Call for Members of the ESCLH Website Committee [DEADLINE: 1 SEP 2026]

(source: ESCLH)

European Society for Comparative Legal History 

Call for Members of the ESCLH Website Committee

Deadline: 1 September 2026 

The European Society for Comparative Legal History (ESCLH) is seeking applications for the position of member of the to-be-established ESCLH Website Committee. The ESCLH was founded in 2009 and will soon start to work towards the creation of its fist institutional website.

The website of the ESCLH will be designed by a professional developer. Members of the ESCLH Website Committee will be involved in the brainstorming stage and in selecting/producing the content of the institutional website.

Expectations:

• Applicants must be members of the ESCLH (or must be committed to become members if appointed to the ESCLH Website Committee).
• Prior knowledge on web design is not a requirement.
• The ESCLH Website Committee will hold its first meeting in October 2026. In that meeting, the successful applicants will be invested as members of the committee and they will select a chairperson and determine their work plan and time commitment.
• All meetings of the ESCLH Website Committee will take place on an online platform.
• The position of member of the ESCLH Website Committee is not paid.
• The ESCLH particularly welcomes applications from people with backgrounds which are underrepresented in academia generally, and in the ESCLH particularly. 

Applications, with a brief cover letter and short CV (no more than 400 words), should be sent to Janwillem (Pim) Oosterhuis, janwillem.oosterhuis@maastrichtuniversity.nl (Secretary General of the ESCLH) by 1 September 2026.

JOB: Postdoc positions [ERC Starting Grant PetrIUS: Petrification of Ius Commune through Printed Paratexts] (Poznan: Adam Mickiewicz University, DEADLINE: 31 SEP 2026)

 

[Image source: Piotr Alexandrowicz]

The Centre for Ius Commune at Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznań, Poland) is seeking three Postdoctoral Researchers for the ERC Starting Grant project PetrIUS: Petrification of Ius Commune through Printed Paratexts, led by Piotr Alexandrowicz.

We invite applications from researchers interested in early modern legal history, book history, and digital humanities. The Centre hosts various research projects related to early modern ius commune, including projects on early modern commentaries on the Decretals, law in early modern Venice, early modern scholasticism and law, and the incunabula of the (in)famous Hammer of Witches. We cooperate with numerous scholars and research groups across Europe. To learn more about us, please visit our provisional website: https://rzym.amu.edu.pl/petrius/ 

PetrIUS Summary

Between the 1460s and 1620s, printed editions of canon and civil law texts witnessed the continuous development of marginal paratexts, such as glosses, summaries, cases, and commentaries. These were added to authoritative legal sources because printers sought to improve the quality and attractiveness of new editions. They often employed legal experts who provided new tools, resources, and ideas, which were incorporated into printed books through innovative printing techniques.  As a result, the interaction between improved editions and advances in printing technology fueled the ongoing development of printed legal books. Various questions concerning the origin, transmission, and influence of paratexts are embedded in the interplay between sources and marginalia, manuscripts and print, editors and printers, and books and their readers. PetrIUS adopts an innovative approach by shifting the focus from source texts to marginalia, that is, paratexts. The project examines how print and its evolution helped to petrify, that is, consolidate, landmark achievements of late medieval ius commune by enabling doctrinal developments to be transferred into the marginalia of source editions. The innovations introduced by print affected both legal scholarship and legal communication. PetrIUS explores how legal experts employed new technical tools to transfer the heritage of medieval law into early modern source editions and how these processes influenced patterns of scholarly work and knowledge transfer within academia. To achieve these aims, PetrIUS combines traditional methods of legal history and book history with natural language processing techniques. These methods enable detailed comparisons between printed editions of paratexts and their reception in the scholarly literature. The project will conclude with a legal-theoretical study assessing the significance of paratexts in the early modern period by treating them as a medium of law, that is, as a means of legal communication.

New Calls

All three positions are full-time appointments for 36 months (including a six-month probation period), starting in December 2026 (or slightly later). The application deadline is 30 September 2026. Further details are available via the links below.

Postdoc 2: Legal History

This researcher will work on the work packages Investigation of Paratexts' Origins and Variants and Research on Paratexts Forming Part of the Printed Corpora Iuris. Candidates must hold a PhD in the humanities or social sciences (preferably in legal history), obtained no later than the commencement of employment, and demonstrate a strong interest in the history of law in the late medieval and early modern periods, particularly the history of ius commune and legal books.

More information: https://bip.amu.edu.pl/konkursy-zatrudnienie-w-projektach-badawczych/konkurs_post-doc_2_petrius_centrum-ius-commune 

Postdoc 3: Book History

This researcher will work on the work packages Investigation of Paratexts' Origins andVariants and Research on Paratexts Forming Part of the Printed Corpora Iuris. Candidates must hold a PhD in the humanities or social sciences (preferably in book history), obtained no later than the commencement of employment, and demonstrate a strong interest in the history of books in the late medieval and early modern periods, particularly legal books.

More information: https://bip.amu.edu.pl/konkursy-zatrudnienie-w-projektach-badawczych/konkurs_post-doc_petrius_centrum-ius-commune2 

Postdoc 4: Digital Humanities

This researcher will work on the work package Large-Scale Research on Paratext Variants and Their Use in Scholarly Literature. Candidates must hold a PhD in the humanities, social sciences, information technology, or another relevant discipline (preferably digital humanities), obtained no later than the commencement of employment. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in digital humanities through previous research and publications. Candidates are expected to possess knowledge of research methods and tools necessary for the implementation of the project's tasks, including natural language processing, machine learning (including deep learning), and programming languages. Familiarity with topics related to the project's subject matter, such as legal history, book history, or literary theory, will be considered an advantage.

More information: https://bip.amu.edu.pl/konkursy-zatrudnienie-w-projektach-badawczych/konkurs_post-doc_4_petrius_centrum-ius-commune 

For further information about the calls or the project, please do not hesitate to contact the Principal Investigator, Piotr Alexandrowicz (piotr.alexandrowicz@amu.edu.pl).

JOB: Postdoctoral researcher [ERC Consolidator Grant Insurgent Temporalities: Fascism as a Global Anti-Universalist Project] (Maynooth: National University of Ireland Maynooth, DEADLINE 11 OCT 2026)

 

(image source: jobs ac uk)

Postdoctoral Researcher (Specified Purpose Contract)

Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Maynooth - Department of History

Location:	Maynooth - Ireland
Salary:	€47,273 to €47,880 or £41,117.87 to £41,645.83 (converted salary*) per annum (2 points)
Hours:	Full Time
Contract Type:	Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On:	21st August 2026
Closes:	11th October 2026
Job Ref:	043683

The role

Maynooth University is committed to a strategy in which the primary University goals of excellent research and scholarship and outstanding education are interlinked and equally valued.

We are seeking an excellent scholar to join a project team led by Prof. Raul Cârstocea, who has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant for a project entitled Insurgent Temporalities: Fascism as a Global Anti-Universalist Project (INTEMPO). The postdoctoral researcher will be part of a team undertaking a novel analysis of fascism during the interwar period and the Second World War, understood as a global phenomenon. They will engage in archival research, co-organise the activities of the project and contribute to the publications ensuing from them, and co-lead with the PI one of the work packages of the project, as detailed below. They will have the opportunity to develop their research, both individually and as part of a team of ambitious scholars.

INTEMPO

Insurgent Temporalities: Fascism as a Global Anti-Universalist Project (INTEMPO) is funded by the European Research Council (ERC), as part of the ERC Consolidator Grant 2024 scheme of Horizon Europe, grant number no. 101170033. Led by Prof. Raul Cârstocea (Principal Investigator), the project investigates the global spread of fascism during the interwar period, particularly with a view to the transnational connections established by fascist movements and regimes. INTEMPO hypothesises that, despite their national specificities, fascist movements and regimes around the world recognised their commonalities and drew inspiration from, as well as engaged with, like-minded activists abroad. It argues that, while the significant differences between fascist organisations were a consequence of different national pasts in diverse contexts, fascists shared a common vision of a future ‘New Order’ that allowed them to see themselves as part of a European or, indeed, global fascist moment. This hypothesis will be tested against a number of case studies of fascist movements, within and outside of Europe, through archive-based research into their ideology and practices.

For more information on the project, you can visit the project website: intempo-erc.eu.

For more information on the profile of the Principal Investigator, see: www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/raul-carstocea.

For further details including full comprehensive job description please see reference number 043683

on the Maynooth University vacancies page at: www.maynoothuniversity.ie/human-resources/vacancies

(source: jobs ac uk)

YOUTUBE: Michael DOYLE; "More than Just Peace" (Paris: Collège de France, 21 MAY 2026)

Abstract:

John Rawls’s publication of The Law of Peoples was a profound attempt to design a just peace. Beyond the simple cessation of armed hostilities, the Law of Peoples offered more than (just) peace. It committed its peoples to honor human rights, tolerate other decent political regimes and accept a "duty of assistance" owed by all decent societies to all those in dire need. Importantly, for Rawls, the project he outlined in The Law of Peoples is a constructed peace, one that needs to be established among liberal peoples and then extended to other decent societies. The construction raises the questions of why it is that Rawls thought the peace (1) needed to be constructed and could be constructed in a world otherwise divided by insecurity and strife among states. In doing this, he directly addressed the Realist challenges described by Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan and revived by Thomas Nagel. It also raises the question of (2) why Rawls thought it was necessary to go beyond Perpetual Peace, a Liberal model of international peace constructed by Immanuel Kant (Rawls’s inspiration and answer to the first question), and (3) why Rawls might have thought that the extension beyond the Kantian peace among liberal republics to a wider "just peace" that incorporated a duty of assistance was possible, and indeed "realistic."

More information here. 

BOOK: Julien BROCH (dir.), René Cassin 1914-1948: Les années décisives [Merlin Université] (Paris: Les Editions Mérlin, 2026), € 25

 

(image source: Editions Merlin)

Abstract:

Méconnu dans certaines facettes de son parcours, René Cassin demeure l’une des grandes figures du XXe siècle, juriste de la République et artisan des droits de l’homme. À la croisée du droit, de l’histoire et de la pensée politique, cet ouvrage éclaire les années fondatrices d’un itinéraire intellectuel et moral hors du commun : de la Grande Guerre à la France libre, de la refondation de l’État à l’avènement du droit international moderne. Issu d’un colloque réunissant chercheurs, enseignants et jeunes historiens du droit, ce livre explore un Cassin en mouvement : civiliste et internationaliste, humaniste et résistant ; dont la pensée, forgée dans les épreuves, reste d’une saisissante actualité. À l’heure où les droits de l’Homme vacillent sous la pression des crises, relire Cassin, c’est redécouvrir la force d’un idéal que seule la lucidité rend durable.

 More information here.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM: Annual Meeting of the American Society for Legal History (Banff, 12-14 NOV 2026)

The draft program for the American Society for Legal History’s annual meeting (cf call earlier on this blog) is available here.

BOOK: Rafael RAMIS-BARCELÓ, La nascita della filosofia del diritto. Alle origini del pensiero giuridico moderno (ed. Marco A. QUIROZ VITALE] [Eterotopie, ed. Salvo VACCARO & Pierre DALLA VIGNA] (Sesto San Giovanni: Mimesis Edizioni, 2026), 334 p. ISBN 9791222327037, € 26

 

(image source: Mimesis Edizioni)

Abstract:

Quest'opera si offre al lettore come un affresco denso e minuzioso del pensiero giuridico nell'aurora dell'età moderna: ne indaga le radici più profonde, ma al contempo ne scruta gli orizzonti futuri. Rafael Ramis-Barceló ci guida in questo viaggio intellettuale con mano sicura, attraverso un'analisi rigorosa che attinge al metodo fecondo della storia concettuale. Le conclusioni cui l'autore perviene, tutt'altro che prevedibili, sovvertono consolidate certezze storiografiche: la nascita della nozione di "filosofia del diritto" viene infatti retrodatata di circa due secoli. Una genesi, questa, che non germoglia in isolamento, ma si intreccia inestricabilmente con le dispute sull'insegnamento universitario della giurisprudenza, nelle accademie europee, e con l'anelito mai sopito dei giuristi di volgere il pensiero giuridico verso una sempre più compiuta autonomia dalla teologia e dalla stessa filosofia.

Read more with the publisher.

BOOK REVIEW: James Q. WHITMAN, De l’esprit des lois by Montesquieu, edited by Benjamin Hoffmann [Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 2024] (Comparative Legal History, XIV (2026), nr. 1 (June), pp. 126-130)

(image source: Taylor&Francis)

Charles Louis de Secondat Baron de la Brède et de Montesquieu's De l 'Esprit des Lois created a sensation when it was first published in 1748, for reasons that I will touch on in this review; but contemporary readers are likely to balk at reading it from end to end. Montesquieu packed, so it seems, pretty much everything he knew into De l'Esprit des Lois. He knew a lot; and it can be a struggle to plow through it all, for example when it comes to his lengthy, and out of date, disquisitions on German law. I will not suggest that readers - even the learned readers of Comparative Legal History - should feel ashamed if they lose steam while trying. 

That said, Montesquieu was, in a word, a genius. His thoughts, some of them presented in chapters hardly longer than post-it notes, are always engaging and frequently brilliant, even if now and then they seem comical or even sinister. (More on that anon.) He deserves more credit than he always gets, for example for discovering fundamental principles of proportionality and deterrence that we usually attribute to Bentham. Not least, he brought a kind of intellectual daring to his comparative work that was rare in the mid-eighteenth century, and that remains rare today - so much so that the reaction of this reviewer, after reading this excellent new annotated edition from Gallimard, is to wonder, wistfully, whether we are falling short of the standard he set two and a half centuries ago. 

What modern readers undoubtedly know best are Montesquieu's reflections on the functioning of monarchy, democracy and despotism, which occupy the opening books of the Esprit des Lois and still hold a place on the political theory syllabus. There is much more to Montesquieu's masterpiece than that, though, most of which is neglected or dismissed. This is notably true of one of the claims on which he was most insistent, his theory of the formative effect of different climates on the law. 'Climate determinism', as Ralf Michaels drily writes, 'seems eccentric to comparative lawyers today'. So it does, though Michaels makes an audacious case for a creative return to it. I will not defend climate determinism in its original form (and neither does Michaels). But I will defend the scientific, and moral, attitude that led Montesquieu to it. [...]

To read the full review, please click here. Online access is free for members of the European Society for Comparative Legal History. 

DOI: 10.1080/2049677X.2026.2671608

YOUTUBE: Micoll ERC (Podcast/Conference Videos)

Description:

MICOLL aims at analyzing the development of commercial law between the 11th and 17th centuries, in the geographical area comprising Northern Italy and present-day Germany, through the tools of historical linguistics. The borrowing and transfer of legal terms will be carried out through a comprehensive and systematic survey of medieval and early modern legal sources, in particular commercial letters, contracts and statutes. The analysis of technical-legal words used in commercial transactions will allow to verify the impact of merchants’ migrations on the development of law as well as on social and economic history. The archival research will focus in the first instance on the following archives: Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Archivio di Stato di Genova, Stadtarchiv Nürnberg and Archiv der Hansestadt Lübeck. The project foresees the creation of a "Glossary of Medieval Commercial Law Terms" and of interactive digital maps of the routes that connected Venice with Northern Europe.

Click here to see all videos, includint the recordings  of the International Conference organised by ERC MICOLL.

BOOK: George LETSAS, Status in Law and Morality [Oxford Legal Philosophy, eds. Timothy ENDICOTT, Irit SAMET & Nicolaos STAVROPULOUS] (Oxford: OUP, 2026), 208 p. ISBN 9780198936695, 105 GBP

 

(image source: OUP)

Abstract:

The idea of status has long puzzled philosophers. Some people have higher social status than others, and some have distinct legal statuses, such as being an employee, a tenant, or a refugee. But why should that be the case? Why should some enjoy more esteem than others? And why should law pick out a class of persons, give it a label, and treat it differently? Status in Law and Morality provides a philosophical account of status, arguing that it is a moral, and not just a legal or social, idea. The point of status is to protect the weaker party in social relations - the employee, or the tenant - through social recognition of their role as well as through legal regulation. Tracing the origins of the idea of status in law and in moral philosophy, this book challenges the commonly held view that status is an inherently inegalitarian idea that should have no place in modern law. It instead distinguishes between 'rank' and 'role' based statuses and argues that law ought to boost the self-esteem of those who hold vulnerable social roles. Thought-provoking and pioneering, this book aims to revive the progressive character of status to work towards regulating unequal social relations and protecting vulnerable groups.

Table of contents:

CHAPTER 1:WHY STATUS?
CHAPTER 2:STATUS IN ROMAN LAW: WHERE IT ALL STARTED
CHAPTER 3:STATUS: 'A MORAL FIELD FOR PERSONS TO EXIST IN'
CHAPTER 4:THE MODALITIES OF OFFENCES AGAINST STATUS
CHAPTER 5:THE NATURE OF STATUS RELATIONS
CHAPTER 6:FOUR OBJECTIONS
CHAPTER 7:ROLE OBLIGATIONS REVISITED
CHAPTER 8:TITLES AND THE SOCIAL RECOGNITION OF STATUS

CHAPTER 9:EPILOGUE: FROM CONTRACT TO STATUS-AN INCOMPLETE TRANSITION

On the author:

George Letsas holds the Chair in the Philosophy of Law at University College London (UCL). He is the Co-Director of the UCL Human Rights Institute and Deputy Director of the UCL Quain Centre for Jurisprudence. His main research interests are in legal philosophy and human rights. He has written widely on the interpretation of human rights, theory of European law, philosophy of contract law, and general jurisprudence. He is known for his defence of the evolutive interpretation of human rights, and his critique of the use of consensus by human rights courts as an interpretive method.

Read more with OUP. 

VACANCY: Lecturer in Global Law (Tilburg: Tilburg Law School, JAN 2027) [DEADLINE 29 AUG 2026]

(image source: Wikimedia Commons)

 

Department: Public Law and Governance  

On site: Tilburg

Contract size: 0-8 fte/ 1,0 fte (32 - 40 hours per week)

Full-time gross monthly salary: €3546 – €5538 

Contract duration: 72 months

Intended start date: 1st January 2027

 

Are you passionate about academic teaching and do you want to be part of a ground-breaking education programme? If so, we warmly invite you to become part of the Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG).

 

We are looking for an enthusiastic lecturer who would like to contribute to our international English-taught programmes within PLG, notably the Global Law bachelor. PLG is a dynamic and internationally oriented department that provides teaching in the Dutch-language degree programmes in Law and Public Administration, as well as in the English-taught bachelor programmes in Global Law and Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the master programmes in Public Governance and International and European Law.

 

We offer an inspiring work environment in which collaboration, international exchange, and academic curiosity are at the heart of what we do.

 

Your position

As a lecturer, you may be involved in several degree programmes within the Department of Public Law & Governance (PLG), including the bachelor's programmes in Global Law and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Primarily, however, you will deliver engaging lectures and tutorials, develop and assess assignments and examinations in courses throughout the Global Law programme, particularly in the areas of legal theory, legal history and international law. In addition, you will supervise students in their academic development and contribute to a stimulating learning environment. A broad ability and willingness to teach across a range of courses within the public-law related aspects of Global Law is appreciated.

 

Within PLG, you will work closely with course coordinators and fellow lecturers in a collegial and international environment where teamwork and the exchange of ideas are highly valued. You will have the opportunity to contribute within a team to the further development of the curriculum.

 

You will also have the opportunity to apply your talents and interests more broadly within the department, for example by organising academic and public engagement activities or by contributing to innovative educational initiatives.

 

Your profile

Tilburg University is interested in how you can contribute to our teaching and societal impact, and to the team that you will become part of. We therefore aim to gain as complete a picture as possible of your knowledge, expertise, skills, and personal qualities. Below are the qualifications we consider important for this position.

 

• You hold at least an LL.M. and have some engagement with comparative, transnational or global law during your studies
• You have an interest in and affinity for teaching. Demonstrable experience in teaching in higher education and/or at a university is an advantage.
• You have an excellent command of English (C2 level). The ability to communicate in Dutch is a plus.
• You are versatile, flexible, and able to adapt quickly when circumstances require.
• You work well as part of a team and have a collaborative, collegial approach.

 

To maintain a vibrant and engaged university community, it is important that we meet each other regularly and foster strong connections within our teams. Therefore, our starting point is that all employees carry out their work in the Netherlands and that teaching is delivered in person.

 

Our offer

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 0,8-1,0 fte (32-40 hours per week).
• Salary between €3546 and €5538, - gross per month for full-time employment (UFO-profile docent 4, salary scale 10). Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a temporary position in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 5 CLA DU. You will be given a temporary contract for the duration of 72 months. 
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• Options model for additional leave, pension, a bicycle or personal training.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions).
• 30% rule for international employees (if applicable).
• Pension through ABP.
• Ample training offer: personal development, leadership, education, research or language courses.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

 

For more information, please see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities.

 

Want to know more?

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Prof. Morag Goodwin at m.e.a.goodwin@tilburguniversity.edu.

 

Want to apply?

We kindly invite you to apply before 29th August 2026; this can only be done online. Address your cover letter to Prof. Morag Goodwin and attach your resume. We look forward to your response.

 

The letter selection will take place by 2nd September 2026. You will be notified as soon as possible thereafter. The first selection interviews will take place on 7th September 2026 and the second on 11th September 2026.

 

The selection committee consists of:

1. Prof. dr. Morag Goodwin, Chair of Global Law and Development, Cluster manager
2. Prof. dr. Phillip Paiement, Chair of Law and the Anthropocene, programme director LL.B. Global Law

 

You will ideally start working for Tilburg University on 1st January 2027.

 

This vacancy has been published simultaneously internally and externally. In case of equal suitability, our preference is for an internal candidate.

 

Over Tilburg University 

Tilburg University is dé universiteit voor mens- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Al sinds onze oprichting in 1927 zetten we ons in voor een rechtvaardige, inclusieve en duurzame samenleving. Met toonaangevend onderzoek en inspirerend onderwijs dragen wij bij aan duiding en waar mogelijk aan oplossingen voor actuele maatschappelijke vraagstukken, van klimaatverandering tot digitalisering

Onze gemeenschap is persoonlijk, betrokken en kleinschalig. Op onze groene, compacte en levendige campus is ruimte voor ontmoeting, samenwerking én reflectie en persoonlijke groei. Lees meer over Tilburg University.

Werken bij Tilburg University doe je tegen aantrekkelijke arbeidsvoorwaarden in een inclusief team. Hier krijg je volop kansen voor het versterken van je talenten en het ontwikkelen van een loopbaan. In een warme werksfeer waarin we hechten aan de waarden: curious, connected, caring en courageous.

 

Over Tilburg Law School (TLS)

Tilburg Law School is opgericht in 1963 en is uitgegroeid tot een toonaangevende faculteit voor recht en bestuurskunde. Ons onderwijs en onderzoek hebben een duidelijk innovatief en interdisciplinair karakter. Hierbij worden we gedreven door onze missie om uitdagende maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen zoals nieuwe technologie, duurzaamheid en kwetsbaren in de rechtsstaat daadwerkelijk te beïnvloeden vanuit het perspectief van het recht en de bestuurskunde. We acteren vanuit lokale, regionale, nationale en internationale ontwikkelingen en werken samen met andere disciplines zoals economie, gedrags- en sociale wetenschappen, filosofie, geschiedenis en digital sciences. De faculteit is georganiseerd in vijf departementen: Public Law & Governance, Private, Business and Labour Law, Criminal Law, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology & Society, en Fiscaal Recht.

 

Ons onderwijs

Tilburg Law School verzorgt de juridische bacheloropleidingen Rechtsgeleerdheid, Fiscaal Recht, Ondernemingsrecht en Global Law (Engelstalig). Van de negen juridische masteropleidingen worden er vijf hybride aangeboden en zes programma’s zijn Engelstalig. Ook biedt de faculteit een bachelor- en masteropleiding Bestuurskunde aan. In ons onderwijs hebben we bijzondere aandacht voor het kwetsbare en voor de kwetsbaren in de samenleving. Daarmee willen we bijdragen aan een rechtvaardige en duurzame samenleving. Tilburg Law School loopt voorop in onderwijsinnovatie en vindt inclusief, toegankelijk en flexibel onderwijs belangrijk. We leiden onze studenten op tot gedegen, vaardige en kritische academici, die zich kunnen bewegen in de complexe vraagstukken van de veranderende digitale samenleving.

 

Ons onderzoek

De vijf departementen van Tilburg Law School werken op onderzoeksgebied nauw samen in vier kenmerkende onderzoeksprogramma’s op het gebied van globalisering en recht, regulering van technologie, kwetsbaarheid van individuen in het strafrecht, en duurzame privaatrechtelijke relaties. Binnen de onderzoeksprogramma’s vindt zowel juridisch en bestuurskundig als interdisciplinair onderzoek plaats. Wij zetten in op team science door onderzoekers te stimuleren samen op te trekken, kennis te delen en elkaar te versterken op inhoud en methodes. Lees meer over de Tilburg Law School.

 

Sollicitatiecode
Tilburg University hanteert de NVP-sollicitatiecode van de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Personeelsmanagement & Organisatieontwikkeling.

 

Disclaimer

De tekst in deze vacatureadvertentie is auteursrechtelijk beschermd eigendom van Tilburg University. Gebruik, verspreiding en verdere openbaarmaking van de advertentie zonder uitdrukkelijke toestemming van Tilburg University is niet toegestaan en dat geldt expliciet voor gebruik door werving- en selectiebureaus welke niet rechtstreeks handelen in opdracht van de Tilburg University. Reacties naar aanleiding van werving door niet-opdrachtnemers van Tilburg University worden niet in behandeling genomen.

(source: Successfactors)

BOOK: Derek VAN DER MERWE, Minding Law’s Gaps. Hermann Kantorowicz, Free Law and the Science of Judicial Discretio [Studien zur Rechtstheorie; 2] (Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann, 2026), XXIV + 474 p. ISBN 9783465046752

 

(image source: Klostermann)

Abstract:

Hermann Kantorowicz was a formidable legal scholar in the turbulent first three decades of the 20th century, a leading participant in the ‘renaissance’ of legal philosophy in Germany. He gained an international reputation as a legal historian and legal theorist (and no small notoriety for his contrarian, combative views). He first formulated a ‘free law’ theory in Kampf um die Rechtswissenschaft in 1906, his bold strike against orthodox jurisprudence. Substantially modified over time, the theory sought to explain and to justify when and how judges employ discretion when called upon to fill gaps in the law by a process of legal discovery. This book examines the evolution of Kantorowicz’s free law thought – from contra legem adjudication to the science of method trialism; its philosophical, sociological and historical underpinnings; and why it still retains relevance for modern legal methodology.

On the series:

The first volume in the publication series edited by the Max Planck Institute and published by Vittorio Klostermann appeared in 1971. After over 340 volumes and a change of name to “Studien zur europäischen Rechtsgeschichte” in 2002, this revered series is receiving a companion in 2023: “Studien zur Rechtstheorie”. The new series reflects the research on interdisciplinary legal theory being carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory since 2021, and it will make use of the same proven concept, layout and production quality as the legal historical series. This peer-reviewed series represents an attractive, multilingual forum for excellent monographs and edited volumes from all fields of legal theory.

Read more here. 

CONFERENCE: Alcool et droit: perspectives historiques [Institut d'Histoire du Droit/Faculté de droit de l'Université de Ljubljana] (Poitiers: 26 AUG 2026)

(image source: UNJF)

Program:

8h45 : Accueil des participants

9h00 : Mot d’accueil
Mme Marianne Faure-Abbad, doyenne de la Faculté de droit et des sciences sociales

9h15 : Si acetum pro vino veneat … eadem prope οὐσία est : la distinction entre l’erreur sur la substance et l’erreur sur la qualité dans la casuistique romaine
Vid Žepič, Université de Ljubljana

9h45 : Dispositions relatives aux vignobles, aux vignes et au vin dans les sources médiévales en territoire slovène – quelles histoires nous racontent-elles ?
Marko Kambič, Université de Ljubljana

10h15 : Discussion et pause

10h45 : Les boissons alcoolisées dans le Traité de la Police de Nicolas de La Mare
Elise Frêlon-Martelly, Université de Poitiers

11h15 : Ius montium in vineis en langue juridique slovène pré- et post- XVIe siècle : forgeant les règles générales entre mos iudicorum et lex scripta
Katja Škrubej, Université de Ljubljana

11h45 : Discussion

 

12h00 : Déjeuner

 

14h30 : L’alcool dans les provinces d’Ancien Régime : produit et instrument de spécificités culturelles
Donatien Le Barbier de Blignières, Université de Poitiers

15h00 : Libre Lenart : la caricature du paysan ivre et la réforme agraire dans l'Empire d'Autriche
Svit Komel, Université de Ljubljana

15h30 : Une mauvaise idée : le monopole des alcools indigènes en Indochine
Eric Gojosso, Université de Poitiers

16h00 : Discussion et pause

16h30 : Certains aspects juridiques de la viticulture sur le territoire de l’actuelle Slovénie
Janez Kranjc, Université de Ljubljana

17h00 : Une décision apparemment de salubrité publique : l’interdiction de l’absinthe par la loi du 16 mars 1915
Didier Veillon, Université de Poitiers

17h30 : Discussion

18h00 : Fin du colloque

More information here.

BOOK: Mathias SIEMS, Legal Transplants. An Interdisciplinary Approach (Oxford: Oxford university Press, 2026), 320 p., ISBN 9780198884125, 105 GBP

 

(image source: OUP)

Abstract:

Fifty years after Alan Watson's Legal Transplants: An Approach to Comparative Law, the concept of legal transplants remains central to comparative legal scholarship. Over time, the literature has expanded to explore how laws are drafted, interpreted, and understood across jurisdictions-revealing legal transplants as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. This book offers a nuanced and balanced analysis of the evolution of legal transplants, engaging with both foundational texts and recent developments. It goes beyond traditional legal discourse to incorporate insights from other disciplines, including policy studies, cultural transfer, entangled history, and the diffusion of ideas. By doing so, it broadens the scope of the debate and encourages a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding how legal norms travel and take root. Importantly, the book makes a strong case for the continued relevance and effectiveness of legal transplants in modern lawmaking. While acknowledging valid criticisms, it challenges the notion that such concerns should lead to legal isolationism. Instead, it argues that legal transplants are not only common but often successful-and should remain a key tool for lawmakers seeking to innovate and reform.

Table of contents:

Chapter 1:Introduction
Chapter 2:A Bibliometric Assessment of the Use of the Term 'Legal Transplants'
Chapter 3:An Anatomy of Legal Transplants
Chapter 4:Why Do Legal Transplants Take Place?
Chapter 5:Do Legal Transplants 'Work'?
Chapter 6:Is it Desirable to Use Legal Transplants?
Chapter 7:How Should the Design of Transplants be Pursued?
Chapter 8:Conclusion

 On the author:

Mathias Siems is Professor of Private Law and Market Regulation at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. He previously taught at Durham University, the University of East Anglia, the University of Edinburgh and the Riga Graduate School of Law. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard Law School and a Jean Monnet Fellow at the EUI. He is a graduate of the universities of Munich, London, and Edinburgh.

 Read more with OUP.

SUMMER BREAK (17 JUL-15 AUG 2026)

 (François Boucher, Renaud et Armide (Louvre); source: Wikimedia Commons)

The ESCLH Blog wil interrupt its publications from 17 July to 15 August. We hope our readers find the occasion to relax outside with a book in the Summer Sun. 

ARTICLE: Kathleen CLAUSSEN, Timothy MEYER, "The Foreign Commerce Power" (California Law Review CXIV (2026), April)

 

(image: The White House (South Façade); source: Wikimedia Commons)

Abstract:

This Article is the first to scrutinize presidential trade authority under the Constitution. The Constitution grants the President no independent power to regulate foreign commerce. That conclusion, while apparent from a straightforward reading of Articles I and II, stands in stark contrast to executive conduct of U.S. trade policy in recent years. This Article traces the roots of this constitutional distortion to a confluence of doctrinal drift and academic oversight. Courts and commentators have increasingly relied on an expansive conception of executive power grounded in a perceived general foreign affairs authority. In doing so, they have blurred the line between diplomacy and commerce and used this confluence to justify unilateral economic actions by a “trader in chief” that circumvent the Constitution’s allocation of power. These matters have reached a tipping point over the last decade, prompting a series of high-profile cases in which the government has argued that this general foreign affairs power includes some portion of the foreign commerce power. To correct this misapprehension, this Article undertakes a novel examination of Founding-era materials, including the distribution of commercial authority between the king and parliament in eighteenth-century Britain, the correspondence and deliberations of the Framers, and the Founding Generation’s implementation of the commerce power in matters of national security during the early years of the Republic. These sources reveal a consistent and deliberate understanding both that Congress’s control over foreign commerce is exclusive and that Congress’s control over commerce trumps the President’s general foreign affairs powers when the two intersect. This Article further argues that this allocation was not accidental or ancillary but central to the constitutional design.

Read the article in open access here. 

(source: Legal History Blog)

BOOK: Quentin LOHOU, Marc BONINCHI, Katia BARRAGAN & Stève DESGRÉ (dir.), Quelles histoires du droit social ? [Histoire, ed. Noëlline CASTAGNEZ, Frédéric CHAUVAUD, Philippe HAMON, Florian MAZEL & Francis PROST] (Rennes: Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2026), 324 p. ISBN 9791041304660, €25

 

(image source: Presses universitaires de Rennes)

Abstract:

La condition ouvrière, les formes de solidarités à travers le syndicalisme et le mutualisme, la période de l’entre deux-guerres et le régime de l’État français entre 1940 et 1944, les territoires anciennement colonisés par la France, tels sont les thèmes traités ici et constitutifs du droit social et de son histoire. La diversité des contributions témoigne des multiples façons dont le droit et ses acteurs peuvent être appréhendés, tout particulièrement en matière de relations du travail et de protection sociale. Avec des approches différentes, des formes et supports variés, juristes, historiens et sociologues explorent des thématiques qui ont constamment retenu l’attention de Jean-Pierre Le Crom, historien du droit, directeur de recherche émérite au Centre national de la recherche scientifique et membre du laboratoire Droit et changement social de Nantes Université (Unité mixte de recherche CNRS 6297). Publié avec le soutien de Nantes Université

Indicative table of contents:

L'Entre-deux-guerres et le régime de Vichy Le droit des colonies L'histoire du droit social La condition ouvrière Le syndicalisme et le mutualisme 

See publisher's website for Table of Contents and free excerpt.

CLH ARTICLE: Ann MUMFORD, Re-enacting the judicial philosophy of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.: Saunders v Vautier and Claflin v Claflin compared (Comparative Legal History, XIV (2026), nr. 1, pp. 97-125) [OPEN ACCESS]

(Image source: Taylor&Francis)

 

Abstract: 

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. sat on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in 1889, when, in the case of Claflin v Claflin, he joined the decision that a trust may not be modified if the intention of the testator would be undermined. Claflin rejected Lord Cottenham’s reasoning in Saunders v Vautier that, under certain circumstances, beneficiaries may compel the termination of the trust and transfer the property to them. Claflin v Claflin and Saunders v Vautier are perhaps the two most famous cases in Anglo-American Equity. Through a detailed examination of manuscripts, this article offers a comparative expansion of the US and English histories, and particularly considers the role played by Holmes. Re-enactment theory offers the possibility of creating, or reliving, the intellectual process that led to Claflin, thus revealing a significant moment in the history of US federalism.

To read the article, please click here. The article is available in open access; the full issue is freely accessible online to members of the European Society for Comparative Legal History.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2049677X.2026.2671607