The American University Legislation and Policy Brief (“AULPB”) is the legislative-based legal publication of the Washington College of Law.

AULPB was founded in 2008 as the Legislation and Policy Roundtable by Tiana Butcher, Lauren Gilius, and Elizabeth Chernow. The goal of the Roundtable was to provide a legal analysis of current legislative initiatives and policies through an entirely electronic publication and to encourage meaningful debate through the “Roundtable Live” panel series. Initial articles had a specific theme, the first of which was on Election Law. That issue was accompanied by a panel focusing on disenfranchisement and fraud in the 2008 Elections.

The Brief took its current name in 2009. It has continued the legacy of the Roundtable by publishing an issue once a semester, and by hosting a symposium at least once a year. In 2011, the Brief started its own online blog to provide readers and staff members the ability to discuss a greater diversity of current issues.

AULPB aims to increase discussion and awareness of legal issues in pending legislation. AULPB looks to make the Washington College of Law a better support mechanism for the future legislative-lawyer by providing training in, and a publishing forum for, in-depth legislative history and analysis. LPB aims to bring in practicing legislative-lawyers from Congress, the Administration, and other interest groups to talk about their experiences in developing legislation. The Brief also encourages the Washington College of Law to develop more courses related to legislative drafting and process.

AULPB publishes a book twice a year, conducts a symposium at least once a year, and hosts an online blog providing non-partisan legal analysis of current legislation and policy issues before federal and state legislatures. AULPB articles cover a wide range of legislative areas and tend to be heavy on legislative history and analysis.

For inquiries, please email AULPB@wcl.american.edu