Call For Papers

From Jessica Silbey, Suffolk University:

LAW AND JUSTICE ON THE SMALL SCREEN

Invitation to Contributors

We are compiling a collection of essays by leading scholars from the world of law and popular culture focusing on the theme of law and justice on television. We wish to invite scholars with an interest to submit abstracts of around 250 words by the end of July 2009 on this broad theme. We hope to structure the Collection on the undernoted themes but intend that contributors should interpret this brief list in an inclusive manner. We will make a provisional selection by the end of July 2009 and then ask contributors to provide a full draft of their text by May 2010. These will then be refereed blind in the usual way and final text should be with the editors by September 2010 for publication in early 2011.

Part I

Context

Law and TV Scholarship in context – the emergence of law and popular culture

The relationship between Law and TV and Law and Film Scholarship – similarities and differences

Issues of methodology including empirical studies on the impact of TV

Issues of production – towards a political economy of law on TV



Part II

An Overview of Distinct Forms of Representation

Fictional law and lawyers – towards a taxonomy [ legal procedurals; lawyer dramas; comedies etc. ]

Reality TV shows

Justice portrayals in news and documentary programming

Court TV - a national/international phenomenon?



Part III

TV Law as a Global Phenomonon

Trends and developments in US TV Fiction

Adversarial justice on TV – Britain, Canada and Australia

Inquisitorial systems - Germany, France and Spain

Crossing the boundaries – the impacts of “foreign” imported shows and formats



Please send abstracts via email attachment to:

peter.robson@strath.ac.uk AND jsilbey@suffolk.edu



Peter Robson, University of Strathclyde, The Law School

Jessica Silbey, Suffolk University Law School