Call for Proposals: 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Comparative Law
The McGill Faculty of Law is delighted to welcome the American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) for its 2025 Annual Meeting, which will take place in Montreal, Canada, from Thursday, October 16 to Saturday, October 18, 2025. The meeting is hosted by the Wainwright Chair in Civil, Comparative and Transnational Law, in collaboration with the McGill Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law.
Proposals for papers to be presented at the Annual Meeting are invited from scholars in all regions and at all stages of their careers, regardless of ASCL membership.
The Paris Congress at 125: Comparative Law’s Entanglement with Power from Paris to Today.
It has been said that the Paris Conference of 1900—often regarded as the mythical founding moment of modern Comparative Law—was animated by a spirit of idealism, the belief that thinking beyond national borders could contribute to human progress. Such humanitarian idealism found renewed expression after the Great War, when the International Academy of Comparative Law was established to complement the League of Nations.
Yet even the published proceedings of the Paris Conference reveal another dimension of Comparative Law: its entanglement with power in an era of imperialist expansion, an entanglement that was perhaps not an aberration but the flipside of idealistic universalism itself. Indeed, throughout its history, Comparative Law has not been confined to the ivory tower but has been an ally of power—and, more than once, its accomplice, as underscored, for example, by the recent work of James Whitman.
This annual meeting takes its inspiration from the stories we tell ourselves about Comparative Law—its origins, its legacy—and, specifically, the fact that this entanglement with power in varying historical contexts is often absent from our foundational narratives. We invite contributions on all aspects of Comparative Law’s relationship with power, as well as the politics of Comparative Law itself. We welcome not only historical analyses but also, and in particular, reflections on its current role in today’s shifting political landscape, where even established democracies face challenges to the rule of law.
While the conference welcomes submissions on all aspects of Comparative Law’s relationship with power, we particularly encourage contributions in the following areas. However, these focal points serve as guiding themes rather than limitations.
- Democratic Backsliding and Comparative Constitutional Law
As democratic governance faces increasing threats, Comparative Constitutional Law plays a crucial role in analyzing both resistance to and facilitation of democratic erosion. We invite papers on constitutional resilience, judicial independence, and the global diffusion of authoritarian legal strategies.
- Reconsidering Comparative Law’s Imperial Pasts: Colonial Legacies and Methodological Reflections
Comparative Law has long been shaped by Eurocentric perspectives connected to its past. We welcome contributions that critically examine these legacies, challenge traditional methodologies, and propose new frameworks going forward.
- Trade, Commercial Law, and the Promise of Doux Commerce
Trade law has often been seen as a means of fostering peace and cooperation (doux commerce), yet it also reflects global power asymmetries. We invite reflections on how Comparative Law shapes trade regimes, financial regulation, and commercial law in an era of shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.
Submission Instructions
Submissions may consist of a proposal (a) to present individual (solo- or co-authored) papers or (b) complete panels related to the conference theme.
- Proposals to present individual papers should include a 250 word abstract in the body of an email, as well as in an attachment (Microsoft Word or PDF), sent to comparativelaw [at] mcgill.ca
The abstract must reflect original research that will not yet have been published by the time of the Annual Meeting, but which may have been accepted for publication. Authors must plan on having a well-developed draft paper based on the abstract ready for presentation and potential circulation at the time of the conference. Both the email and the attachment must contain author name(s), title of the paper, institutional affiliation(s), contact information, and three to five keywords.
- Proposals for complete panels may be up to 500 words in length and should contain the same information listed above. Please provide relevant information for all proposed presenters, along with a proposed title for the panel. Please also make sure that all proposed presenters have agreed to participate in the conference should the panel proposal be accepted.
The deadline for submissions is May 14, 2025. Abstracts received thereafter will not be considered.
Kindly note that neither the ASCL nor McGill University is able to provide funding or reimbursements for travel or other costs associated with participation in this Annual Meeting.
Representatives from official ASCL Member Schools who attend the Annual Meeting’s Saturday Business Meeting are eligible for reimbursement of some expenses in accord with ASCL policy and practice.
We are not able to accommodate requests to present on specific dates or at specific times.