PROFESSOR ANDREA MARTIN’S ARTICLE ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION BY PEPPERDINE LAW REVIEW
April 2025 — Professor Andrea J. Martin’s article, “From Ambiguity to Accountability: The Case for a Legal Definition of Antisemitism in Academia,” has been accepted for publication in the Pepperdine Law Review.
As colleges and universities respond to rising concerns about campus antisemitism — through task force recommendations, policy revisions, and Title VI compliance efforts — many are grappling with whether and how to incorporate a legal definition of antisemitism into institutional policies.
This article critically examines the legal and policy implications of various definitional frameworks, ultimately advocating for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism in academic settings. Professor Martin argues that integrating this definition into university policy can affirm institutional commitments to nondiscrimination, enhance understanding of contemporary antisemitism, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and promote genuinely inclusive campus environments — all while preserving constitutionally protected speech.
The Pepperdine Law Review was founded in 1972 and is a scholarly law journal published by second and third-year law students at the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law.
Professor Andrea J. Martin researches the intersection of law and antisemitism within broad legal, historical, and political contexts and explores its connection to other forms of group-based hate. Her scholarship focuses on constitutional issues and the intersection of the law with historical and contemporary antisemitism and racism. Her scholarly work is dedicated to proposing legal strategies and policies to combat these issues.