Профиль

A South Asian edition of my book is now out with Manohar Books: Fear of the False: Forensic Science and the Law of Crime in Colonial South Asia: share.google/GyQAHwpnQUwB... This version is hard cover. The Open Access e-book is available on the Cornell UP website. #legalhistory

New Books Network podcast now out with @saumyadadoo.bsky.social on my new book: Mitra Sharafi, "Fear of the False: Forensic Science and the Law of Crime in Colonial South Asia" (Cornell UP, 2026) - New Books Network share.google/OCQqe8gmR6vh... @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social #legalhistory

Had to go to the rainforests of Borneo for this

Orangutan in the wild! Amazing couple of days in Malaysian Borneo, on my way to the Asian Legal History Conference in Melaka

South Asia historians should apply:

Call for All Souls postdoc in Law could mean legal history: 5 years (!). Applications due Sept.4, 2026 👇

From the one and only Dirk Hartog: "You should always start writing before you think you're ready." Hard to do, but such good advice. Lodged in my head for the past 20+ years!

I was gutted to stop assigning research papers in my undergrad courses. I just don't think we can do it in the age of AI. But I've been really happy with the new thing I'm doing instead, which combines digitized historical newspapers + presentation + mini-viva: salh.law.wisc.edu/2026/06/18/p...

Presentations not papers for teachingI’ve given up trying to assign undergraduate research papers in the age of AI. The misconduct approach–assigning papers and trying to catch AI use–does not seem to be working. However, I am happy with...salh.law.wisc.edu

My latest book cakes, for our two new books on the block! Chocolate ganache icing for my friend & neighbor Laura McClure's cake & cream cheese icing flavored with freeze-dried cherries for mine. (FYI: Jessica of SweetSugarTops on Etsy has an icing printer for all your edible book cover needs.)

Q for scholars of the Dutch empire & decolonization: a friend's father spent the 1950s in Papua New Guinea where he recorded the last stages of Dutch rule. Would any institutions or scholars be interested in several hours of film footage, once digitized? Looking for a good home for these materials.

For early career scholars working on legal history topics: please consider applying for the Virtual Early Career Legal History Workshop for AY2026-27, led by ASLH past president Barbara Welke. Applications are due June 30, 2026: aslh.net/award/virtua... #legalhistory @aslegalhist.bsky.social

Podcast just out on my new book, Fear of the False, covering everything from planted animal blood and archival research to AI (of course) and public mistrust of science: open.spotify.com/episode/44yI... Always such a pleasure to chat with my UW Law Library colleague Kristopher Turner! #legalhistory

Episode 46: Professor Mitra Sharafi discusses Fear of the False, her new book about colonial South Asia's critical role in the development of forensic scienceLaw in Action: A UW Law School Podcast · Episodeopen.spotify.com

Legal historians: please consider applying for the ASLH Virtual Working Group program for AY2026-27. These are themed (last year: consent, environmental, radical legal advocacy)+could be for a 2nd book ms group. Proposals due June 30, 2026: aslh.net/virtual-work... @aslegalhist.bsky.social

The American Society for Legal History has started an account here: @aslegalhist.bsky.social Welcome to Bluesky! #legalhistory

For anyone who published a book, article, or digital project on legal history between Jan.2025 and Dec.2026: you should apply to be featured in the ASLH's virtual event series for next yr--"Making Connections: New Works in Legal History, 2026-27." Due June 30, 2026: aslh.net/virtual-book... (1/2)

Faculty senate abolished at Auburn: www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

Auburn Board Takes Curricular Control, Dissolves SenateThe policies mirror the directives laid out in HB 580, which doesn’t take effect until October and doesn’t apply to the institution.www.insidehighered.com

I hugely enjoyed our New Books in South Asian Legal Studies panel @ LSA conference in San Francisco last week. Each of us discussed our own book + another author's book from the panel. Organized by Rahela Khorakiwala @lawandsociety.bsky.social #SouthAsianStudies #legalhistory

We're just a few days away from the big *June 1, 2026* deadline for many Am. Society for Legal History prizes. Don't miss this chance to have your legal history research recognized or funded: aslh.net #legalhistory #aslh

American Society for Legal HistoryThe American Society for Legal History was founded in 1956 to foster interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching in the broad field of legal history. The Society holds its Annual Meeting each fall. The...aslh.net

Looking forward to our New Books in South Asian Legal Studies panel @lawandsociety.bsky.social in San Francisco this Saturday, 12.45pm+! Each author speaks about another book & our own, incl. @jasonbjackson.bsky.social @anandvaidya.bsky.social. CRN22 South Asia business meeting is right before (1/2)

Congratulations, Gautham!! Love the outside-the-archives visual sequence. #legalhistory