Farewell: Emilios Christodoulidis

The European Academy of Legal Theory mourns the loss of Emilios Christodoulidis, who passed away at the age of 62 on the 3rd of February 2026. Emilios, holder of the Chair of Jurisprudence at the School of Law, University of Glasgow since 2006, was one of the leading legal theorists of his generation; a sui generis thinker who moved seamlessly across the idioms of such diverse discourses as systems theory, political constitutionalism, phenomenology, Marxism, and moral philosophy. His work constituted an amalgam of rare qualities, combining analytical sharpness with conceptual imagination, critical vigilance with a deeply-rooted attention to human vulnerability, …

Wednesday Seminar on Legal Theory

Wednesday Seminar on Legal Theory The Wednesday Seminar on Legal Theory has a long tradition in Frankfurt, founded by Rudolf Wiethölter, which we intend to continue this summer. Throughout its history, the seminar has always been a place for theoretical experimentation, and this will remain the case in the future. For this reason, one of our central concerns is to confront current legal developments with a wide range of academic perspectives. In this way, we aim to promote internal legal debate and interdisciplinary exchange between law and other disciplines, such as philosophy and sociology, theology and history, or literary studies …

New Series: Young Academics: European Legal Theory

  As global developments challenge traditional understandings of the place of law in human communities, a new generation of scholars is rethinking fundamental legal questions that demand creative answers. This series brings together original philosophical research arising from some of the most recent work of the European Academy of Legal Theory and its Frankfurt-based Master’s programme in Legal Theory. The contributions draw on a range of disciplinary fields and focus on problems that transcend national boundaries and legal cultures. “Young Academics: European Legal Theory” gives a voice to innovative legal thinkers who will shape the jurisprudence of the future. Young …

EALT Award 2021

As from 2021 the award will be assigned on a permanent basis among the theses submitted for publication with Hart Publishing, Oxford. Theses which meet high international standards will be published, as a rule in the European Academy of Legal Theory Series. Doctoral theses which are considered to be exceptionally good by a representative international jury will receive the European Award for Legal Theory. Further information…

New EALT series volume forthcoming in May 2018

Westphalian constitutionalism has shaped our understanding of politics, socio-political institutions and personal and political freedom for centuries. It is historically based in the foundations of Western modernity, such as humanism and rationalism, and is organized around familiar principles of national sovereignty, the rule of law, the separation of powers and democracy. But since the end of the 20th century global constitutionalism has gradually emerged, challenging both the constitutional ideology and the constitutional design of Westphalian constitutional law. This book critically assesses the structural and functional transformations in the Westphalian constitutional tradition produced by the emergence of supranational and global constitutionalism. …