The course
The Max-Planck Summer Academy for Legal History provides a selected group of highly motivated early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates, an in-depth introduction to methods and principles of research in legal history.
The academy consists of two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the study of sources, methodological principles, as well as theoretical models and controversial research debates on basic research fields of legal history.
In the second part the participants discuss the special research theme and develop their own approach to the theme.
The course will take place at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History
in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Special theme 2017: Conflict Regulation
Conflict is not just a constant challenge for the law, but also a key means of access to its history. Each society develops its own set of means of conflict regulation. The diversity ranges from different forms of dispute resolution and mediation to traditional juridical procedures at local and global level. The way conflicts are regulated reveals the normative options chosen by the parties involved in the conflict. Thus, conflicts and their regulation can provide an insight into local contingencies, traditions, as well as the pragmatic contexts and leading authorities of the law, the living law. Research projects to be presented at the Summer Academy should concentrate on historical mechanisms of conflict regulation and offer a critical reflection about the methods used for analyzing the conflicts and the way they are dealt with.

Eligibility Requirements
• Early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates
• Working knowledge of English is required, German is not a prerequisite

Application
Required documents for the application are a CV, a project summary (approx. 10 pages) and a letter of motivation.

Fees
There is no participation fee. Accommodation will be provided by the organizers. Participants, however, will be responsible for covering their travel expenses.
There will be a limited number of scholarships available.

For further information please visit the Max Planck Summer Academy’s website: http://www.rg.mpg.de/summeracademy

Contact
Max Planck Institute for European Legal History
Dr. Stefanie Rüther
summeracademy@rg.mpg.de