A Carencro native has made history at Tulane Law School, becoming the first Black editor-in-chief of the Tulane Law Review.
Tulane Law student Antonio Milton, who is in his second year at law school, took on the role this week. The Law Review is in its 105th year and is considered among the most respected of legal journals in the U.S
The review was started in 1916 and Milton says his appointment to the position is a unique moment in history.
"I hope to lead the organization through what's been called a movement and not just a moment in time," Milton said. "Especially in the moment of Black History Month of this year."
It is a position Antonio says he has eyed for some time and when opportunity came, he was ready and willing to do it.
He will be head of the review journal for next year's volume and will take on leadership and editing processes. He will also solicit and select different articles from practitioners and professors, putting them into a published form.
The review is student-run and edited, with the selection process highly competitive, Tulane says, with members generally ranking academically at the top of their law class.
To join the Law Review, Milton had to submit an application of writing works and cases.
"It is like your audition to get onto a law review or a journal," Milton said. He will focus on civil and maritime law.
He says he is ecstatic about being selected to the position of editor-in-chief. Milton, at first, was not aware that the review had not had a Black editor.
"It's all still unreal to me. I feel eternally grateful and humbled to be elected to this position to do some good towards legal scholarship and to help in the diversification of a predominately white space and predominately white institution," he said.
Antonio kept the news quiet from his family before the University was ready to announce. "I didn't want to start blabbing about it, essentially. It's been a great and overwhelming sense of congratulations from all kinds of folks."
Milton spoke with Tulane saying he reached the proverbial moon. He shared the news with family with much excited yelling and happiness.
"There was much excited yelling and happiness. And then it was trying to call my siblings on various apps. It was a very happy moment. We were able to have this great family Zoom session and celebrated together," Milton said.
Due to the pandemic Milton is attending Tulane Law remotely from home. He says it has been a challenge.
"I think we overcome everything that we can," Milton said "The first year was very difficult but I knew that I wanted to be in law school to make changes, trail blaze."
Milton, according to Tulane, says his goal leading the Law Review is to inspire other students of color so that they may be inclined to work on the law school's legal journals - or at least make the most of the law school experience, whatever that may be for them.
"To be on Law Review, it's my hope, that I can build a bridge for those who come after me and inspire those future attorneys of color."
After graduation, Milton will clerk for the Hon. Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown (L'88) of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Read more on Milton here from Tulane
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