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 eleventh entry in this ongoing series, the (as-yet) entirety of which can be found here.
Back in 1996, Professor Bernard Hibbitts had a visionary idea: that this new “internet” phenomenon could serve as a valuable platform for law professors to share their work. He created the website that would eventually become JURIST as a part-time personal project, extending his academic interest in the evolving relationship between law and technology. Originally named “Law Professors on the Web,” the initiative was conceived as a non-commercial clearinghouse for academic papers and teaching resources. It was the first open hub for legal scholarship and law teaching materials on the internet.
As it turned out, the general public took notice. People began reaching out to the website that would become JURIST, seeking legal information. Always ahead of his time—despite being a legal historian by training—Professor Hibbitts saw an opportunity to create something truly unique: a way for the legal academy to reach the public, providing primary sources and accurate, sourced, and unbiased information.
By 1998, JURIST—still just Professor Hibbitts and a couple of law student assistants with technical skills—began pivoting to meet the growing public demand for authoritative and timely information on legal aspects of rapidly developing current events. JURIST provided extended research and organized academic commentary on major legal issues such as the Clinton impeachment crisis, the Kosovo War, the 2000 U.S. presidential election recount, and post-9/11 terrorism law and policy.
By 2003, JURIST had transformed into a pioneering news service that blended academic research with legal journalism. No longer functioning as a scholarly archive—leaving that role to SSRN, Bepress, and other emerging commercial repositories—JURIST instead focused on real-time reporting and documentation of national and international legal news. Professor Hibbitts recruited a team of approximately 25 law students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law to contribute to this evolving enterprise, supplemented by expert academic commentators.
I joined JURIST in 2008 as the Research Director for the news service, which, in many ways, still resembles its form then. As a newly minted lawyer, I had much to learn about the law, the world, and the role of law in shaping society. Professor Hibbitts was my boss, but he quickly became my mentor—and then my dear friend. I never imagined when I graduated from law school that I would embark on a career in legal journalism, but thanks to Professor Hibbitts, it has truly become my passion.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Professor Hibbitts saw an opportunity amid the crisis. As the world moved online and everyone learned to navigate “Zoom,” his longtime vision of engaging law students globally became a reality. JURIST evolved into something even more distinctive: the only enterprise of its kind that brings together law students from across the world to work toward a common purpose.
As it became increasingly evident that the rule of law was under attack—not just in remote corners of the world but in many of our own countries—Professor Hibbitts seized the moment. He sharpened JURIST’s focus on the rule of law, transforming the service into what it is today: a platform that engages law students with the most critical legal events of their time, encouraging them to serve and uphold the rule of law while preparing for responsible leadership in their professional and public lives.
Under Professor Hibbitts’ leadership and guidance, JURIST has thrived for 28 years. I know the best is yet to come—not because I have stepped into the role of Executive Director, but because of the extraordinary foundation that Professor Hibbitts has laid for us all. To me, he has been more than a boss and supervisor—he has been a teacher, a mentor, and a true friend. He has created something truly special, and I can only hope that it continues to grow and thrive for the next 28 years and beyond.
Jaclyn Belczyk is JURIST’s Executive Director and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. Jaclyn is a 2008 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, from which she holds a JD and a Certificate in Latin American Studies. She also holds a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh.
