Research Committee on Sociology of Law
Encyclopedia
Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL) was established in 1962 by William M. Evan (University of Pennsylvania
) and Adam Podgórecki
(University of Warsaw
), with the support of Renato Treves
(University of Milan
) during the Congress of the International Sociological Association
(ISA), which was held in Weshington D. C. Treves was elected as the first president of the RCSL, Podgórecki as the vice-president and Evan as the Secretary. The RCSL aimed at "opening up a broader
range of opportunities for the participation of individual members in the activities of
the Association in the field of sociology of law
".
The RCSL was initially formed as a largely informal forum to encourage and facilitate exchanges between sociologists of law from different countries. A Board was created in 1968, formal by-laws were adopted in 1973, and regular election were organised once every fourth year. The RCSL also holds annual meetings, occasionally together with other similar associations such as the Law and Society Associations or the Socio-Legal Studies Association. The annual meetings are often devoted to specific theoretical and methodological themes, but space is reserved for organising sessions on general topics. The selection of themes and the call for papers are the responsibility of the RCSL Board and is carried out in cooperation with the local organising committee. The RCSL Board encourages countries not represented by its Board members to participate and to submit suggestions for organising its annual meetings.
Since the late 1960s, RCSL has supported the formation of permanent Working Groups, which focus on various research areas such as Comparative Studies of Legal Professions, Social and Legal Systems, Comparative Legal Cultures, Gender, Law and Politics, Law and Urban Space, Family and Human Rights, in order to promote research in these areas.
On 23 December 1988, the RCSL signed an agreement with Government of the Basque Country creating the International Institute for the Sociology of Law
in Oñati
which is located in the province of Guipúzcoa in the Basque Country
in the north of Spain
.
Since its establishment in 1962, the RCSL has contributed to the development of the Sociology of law
by systematically promoting social scientific research about law, legal institutions and legal systems. For more information see the section on Sociology of law
and the International Institute for the Sociology of Law
.
Vittorio Olgiati (Italy) is currently the President of the RCSL. Previous Presidents include Ann Boigeol (France), Lawrence Friedman (Stanford, USA), Johannes Feest (Bremen, Germany), Rogelio Perez Perdomo (IESA, Caracas, Venezuela), Mavis Maclean (Oxford, UK), Vincenzo Ferrari (Degli Studi Milano, Italy), Jean van Houtte (Belgian), Jan Glastra Van Loon (the Netherlands) and Renato Treves (Italy).
Adam Podgórecki Prize
"In honour and memory of the lifetime achievements of Adam Podgórecki
and his place in the history of RCSL, the Board of RCSL established the annual RCSL Adam Podgórecki Prize at its meeting in 2004. The Prize is awarded for outstanding achievements in socio-legal research, either in the form of distinguished and outstanding lifetime achievements in one year or in the form of outstanding scholarship of a socio-legal researcher at an earlier stage of his or her career, in the next year of the award."
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
) and Adam Podgórecki
Adam Podgórecki
Adam Podgórecki is an internationally renowned legal sociologist and one of the founders of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law . Podgórecki was also one of the founders of the first institute at Warsaw University which was devoted to the social scientific studies of law...
(University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
), with the support of Renato Treves
Renato Treves
Renato Treves was born in Turin, Italy of a Jewish family. According to Vincenzo Ferrari, Treves "devoted his first academic study to the diffusion of Claude Henri de Saint-Simon's doctrines in Italy" before turning his attention to the neo-Kantian movement and Hans Kelsen's Pure Theory of...
(University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
) during the Congress of the International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences...
(ISA), which was held in Weshington D. C. Treves was elected as the first president of the RCSL, Podgórecki as the vice-president and Evan as the Secretary. The RCSL aimed at "opening up a broader
range of opportunities for the participation of individual members in the activities of
the Association in the field of sociology of law
Sociology of law
The sociology of law is often described as a sub-discipline of sociology or an interdisciplinary approach within legal studies...
".
The RCSL was initially formed as a largely informal forum to encourage and facilitate exchanges between sociologists of law from different countries. A Board was created in 1968, formal by-laws were adopted in 1973, and regular election were organised once every fourth year. The RCSL also holds annual meetings, occasionally together with other similar associations such as the Law and Society Associations or the Socio-Legal Studies Association. The annual meetings are often devoted to specific theoretical and methodological themes, but space is reserved for organising sessions on general topics. The selection of themes and the call for papers are the responsibility of the RCSL Board and is carried out in cooperation with the local organising committee. The RCSL Board encourages countries not represented by its Board members to participate and to submit suggestions for organising its annual meetings.
Since the late 1960s, RCSL has supported the formation of permanent Working Groups, which focus on various research areas such as Comparative Studies of Legal Professions, Social and Legal Systems, Comparative Legal Cultures, Gender, Law and Politics, Law and Urban Space, Family and Human Rights, in order to promote research in these areas.
On 23 December 1988, the RCSL signed an agreement with Government of the Basque Country creating the International Institute for the Sociology of Law
International Institute for the Sociology of Law
The International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati is the only international establishment which is entirely devoted to teaching and promoting the sociology of law, socio-legal studies, and law and society research....
in Oñati
Oñati
Oñati is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about 40 km south of the Bay of Biscay and is about 236 m...
which is located in the province of Guipúzcoa in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
in the north of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Sociology of law
The sociology of law is often described as a sub-discipline of sociology or an interdisciplinary approach within legal studies...
by systematically promoting social scientific research about law, legal institutions and legal systems. For more information see the section on Sociology of law
Sociology of law
The sociology of law is often described as a sub-discipline of sociology or an interdisciplinary approach within legal studies...
and the International Institute for the Sociology of Law
International Institute for the Sociology of Law
The International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati is the only international establishment which is entirely devoted to teaching and promoting the sociology of law, socio-legal studies, and law and society research....
.
Vittorio Olgiati (Italy) is currently the President of the RCSL. Previous Presidents include Ann Boigeol (France), Lawrence Friedman (Stanford, USA), Johannes Feest (Bremen, Germany), Rogelio Perez Perdomo (IESA, Caracas, Venezuela), Mavis Maclean (Oxford, UK), Vincenzo Ferrari (Degli Studi Milano, Italy), Jean van Houtte (Belgian), Jan Glastra Van Loon (the Netherlands) and Renato Treves (Italy).
Adam Podgórecki Prize
"In honour and memory of the lifetime achievements of Adam Podgórecki
Adam Podgórecki
Adam Podgórecki is an internationally renowned legal sociologist and one of the founders of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law . Podgórecki was also one of the founders of the first institute at Warsaw University which was devoted to the social scientific studies of law...
and his place in the history of RCSL, the Board of RCSL established the annual RCSL Adam Podgórecki Prize at its meeting in 2004. The Prize is awarded for outstanding achievements in socio-legal research, either in the form of distinguished and outstanding lifetime achievements in one year or in the form of outstanding scholarship of a socio-legal researcher at an earlier stage of his or her career, in the next year of the award."