ATTENDANCE PLANNING

The following information may assist you in planning your participation:

Conference schedule: The general meetings will run from Thursday, May 27, beginning at 8:15 am, through Sunday morning, May 30. Sessions are one hour and forty-five minutes in length with 1/2 hour lunch break. Receptions are planned for Thursday, and Saturday evenings. The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Law and Society Association is on Wednesday (May 26) with the new trustees meeting at noon and the general meeting from  2:00 to 8:00 pm. The Graduate Student Workshop and Early Career Workshop will be May 25-26.  Preliminary Program

Conference venue and Hotel Reservations:  The Conference will be held in the Renaissance Chicago Hotel in downtown Chicago. The conference rate is $195 (plus 15.4% room tax).  Link for reservations at the Rennaissance Hotel. SOLD OUT

In addition, a block of rooms has been reserved at the nearby Hotel 71 for the rate of $175 (plus tax). Link for reservations at Hotel 71 SOLD OUT.

Reservations at other nearby hotels can be made through A Room with a View. A Room With A View can be reached at 1-800-780-4343 International Attendees can reach A Room With A View via e-mail at ARWAV@charter.net This is a FREE SERVICE for all LSA attendees

Local Transportation Information (link)

Meeting Registration: All participants are required to register for the conference. Registration rates (in U.S. dollars) are based on time of registration and Association membership. From May 9th on, registration is accepted only at the conference.

Registration rates (in U.S. dollars) are:

Registration Rate	until April 9, 2010	April 10 - May 7	after May 7, on-site only
Member  LSA	$180	$210	$240
Non-Member	$220	$250	$280
Student	$85	$90	$95

 

Register at LSA's Member Services site.

Withdrawal: Should circumstances require withdrawal prior to the meeting, the Law and Society Association Executive Office must be notified immediately. Registration fees will be refunded on a proportional schedule based on date of withdrawal.  Refund Policy -- By written request only: until April 9th, 100%; April 10th until May 7th, 50%; May 8th until May 21st, 25%. No refunds after May 21st.

Conference Special Events:

Two General Receptions: the LSA Welcome Reception, Thursday, May 27 evening, at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel; the Local Reception, Saturday, May 29 evening, at the American Bar Foundation / Northwestern University Law School. General receptions are open to all meeting registrants; no ticket needed.

International Breakfast: Friday May 28, 7:00-8:00 a.m., tickets $28 or $14 according to one’s country category (see list). Sponsored by LSA’s International Activities Committee. The purpose of the “International Breakfast” is to encourage the building of relationships between U.S. and international members and to discuss ideas and suggestions on ways LSA can best serve its international members and facilitate international scholarly activity. For more information, contact Penelope Andrews and Heinz Klug.

LSA Luncheon, Awards Presentation and Presidential Invitational Address, Saturday, May 29, 12:15-2:15 p.m., tickets $38 (students $24).

Group Childcare - contact Lissa Ganter by April 1.

Book Exhibit will be open Thursday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Book Exhibit closed on Sunday).

Annual 5k Fred DuBow Memorial Fun Run: Sunday morning, May 30, 6:45 a.m. Open to all.

Letters of Invitation for Funding Purposes and Letters to support Visa Applications: Participants requiring a letter of invitation for the purpose of securing funding from their own institution or granting agency or to support visa applications should contact Judy Rose in the LSA Executive Office.

 

---

Identity and Citizenship Documents for Travel from Outside the U.S.

Scholars attending from outside the United States and who require a visa are encouraged to submit their proposals early in order to facilitate attendance at the meeting. The Law and Society Association is committed to having broad representation of scholars from outside the U.S. at the meeting, and will provide the required documentation in order to facilitate this process as soon as possible after requested. Please provide a clear statement of your exact requirements to obtain a Visa. Email this information along with a Fax number and/or mailing address where the letter should be sent to Judy Rose at the Executive Office.

For those subject to the visa waiver program should be aware of the ESTA requirement:

ESTA is a free, automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. The ESTA application collects the same information collected on Form I-94W. ESTA applications may be submitted at anytime prior to travel, though it is recommended travelers apply when they begin preparing travel plans.

Information on getting a visa and the ESTA program is available here.

If you do not have any of these necessary documents, it is very important that you apply for them as soon as possible, since wait times can be long. Please do not delay, or you may jeopardize your trip.

---

Disability Access: The meeting organizers are committed to ensuring that all events at the meeting are accessible to persons with disabilities. Information on the meeting hotels and local transportation is available here. Persons with disabilities may contact Mary McClintock at the LSA Executive Office for further information or assistance.

Updates, and the Preliminary Program: Updates and meeting information will be posted on this website and sent in group mailings to participants by email, using the email address you enter into the submission software. Please be sure your email address is correct and will be current through the time of the meeting. Final date for changes to Preliminary Program is April 4.