Conference Themes

The conference’s main focus is on Public International Law. There will also be a panel on the Philosophy of Law. This is an interdisciplinary conference is hosted at Cornell Law School, but encourages participants from all social sciences. We welcome submissions that approach the following topics from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Philosophy of Law

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

Public International Law

Law of Armed Conflict – LOAC

This academic domain encompasses doctrinal, normative, and critical examinations of diverse themes related to the use of force. These themes may include, but are not limited to, topics on self-defense, cyber warfare, the use of force within the framework of occupation, and the use of force and terrorism. Furthermore, topics discussing the use of force and its ramifications on fundamental principles enshrined within the United Nations Charter are highly encouraged.

International Criminal Law and the Law of Genocide

We call for papers that address current discussions related to the application of international criminal law at the international and national levels, including international tribunals or justice components in transitional processes. We look at the developments of international criminal law at different levels; these can range from the International Criminal Court – ICC or the International Court of Justice – ICJ to the United Nations institutions or peace tribunals. Due to current worldwide events, papers on the topic of genocide and critical legal studies are particularly welcome.

International Environmental Law (IEL)

We welcome abstracts using legal, socio-legal, and related lenses to address environmental and sustainability issues at the international and transnational levels. Local and national approximations of environmental concerns are also welcome so long as there is a connection with IEL. Submissions using interdisciplinary or comparative approaches and methods are welcome. Articles addressing enforcement limitations, effectiveness and challenges of environmental regulation, the human rights-environment nexus, the dynamics between sustainability, and trade and development, and recent developments on climate change, private climate governance, biodiversity, hazardous waste, plastics, and oceans, as well as other relevant topics, including, but not limited to, the role Indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge in environmental conservation, are highly encouraged.

Eligibility

All graduate students (masters and doctoral students), post-doctoral researchers, teaching fellows, and recent graduates who are not tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply. As this is an interdisciplinary conference, we welcome applicants from law, social science, and other related fields.

Applications and Submissions

Applicants are invited to submit their paper proposals to jsda.law@cornell.edu by January 19, 2025, specifying “17th Graduate Conference” in the email’s subject. Submissions must be in English in a single PDF file and must include:

The submission should use the following naming convention: (Last Name)_(First Name)_LSAS 2025_Paper Proposal, e.g. Doe_Julie_ LSAS_2025_Paper Proposal

Proposals will be selected based on quality and connection with the conference themes. All applicants will be informed of the decision by February 1, 2025. All selected participants must submit their final paper by March 1, 2024, so that it can be shared with the other members of their panel and their discussant for feedback.

The final paper should be no longer than 10,000 words. Each paper should be an unpublished work. We will consider papers accepted for publication so long as they have not been published, and the author may still have an opportunity to incorporate feedback from the conference.

Berger Keynote speaker

The Berger Program on International Law and Comparative Studies will inaugurate the conference, offering a talk on a relevant topic for today’s legal scholarship. The keynote speaker will be a renowned scholar or practitioner in international public law from another institution. The speaker will be announced later in the year.

Cornell Law Reviews Symposium

The JSDA is seeking to work together with the Cornell International Law Journal. We are planning on opening a symposium website in which all papers can be published as work in progress. Speakers can ask for their papers not to be published. In any case, paper’s publication will be subjected to the guidelines and policies set by the journal. Please notice that this is still pending approval from the Cornell International Law Journal.

Traveling Expenses

The participants should seek funding for traveling and accommodation. We strongly suggest contacting your university, research institutes, etc., for funding. The Conference Organization will cover meals, and social events. We are seeking to coordinate special rates in some of Ithaca’s hotels.

The JSD Association is working to provide some limited funding for participants with financial hardships. This funding, if available, will be granted solely for strictly need-based reasons. We encourage students to briefly describe their special circumstances in their application. The JSDA will inform the decision in the acceptance letter.

Conference Co-chairs

Cornell Law School, JSD students and candidates:

Contact

Please feel free to send any questions or comments to: jsda.law@cornell.edu