16th Cornell Law School Inter-University Graduate Conference (Hybrid): April 12-14, 2023

Call for Papers

The goal of the Cornell Law Inter-University Graduate Conference is to provide young scholars with the possibility to present and discuss their works in progress with peers. We welcome submissions from current J.S.D./S.J.D., Ph.D., LL.M.,

Master, and J.D. students, postdoc researchers in law and other related disciplines,and junior faculty members. Our goal is to create an inclusive and respectful conference environment that invites participation from people of all ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations.

The conference will be organized along four fields of research: Public International Law During and After Armed Conflicts; Comparative Public Law; Legal Theory; Law and Technology at the Time of Web3. A description of each field is included below. We encourage submissions that approach any of these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Submissions

If you are interested in participating, please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words indicating the panel or panels for which you wish to be considered, and a short bio that includes your discipline and institution. Submissions should be sent to gls@cornell.edu by February 17, 2023. The conference will be conducted in a hybrid mode at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York. Please indicate in your submission whether you will join us in-person or remotely (via Zoom).

Selected participants will be notified no later than February 28, 2023, and will have to submit their final draft by March 31, 2023. While topics should be related to the themes herein, papers in all areas of law may be submitted. Selections will be based both on the

quality of the proposal and its capacity to dialogue with other proposed presentations. Should you have any questions, also feel free to contact gls@cornell.edu, specifying “Inter-University Graduate Conference” in the subject of the email.

Topics

Public International Law During and After Armed Conflicts

International Law Involving the Use of Force and Conduct of Hostilities

This session explores research methodologies that may prove useful in bringing clarity to this inherently indeterminate field of public international law in theory and practice. How are researchers to determine and describe, with precision, the composition of international law in this area, and what research approaches are best suited to the task? In addition to this research methodology session, we welcome abstracts engaging with a substantive topic of the applicant’s choice and will develop sessions based on common themes among submissions for substantive topics.

International Criminal Law in the Context of Transitional Justice

This panel will include discussions of how international criminal law (ICL) has been applied in transitional justice systems around the world, as well as national, international, and hybrid tribunals. Further, explorations of former and current cases that could propose answers to contemporary problems. Topics may include but are not limited to crimes in ICL, types of tribunals, punishments, cooperation between countries and international institutions, afterward results, and new forms of justice.

Comparative Law

We welcome abstracts that concern the comparative study of law. These panels will discuss the diverse possible inter-disciplinary methodological approaches to do comparison, including reflections on their limitations. We are open to any abstracts addressing methodological, theoretical, and related discussions of comparative law, but also comparative case studies in fields such as but not limited to, constitutional law, criminal and procedural law, or legal institutions.

Legal Theory

Socio-legal Studies/Law & Society

We welcome abstracts using interdisciplinary approaches to the study of law that aim to understand how legal actors, institutions, or systems influence and are influenced by social phenomena. We invite empirical-based studies using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research in their analysis.

Philosophy of Law

This sub-field should cover topics on normative and analytic jurisprudence. Analysis of the general foundations of law, the existence of legal systems, as well as debates on authority and interpretation of the law.

Law and Technology at the Time of Web3

We welcome abstracts exploring various issues on the intersection of law and technology in Web3. This panel will provide an interactive environment in which participants can share ideas and thoughts in response to the legal challenges brought by technical innovations in Web3. Topics include, but are not limited to, blockchain, smart contract, NFT, DeFi, DEX, DAO, cryptocurrency, stablecoin, CBDC, tokenization, custodial and non-custodial wallets, cybersecurity, sanctions, compliance, and AML.