COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH NETWORKS (CRNs):

Twenty-three Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs) have been formed under the auspices of the Law and Society Association to facilitate ongoing dialogue and research collaboration, often with an international dimension. The Association seeks to support the existing CRNs and encourages the formation of additional CRNs for research areas not currently addressed. CRNs are open to all interested scholars. Information about joining and procedures for establishing new CRNs is available the on this website or by directly contacting the CRN coordinator, David Engel. Session Proposals from existing CRNs or new CRNs are most welcome. CRN Principals are encouraged to organize and submit a series of panels formed from papers written by members of their CRN. The CRN panel organizer should follow the instructions for submitting session proposals. CRN sponsored panels should include reference to the CRN name and number in the Session Title so that it will be noted in the Program. CRN chairs should follow the guidelines established for submitting session proposals and make a reference to the CRN in the session title.

WORKING GROUPS (WGs):

The Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL) currently sponsors Working Groups (WGs) that deal with specific research topics or areas within the sociology of law and socio-legal studies. These groups bring together scholars who wish to pursue comparative research transnationally to create networks of scientific research, intellectual debate and professional exchange. The WGs enjoy a great autonomy in the organization of their activities and are represented on the RCSL Board by their chairs. WG chairs are encouraged to propose panels consisting of research papers produced by their members and/or by other researchers who are not members of that WG but interested in the same topic. The WG chairs should follow the guidelines established for submitting session proposals and make a reference to the WG in the session title in order to indicate they are part of the RCSL.

PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL SOCIO-LEGAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION, 2005-2007 (IRCs):

In 2005, LSA initiated a new two-year program to foster sustained international collaboration among socio-legal scholars, to stimulate new approaches to the comparative study of socio-legal topics, and to support mapping and analysis of international and transnational legal phenomena. The LSA Program for International Research Collaboration (PIRC) was established as part of the planning for the July 2007 Joint International Meeting of LSA, the Research Committee on the Sociology of Law (RCSL), and national associations from Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom (Berlin 2007). The PIRC Committee is chaired by Sally Merry (New York University) and includes David Engel (University at Buffalo, SUNY) and Terrence Halliday (American Bar Foundation).

From 2005 to 2007, the LSA PIRC Committee supported International Research Collaboratives that brought together scholars from several countries doing research on a common topic. Twenty International Research Collaboratives (IRCs) were selected in spring 2006 after a competition, and the Law and Society Association provided some funds to half of these groups to bring scholars from less affluent countries to the Baltimore and Berlin meetings. IRCs include scholars from three or more countries who share common research areas. They presented panels and roundtables at the Baltimore meeting in July 2006 and will organize panels or events to present their research findings at the Berlin meeting. IRCs are expected to publish their papers together in an edited volume or journal symposium. The Program Committee also offered IRCs the opportunity to apply to a limited number of plenary slots at the Berlin meetings and will designate IRC panels as such in the conference program. The PIRC Committee has also submitted a grant application seeking more funding for these groups. The Association has invested in the formation and support of these collaboratives in order to develop the field of sociolegal studies and to increase its international scope and participation.