New ASLH Initiatives To Support Early Career Scholars

At this past meeting of the American Society for Legal History, the Board approved a series of measures aimed at supporting early career scholars. Guest blogger Sally Gordon (of our occasional advice column Ms. Peppercorn Considers) has put together the following update, which includes information on how to apply for funding for future projects of this nature:

Notes from the ASLH Meeting, Miami, 7 – 10 November.

At the annual meeting of the Society, the Board approved several grants to new initiatives as well as ongoing projects. The Committee on Projects and Proposals recommended several proposals to the Executive Committee and the Board, which meets annually on the Thursday evening before the start of the conference.

The Society is particularly interested in programs that promote the work of junior scholars. Examples of activities funded by the board this year include:

1. A pre-conference program for graduate students on Thursday before the 2014 conference (to be held in Denver, November 6 – 9), organized by John Wertheimer of Davidson College.

2. A two-day conference to be held at the University of Minnesota in June, 2014, on the Law of the Child, 1400-2000. The conference website and call for papers can be found here. The conference will be cosponsored by a consortium that includes the University of Minnesota Law School and History Department, University of Michigan Law School, University of Illinois Law School, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, University of Chicago Law School, and University of Pennsylvania Law School.

3. Financial support for graduate student/foreign scholar/independent scholar travel to the 2014 annual meeting.

4. Funding for a second “Workshop on ‘Underexplored’ Areas of Legal History before the 2014 Annual Meeting in Denver

5. Support for travel and other expenses related to a May, 2014 workshop to be held in Chicago where the editors of a new edition of Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England will hold an editorial conference.

6. The History of the Society Committee received support for filming and transcribing oral histories.

More information will be posted on the ASLH website shortly.

Members of the Society may apply for funding for future projects, which will be acted on at the November 2014 meeting. Applications should be submitted by September 1st. The application form will be available on the Society's website soon. If you need an application form immediately you may either contact the ASLH Treasurer, Craig Klafter or Rayman Solomon.