Legal History Workshop

NOTE: This course is cross-listed with the History (HIST) department. Some classes may overlap with the Law School final exam period.

This seminar brings leading scholars of law and history to campus to present their current work on a wide range of topics concerning legal doctrines, institutions, and practices both in and beyond the United States. The seminar is designed to introduce students to the field of legal history, expose students to the nature of scholarly exchange, and provide students with opportunities to engage with and contribute to field-defining work in the making. Workshop sessions will be devoted to the presentation and discussion of works-in-progress from the guest scholars, with the aim of thinking comparatively about the nature and role of law in historical perspective. In advance of these sessions, students will prepare short, critical analyses of the work to be presented. Grades will be based on these papers and students’ participation during each session. Students who enroll for an additional one-credit of independent research (or Hist. 8644) will have the opportunity to engage in original research and writing in legal history. No previous knowledge of legal history is assumed.