The program for the 51st annual meeting of the ASLH is available here.

The 51st annual conference will be held at the InterContinental Hotel, just steps away from the historic French Quarter and the riverfront.

COVID-19 data and policies:

The fast-changing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with the delta variant, present unusual challenges. The Society has gone to great effort to mitigate the risk of attending the conference during the pandemic and places the highest priority on maximizing the safety of conference attendees.

In August, the ASLH Board approved a policy that all attendees at pre-conference and conference events will be required to provide proof of vaccination. In addition, the Society pledges to follow CDC guidelines and New Orleans mandates on social distancing and masking at the conference.

The City of New Orleans has a mandate in place (effective as of August 16, 2021) requiring individuals to show proof of vaccination or the results of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours for entry for most indoor events, including indoor dining and bars, indoor gyms and fitness, indoor entertainment, and large outdoor events. All individuals are required to wear a mask indoors when not eating or drinking. New Orleans policies are detailed here.

The InterContinental New Orleans reports that 95% of the employees are vaccinated or required to present a negative test result within 72 hours of their work shift and that 100% of employees working in food and beverage positions are fully vaccinated. The ASLH has requested that only vaccinated staff interact with our conference attendees, and the hotel has indicated that it will seek to comply with our request. All hotel staff will be required to wear masks.

Tulane University (where the plenary lecture will be held) currently has a masking requirement in place for all events on campus. Tulane also requires vaccinations for faculty and staff.

Further information:

The Society has prepared additional information and FAQs below. President Lauren Benton will work with the other ASLH officers and our ad hoc committee to seek to monitor the situation, to pass along changes in mitigation measures, and to update you about the evolving nature of risks that will remain despite our best mitigation efforts. It remains possible, of course, that we will have to cancel this year’s meeting. We very much hope that doesn’t happen.

President Lauren Benton invites you to email her directly if you have specific questions that aren’t answered below or wish to pass along any suggestions.

Proof of vaccination
Registrants will be asked to provide proof of vaccination, either through an online QR code that will be provided, or when picking up registration materials. Because many colleges and universities are allowing exemptions for medical or religious reasons, the Society will allow attendees who do not show proof of vaccination status to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before their arrival at the conference. Any participant with such a test but without proof of vaccination will need to wear a mask at all times.

Masking
To help minimize transmission risk, and in conformance with CDC guidelines and New Orleans mandates, attendees will be required to wear masks at all indoor ASLH events.

Orleans Parish Covid-19 data
Recent weeks have brought a drop in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in Orleans Parish, while vaccination rates of the eligible population have risen. The CDC has lowered the community transmission risk in Orleans Parish from “high” to “substantial.” (the data, including seven-day trends, are here).

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will I be able to cancel conference and travel reservations and receive refunds?
The latest date by which ASLH meeting registrations may be canceled with full refunds issued is October 14, 2021. Rooms at the InterContinental New Orleans can be booked at the conference rate until Thursday, October 12, 2021, and reservations may be cancelled without charge up to 72 hours prior to date of arrival (see important details about timing on the hotel website). Please check with your air carrier about their cancellation and change policies. Most airlines have adopted flexible change policies during the pandemic. The ASLH does not endorse any travel insurance policies but you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance that covers COVID-related issues.

Why doesn’t the ASLH just hold another online conference?
Many members, especially early career scholars, benefit significantly from the opportunity to meet and present their work, and the benefit to members is the main motivation for holding an in-person meeting. There are also financial implications of canceling our in-person meeting. If we were to cancel without certain conditions being met, we would be required to pay very significant penalties to the hotel under our contract. The Society is able to invoke the force majeure clause of our contract to avoid this penalty only under specific conditions. Paying penalties for canceling without force majeure would shift resources away from some of the Society’s valuable programs, publications, fellowships, and professional development opportunities.

Why can’t I just present remotely?
While this might seem easy in theory, the technological logistics of pulling this off are complex and costly. Rooms would have to be equipped with screens, complex a/v packages, and hard-wired internet, all of which would add very significant costs. In addition, offering a remote option might encourage a majority of members to stay home, and the Society faces penalties if we fail to meet contractual room and food and beverage minimums at the hotel. Finally, many of our members, particularly early career scholars, count on the opportunities for networking uniquely available at in-person meetings.

Will any of the content from the meeting be available online?
Some content from the meeting will be provided online for those who cannot attend. Several graduate student “rapporteurs” will be tweeting (#aslh2021) about highlights from some panels. Video and audio links to the plenary lecture by John Fabian Witt will be made available after the conference. Prize announcements and some photos will be circulated and posted on our website after the conference.

How will the experience of attending the meeting differ this year?
We are doing all we can to make this meeting the same valuable venue for exchanging research and ideas to which we’ve all become accustomed. We do not expect masking and social distancing to interfere with panels and lectures. If masking requirements make it impossible to serve meals, we will hold the awards ceremony without food. Your registration includes the cost of the annual luncheon, so we would work with the hotel to provide attendees with box lunches if we cannot serve food.

Professional Conduct at the Annual Meeting

Links to statements about standards of professional conduct expected at ASLH events are available here.

Resource Team members will be available at the meeting to discuss concerns or suggestions regarding professional conduct. This year’s Resource Team members are: Sarah Barringer Gordon (sbgordon@law.upenn.edu); Jelani Hayes (jelani.hayes@yale.edu); and Zachary Herz (zachary.herz@colorado.edu).

The Professional Liaison Committee reviews and refers reports of harrassment or discrimination submitted in writing here.

Lodging

InterContinental New Orleans

Address

444 St. Charles Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

The 2021 ASLH Annual Meeting will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in New Orleans.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

InterContinental New Orleans

444 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Click here for directions

Host an ASLH Conference

The American Society for Legal History’s Standing Committee on Annual Meetings invites proposals to host or sponsor (in full or in part) a future Annual Meeting. Interesting venues, affordable hotel rates, tax exemption for out-of-state non-profits and reasonable funding support for meeting events are highly favored in site selection.

Upcoming Conference

October 24–26, 2024

The next ASLH Annual Meeting will be held in San Francisco, CA

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