IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 1697 A.SLSA
Held at: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Title: Socio-Legal Studies Association Archive
Date(s): 1989-1997
Level of description: sub-fonds
Extent: 4 boxes
Name of creator(s): Socio-Legal Studies Association
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
According to a statement of ethical practice in the Socio-Legal Studies Association's 1995 Directory of Members, socio-legal studies may be defined as embracing "disciplines and subjects concerned with the social effects of the law, legal processes, institutions and services". SLSA was established to promote and support the work of socio-legal scholars, to facilitate the regular exchange of ideas and information and to represent the socio-legal research interest in discussions with other bodies. SLSA grew out of an informal group of academics that met at annual conferences to discuss matters of interest. In 1988 it was decided that the group needed a higher profile, and a conference was arranged in Oxford which was attended by over 100 people. The success of the conference permitted another to be held in Edinburgh in 1989, at which the proposal was made to create a formal Association. A Steering Committee was set up to formally establish the SLSA at the 1990 conference in Bristol, using some funds from various law faculties and from the Nuffield Foundation. A newsletter was first published in March 1989; in 1990 an editor was appointed to produce a regular newsletter. Chairs of SLSA are as follows: 1990-1993 Professor Hazel Genn; 1993-1996 Professor Martin Partington; 1996-date Professor Sally Wheeler.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers in the Socio-Legal Studies Association archive comprise the correspondence and papers, 1989-1996, of founder member and Chairman, Professor Martin Partington; the papers consist of his copies of agenda, minutes and papers of Executive Committee meetings, plus his own files of correspondence as founder member, fund raiser, organiser of the 1990 conference and Chairman; minutes, agenda and papers of Annual General Meetings, 1990-1994; papers and proceedings of annual conferences, 1993-1997; papers relating to the response of SLSA to the Economic and Social Research Council review of socio-legal studies, 1993; complete set of the Newsletter, 1989-1997, and Directory of Members, 1995-1997.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
The records were often not kept in any formal order, and the classes of papers frequently overlap in content and subject matter.
Conditions governing access:
Open
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright declaration form to be completed.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Detailed catalogue available at the IALS and on-line at http://ials.sas.ac.uk/archives/slsa.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
The records were appraised and listed by the Co-ordinator of the Records of Legal Education project between 1996 and 2000.
Accruals:
Further accruals are expected.
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Correspondence and papers of Professor Martin Partington were deposited by him with the Records of Legal Education Archives in 1997. Printed papers relating to the 1997 Conference, plus some copies of the Newsletter and Directory of Members, were passed to the Archives in 1997 by the current editor of the Newsletter.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Annabel Dodds for RSLP AIM25 Project.
Date(s) of descriptions: Aug 2000