The purpose of the Hurst Institute is to advance the approach to legal scholarship fostered by J. Willard Hurst in his teaching, mentoring, and scholarship. The “Hurstian perspective” emphasizes the importance of understanding law in context; it is less concerned with the characteristics of law as developed by formal legal institutions than with the way in which positive law manifests itself as the “law in action.” The Hurst Institute assists scholars from law, history, and other disciplines in pursuing research in legal history.Follow the link for more information on how to apply. Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2012 to January 15, 2013.
The previous Hurst Institute sessions were led by distinguished legal history scholars Lawrence M. Friedman (Stanford University), Robert W. Gordon (Yale and Stanford) and Barbara Young Welke (University of Minnesota). The 2013 Hurst Institute will be chaired by Hendrik Hartog, Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty, Professor of History, and Director of the Program in American Studies at Princeton University. More information about guest scholars will be provided at a later date.
The two-week program is structured but informal, and features presentations by guest scholars, discussions of core readings in legal history, and analysis of the work of the participants in the Institute. The general format includes intensive daily sessions Monday-Friday that run through mid-afternoon, a few scheduled social events, and some free time for additional discussion, reading and research. Fellows will have the opportunity to conduct archival work at the Wisconsin Historical Society. (The Society holds a vast array of primary documents and is particularly strong in areas involving nineteenth and twentieth century social movements and labor activism. In addition, the Library possesses an excellent collection of federal and state government material which is largely un-cataloged.)
The ASLH Hurst Selection Committee will select twelve Fellows to participate in this event.
Programs from previous sessions of the Institute are available here, along with lists of previous Hurst Fellows.
