Following calls to increase professional communities of practice around research in educational leadership graduate programs, this study describes the ongoing process of creating a research journal club. We share the process of implementation, describe the structure adopted, and the outcomes observed one year after the establishment of a journal club. Through involving graduate students with faculty in bi-monthly conversations about recent research articles, participants engaged in intellectual risk-taking through discussing high quality research. This study highlights the importance of establishing a space to model scholarly research debates, bringing together faculty and students in a community of research practice.