James McClellan (1937–2005)

Abstract

Even those old enough to remember may have forgotten that Jimwas co-editor of The Political Science Reviewer for its firstthree issues. Indeed, he was in every sense a founding father of thisjournal, his early efforts contributing enormously to its success overthe ensuing decades. Others perhaps are more familiar with his workas founder and president of the Center for Judicial Studies (1983–1993) and as editor of Benchmark, a lively, provocative, and highlyreadable quarterly journal that critically examined the major issuessurrounding the uses and abuses of judicial power. Both theseundertakings in large measure stemmed from Jim’s conviction thatthere were legitimate views on perennial political problems andconcerns that were either ignored or unjustifiably disparaged in thedominant academic and legal forums. That such was the casehardly surprised him since he had come to realize at an early stageof his academic career that his basic beliefs and values were oceansapart from those that predominated in the major universities andlaw schools.
Requires Subscription PDF