Proposals are welcomed for the spring conference of the International Law Association British Branch. Hosting the May 23 and 24 conference will be the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London – the law school where my erstwhile California colleague, David D. Caron, has served as Dean for the last year.

Regarding the theme for this year’s conference, “Foundations & Futures of International Law,” organizers write:

‘The time is ripe both to revisit the foundations of international law and to imagine its possible futures. Once the preserve of a small community of specialised academics and practitioners, international law increasingly plays an important role in cases decided by national courts; it is at the centre of renewed interest by political and legal theorists; and in many countries (Britain among them) it even shapes public argument on foreign policy, national security and the resort to armed force. Amidst these developments one finds different methodological approaches seeking to explain the role of international law, as well as different instrumental camps using international law to advocate particular priorities.’

The call for papers welcomes one-page proposals that apply this foundations/futures inquiry to a range of topics, such as:

► Relationship among international, regional and domestic legal orders
► Identification and development of customary international law
► Regulation of armed conflict
► Combating climate change
► Preventing human trafficking
► Managing financial risk
► Encouraging businesses to respect human rights
► Promoting socially responsible investment.

Deadline for submission of proposals is January 30, 2014. Details here.

(Cross-posted from Diane Marie Amann)