Around the world, the idea of democracy is in transition. Democratic ideals face significant pressure from external forces; at the same time, across public and private spheres alike, advocates are developing new ways to democratize policymaking and the operation of private entities.

The Democracy Works-in-Progress Conference, hosted at the Michigan State University College of Law, will convene law scholars from a variety of disciplines to share their scholarship on democracy. We define “democracy” broadly. It not only includes those writing in spaces that might be classically defined as the “law of democracy,” like constitutional, election, international, and local government law but also includes those researching and working in spaces that generally deal with popular engagement and input—including business and corporate law (e.g., shareholder democracy); criminal law (e.g., carceral democracy and prosecutorial elections); environmental law (e.g., environmental justice); and beyond.

The College of Law is hosting this conference as part of the programming put on by the 1855 Professor of the Law of Democracy, Quinn Yeargain. It will be taking place in person at Michigan State University from April 10-11, 2025. No virtual participation option will be available. While the program is still in formation, we anticipate that the conference will convene on April 10 at approximately 12:00 PM and will conclude on April 11 at approximately 5:00 PM.

 

Eligibility

This conference is open to new and established law faculty alike. It is meant to allow all scholars, regardless of seniority within the academy, to present ideas, receive feedback, and comment on others’ works on an equal playing field. We welcome participation from tenured and tenure-stream faculty, VAPs, and fellows.

Please submit your abstract using this form and we will be in touch as soon as possible as to whether you have been selected to present. Please limit abstracts to approximately 500 words or 1 page. The deadline to submit an abstract is December 31, 2024, but earlier submissions will be selected on a rolling basis.

 

Expectations

Workshop and conference expectations can vary significantly. At this Conference, we invite the presentation of true works-in-progress, which include a concept note or a fully written draft, and anything in between—but not works that have been accepted for publication. Depending on how many panels are scheduled, we imagine that participants will have 20–30 minutes for their paper, which they can divide up into presentation and lightly moderated Q&A as they see fit. Papers will be due on March 31, 2025, and will be circulated shortly thereafter. 

 

Accommodations

Conference attendees will be responsible for their own travel and lodging, although there may be support for participants who demonstrate financial need. We have arranged for a block of hotel rooms to be set aside with a discount rate at the conference location—and more information will be provided about that soon. Lunch and dinner will be provided on April 10, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided on April 11.

Please submit your abstract and information via the form on the website at the"Original Call for Papers" button above.