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2012 International Osnabrück Summer Institute for the Cultural Study of the Law

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 07:16 AM PDT

From Peter Schneck, Chair of American Studies, University of Osnabrück, Germany



*Culture, Rights, Identity: Interfaces between the Humanities and the Law*




International Summer Institute on the Cultural Study of the Law



http://www.blogs.uni-osnabrueck.de/lawandculture



*Invitation*



The fourth annual International Summer Institute on the Cultural Study of the Law will be held from August 6 to 18, 2012 at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. Hosted by the Institute of English and American Studies (IfAA), the Summer Institute seeks to bring together advanced graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students of the humanities and/or the law from around the world to promote and examine the interdisciplinary study and research of law and culture.



During the two week program, students will partake in a unique experience of scholarly collaboration and exchange through workshops, public lectures, panel discussions, excursions and a final symposium.

Participating faculty in this year's Summer Institute include:



*Rosemary J. Coombe (York University, Toronto) *Helle Porsdam (University of Copenhagen) *Fiona Macmillan (Birkbeck School of Law, University of London) *Joseph Slaughter (Columbia University, New York)

* Kay Schaffer (University of Adelaide)



with more faculty to be announced in the upcoming weeks.



The Institute will offer a total of four workshops for 30-35 international participants (doctoral, post-doctoral and advanced M.A. - see below for

eligibility) over a two-week period. The first workshop will be concerned with basic theories, concepts and perspectives within the emerging field of cultural legal studies, focusing specifically on the range and potential of interdisciplinary studies and approaches. The remaining three workshops will focus on key areas of critical inquiry that have been central to the dynamic development of the field and are of particular importance within a European context:



* The relation between human rights and cultural rights

* Historical development and current debates about culture as heritage, property and as a resource and its legal definition and regulation (including concepts such as copyright, intellectual property and

authorship)

* The cultural presence and representation of the law and the role of culture in the representation and dissemination of the concept of rights (e.g. law and literature, life writing and human rights, visual culture and rights rhetoric)



*Participant Eligibility*

The Summer Institute aims at advanced graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students from various academic fields, whose research interests and projects are situated at the interface between law and the humanities and who are concerned with a better understanding of the interdependence of law and culture.

Even though the Institute strongly invites students from a broad variety of disciplines and academic backgrounds, it focuses almost exclusively on questions and issues related to research done in the humanities and legal studies.

Doctoral candidates in literature, the law, the arts, the humanities, and the related social sciences are invited to apply, as are advanced students pursuing a J.D. or its equivalent (such as the L.L.B). Young scholars or junior faculty members who have received a Ph.D. or corresponding degree in the last five years are also eligible. While applications by doctoral/post-doctoral students are prioritized, the Summer Institute also encourages applications from advanced Master students about to conclude their studies and with a strong interest in interdisciplinary research.

There are openings for 30-35 students to participate in the Summer Institute.

Due to its international audience, the Summer Institute will be completely conducted in English. It does not offer language instruction classes, either in German or in English.



*Application Process*



Applicants should complete:



* An application form:

http://www.blogs.uni-osnabrueck.de/lawandculture/application-2012/

* A statement of purpose no more than two pages long, describing current scholarly interests, previous research, and plans for how the Summer Institute would specifically further these interests and plans.

* An up-to-date curriculum vitae.



Students interested in taking part in the Summer Institute should submit their applications no later than April 30, 2012.
Detailed information about the Institute, the workshops, international faculty, admission and fees can be found at:



http://www.blogs.uni-osnabrueck.de/lawandculture

*Questions*



Please direct all inquiries and questions to the main coordinator of the Institute at

lawandculture@uos.de







Interdisciplinary Summer Workshop for Junior Faculty, Stanford, California

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 07:13 AM PDT

From Maeva Marcus, Director, Institute for Constitutional History, New-York Historical Society and The George Washington University Law School


Interdisciplinary Summer Workshop for Junior Faculty


July 8-14, 2012

Stanford, California



ASSESSING THE US CONSTITUTION: TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY RESPONSES TO EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ASSUMPTIONS



Sponsored by the Institute for Constitutional History

with the Stanford Constitutional Law Center







DESCRIPTION:

It is an obvious truth that the drafters of the 1787 Constitution had a number of basic assumptions about the workings of what they called a "Republican Form of Government" and that the institutions established in Philadelphia reflected these assumptions. To be sure, some of them, such as equal voting power in the Senate or the basis of representation in the House (i.e., the 3/5 rule), were the result of compromises, in which the losers (like James Madison with regard to the Senate) viewed the result as a "lesser evil" (to the greater evil of no Constitution at all) rather than a positive good. Still, almost all of the institutions were defended by proponents of the Constitution, the most prominent, of course, being the collective Publius. To a remarkable degree, America in 2012 continues to be governed through the structures established in 1787.



The purpose of the seminar is quite simple: To look at the justifications offered, particularly at the Philadelphia Convention and ensuing ratification debates (including, of course, The Federalist) and to assess the degree to which we find them persuasive over two centuries later. The seminar is not about "constitutional interpretation" as that topic is usually defined. That is, we will not be looking at the parts of the Constitution that have been significantly litigated and, therefore, "interpreted," over the years, such as the assignment of powers to Congress in Article One, Section Eight. Rather, we will be looking at examples of what in my forthcoming book I call "the Constitution of Settlement" (in contrast to the endlessly-litigated "Constitution of Conversation")—bicameralism, the particular organization of power in the Senate, the presidential veto ,and the process of constitutional amendment, among others.



Readings will be taken from Professor Levinson's book, Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (Oxford University Press, 2012); The Federalist; The Founders' Constitution; Akhil Reed Amar,America's Constitution: A Biography; and John Dinan, The American State Constitutional Tradition.



WORKSHOP LEADER

Sanford Levinson is the W. St. John Garwood Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, University of Texas Law School, and Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin. Among other books, he has written: Constitutional Faith(Princeton U. Press, 1988, 2nd ed. 2011), and Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) (Oxford U. Press, 2006, pb. ed. 2008). He is also the co-editor of a widely used casebook, Processes of Constitutional Decision Making (5th ed. 2006). He has written over 350 articles in law reviews as well as more general venues. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.



STIPENDS AND SUPPORT: Participants will receive accommodation at the Munger Graduate Residence on the campus of Stanford Law School and a modest stipend for meals. Participants will also receive a travel reimbursement up to $250. Workshop participants are expected to attend all sessions and engage in all program activities.



ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE: The summer workshop is designed for university instructors who now teach or plan to teach courses in constitutional studies, including constitutional history, constitutional law, and related subjects. Instructors who would like to devote a unit of a survey course to constitutional history are also welcome to apply. All university-level instructors are encouraged to apply, including adjuncts and part-time faculty members, and post-doctoral fellows from any academic discipline associated with constitutional studies (history, political science, law, anthropology, sociology, literary criticism, etc.).



To apply, please submit the following materials: a detailed résumé or curriculum vitae with contact information; syllabi from any undergraduate course(s) in constitutional studies you currently teach; a 500- word statement describing your interest in both constitutional studies and this workshop; and a letter of recommendation from your department chair or other professional reference (sent separately by e-mail or post). The application statement should address your professional background, any special perspectives or experiences you might bring to the workshop, and how the workshop will enhance your teaching in constitutional studies.



THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS MAY 1, 2012. Applications should be sent via electronic mail to MMarcus@nyhistory.org. Successful applicants will be notified soon thereafter.





FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Maeva Marcus

Director, Institute for Constitutional History

New-York Historical Society and

The George Washington University Law School

(202) 994-6562

MMarcus@nyhistory.org

www.nyhistory.org/ich

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