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27Mar

RC09 2026 Interim Meeting

18:08 - By admin - Call for papers

Court Roles in the Current Authoritarian Moment

Call for Papers

The Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) is convening an international workshop on Court Roles in the Current Authoritarian Moment. The workshop will be held on 15-16 October 2026 at the Institute for Legal Research (Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, IIJ) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM).

Objectives

Courts play an indispensable role in democratic governance—and perhaps even more so when it’s under threat. As democracies globally face democratic backsliding, strained governance capacity, social upheaval, and war, courts too face new challenges in seeking to preserve and advance the rule of law and democratic constitutionalism more broadly. This workshop convenes scholars from around the world to discuss current research on these pressing issues, aiming to foster comparative analysis and collaboration across regions and disciplines. Papers adopting diverse disciplinary perspectives on the study of judicial systems, as well as innovative methodological approaches, are especially encouraged.

Themes

We welcome proposals on a range of topics related to comparative judicial studies, including but not limited to:

  • Courts and democratic erosion
  • Courts in newly authoritarian contexts
  • Rule of law and war
  • Judicial independence in fragile states
  • Asymmetries of power between public and private actors
  • Backlash against women’s and minority rights
  • Courts and migration flows
  • Rule of law in microstates
  • Judicial reform strategies
  • Concepts and methods of the rule of law
  • LLMs in comparative judicial studies

Format

We invite proposals for individual papers and fully-formed panels on these or similar topics from scholars, policymakers, practitioners, jurists, and others working in varied disciplines and regions of the world. Fully-formed panels must include a panel chair and 3-4 paper presenters; the panel chair may also be a paper presenter but is not required to be. Individual papers will be organized into thematically similar panels and could potentially be added to fully-formed panels that are not at the maximum participation limit. The working language of the workshop will be English.

Location

The workshop will be held in-person on the campus of the Institute for Legal Research at UNAM in Mexico City, Mexico on 15-16 October 2026. A limited hybrid option is available, with one online participant allowed per panel.

Call for Papers

To participate, submit your paper proposal or panel proposal by 31 May 2026. Each paper abstract submitted in the proposal should clearly convey the research goals, methods, findings, and relevance for the field of comparative judicial studies. Successful applicants will be notified by 15 June 2026 and must confirm their participation by 30 June 2026. You may also download the call for papers pdf.

For questions or more information, please contact ashleymoran@utexas.edu. We look forward to welcoming you to the Institute for Legal Research at UNAM!

Organizing Committee

Javier Martín-Reyes, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Ashley Moran, University of Texas at Austin
Daniela Piana, University of Bologna
Luigi Rullo, University of Naples Federico II
Christopher Zorn, Pennsylvania State University

The organizing committee is composed of members of IPSA’s Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee. The research committee promotes scholarly work on law, courts, and judicial processes from a comparative perspective. This includes the study of the judiciary, legal professions, legal doctrines, legal systems, and legal cultures, as well as how they relate to constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, federalism, political culture, and other sociopolitical dynamics. The ultimate aim is to enhance knowledge of the shared and unique features of judicial systems in countries around the world.

Co-Sponsoring Institutions

The International Political Science Association was founded in 1949 under the aegis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Its mandate is to support the development of political science in all parts of the world, building academic networks linking East and West, North and South. Its aim is to create an inclusive and global political science community in which all can participate. It seeks to promote collaboration between scholars in emerging and established democracies and to support the academic freedoms needed for the social sciences to flourish.

The Institute for Legal Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico contributes to the solution of social and political problems related to national and international legal issues. Its work focuses primarily on the study, teaching, dissemination, and understanding of legally relevant phenomena. To this end, it conducts comparative and interdisciplinary research, enabling the generation and dissemination of expert knowledge with academic excellence. The Institute is based at UNAM, which was founded in 1551 as the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico and is today the largest university in Mexico and Latin Americ

25Mar

RC09 2026 Work-in-Progress Session

00:00 - By admin - Call for papers

Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context

Call for Papers

Submissions are now open for the IPSA Work-in-Progress Session on "Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context." The workshop is organized by the Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA).

Format

The IPSA Work-in-Progress Sessions are online research workshops focused on specific themes. Each workshop involves between 6 and 12 paper presentations, with each paper allocated 1 hour. This structure is designed to encourage in-depth discussions of each paper. Participation is limited to paper presenters and chairs. The workshop will strive for regional and gender balance and include younger scholars, in accordance with the diversity policy in IPSA's Mission Statement.

Theme

This Work-in-Progress Session on "Courts, Power, and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context" will cover the broad field of Comparative Judicial Studies. This includes the comparative analysis of judicial processes, as well as the study of legal professions, the judiciary, legal doctrines, legal systems, and legal cultures. It also examines how these judicial processes relate to constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, federalism, political culture, and other sociopolitical dynamics.

The workshop particularly welcomes contributions addressing new and emerging challenges for judicial systems, including issues such as the rule of law and war, judicial independence in fragile states, asymmetries of power between private and public actors, the relationship between courts and migration flows, and the backlash against women’s and minority rights.

The ultimate aim is to enhance knowledge of both the shared and distinctive features of judicial systems across countries around the world. Papers adopting diverse disciplinary perspectives on the study of judicial systems, as well as innovative methodological approaches, are especially encouraged.

Dates

The workshop will be held online from 16-18 July 2026 each day from 13:00-17:00 UTC.

Call for Papers

Researchers are invited to submit a paper proposal by 6 May 2026. The workshop is intended exclusively for work-in-progress papers and will be kept confidential among participants. Final papers are not required.

Submitted paper proposals will be reviewed by the convenors. Accepted papers will be grouped into sessions by the convenors, based on topical fit and the aim of fostering productive discussion. Participants are expected to actively engage in the workshop by presenting their work, offering feedback to others, and contributing to collective discussions.

The paper proposal must be in English and should include:

  • Paper title
  • Paper abstract (250 words maximum)
  • Paper author(s)(full name, e-mail, institutional affiliation, country, and gender)
  • Request to attend the IPSA Work-in-Progress Session entitled "RC09: Courts, Power and the Rule of Law: Comparative Judicial Studies in Contemporary Context"
  • Agreement to be available for all online sessions from 16-18 July 2026 each day from 13:00-17:00 UTC
  • Agreement to attend all online sessions and actively participate in the discussions

Paper Presenter Responsibilities

If the work-in-progress proposal is accepted, paper presenters will be required to:

  • Register by 30 June 2026
  • Submit (upload) the paper by 30 June 2026
  • Be available for all online sessions from 16-18 July 2026
  • Attend all online sessions and engage in the discussion of all papers in the workshop

Engaged participants will receive an official certificate for their involvement in the 2026 IPSA-WiPS, along with valuable feedback that can enhance their work-in-progress prior to presentation at a broader conference or for publication. WiPS also represents an excellent opportunity for building research networks.

Daily Schedule

The daily session will include (1) a short introduction by the chair and (2) a presentation and discussion of each paper including:

  • Paper presentation (15 minutes) - The presenter should focus on two specific aspects of the paper on which they would particularly welcome feedback.
  • Chair-led questions and feedback (5 minutes, optional)
  • Open discussion (40 minutes) - Moderated by the chair and involving all workshop participants.

Convenors

Cristina Dallara, University of Bologna, Italy
Daniela Piana, University of Bologna, Italy
Raul Sanchez Urribarri, La Trobe University, Australia

The convenors are members of the Comparative Judicial Studies Research Committee of the International Political Science Association. The research committee promotes scholarly work on law, courts, and judicial processes from a comparative perspective. This includes the study of the judiciary, legal professions, legal doctrines, legal systems, and legal cultures, as well as how they relate to constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, federalism, political culture, and other sociopolitical dynamics. The ultimate aim is to enhance knowledge of the shared and unique features of judicial systems in countries around the world.

18Aug

RC09 2024 Interim Meeting

10:43 - By admin - Call for papers

CALL FOR PAPERS

RC09 2024 Interim Meeting: Courts and their Interactions with Politics

The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States

24-26 October 2024

Registration/Reception: Thursday, 24 October, 6:30-7:30pm

Papers/Panels: Friday and Saturday, 25-26 October

Convenor and Host: Rhonda Evans, The University of Texas at Austin, United States

Treasurer:  Christopher Zorn, Penn State University, United States

We welcome paper and panel proposals for the 2024 Interim Meeting of the Research Committee on Comparative Judicial Studies. The meeting will be in-person. It’s open to all scholars interested in the study of law and courts from comparative and national perspectives. The meeting’s theme is Courts and their Interactions with Politics. We seek papers that address interactions between courts and politics broadly conceived, such as interactions between courts and other political actors and branches of government as well as how courts address divisive political issues, such as those related to the rise of populism, democratic backsliding, climate change, and technological developments like social media and artificial intelligence. Papers may analyse how courts are influenced by politics or how politics influence courts or legal and judicial systems. We also welcome papers that reflect on the current state of the comparative law and courts literature and its ability to address contemporary developments and those that employ innovative methodological approaches.

While papers and panels that engage this theme are especially welcome, proposals on other topics in the field of comparative judicial studies, such as those listed below, will also be accepted.

  • Judicial Independence

  • Courts, Tribunals, and the Rule of Law

  • Judicial versus Executive or Legislative Power

  • Courts and Constitutional Democracy

  • Judicial Philosophies

  • Supreme Courts and Domestic Politics

  • Judicial Networks and Domestic Politics

  • Legal Databases/Methodological Considerations

  • International Legal Moblization

  • Diffusion and Borrowing of Legal Norms

  • Supranational and International Regimes

  • Courts and Technology

Submit your proposal (including your full name, professional position and institutional affiliation, paper title, and 500-word abstract) by April 2, 2024 to ResearchCommittee09@gmail.com. Panel proposals should provide the same details for all papers. For updates on conference details, including availability of a limited number of travel grants, please visit http://rc09.ipsa.org/.

30Jan

RC09 2022 Interim Meeting

13:22 - By admin - Call for papers

CALL FOR PAPERS

RC09 2022 Interim Meeting: Courts under Pressure: Threats to Judicial Independence and Rule of Law across the Globe

Mortara Center for International Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States

10-12 August 2022

Registration/Reception: 5:00-6:00pm 10 August

Papers/Panels: 11-12 August

Host:   Diana Kapiszewski, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Convenor:  Rhonda Evans, The University of Texas at Austin, United States

Treasurer:  Rachel Ellett, Beloit College, United States

Paper and panel proposals for the 2022 Interim Meeting of the Research Committee on Comparative Judicial Studies are now being accepted. The meeting will be in-person and is open to all scholars interested in the study of law and courts from comparative and national perspectives. The theme of the 2022 meeting is “Courts under Pressure: Threats to Judicial Independence and Rule of Law across the Globe.” Papers and panels that engage this theme are especially welcome. There are plans to collect and revise these ‘on theme’ papers for an edited volume or a special issue of a journal.  Paper and panel proposals on other topics in the field of comparative judicial studies, such as those listed below, are also welcome.

  • Supranational and International Regimes
  • Judicial Independence  
  • Courts, Tribunals, and the Rule of Law
  • Judicial versus Executive Power
  • Courts and Populism
  • Courts and Constitutional Democracy
  • Judicial Philosophies
  • Supreme Courts and Domestic Politics
  • Judicial Networks and Domestic Politics
  • Legal Databases/Methodological Considerations
  • International Legal Mobilization
  • Diffusion and Borrowing of Legal Norms

Georgetown University currently requires that all persons on campus, including visitors, be vaccinated. Stay apprised of all COVID-related developments, including vaccination requirements, here: https://www.georgetown.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-dashboard/.  Submit your proposal (including a title and 500-word abstract) via email by 1 March 2022, to Dr. Rhonda Evans (revans@austin.utexas.edu). A draft conference program will be circulated and posted to the RC09’s website http://rc09.ipsa.org by 1 April 2022. We expect to be able to accommodate virtual participation in the conference.  Please indicate in your proposal if you will only be able to participate virtually. For updates on all conference details, please visit http://rc09.ipsa.org/.

10Sep

RC09 2019 Interim Meeting

10:07 - By admin - Call for papers

CALL FOR PAPERS

Democracy, Populism, and Judicial Power:  Where to from Here?

Conference co-organized by IPSA RC09 Comparative Judicial Studies and the Edward A. Clark Center for Australian & New Zealand Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Hosted by Monash University Prato Centre

Prato, Italy, 24-26 July 2019

The 2019 Interim Meeting of IPSA Research Committee 9 (Comparative Judicial Studies) will be hosted by the Monash University Prato Centre and co-organized with the Edward A. Clark Center for Australian & New Zealand Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

Paper and panel proposals for the 2019 Interim Meeting at the Monash University Prato Centre are now being accepted.  The meeting is open to all scholars interested in the study of law and courts from a comparative and national perspective, as well as those employing a case study methodology. Papers and panels devoted to the following topics (though not limited to) would be especially welcome: 

  • Courts and the Politics of Immigration
  • The European Legal Order and Brexit
  • The Judicialization of Contentious Social and Moral Issues
  • Mobilizing for Justice and Injustice
  • Courts, Civil Liberties, and National Security before and after the War on Terror
  • Assessing the Role of Courts in and after the Great Financial Crisis
  • Reconciling the Tension between Judicial Independence and Political Accountability
  • Indigenous Peoples and the Courts
  • New Approaches to the study of Courts and Politics
  • Understanding and Re-discovering the Importance of Subnational Courts
  • Legal Reasoning and the Rule of Law
  • Transnational and International Legal Institutions and Processes.
  • Courts and Human Rights in Multinational, Federal, Devolved and Supra-national States
  • The Courts and Democracy: Appropriate Roles and Boundaries in the 21st Century
  • Judicial Appointment and Security of Tenure
  • Judicial Review in Authoritative Regimes, New Democracies, and Emerging Democracies

Proposals for papers should include contract details of the author(s), title, and a 250 word abstract.

Panel proposals must include:

  • A minimum of three papers and a maximum of four
  • Panel title and short description (250 words maximum)
  • Individual paper titles
  • Contact details for all paper-givers

The final deadline for the electronic submission of paper and panel proposals is 19 November  2018. Proposals should be submitted online at:

https://form.jotform.com/RC09/Prato

Notifications of acceptance will be emailed and a draft conference program will be posted on RC09’s website http://rc09.ipsa.org by 17 December 2018.

Organizing Committee:  James Kelly (Concordia University) james.kelly@concordia.ca and Rhonda Evans (The University of Texas at Austin) revans@austin.utexas.edu

21Apr

RC09 2017 Conference Program

09:41 - By admin - Call for papers

The 2017 Conference_Program.pdf and Conference_Information.pdf for the RC09 meeting at University of California, Irvine, are now available on the RC09 website.

29Sep

RC09 2017 Interim Meeting

17:17 - By admin - Call for papers

RC09's 2017 interim meeting will be held at the Univeristy of California, Irvine, June 25-27.  The conference theme is "Comparative Judicial Studies at the Crossroads: Mapping New Research Agendas and Exploring New Paths." The conference announcement is available at Call for Papers 2017.

Paper and panel proposals for the 2017 Interim Meeting of the Research Committee on Comparative Judicial Studies (RC09) are now being accepted. The meeting is open to all scholars interested in the study of law and courts from a comparative and national perspective, as well as those employing a case study methodology. Papers and panels devoted to the following topics (though not limited to) would be especially welcome:

  • Independence and Representation on High Courts.
  • Courts, Power-sharing, and Consociational Democracy.
  • The European Legal Order and Brexit.
  • Judicial Appointment and Security of Tenure.
  • Judicial Review in Authoritative Regimes, New Democracies, and Emerging Democracies.
  • Rule of Law at the National and Sub-national Level.
  • Judicial Institutions for Democracies:  The Role Justice-System Actors (Should) Play.
  • Mobilizing for Justice.
  • The Judicialization of Contentious Social and Moral Issues.
  • Methodological Approaches to the Study of Judicial Institutions.
  • The Role of Judicial Actors in the Protection of Rights.
  • National Sovereignty and International Courts.
  • Legal Reasoning and the Rule of Law.
  • The Judicial Branch in Latin American Politics.

Please submit your proposal (500 word abstract) via email by January 19, 2017 to RC09 at the following email addresses: tonysmithuci@gmail.com and  james.kelly@concordia.

Notifications of acceptance will be emailed and a draft conference program will be posted on RC09’s website http://rc09.ipsa.org by February 19, 2017.

01Aug

Israeli Association of Law and Society - Call for Panel Submissions

09:57 - By admin - Call for papers

The Annual Conference of the Israeli Association of Law and Society, 'Call for Panels' now available 2013 Israeli Association of Law and Society 'Call for Panels'

29Jul

RC09 Call for Papers for the 23rd World Congress of Political Science

17:13 - By admin - Call for papers

The 23rd World Congress of Political Science will be held in Montreal, Canada, July 19-24, 2014. RC09's call for submissions for closed panels during the 23rd World Congess is now available RC09 'Call for Papers' 23rd World Congress of Political Science

07Mar

RC09 2013 Conference Program

13:06 - By admin - Call for papers

The conference program for RC09's 2013 Interim Meeting, which will be held at Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland, July 22-24, 2013 is now available at Conference Program, RC09 Dublin 2013

Conference information, such as hotels, registration fees and payment procedures, can be accessed at Conference Information

15Nov

RC09 2013 Interim Meeting

20:07 - By admin - Call for papers

Call for Papers
2013 Meeting of RC09
Dublin, Ireland
July 22-24, 2013

Conference Theme
“The changing nature of judicial power in supranational, federal and domestic systems”

Dublin 2013 Call for Papers

Host: Adam McAuley, Dublin City University, Ireland
Convenor: Daniela Piana, University of Bologna
Treasurer: Tony Smith, University of California, United States

Paper and panel proposals for the 2013 Interim Meeting of the Research Committee on Comparative Judicial Studies are now being accepted. The meeting is open to all scholars interested in the study of law and courts from a comparative and national perspective. The theme of the 2013 meeting is “The changing nature of judicial power in supranational, federal and domestic systems.” Papers and panels devoted to the following topics (though not limited to) would be especially welcome:

• Supranational and International regimes
• Federalism and Human Rights
• Federalism and Immigration
• International Criminal Law
• Globalization and Economics
• The changing nature of judicial power
• Judicial Philosophies
• Fragmentation of Political Authority
• Supreme Courts and Domestic Politics
• Judicial Networks and Domestic Politics
•Legal Databases and Methodological considerations
• International Legal Moblization
• Diffusion and Borrowing of Legal Norms

Please submit your proposal (including title and 500 word abstract) via email by January 7, 2013, to Professor Tony Smith (casmith@uci.edu).
A draft conference program will be posted on RC09’s website http://rc09.ipsa.org by February 1, 2013.

05Apr

RC09 2013 Interim Meeting

15:51 - By admin - Call for papers - 3 comments

RC09’s 2013 Interim Meeting will be hosted by Dr. Adam McAuley at Dublin City University.

The call for papers will be issued in September 2012 and a draft program will be posted on RC09’s website in January 2013.

05Apr

Next Meeting – Madrid 2012: XXII World Congress of Political Science

15:31 - By admin - Call for papers - 3 comments


At IPSA’s 22nd World Congress, which takes place in Madrid, July 8-12, 2012, RC09 (Comparative Judicial Studies) has organized the following panels:

  • Courts and Community Rights in Multinational, Federal and Supra-national States
  • Legal Mobilization and Legal Professionals
  • High Courts and Judicial Governance: Activism, Litigation, and Policy Outcomes
  • Institutional Design and Selection of Judges in an age of Judicial Power
  • Judicial Review in Authoritarian Regimes
  • Transnational and International Legal Institutions and Processes
  • Ombudsman, Human Rights Commissions, and Other Non-Judicial Institutions
  • High Courts and Judicial Governance: Dialogue and Rights Review
  • Judicialization and Legal Mobilization: Voting and Environmental Politics

02Mar

RC09 2011 Interim Meeting

14:13 - By admin - Call for papers - 3 comments

A document entitled Conference Information is now available for those attending RC09's 2011 Interim Meeting at the University of California, Irvine. This document includes:

  1. The Conference Program
  2. Hotels and Restaurants
  3. Registering for Irvine 2011
  4. Method of Payment
  5. Airport Information

06Jan

RC09 2011 Conference Program

12:19 - By admin - Call for papers - 3 comments

The programme committee for RC09's interim meeting (James Kelly, Charles Anthony Smith, and Diana Kapiszewski) that will be held at the University of California-Irvine in July 2011 are pleased to release the programme for Conference Program RC09 Irvine 2011

27Aug

Call for Papers: RC09 2011 Interim Meeting

12:21 - By admin - Call for papers - 3 comments

RC09's 2011 Interim Meeting will be held at the University of California-Irvine, July 21-23, 2011. The theme of this meeting is "The Judicialization of Politics from International and Comparative Perspectives" and is hosted by Professor Charles Anthony Smith and Professor Diana Kapiszewski of the Department of Political Science.

A proposal with a 200 word abstract for RC09 at University of California-Irvine will be accepted until November 15, 2010.

15Jun

RC09 2010 Conference Program

10:18 - By admin - Call for papers - 2 comments

The final conference programme for RC09's forthcoming conference at the Univeristy of Bologna, "Judicial Review as 'Insurance Policy': Horizontal and Vertical Accountability in Democratic and Transitional States" is now available: RC 09 Final Conference Programme, Bologna 2010