encountered Professor Hibbitts in 2020 (of course, though, it was only a matter of time), when he was interviewing to expand the existing team of law student volunteers beyond the US. I had been spurred to apply when I sent a commentary to the team and they responded in just a few hours. Not just this; the commentary was time-sensitive, and again, the team (thanks, Tim (Zubizarreta, former Managing Editor) and Gabby (Gabrielle Wast, former Deputy Executive Director) acted swiftly. When I saw that JURIST was looking for commentary editors, I knew I had to apply. While I was not selected for a position with the commentary team, Professor Hibbitts emailed me a few days later, asking if I would be interested in a news role instead. That is what I had wanted! I had always been interested in news and journalism. But it was more how he remembered everything I had said in the interview and saw a potential; I lost and wish I still had at least that first email with me. JURIST is my life’s greatest event and experience. In my news role, I had the full opportunity to develop and explore my newfound interest in international human rights law, in newsgathering, writing or editing, and at my own pace. Over the next more than two years, I had many firsts with JURIST, and JURIST had many firsts with me. I moved from one role and capacity to another, and simultaneously too, but Professor Hibbitts was always standing alongside. I remember not taking on some opportunities, feeling I would not be able to do it, but he never stopped believing in me. And just like that, I was part of the professional team, too, having the opportunity to contribute to all the nuts and bolts of JURIST. 

I miss JURIST, working with Professor Hibbitts, Jackie (Jaclyn Belczyk, Executive Director), Megan (McKee, former Executive Director) and everyone else, but I am perennially grateful for our continued association. JURIST sparked in me a bounty of energy and drive, and made a purpose clearer and more solid. I will always especially remember working with several indomitable law students reporting from Myanmar. I have made friends via JURIST, and Professor Hibbitts, over the years, has grown into one of the most special people I have ever known. While I was earlier awed and inspired to see his commitment towards the website over decades, I have had the joy of knowing him more and more, even beyond his knowledge, wit, tact, grace, equanimity, presence, sensitivity, care, kindness and ability to “see” people. While my time with JURIST was relatively less busy for him and the rest of the team, and I benefited from it, I know that Professor Hibbitts always has time. There is a sense of ownership within everyone who has ever been associated with JURIST, and it is not only for the mission. I have been looking forward to being able to contribute to JURIST again, and I know it will be another dream.

Muskan Yadav is an international human rights lawyer from India, currently studying the LLM at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. She previously served as an officer with the UN Refugee Agency and worked with JURIST between 2020 and 2022, including as International Editor-at-Large.

Opinions expressed in JURIST Commentary are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JURIST's editors, staff, donors or the University of Pittsburgh.
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