Call for Papers

Each February, the Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism holds its annual Hugh and Hazel Darling Foundation Originalism Works-in-Progress Conference. The conference includes approximately six unpublished papers on originalism, each with separate commentators, followed by questions from the other conference participants. The date of the next conference is listed on the Originalism Center Events Page here.

We invite you to submit a work-in-progress for the conference. A work-in-progress is a draft paper in article or book chapter form that is not yet published as of the conference date. An originalism paper is defined broadly to be any paper that argues for or against originalism as a matter of theory or applies originalism to some aspect of the Constitution.

Submissions should take the form of a one- to three-page abstract (and, if you like, an initial draft). The center director and members will select an appropriate range of papers to be presented at the conference. Submissions should be sent by the end of the August preceding the February conference in which you would like to participate. Authors of the selected papers are asked to have the paper ready for circulation to conference participants in late January.

In addition to paper authors and commentators, we invite all scholars who do work on originalism to attend and participate in the conference by reading the papers and joining in the discussion.

Submissions and other inquiries should be sent to mrappaport@gmail.com.