Welcome to the start of another academic year. In addition to working on projects that likely now require year-round attention, I hope the summer also provided sustained opportunities for recovery and reflection. First, I want to sincerely thank all of you who attended and presented at our Annual Meeting in San Francisco this summer. The high quality of the scholarship presented and the associated robust discourse were energizing. I also appreciated the spirit of community-building that is always present at our meetings, and was pleased to engage with both long-time friends and first-time attendees. Second, I would like to thank the amazing LSA staff for their tireless work, largely behind the scenes, that made for seamless logistical support and venue management.
As we turn our attention to the upcoming year, I am very excited about the Association’s immediate plans and long-term future. Currently, we are in the process of preparing for the Global Meeting next summer, and we are working with prospective hosts to finalize a date and location for an international gathering in Africa in 2028. Keep an eye out for more information as we firm up the details in the coming months. Our new election cycle for Association leadership is now underway. We are also staffing another year of LSA committees. We welcome volunteers for committee service, especially those willing to serve on one of our award committees. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the form linked below.
Long-term, we continue to focus on securing the institutional and financial health of the Association. One of our goals this year will be to establish protocols related to advancement and development activity. Doing so will assist us in growing the funds we distribute for member-initiated programmatic activities and establishing best practices for donor recognition and naming conventions.
Even as we strive to assure LSA’s future, we cannot lose sight of how perilous these times remain. International armed conflicts involving human rights violations, domestic assaults on institutions of higher education, government defunding of critical research, and global infringements upon academic freedom persist. Moreover, the sustained rise of nationalism, in the U.S. and abroad, makes the world feel less safe for knowledge production, critical thought, and groups considered as “other” in any way. There are no simple solutions for these challenges, but I remain convinced that the legal and sociolegal scholarship we produce matters both as resistance and inspiration. My response is to continue to work alongside and stand in solidarity with others across the globe who share my commitments and concerns—in places like LSA, the American Bar Foundation, and the Critical Legal Collective—understanding in the tradition of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, that “trouble won’t last always.” Understanding our impact is strongest when we gather together, I am hopeful for our Global Meeting in Hong Kong will be a place where we continue to address significant social and legal problems through our research and engagement. As the below message reflects, the program committee is already at work ensuring that the planned meeting reflects our organizational values and offers the widest opportunity for participation. We, of course, remain open to your comments and suggestions.
Mario L. Barnes
President, Law and Society Association