March 31, 2017

Twelfth Annual Emile Noël Lecture on the State of the (European) Union at NYU School of Law

The Jean Monnet Center for International and RegionalEconomic Law & Justice at New York University School of Law will host the Twelfth Annual Emile Noël Lecture on the State of the (European) Union on Monday, April 3 at 6:00 p.m. 

Eleanor Sharpston, Advocate General, Court of Justice of the European Union will present her lecture “Of the state of the (European) Union – and of Trade Deals.” The lecture will be held in the Faculty Library, Vanderbilt Hall, located at 40 Washington Square South. A reception will immediately follow the lecture.

Please RSVP via email: ENL@nyu.edu and kindly note that registration is required to attend the lecture and reception. To learn more about the Annual Emile Noël Lecture series, please click here.

March 7, 2017

Call for Papers: Inaugural Annual European Junior Faculty Forum (Berlin, June 28-29, 2017)

Network member Mattias Kumm (NYU, WZB Social Science Research Center, and Humboldt) has written to share a call for papers for the European Junior Faculty Forum on June 28-29, 2017, at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center.  Note that the deadline for submissions is April 15, 2017.

A summary and link to the Call for Papers can be found below; the original notice can be found here.

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The WZB Berlin Social Science Center, the European University Institute and the London School for Economics and Political Science invite submissions for the Inaugural Annual European Junior Faculty Forum for Public Law and Jurisprudence to be held at WZB Berlin Social Science Center on June 28-29, 2017.

The forum intends to address public law scholarship from a theoretically informed doctrinal, interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, contribute to the research of junior scholars, and create an intellectual community of European public law scholars. Public Law focused scholarship from other disciplines (philosophy, political science, history, sociology) is explicitly welcome.

The forum brings together a selected group of early career scholars for what promises to be an intellectually rewarding academic exchange. The papers, selected based upon blind peer-review, will be commented on by two senior scholars.

The author must be based in an academic institution in the European Union or in an Associated Country and have obtained the doctoral degree no longer than seven years prior to the application deadline.

For details see the Call for Papers.

Questions about the European Junior Faculty Forum for Public Law and Jurisprudence as well as submissions should be sent to Professor Mattias Kumm’s office via ejff [at] wzb.eu.

Deadline for Submissions: April 15, 2017

Decisions will be sent by May 15, 2017.

The workshop will be held on June 28-29, 2017 in Berlin at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center.

İştar Gözaydın, Imprisoned Turkish Scholar: Release Petition

We recently received a request from a network member to share the following notice regarding a petition for the release of İştar Gözaydın, a Turkish scholar of politics and society who has spent time in the United States (at Georgetown and NYU), and who has been imprisoned in Turkey.  We gladly do so.

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Professor İştar Gözaydın has been for many years a prominent member of the European Religion and Politics community. She is an intellectual, a human rights activist and an important scholar who has written significant and illuminating contributions on Turkish society and politics. Istar was fired from her job shortly after the abortive July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey and in December 2016 she was arrested on charges that have still not been clarified.

Over the last two months, her friends and colleagues have made numerous efforts for her release, but without success. The stage has now been reached of a mass petition which we hope will attract signatures from scholars from Europe and elsewhere in the world to demand her release from prison. We hope very much you are willing to sign the petition and if you could circulate it among your colleagues too for their signatures that would be much appreciated.


If you are willing to sign the petition, then please email Ahmet Erdi Öztürk at aerdiozturk [at] gmail.com who is collecting signatures.

The petition is available here.

You may also wish to see the Economist article here.

March 2, 2017

Call for Abstracts: "Public Law and the New Populism" at NYU (September 15, 2017)

Network members Gráinne de Búrca (NYU) and Daniel Francis (NYU) have passed along the following call for abstracts for a conference on public law and populism at NYU in the fall, co-hosted by the International Journal of Constitutional Law and the Jean Monnet Center at NYU.  

The call for abstracts follows; further information is available from Daniel.  Note that abstracts are due by March 31, 2017.  

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Call for Abstracts: Public Law and the New Populism

The International Journal of Constitutional Law (I-CON) is pleased to announce a call for abstracts for a workshop on "Public Law and the New Populism" to take place at NYU School of Law on September 15, 2017. The workshop will be co-hosted by the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law & Justice at NYU.

The focus of the workshop will be on the relationship between the current populist turn in national and international politics, on the one hand, and legal norms and institutions on the other. The aim is to bring together constitutional, international and public law scholars to investigate some of the distinctively legal dimensions of the populist wave sweeping the world's democracies. Each paper will be presented and discussed by an assigned commentator and other participants. Following the workshop, there may be an opportunity for a subset of the papers to be submitted to the I-CON journal as a proposed symposium issue.

Abstracts of between 250 and 750 words should be submitted on or before March 31, 2017, by email to Daniel Francis at daniel.francis@law.nyu.edu, with "Populism Workshop Submission" in the subject line. Final papers will be due by August 15, 2017. We hope to attract a genuinely diverse group of scholars in all respects. We particularly welcome proposals which address one or more of the following questions:
  • One phenomenon or several? What might be the shared or unifying dimensions, if any, of the challenges presented to constitutional and public law and institutions by the recent populist turn across the US, Europe, and parts of Asia? Are there common problems and questions across jurisdictions or are these different and distinct phenomena? Are they similar or different to those raised by earlier populist movements in Latin America and elsewhere?
  • Which elements of the constitutional order are under strain? Populist movements and populist leaders can present new challenges for the norms and institutions of public law: which aspects or elements of the constitutional and legal order will face the greatest strain in this new chapter of political history?
  • Public law as a cause? Does the rise of populism reflect a backlash against a systematic neglect of non-elite interests in or from constitutional and international law processes? Have aspects of public law or its application played a role in bringing about this rise? 
  • Public law's response. Does (or should) the substance or application of public law -- including its norms and its institutions -- adapt in any ways to accommodate the phenomenon of populist politics? Can (or should) public law become a point of resistance during periods of populist politics? What are the implications of the populist turn for courts and the judiciary?
  • What about international and transnational public law? Can (or have) international or transnational legal norms and institutions responded in adequate ways to the strongly nationalist dimension of the populist turn? Do international legal norms and institutions have a legitimate role to play in shaping, constraining, or reinforcing domestic political processes at such times? More generally, what are the implications of the populist turn for law and legal institutions beyond the nation-state?

January 6, 2017

AALS Annual Meeting Today: European Law Section Panel on "Current Developments in Rights Protection in the European Union"

Just a reminder for all network members attending the AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco: The European Law Section's panel on Current Developments in Rights Protection in the European Union: Anti-Discrimination Measures, The Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Refugee Crisis, will be held today at 8:30 am PST in Continental Parlor 7 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Below is the panel description and the list of speakers.

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Novel legislation adopted by the E.U. Council of Ministers in 2000 prohibits discrimination based on race or ethnic origin in all fields regulated by E.U. law, and prohibits discrimination in employment based on religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Panelists will discuss efforts to curb discrimination of the Roma people under E.U. rules and the European Convention on Human Rights, and Court judgments concerning compulsory retirement of university professors, judges, and prosecutors. Another panelist will discuss the efforts to maintain human rights protection while coping with the on-going refugee crisis. A guest European professor will discuss the impact of the U.K. referendum on withdrawal from the E.U. on the U.K. rules on residence of migrant nationals of other E.U. nations.  Papers from the program will be published in Fordham International Law Journal.  

Speakers:
Frank Emmert, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Roger J. Goebel, Fordham University School of Law
Dr. Laurence Gormley, University of Groningen Faculty of Law
Katerina Linos, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Julie C. Suk, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

January 4, 2017

AALS European Law Section Newsletter

As the Section on European Law gathers in San Francisco for the AALS Annual Meeting, we wanted to forward the annual newsletter -- with special thanks to Daniela Caruso (BC) for her efforts in pulling this together. Daniela asks us to note, however, one change from the published version: the incoming chair will be Julie Suk (Cardozo), to be followed next year by Fernanda Nicola (American-WCL). Enjoy.

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December 10, 2016

Call for Papers: "New Challenges to European Solidarity" at Cambridge (March 9-10, 2017)

Network member Alicia Hinarejos (Cambridge) has written to pass along a call for papers for a terrific-looking workshop at Cambridge in March 2017.  Entitled "New Challenges to European Solidarity," the event aims to bring younger scholars to Cambridge for two days to share their ideas and receive feedback from one another as well as participating senior academics.  It is funded by a British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award.

The call for papers follows below: further information is available from Alicia.

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New Challenges to European Solidarity: Call for Papers

The European Union finds itself at a historical crossroads. It currently faces a number of existential threats that need a common and unified response; yet such a common response is likely to require unprecedented pooling of sovereignty and sharing of financial burdens among the individual Member States. In other words, these challenges require a new understanding of solidarity among the States and peoples of Europe. The responses that the Union gives to these challenges will shape European integration for the foreseeable future. This workshop will bring together young scholars who are conducting research on challenges to European solidarity, including e.g. in the context of Economic and Monetary Union, social policy, or migration. The event will provide a forum for researchers working in these areas to meet each other, present their work, and discuss their ideas with policymakers and other scholars, including senior academics who will provide feedback.

The event will take place over two days (afternoon of the 9th of March and morning of the 10th of March 2017) in Cambridge. The project is funded by a British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award and organised by Dr Alicia Hinarejos, University Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge.

Advanced PhD students, postdoctoral scholars and early career academics are invited to apply by Friday, 13 January 2017, with an abstract (500 words maximum) and a recent CV to solidarity.cambridge@gmail.com. Submission of draft papers with the application is encouraged, but not required. Selected applicants will be informed of the outcome before the end of January 2017, and invited to submit draft papers by the end of February 2017. The project will cover participants’ cost of accommodation in a Cambridge college and travel within the UK (standard class rail or airfare in accordance with University of Cambridge guidelines). For further information on the workshop, please email Alicia Hinarejos at ah428{at}cam{dot}ac{dot}uk.

December 5, 2016

Announcing NYU Global Fellowships for the 2017-2018 Academic Year


Our colleagues at the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law & Justice at NYU School of Law have asked us to forward the fellowship announcements below. They fall into three broad categories: the Emile Noël Fellowship Program, the Global Fellows Program, and the Visiting Doctoral Researcher Program. Overviews of the three programs are provided below and more details are available below the fold. Questions about the Global Fellows Program should be directed to: law.globalvisitors@nyu.edu. Questions about the Emile Noël Fellowships should be directed to: JeanMonnet@nyu.edu. Questions about the Visiting Doctoral Researcher Program should be directed to: jsdcoordinator@nyu.edu

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Deadline: January 17, 2017

The principal objective of the Emile Noël Fellowship program is scholarship and the advancement of research on the themes prioritized by the Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law & Justice, which include the following overarching areas: European Integration, general issues of International (principally WTO), and Regional Economic Law and Justice and Comparative Constitutional Law. The expectation is that the residency of our Fellows at NYU School of Law will result in at least one paper that will be of sufficient quality to be published as a Jean Monnet Working Paper. During the period of residence, we encourage our Fellows to participate fully in the life of the Law School and of NYU in general, not to mention the endless possibilities that New York City has to offer. The Fellows will be expected to play an active role in the activities of the Center, particularly the Emile Noël Fellows Forum, which is the vehicle through which work is presented and discussed, and encapsulates the idea of the Program – the University as a community of scholars. The Forum takes place on a regular basis throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Deadline: January 17, 2017                  

The Global Fellows Program offers an opportunity for academics, practitioners, government officials and post-doctoral scholars from around the world to spend a semester or academic year in residence at NYU School of Law.  The principal objective of the Global Fellows Program is the production of scholarship through the advancement of research. We have a notable history of hosting distinguished scholars, judges, lawyers and government officials who wish to spend time advancing their scholarship and engaging in the intellectual life of the Law School.  Fellows are welcome to participate in academic activities such as fora, lectures, colloquia, seminars and conferences. They are also invited to various social events, including some organized specifically for Global Fellows and others aimed at the broader community.

Through the Global Fellows Forums, Global Fellows share their research with colleagues, students and faculty and receive comment and feedback.  In this way, they contribute to the intellectual life of the Law School and provide an opportunity for the community to learn about current law research from a global perspective and in a wide range of topics.  The primary goal of the Global Fellows Program is the enhancement of research and it is expected that participation in the Program will result in a substantial publishable piece of scholarship.

In recent years, we have introduced a specialized post-doctoral programming component designed especially for our Post-Doctoral Global Fellows (fellows who have attained their doctoral degrees within the past four years and who have not yet secured a tenure-track academic appointment at an institution), in partnership with the JSD program, to provide opportunities for the exploration of methodological questions in legal research and for participating in workshops where works-in-progress may be presented.

Deadline: February 15, 2017

Visiting Doctoral Researchers are doctoral candidates enrolled in a doctoral degree program at another institution abroad who wish to benefit from spending one year of their research at NYU School of Law. They will be fully integrated into the JSD program as far as is relevant. The JSD program invites approximately five to six Visiting Doctoral Researchers each academic year to contribute to the Visiting Doctoral Researcher position.

The Visiting Doctoral Researchers are actively integrated into the Law School community through various academic and social programs, including an invitation to participate in the JSD Colloquium where they may present their research.

More details below the fold

November 27, 2016

Mental Health Break: Nicolaïdis on the "Chaotic Grace" of New York City

In this age of Trump, we need diversions. Network member Kalypso Nicolaïdis (Oxford) offers us some in her recent post on openDemocracy, entitled "Walking the grid of freedom." This piece provides some (appropriately transatlantic) reflections on the great walking city that is New York, along with some wonderful evocative photographs. Below is a taste, while the remainder can be read here. Enjoy.

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... I now know that avenues are not endless. At least not all of them. Park ends on Union Square, Fifth on Washington Square and Lexington on Gramercy Park. Or that this may not be such a straightforward proposition after all. Do they really end, or simply transform, change their name but not their identity, to live another life, re-gendered on the other side? After all, and after Union Square, University Place is really Broadway and Broadway may as well be Park. Or do they carry their flow underground taking their passengers under the deep blue sea? In Paris, we used to believe that the Boul’ Mich went all the way to the Mediterranean, sous les pavé la plage as they said in 68. Perhaps Park twists and turns all the way there too.

And I now know that buildings are not nameless. That the dazzling twin-towered buildings on Central Park West – the Century, the Majestic, the San Remo, the Beresford, the Eldorado – were all erected during the Great Depression on top of smaller handsome namesakes, old wealth pioneers of the upper grid two or three generations earlier. By the late 1920s, the name of the game had changed, the time had come to worship and appease new material gods. 80 years later, I float mesmerised on Central Park’s Lake below, oblivious to my kids’ antics. I now see it with absolute clarity. Gaudi’s descendants may still be labouring over the Sagrada Familia conceived at the same time back in Barcelona, but these buildings on the Park grew in the blink of an eye, America’s version of the same idea, living structures turned into secular cathedrals for the likes of Bono and Jobs, monstres sacrés whose quarters could be no other than these, boldly magnificent, awe inspiring Notre Dames on the Park.

My New York is grand and vain, like an endearing old lady hiding behind her grandchildren and scores of elegant scaffolding. Venice may be sinking, Istanbul spinning, Beijing rising, Rio dancing, London globalising, Paris greying, but New York who grew beautiful by mistake is aging with chaotic grace. Freed. 

November 9, 2016

Maciej Kisilowski on Central Europe’s Strategy in the Age of Trump

Network member Maciej Kisilowski (CEU) has alerted us to his timely new post on Euractiv.com, entitled Central Europe’s Strategy in the Age of Trump. The first three paragraphs are below and the remainder can be read here.

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The United States has just elected Donald Trump, the candidate who openly questioned the future of NATO and the need to honour America’s commitments to its allies, who publicly complimented leadership skills of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. With Brexit and the rise of right-wing parties ahead of the Austrian, Italian, French, Dutch and German ballots, our Western allies seem poised to venture into the “Trump Age.”

Too many times in Central Europe’s history, our elites, consumed by internal infighting, were surprised by a rapid deterioration of the international environment. We should not repeat that mistake.

While we must continue to defend the historically beneficial transatlantic order, we should also prepare our governmental institutions for the eventuality of that order weakening significantly or even disintegrating completely. [continue reading here]