The Program Committee of the American Society for Legal History invites proposals for the 2026 meeting to be held November 12-14 in Banff, Canada. Panels on any facet or period of legal history from anywhere in the world are welcome. We encourage thematic proposals that transcend traditional periodization and geography. The online portal is now open for submissions. The deadline for Pre-Conference Symposia proposals is Friday, February 27, 2026. The deadline for all other submissions is Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
You can read the complete Call for Papers here.
Banff! We are looking forward to welcoming the American Society for Legal History to Banff, Alberta for the Society’s first venture to western Canada. We will be meeting at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a stunning venue that combines the amenities of a conference hotel with those of a small university oriented around the arts. The Centre is a short walk from Banff’s Main Street up a mountain known prosaically as Tunnel Mountain or, to the Stoney people, Sleeping Buffalo. It is now in the process of being renamed Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain on the initiative of fifteen First Nations. (The reference to a tunnel came from a bad idea the Canadian Pacific Railway had in the 1880s but abandoned.) The Centre began as a drama school over ninety years ago and soon became a centre for fine arts. Its facilities and institutional capacities have grown since then, so that it is now a site for conferences as well as creativity of all kinds. It has been affiliated with the University of Calgary since 1966. It was the International Media Centre for the G7 Summit in June 2025. It has deer and a resident fox.
Since the main question everyone wants answered is how you would get there, this is the answer. Banff is about an hour and a half by car from Calgary International Airport (YYC). If you don’t want to rent a car at the airport, you can take an airport shuttle to the Banff Centre. They run every hour or two all day, and of course they will also return you to the airport.
Questions that may be asked, although not necessarily frequently:
Q: Will I want winter clothes and boots in Banff in November? A: Probably something like that.
Q: Are we close to that famous hotel, the Banff Springs? A: Yes, it’s about a half-hour walk from the Centre, or you can take a local bus. It should be seen.
Q: Is there an art gallery or museum? A: There are a couple of them.
Q: What about local archives? A: Yes, that too.
Q: Waterfalls and/or hiking trails? A: Yes.
Q: Shops and restaurants? A: In abundance.
Q: Hot springs? A gondola? A: Yes, yes.
Q: Fondue? A: Yes of course.
Q: Vegetarian/vegan food? A: Yes, although it is rather meat-forward.
Q: Is it far to Lake Louise? A: Another 45 minutes west.
Q: Should I bring my skis? A: Quite possibly: the local mountains opened in early November.
Q: Are there hotels in Calgary near the airport, in case I want to be back for an early morning flight? A: Yes, lots, and they will mostly be empty.
We look forward to welcoming you.