Welcome to Chicago, Legal Historians!
In 2022, the annual conference returns to Chicago for the first time since 2001, and pre-registration is now open. We’ll convene November 10-12 at the Chicago Grand Sheraton, and look forward to sharing more details about the meeting as they become available. We hope you’ll make plans to join us!
General Information
“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago. She outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them,” wrote Mark Twain in 1883. The city’s history includes a rich catalogue of narratives and conflicts: the Battle of Fort Dearborn in 1812; the presidential nomination of Abraham Lincoln in 1860; the Great Fire of 1871; the Haymarket Affair of 1886; the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893; and the 1968 Democratic National Convention, to name just a few. Notable Chicagoland figures include Jean Baptiste Point du Sable; Stephen A. Douglas; Ida B. Wells; Jane Addams; Clarence Darrow; Lorraine Hansberry; John Paul Stevens; and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The sites of Fort Dearborn and du Sable’s trading post, as well as the Water Tower, are each within a few blocks of the conference hotel.
The Chicago area is the home of a lively and robust legal history community comprising many law schools, history departments, and research centers. We hope that you will find time while you are here to visit some of the area’s remarkable libraries, archival collections, and museums. The Newberry Library, with its vast holdings and lovely building, is less than a mile from the hotel.
The University of Chicago Law School will host Friday’s plenary lecture and reception at the David M. Rubenstein Forum on the university’s Hyde Park campus. Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law will host Saturday evening’s reception. Many thanks to these outstanding institutions for being such generous hosts.
Registration
PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. ONSITE REGISTRATION OPENS ON NOVEMBER 10, 2022, at 12pm (Central).
We encourage early registration. Registration is fully refundable until October 19, 2022
Attendance at the annual luncheon is included only in the price of the meeting for pre-registered attendees.
Only one registration at a time is permitted. If you wish to register a guest, you will need to register your guest independently.
Hotel Information
The Sheraton Grand Chicago is one of the city’s premier downtown hotels, conveniently located near the shops and restaurants of Michigan Avenue (known as the Magnificent Mile) and along the Chicago Riverwalk, a recently revitalized 1.25 mile path that leads from downtown to the lakefront. The hotel is a few blocks from major cultural attractions, including Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Center, and Navy Pier.
A $199 conference rate has been negotiated, and the ASLH has to achieve a minimum number of guest nights booked. The Standing Committee on Annual Meetings and the ASLH Treasurer negotiate with hotels several years in advance and endeavors to secure the lowest possible rates. If you book rooms outside of the group block or take other housing, the Society faces heavy penalties if it falls short of its guarantee. The officers and board urge you to stay at the conference hotel. Note that the cut off for a room booking is 5pm on Wednesday, October 19.
The hotel registration link is included in the conference registration confirmation email.
Health and Safety
Attendees at pre-conference or conference events will be required to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination or to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before their arrival at the conference.
The ASLH will of course expect all attendees to comply with Chicago public health orders in force at the time of the annual meeting. The ASLH Health Committee will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions, as well as CDC guidelines, and to consider other measures we can take to help mitigate risks of attending the conference.
Travel Tips
Air Travel
Travelers to Chicago can choose to fly into either O’Hare International Airport (ORD) or Midway International Airport (MDW). Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier at Midway Airport. Both are within a 30-60 minute drive of the conference hotel, depending on traffic. A taxi from the airport to the hotel will range in cost from $35-$55, depending on the time of day. There are taxi stands in every terminal. Rideshare services (Uber, Lyft, etc.) are also available at the airport. Follow the signs to the designated pick-up areas in your terminal. Expect to spend between $13 and $60 on a rideshare, again depending on traffic. If you prefer to take a shuttle, Airport Express offers a flat-rate ride to the hotel from O’Hare ($30) or Midway ($27). To take the shuttle back to the airport, make a reservation with the hotel concierge ($30).
There are multiple commuter transit stations in Chicago. Amtrak and Greyhound offer service from around the country into Union Station; Metra Rail offers regional train service into Ogilvie Transportation Center. All stations are a short cab ride from the hotel.
Public Transportation
Chicago’s mass transit system is called the CTA. You can take the subway (also known as the “El”) from either airport to the hotel. From O’Hare, take the Blue Line to Clark & Lake; from Midway, take the Orange Line to Clark & Lake. The hotel is a 20-minute walk or a five-minute cab ride from the CTA station.
Weather
Mid-November is one of the most unpredictable times for weather in Chicago. The average highs and lows are 50 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit, so it could be a beautiful sunny day for a stroll in Grant Park, or it could be 35 degrees and spitting snow and rain as you try to make it to lunch with your panel. You’ll need to come prepared with a coat and all-weather shoes, but you can hope for sweater weather.
Other Information
In registering for the conference you agree to conform to AHA standards for professional conduct adopted by the ASLH: https://aslh.net/professional-conduct-at-aslh-events/
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