Prerequisite: Initial admission to the workshop is by permission only. To apply, please email Susan Smith (ssmith@law.harvard.edu) a brief statement explaning your interest and any relevant background.

Exam Type: No Exam

Technological change is constantly shifting the practice and theory of law. New technologies can expand the state’s and private parties’ capacity to inflict harm, straining the limits of constitutional rights and demanding new forms of regulation. They can blur the boundaries between public and private domains, forcing courts to revisit lonstanding doctrines and legal principles. And they can transform the practice of law itself, from how lawyers present arguments and interview witnesses at trial to how judges come to know relevant facts.

This year’s Legal History Workshop will offer a historical perspective on the interplay between law and technology in the United States. Assignments and discussions will feature a mix of major published works, introducing students to critical methodologies and historiographical debates, and workshop presentations by leading historians writing on legal adaptations to technology. A list of presenters will be posted closer to the new academic year.

Note: This seminar is cross-listed with FAS as HIST 2475.