Legal Histories of Empire

Presenters have been sent the final program. For everyone else who may be coming, we are now posting it. The final Abstract Book is also available.

Please do remember to bring these with you on your devices as we will not be providing hard copies.

For those registered for online the program with zoom links will be sent to you around 48 hours before the conference. Please do check for it (and check your spam incase!) and do not panic if it does not turn up until then.

see you next week either in person or online!

The American Society for Legal History has recently established $2000 research fellowships for early career scholars, publishing in English, whose research concerns non-US topics. The application deadline is June 30, 2025. More information is available here.

A packet to familiarize you with Toronto is now posted on the Toronto 2025 / General Information page. It is also here.

We have a version 2 (and, in terms of panels, final version) of the program. Hopefully we have accommodated everyone’s requests.

We are still looking for Chairs for panel sessions. If you are participating in person please consider volunteering: we are a community and rely on presenters to help. If no chair is noted on the program that panel is still seeking one. Email and let me know if you can help and which panel.

There will be a final version of the program closer to the conference. That will include everything you need to know for the conference, including info on location, plenaries, events, room numbers etc. Again, a reminder to bring this on your device as we will not have hard copy programs. For those attending online you will receive a copy of the program with zoom links around 48 hours before the conference.

See you all soon!

There have been difficulties (mostly mine) with links. Please go to our Registration page to register.

We are now closing in on the time when we need to start finalizing our numbers for the Legal Histories of Empire conference in Toronto. Registration is scheduled to close June 1. Please make sure you are registered as soon as possible. If your attendance plans have changed, please let us know.

The draft program and information about the JCPC workshop are here.

The registration site is here.

Through this site, you can register both for the conference and for the JCPC workshop on July 9. You should be able to edit your registration to add (or subtract) the workshop if you wish, or make other changes to your registration. (I just tried it.) As well, refunds are available that way.

As noted earlier, accommodation information is posted on the main page of the website.

We are planning to have an informal drop-in event on the Wednesday evening, so people can gather if they wish to. On the Thursday evening, there will be a more formal, community-oriented event at St Michael’s College. On the Friday evening, after the plenary, we will gather for informal drinks and appetizers at a venue near the university.

Dear Conference Presenters

We expect to finalise the program in the next week. If you have any final issues with the program, or now find you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible. Once the program is finalised no further changes will be possible. For those few who have notified us, we are on it! Also a gentle reminder that if you are presenting you do need to register for the conference.

See you in Toronto!

Information about the July 9 workshop is now posted on the Program page.

We have an update on Massey College and have now secured two other accommodation options.

Massey College – Updated

As indicated in our March 2 posting, Massey College offers dorm-style accommodation at a lower rate than Chestnut Residence, and much lower than traditional hotels in the downtown core. Massey College is a ten-minute walk from St Michael’s College, across the north edge of Queen’s Park, the grounds of the Ontario legislature.

Rooms include single beds and shared washrooms (not en suite). These rooms do not have air conditioning. The conference rate for a single room is $128.25 plus taxes.

They say: “Our summer residence features comfortable single and double rooms, daily breakfast, and access to common areas like the dining hall, common room, and laundry facilities—all designed to support your scholarly pursuits. With no more than two flights of stairs and excellent transit access (5 minutes to Museum and St. George subway stations), convenience meets affordability.”

The conference registration code is LHECONFERENCE2025, and it is valid for any booking with a stay between Friday, July 4, to Sunday, July 20. This is the registration link: https://www.masseycollege.ca/summer-residence-programme/.

Whitney Hall in University College

We are delighted to share that we can also offer an even more affordable accommodation option on the St. George campus at the University of Toronto. In addition to rooms at Chestnut House (en suite, air conditioning, breakfast included) and Massey College (shared facilities, air conditioning only in common spaces, breakfast included), LHE participants may also consider booking a room at Whitney Hall, one of the student residences belonging to the University of Toronto’s University College.

Whitney Hall is about 10 minutes’ walk from St. Michael’s College. Basic, single, dormitory-style rooms with shared, all-gender washrooms can be reserved for $50 CAD per night, taxes included. Participants should note that there is no air conditioning at Whitney Hall, and the weather in July tends to hover around 24 C (c. 75 F) during the daytime, frequently with high humidity. Whitney Hall is a lovely, historic building, however, and its rates are unbeatable for accommodation on campus or in the downtown core. For those who wish, there is a full catering option at Whitney Hall of $100 CAD per night, which includes three meals per day. Please note, however, that LHE will provide participants with snacks and some lunches, and Toronto has a terrific food scene.

Those wishing to book a room at Whitney Hall should e-mail the college directly at: uc.summerres@utoronto.ca. Quote our group booking code: UCWhitney25. 

When you e-mail the college, please identify yourself as part of the Legal Histories of Empire group, with Catherine Evans as the main University of Toronto conference contact. Payment will be due on your arrival in Toronto in July.

Please note that availability over the summer months will be limited, and LHE participants should book as soon as possible and no later than 1 June 2025. Dates covered by the conference booking code are 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 July 2025.

Information about Whitney Hall is here: https://www.uc.utoronto.ca/students-current-students-residence-room-types-and-amenities. Here is a virtual tour of University College’s residences at Whitney Hall: https://youtu.be/1SKELtRqFJo?si=70ygoB-gHwRqofso

Chelsea Hotel

For those who would prefer a more traditional hotel, we are pleased to be able to offer a special rate at the Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto. The hotel is an 18-minute walk from St. Michael’s College, just a few blocks north of Chestnut Residence. Standard rooms with a queen-sized bed or two double beds are available for $269 CAD per night + tax. Our special rate applies from 8 July to 13 July 2025. As with our other conference accommodation options, participants are urged to book soon to avoid disappointment.

Those wishing to book at the Chelsea should use the link below:

https://reservation.brilliantbylangham.com/?adult=2&arrive=2025-07-07&chain=10316&child=0&config=brilliant&currency=CAD&depart=2025-07-12&group=UNI070725&hotel=59052&level=hotel&locale=en-US&productcurrency=CAD&rooms=1&theme=brilliant

The draft program is out! It hopefully will remain much the same but, as with every conference, there may be some changes or even a version 2, before July. We are very excited by the range and quality of the 150+ papers and are looking forward to welcoming you to Toronto – in person or virtually!

Some general matters to note:

1. We have worked very hard to put together papers which are in conversation. If on one or two occasions this has not worked out it is likely because of accommodating time zones;
2. If there is a significant issue with your placing on the program please let us know. But – please note that it is a complex program given time zones so not every request can be accommodated;
3. Chairs! We always rely on participants to step up and chair panels for us. Our conference is very much built on community and this practice reflects that. Please let us know if you wish to chair and if you wish to chair a particular panel do indicate this. Its first in for chairing specific panels if more than one person is interested.
4. In the not too distant future we will also put up an abstract book. If you wish to make a minor change to your title or abstract let us know. Please minor changes only; if the topic is significantly different from that accepted it causes real difficulties in terms of programming;
5. Further information, including on times for presentations etc is on page 1 of the program;
6. Any later major changes to the program will of course first be discussed with anyone potentially affected.