Each year the American Society for Legal History, an organization very close to my heart, names two younger scholars Preyer Scholars. Those scholars then present their papers at the ASLH -- which this year is meeting in Atlanta from November 10-13. Cribbing now a little from the ASLH's website:
Named after the late Kathryn T. Preyer, a distinguished historian of the law of early America known for her generosity to young legal historians, the program of Kathryn T. Preyer Scholars is designed to help legal historians at the beginning of their careers. At the annual meeting of the Society two younger legal historians designated Kathryn T. Preyer Scholars will present what would normally be their first papers to the Society. (Whether there is a Kathryn T. Preyer Memorial Panel at the meeting, as there was this year, or whether the Preyer Scholars present their papers as part of other panel depends on the subject-matter of the winning papers and on what is on the rest of the program.) The generosity of Professor Preyer's friends and family has enabled the Society to offer a small honorarium to the Preyer Scholars and to reimburse, in some measure or entirely, their costs of attending the meeting. The competition for Preyer Scholars is organized by the Society's Kathryn T. Preyer Memorial Committee.
So this leads me to post the call for papers for the Preyer Prize Panel on American Legal History
Submissions are welcome on any legal, institutional and/or constitutional aspect of American history and the history of the Atlantic World. Early career scholars, including those pursuing graduate or law degrees, those who have completed their terminal degree within the previous year, and those independent scholars at a comparable state, are eligible to apply. Papers already submitted to the ASLH Program Committee--whether or not accepted for an existing panel--and papers never previously submitted are equally eligible.
Submissions should include a curriculum vitae of the author, contact information, and a complete draft of the paper to be presented. The draft may be longer than could be presented in the time available at the meeting (twenty minutes) and should contain supporting documentation, but one of the criteria for selection will be the suitability of the paper for reduction to a twenty-minute oral presentation. The deadline for submission is June 15, 2011. The Preyer Scholars will be named by August 1.
Kathryn T. Preyer Scholars will receive a $250 cash award and reimbursement of expenses up to $750 for travel, hotels, and meals. Each will present the paper that s/he submitted to the competition at the Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, GA, on November 10-13, 2011.
Please send electronic submissions to the chair of the Preyer Committee, Christine Desan, desan@law.harvard.edu, cc'd to cigoe@law.harvard.edu
Make sure you get your submissions in by June 15!
And as long as I am posting about the Preyer panel I would like to mention two things. First, because Kitty passed away in 2005 the newest generation of legal historians did not have the chance to see her meticulous scholarship or her generosity firsthand. Those of us of a somewhat older vintage will remember forever Kitty's generosity -- she always began conversations by asking about our work and often that was the beginning to a very long and fruitful discussion. She made ASLH a very friendlyplace for the youngens -- and always took time to introduce us to the more senior folk. Then followed the close reading and exceptionally helpful written comments. She was a lovely, enthusiastic, energetic scholar and person. Whenever conversation turns to her, there are warm stories to be told.
Second, in August 2009 Cambridge University Press published some of her collected works, Blackstone in America, which was edited by Mary S. Bilder, Maeva Marcus, and R. Kent Newmeyer.
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