JLA International, 2027

Inside/Outside: Jews, Law, and Jewish Law

July 19-21, 2027

University of Vienna, Juridicum

Vienna, Austria

Jewish law is often presented as a comprehensive, self-contained, and all-encompassing legal system. Yet beyond the classics on the bookshelf and in the classroom, lived experience and theoretical inquiry challenge this conception. To explore these tensions and their implications, the Jewish Law Association invites scholars from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives to reflect on the theme of the Jewish Law Association’s International 2027 Conference, Inside/Outside: Jews, Law, and Jewish Law.

Below, suggested topics—and we welcome proposals that engage the theme via other perspectives.

Legal Pluralism. How does Jewish law operate within pluralist legal settings, whether premodern European legal orders or modern systems of public ecclesiastical law in states without full separation of religion and government? Legal pluralism also invites us to reflect on diversity internal to Jewish communities (rabbinic tradition, customs, communal ordinances, Kabbalah, ethics), and the plurality of contemporary frameworks, from rabbinic law to mishpat ‘ivri to Reform halakhah.

The Boundaries of Law. Who or What is Inside/Outside the Law? Arestates of emergency or the principle of “time to act for God” inside or outside the law? Does Jewish law recognize gaps or domains beyond its normative reach, such as the “law of the king” or politics generally? Are particular persons or groups (women, children, non-Jews) outside the law? This topic also questions the frontiers of Jewish law in engaging modern phenomena such as contemporary warfare, international law, technology, and evolving moral norms.

Universality, Exclusivity, Normativity. The inside/outside dichotomy can be helpful in exploring Jewish law as part of a fundamental normative system, universally applied. With modernity, Jewish law came to be understood not only as a distinct normativity, but as disconnected from other normativities. Thus, the relationship between Jewish and other normativities is often approached as a zero-sum game. Does revelation replace Noahide laws or universal morality? Are commandments restricted to the Jews, or do some make claims on non-Jews as well? What about other normative systems that pose demands on Jews?

The Impact of Jewish Law. How have Jewish legal concepts, reasoning, and practices shaped non-Jewish law? How have Jews shaped non-Jewish legal systems, and how have Jews been conduits between various legal traditions, translating concepts and adapting methods across cultures?

We welcome papers engaging our theme in any historical period (ancient through contemporary), geographic location, or disciplinary perspective, including pedagogy.

How to submit a proposal:

Panels may consist of either three fifteen-minute papers with a respondent, or three twenty-minute papers with a moderator. Panels are encouraged to propose a moderator but may request that one be assigned.

Panel proposals are preferred, but we will also consider individual proposals.

Please use the following forms to submit your proposals:
panel proposal form
paper proposal form

Proposals for papers should be no more than 250 words. Panel proposals should include a proposal for each paper and an additional panel abstract of no more than 150 words.

All proposals must be in English.

Limited funding will be available for graduate students. If you would like to be considered for funding, please indicate this in your application along with your 2026-2027 institutional affiliation and status.

Papers and panel proposals are due by October 9, 2026.
Applicants will be notified by November 9, 2026.

All panelists must be JLA members in good standing.

Organizing Committee:

Rachel Slutsky
Emmanuel Bloch
Noëmie Duhaut
David Fuchs
Stephan Wendehorst