I’m presenting a revised draft of a democratic theory paper (“Democracy’s Internal Borders”) to the Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law (PPL) Colloquium next month. Oct. 14, 2pm, Gibson Hall 296.
This semester I’ll be teaching an undergraduate seminar titled “Law and Political Thought: Punishment.” The course will introduce students to the complex role law plays in society through the issue of punishment. We’ll discuss both court cases and case-studies, focusing on the eighth amendment, and those discussions will be enriched by reading an eclectic mix of social and political thinkers. [Ad for the course is below, and a draft of the syllabus is available here.]
Starting in July, I’m a visiting scholar at The Newberry in Chicago. I couldn’t ask for a more fitting place to finish the final leg of my dissertation ahead of the move to Charlottesville.
Starting at the end of August, I’ll be a postdoctoral fellow in the Program in Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law (PPL) at the University of Virginia. The position is for two years, potentially renewable for a third. I’m eager to be a part of the vibrant intellectual community at UVa, to write and to teach, and to extend the research agenda developed in my dissertation. [Linked here.]
I’ll be defending my dissertation next month. New York City, August 15.
As of Friday, I’ve completed all the requirements for a masters degree (M.L.S.) at the University of Chicago Law School. It’s been an intense, wonderful year of studying Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and various topics in Law & Society. This rigorous training has, and will continue to, inform the examination of law in my academic research. I’m proud to have been one of the two members of the inaugural cohort.
My paper on juvenile justice has been accepted to the Association for Political Theory (APT) annual conference. This will be my first time attending APT, and I’m looking forward to the conversation and community. October 20-22 at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
Corentin Durand (ENS, EHESS) and I have organized a panel titled “Law Behind Bars: Dynamics of Social Change in Prison” for the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting. We have an excellent group of panelists, and Jonathan Simon (Berkeley Law) will chair. I’ll be presenting a paper based on my St. Elizabeths research. New Orleans, June 2-5. [Preliminary program]
As a part of my coursework at the University of Chicago Law School, I’ll be attending a three-day seminar titled “The Roberts Court” next week. The seminar is co-taught by Lee Epstein (Washington University) and Adam Liptak (New York Times), with Judge Richard Posner, Dennis Hutchinson, and William Landes also participating.
In early October I’ll be giving a talk at Columbia Law School’s Center for Contemporary Critical Thought. The title of my presentation is “Democratic Exclusions: Prisoners, patients, and children in democratic politics.” October 9, 12 p.m., Jerome Greene Hall #546. [A video of me fielding a few questions after the talk is below.]
Christopher D. Berk 