The 好色TVl 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 好色TVl Cr茅peau 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 theme of this year鈥檚 annual meeting is:
The Paris Congress at 125: Comparative Law鈥檚 Entanglement with Power from Paris to Today.
It has been said that the Paris Conference of 1900鈥攐ften regarded as the mythical founding moment of "modern"听Comparative Law鈥攚as 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鈥攁nd, 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听we tell听ourselves about Comparative Law鈥攊ts origins, its legacy鈥攁nd, 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 relationship with power,听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.
听 - Reconsidering Comparative Law鈥檚 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.
听 - Trade, Commercial Law, and the Promise of听Doux Commerce
Trade law has often been seen 颅颅颅颅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.
