CELS Global Brazil 2026

2nd Brazil Global Conference on Empirical Legal Studies

June 8–10, 2026 · São Paulo

About the Conference

Call for Papers Now Open

Submit your empirical research. Extended Deadline: March 9, 2026

Submit Paper Read the Call for Papers

CELS Global Brazil 2026 is the second edition of the international Conference on Empirical Legal Studies held in Brazil and Latin America. The conference is an interdisciplinary gathering that draws researchers from across the world, bringing together scholars in law, economics, political science, psychology, and other fields who share an interest in the empirical analysis of law and legal institutions.

The 2026 conference will be held jointly with the VI Brazilian Conference on Law and Public Policy (CBDPP), allowing for expanded coverage to include law and policy subjects as well.

Conference Chairs

Chairs
  • Ivan César Ribeiro (CEOE/Unifesp, SELS)
  • Maria Paula Dallari Bucci (Universidade de São Paulo)
  • Murilo Gaspardo (Unesp)
Senior Conference Advisor
  • Ivar Alberto Hartmann (Insper)

Organizing Institutions

  • Centro de Estudos da Ordem Econômica (CEOE/Unifesp)
  • Ceará Association for Studies and Research (ACEP)
  • Instituto CELS Latinoamérica

Partner Institutions

Host Institutions
  • CEOE – Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp)
  • USP – Faculty of Law
  • UNESP – School of Humanities
Academic Partner Institutions
  • Insper – Institute of Education and Research
  • IEBID – Initiative for Evidence-Based Institutional Design
  • UNIRIO – Graduate Program in Law
  • RedeDPP – Law and Public Policy Network
  • SELS – Society for Empirical Legal Studies

Institutional Support

Graduate Programs
  • UNIFESP — Economics and Development
  • UFG — Law and Public Policy
  • UNISC — Social Rights and Public Policy
  • UFMS — Human Rights, Citizenship, and Sustainability
  • CESUPA — Law, Public Policy, and Regional Development
  • FDF — Public Policy, Development, and Legal Effectiveness
  • UFPA — Law and Development in the Amazon
Scholarly and Professional Associations
  • Brazilian Association of Jurimetrics
  • Brazilian Association of Law and Economics
  • Brazilian Empirical Legal Studies Network
Research Groups and Labs
  • CNPq Research Group on State, Law, and Public Policy
  • LabCLICK/CEOE – Litigation and Compliance Lab
  • LabPub – Public Sector Economics Lab
  • HB – Habeas Data
  • Multidisciplinary Center for Strategy, Research and Innovation (CeMEPI-PGE)

Funding Agencies

  • CAPES — Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Brazil)

This event is supported by CAPES under the PAEP — Program for Support to Events in Brazil.

Keynote Speakers

Opening Ceremony

Justice Edson Fachin

Brazilian Supreme Court (STF)

John J. Donohue III

Stanford Law School

Adam Chilton

University of Chicago Law School

Fabiana Rocha

FEA/USP

Lee Epstein

Washington University in St. Louis

Paper Submission

Submissions

CELS Global Brazil welcomes empirical papers spanning all areas of empirical legal studies. Authors are encouraged to submit works in progress; however, submissions should be completed drafts that include principal results. Submitted papers must be unpublished and are expected to remain unpublished at the time of the conference.

Review Process

There is no paper submission fee. Papers are selected through a peer review process. If accepted, authors will have an opportunity to submit a revised draft prior to the conference. Discussion at the conference includes assigned discussants and audience questions. Accepted papers will be made available to all conference participants.

Paper presenters accept the responsibility of providing in-person comments on at least one other paper.

Financial Assistance

The organizers are working to offer need-based financial support, including registration fee waivers and travel and lodging. We encourage you to apply even if you have a limited budget.

Questions

For questions about the submission process, please contact the conference organizers at [email protected].

Key Dates

Submission Deadline Feb 23, 2026
Extended Deadline Mar 9, 2026
Decisions Announced Mar 30, 2026
Conference Dates Jun 8–10, 2026

Venue & Accommodations

USP Law School

Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo

Largo São Francisco, 95 - Centro

Website →

Insper

Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa

Rua Quatá, 300 - Vila Olímpia

Website →

Unifesp

Universidade Federal de São Paulo

Campus Osasco

Website →

About São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in South America and a major international hub for business, culture, and academia. The city offers excellent infrastructure, world-class dining, vibrant nightlife, and is served by two major airports: Guarulhos International (GRU) and Congonhas (CGH). Conference venues are accessible via metro and the city's extensive public transportation network.

Learn more about visiting São Paulo →

Conference History

The Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS) was launched in 2006, in response to the growing level of empirical scholarship in law schools and elsewhere. The founding organizers are Bernie Black (Northwestern), Jennifer Arlen and Geoffrey Miller (NYU), and Ted Eisenberg and Michael Heise (Cornell).

CELS operates two complementary conference series: the main annual conference in the United States, and the Global series rotating across different countries and continents since 2015. This dual structure reflects both the consolidation of the scientific society and its commitment to the effective internationalization of empirical legal research.

CELS Global Series

Created in 2015 to expand the international reach of empirical legal studies:

  • 2015 — Jerusalem, Israel (Hebrew University)
  • 2016 — Amsterdam, Netherlands (University of Amsterdam)
  • 2017 — Taipei, Taiwan (Academia Sinica)
  • 2018 — Leuven, Belgium (KU Leuven)
  • 2022 — Taipei, Taiwan (Academia Sinica)
  • 2024 — São Paulo, Brazil (CEOE/Unifesp)
  • 2026 — São Paulo, Brazil (USP/Insper/Unifesp)

Main CELS Series (United States)

  • 2006 — University of Texas
  • 2007 — NYU
  • 2008 — Cornell
  • 2009 — USC
  • 2010 — Yale
  • 2011 — Northwestern
  • 2012 — Stanford
  • 2013 — Penn
  • 2014 — UC Berkeley
  • 2015 — Washington U. St. Louis
  • 2016 — Duke
  • 2017 — Cornell
  • 2018 — Michigan
  • 2019 — Claremont McKenna
  • 2022 (Mar) — Toronto
  • 2022 (Nov) — Virginia
  • 2023 — Chicago
  • 2024 — Emory
  • 2025 — Georgetown
  • 2026 — Northwestern

Contact

General Inquiries

[email protected]

Conference Website

celsbrazil.org.br

CEOE/Unifesp

Conference Page