Law, Ethics, and Social Justice: Commentary from the Bridge

Providing commentary on this "Journal of School Leadership's" special issue, "Constructing a Bridge Between Law and Social Justice: An Ethical Journey," has been not only a daunting task because of the complex nature of this topic but also a humbling experience because of the superior quality of these articles. At the same time, it is most gratifying to see that the areas of social justice, law, and ethics have come so very far in gaining the scholarly recognition they have long deserved. Taken independently, these concepts and the research that accompanies them have contributed immensely to our field. Intertwined, as in this edition, they provide a powerful addition to our knowledge base and hold great promise for strengthening educational leadership practice as well as scholarly theory. This commentary identifies common themes and patterns that emerge across the articles, as well as similarities and differences in the various authors' approaches to these topics. These themes include the use of multiple methods of inquiry, a focus on law and social justice that emphasizes case law (court decisions), and, finally, an ethical analysis that ends with a call for school leaders to make ethical decisions in the spirit of the law and social justice.