13 TH Ctt ORNELL L AW S CHOOL
Inter-University
Graduate Conference
April 13-14, 2017 (Thursday-Friday)
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Fragmentation of International Law - A World in Conflict.
From the mid-20th Century until the beginning of the 21st, international law
and cooperation seemed to have forged the fulcrum for human development,
peaceful coexistence and celebration of the finest values that defined the essence
of human society – the interconnectedness of humanity. However, recent events
around the globe appear to suggest that despite the tremendous advancements
made, greater difficulties may undo the progress made. The growth of
populist movements threatens globalization, while the continued rise of
transnational corporations seeks to colonize it. New conflicts have challenged the
certainty of national boundaries, while the large scale long-term refugee crises
have challenged the concepts of citizenship and refugee law. States have shown
significant opposition to the reach of some international law branches (human
rights, criminal law, environmental law), and conversely, significant support, both
corporate and state, has grown for private international law, challenging the
established norms of conflicts of laws and providing fertile ground for growth of
new “common” norms international arbitration and commercial law. All the
while, inequality grows, despite the enormous body of laws for its reduction.
Quo Vadis – where do we go from here? Does international law still have a role in
shaping an inclusive humanity or should we rather erect new walls of separation – be it
economic, social or legal ramparts?
The 13th Cornell Annual Inter–University Graduate Conference continues the
tapestry of interrogation of these concerns. Thus, we invite you this year to join
us in further examining some of these overarching legal debates and concerns of our
time, including:
i.
Conflict driven norms;
ii.
Expansion versus fragmentation of international law;
iii.
Transnational versus international law;
iv.
Economic and political crises and the efficacy of the human rights regime;
v.
The contest of identities and legal pluralism:
vi.
Migration and citizenship in a globalized world;
vii.
New contract laws versus the receding boundaries of international law;
viii.
Privacy, self-autonomy and the internet or digital space;
ix.
Norm making authority and powers- legitimacy of international tribunals and
the limits of sovereignty;
x.
Regionalism, arbitration and other adjudicative structures and the
‘normativization’ of international law principles.
“Things fall apart; the Centre cannot hold; …
The best lack all conviction While the worst are full of passionate intensity
Surely some revelation is at hand…”
~W. B. Yeats
Please send a 250-500 word abstract
description of the paper you would like to
present. Submissions should be sent to the
following email address: [email protected]
Submissions must be received by
February 20, 2017. March 3, 2017 will
be the date for of approved
topics/submissions. Final papers are due
no later than April 3, 2017 and would be
circulated to all presenters via Dropbox.
While topics should be related to the
themes herein, papers in all areas of law
may be submitted. Selections will be
based both on the quality of the proposal
and its capacity to dialogue with other
proposed presentations.
While we are unable to provide financial
assistance for conferees, we may be able
to provide accommodation for a limited
number of presenters who request it.
Cornell Law School is a major research
center and leader in legal education,
encouraging collaboration and achievement in international and
multidisciplinary studies. Conference
papers may be published electronically
through Cornell Law School’s digital
repository, Scholarship@Cornell Law. A
service of the Cornell Law Library,
Scholarship@ Cornell Law provides open,
global access to the scholarship of Cornell
Law School faculty, students, and visiting
scholars. Visit: http://
scholarship.law.cornell.edu
We look forward to your submissions and
participation in the conference.
The Graduate Conference Organizing
Committee
Cornell University Law School
Graduate Legal Studies Program
Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu