Welcome
The Applied Legal Storytelling Conference brings together academics, judges, lawmakers, practitioners, and any other type of legal storyteller.
Applied legal storytelling examines the use of stories, storytelling, or narrative elements in law practice, legal education, and the law. This definition is intentionally broad to allow people creativity in the way they think and present on the topic.
Examples may include:
- ways in which creative nonfiction and fiction-writing techniques or narrative theory can inform legal storytelling
- stories in the law, or law as stories
- legal storytelling and metaphor
- client story advocacy
- counter storytelling
- professional identity formation through legal storytelling
- cognitive nature and psychology of storytelling and narrative
- using legal storytelling to foster empathy and promote civil discourse
- ethical considerations in legal storytelling
Undoubtedly, there are many other avenues to explore.
The conference has previously convened in 2007 (London), 2009 (Portland), 2011 (Denver), 2013 (London), 2015 (Seattle), 2017 (Washington, DC), 2019 (Boulder), 2021 (Virtual/Mercer), and 2023 (London).
Call for Proposals
The Tenth Biennial Applied Legal Storytelling Conference is seeking proposals for creative, engaging, and insightful presentations for our upcoming conference in July 2025.
We welcome and encourage presentation proposals from faculty, lawmakers, and practitioners engaged in a variety of disciplines and from schools and organizations around the world. We encourage proposals from newcomers and experienced presenters alike.
All selected presenters will be expected to present in person. We encourage creativity in presentation format—this conference will be collegial, inclusive, and supportive of your work.
Presenters will be required to pay the conference registration fee and cover their own costs for travel and accommodations.
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Proposal Format and Deadlines
Proposal Format
We ask for a short summary of fewer than 50 words for use in the conference program, as well as a narrative description of your proposal for selection purposes (500 words maximum).
Deadlines
To allow greater flexibility for those interested in submitting a proposal, the Program Committee has established two submission deadlines.
Priority Deadline
December 13, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PT)
Extended Deadline
February 7, 2025 (11:59 p.m. PT)
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Presentation Formats
The conference will include 45-minute and 30-minute time slots.
For the 45-minute time slots, we welcome interactive, panel or roundtable presentation proposals, as well as other format types.
For the 30-minute time slots, we envision presenters adopting something like the 14 to 18-minute TED-style format of rehearsed presentations that centre on one idea conveyed through narrative, with reserved time for audience questions.
On the proposal form, please indicate either a preference for a particular format or your willingness that we accept your proposal in any of the formats and time constraints.
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Resources for Developing Proposals
If you are interested in submitting a proposal, looking to generate ideas, or respond to others’, we offer the following resources:
The Applied Legal Storytelling bibliography, including articles that have emerged from previous storytelling conferences.
A Monograph double volume with articles dedicated to the topic (Volumes 10 and 11).
We are also happy to answer questions and offer you suggestions—if you are a newcomer and interested in becoming involved, please reach out.
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Selection Process
The Program Committee will review the proposals and respond according to the submission date.
Those who submitted proposals by the Priority Deadline will be notified in mid-February if their proposal has been accepted.
Those who submitted their proposal by the Extended Deadline will be notified in late March.
Conference Details
The 2025 conference will begin with a reception early in the evening of July 9, 2025. The next two days, July 10-11, 2025 will be devoted to a plenary session and presentations given in concurrent sessions.
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Registration
We will send out registration information early in 2025.
We expect the conference registration fee to come in around $450 (this cost covers lunches, a dinner, and administrative costs associated with hosting a conference).
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Accommodations
Room blocks have been reserved for this conference.
Bell Tower Hotel (a 10-minute walk to the Law School)
Graduate Hotel (a 10-minute walk to the Law School)
Hyatt Place Ann Arbor (an 8-minute drive the Law School, plus a free shuttle to campus)
For additional information about Ann Arbor attractions, dining, and hotels, we recommend consulting Destination Ann Arbor.
See the Bell Tower Hotel Room Block
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Planning Committee
If you have questions, please feel free to email the Michigan Law Events Team or contact any member of the conference planning committee:
- Aysha Ames, Fordham Law School
- Gopal Balachandran, Penn State Law
- Ted Becker, University of Michigan Law School
- Sha-Shana Crichton, Howard Law School
- D’lorah Hughes, The University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg School of Law
- Jessica Lefort, University of Michigan Law School
- Anne Ralph, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
- Ruth Anne Robbins, Rutgers Law School
- Nantiya Ruan, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law
- Bryan Schwartz, University of Arizona Law
- Cecilia Silver, Yale Law School
- Paige Snelgro, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
- Kristen Konrad Tiscione, Georgetown Law
- Beth Wilensky, University of Michigan Law School
Host and Sponsors
This conference is sponsored by the Legal Writing Institute and the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA). It is hosted by the University of Michigan Law School.