Program on Legal and Constitutional History

Virginia’s Program on Legal and Constitutional History creates a rich intellectual community of scholars and students with shared historical interests.

J.D.-M.A. Program in History

In cooperation with the University of Virginia’s Corcoran Department of History, the Law School allows students to obtain a J.D. and an M.A. in history in three years. As part of the program, J.D.-M.A. candidates present drafts of their theses to faculty. Several veterans of the dual-degree program have gone on to successful careers in legal academia, and recent graduates have clerked for U.S. Supreme Court justices. Law students interested in the program should contact the Law School faculty advisor, Professor Charles Barzun.

Event Programming

The program sponsors a series of monthly legal history lunch workshops in which scholars and Virginia faculty members present works in progress. Advanced J.D.-M.A. candidates participate in these workshops and even present drafts of their own M.A. theses.

The program also sponsors a series of lectures and panel discussions in which authors of recent important books are invited to engage in discussions of their work with students and faculty participating in the Colloquium in American Legal History.

An informal legal history writing group allows faculty, law students and graduate history students to present works-in-progress over dinner at the homes of faculty members.

Legal History Workshops

11:30 a.m.- 12:50 p.m., Faculty Lounge

SPRING 2020

April 21 — J.D./MA Student Presentations

SPRING 2019

March 5 — Lindsay Robertson (University of Oklahoma)

March 19 — Jonathan Gienapp (Stanford)

April 2 — JD/MA Student Presentations

April 16 —  Barbara Welke (University of Minnesota)

FALL 2018

Oct. 2 — Justin Desautels-Stein (University of Colorado Law School)