Call for Papers: Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law Third Annual Conference

The Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law has issued a call for papers for its third annual conference, which will take place May 10-11, 2014, at the University of Cambridge. The theme is "Stepping Away from the State: Universality and Cosmopolitanism in International and Comparative Law." Here's the call:

Stepping Away from the State:

Universality and Cosmopolitanism in International and Comparative Law

Call for Papers

The Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law (CJICL) will hold its Third Annual Conference on 10–11 May 2014 at the St John’s College Divinity School, University of Cambridge.

This conference will explore approaches that question the traditional state-centric view of international and comparative law. The idea of universality suggests that international law applies equally and indiscriminately across domestic legal systems, and within sub-systems of international law itself. Cosmopolitanism conceives of the world as a single entity, with resonances between people irrespective of their location, nationality and culture, and asks how legal actors can access legal regimes beyond their state’s domestic framework.

The CJICL welcomes a wide variety of proposals in the fields of comparative and international law (both public and private) that encompass empirical approaches, theoretical discussions and perspectives from practice. Research topics related to the theme of this conference include (but are not limited to):

• The universality of international law as a moral principle, especially the interaction between such a principle and the consensual theory of international law;
• The idea of a global public law that recognises the legal personality of actors other than states, including international organisations, individuals, corporations and NGOs;
• The extent to which international law is a cohesive corpus as opposed to a fragmented collection of related but fundamentally separate legal regimes;
• Theoretical perspectives on cosmopolitanism and comparative law methodology;
• Historical perspectives on citizenship, including the rights and duties of citizens in individual jurisdictions;
• Analysis of concrete examples of cosmopolitanism in private law institutions, including contracts and trusts;
• The growth of international arbitration as an instrument of cosmopolitanism; and
• Dialogues between courts in different jurisdictions as expressions of universality and/or cosmopolitanism.

Abstract submissions must be no longer than 300 words in length and should be accompanied by a brief biography or CV. The closing date for submissions is 26 January 2014. Successful applicants will be informed by 10 February 2014 and must submit their papers by 27 April 2014. Applications should be submitted at www.cjicl.org.uk/conference.

Conference papers should be no longer than 10,000 words, including footnotes. A selection of papers will be considered for publication in a special issue of the CJICL (volume 3 issue 4) and abstracts should be submitted on the basis that the subsequent paper will be available for publication.

General registration for the conference will open in mid February 2013 on our website, www.cjicl.org.uk. Numbers are limited and early registration is highly recommended.