The purpose of The Journal of Islamic Law & Culture is to encourage scholarship and dialog that fosters a deeper understanding of the law and public policy of Islamic religion and culture, particularly as it intersects with Western law and society, including the legal and social communities of the United States. The Journal invites the submission of manuscripts from the legal and non-legal communities, and from Muslim and non-Muslim researchers. The Journal is particularly interested in articles on issues relating to Islam and Muslims in the United States and comparative topics addressing Islam and other religious or cultural traditions.

The Journal of Islamic Law & Culture is published semiannually (spring/summer & fall/winter) with scholarly articles and reviews on Islamic law with an emphasis on the significance in law of the intersection of Western and Muslim legal culture. It is deeply concerned with the Muslim experience with the West, particularly as this exchange has been expressed in law, whether in Iraq, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United States or elsewhere.

The Journal brings together experts in Islamic law, religion and culture to consider both issues of division and opportunities for cooperation, whether rooted in classical Sharia or modern culture. The primary purpose of the Journal is to foster a deeper understanding of the law, public policy, Islamic religion and culture in America's political and legal communities through scholarship and dialog.

The Journal of Islamic Law & Culture will carry articles written by scholars, lawyers, governmental officials, activists and other professionals, along with student-written notes, essays and book reviews, with an emphasis on the following topics: developing, interpreting classical Islamic law; applying the principles of the major schools of fiqh to contemporary questions; considering the intersection of Sharia and culture; considering the application of Western laws to Muslims as a group; considering the intersection of Western laws and Islamic laws; considering the problems of comparative law between Islamic and Western laws; considering the difficulty of integrating Sharia principles into Western legal systems; considering the problem of constitutional and legal development in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Muslim states of particular Western presence.