This workshop will bring together AAHM members who have recently written amicus briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court and appeals courts, among them Chiles v. Salazar (2025), Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), and GenBioPro v. Raynes et. al. (2025). Topics covered will be: the reasons for sharing our historical knowledge in this way, especially at this point in time; the differences between academic history writing and this kind of legal writing; and the practical challenges of working with lawyers and law firms on a tight schedule. As part of our preparation, we plan on surveying AAHM members to collect information on how many have worked on amicus briefs in the past five years. Also, we will discuss the feasibility of creating a handbook of information—what we wish someone had told us at the start—to share with other AAHM members who decide to do this kind of work. We will also discuss the feasibility of creating and publicizing a list of AAHM members interested in writing amicus briefs.
Chair email:
[email protected]The Roosevelt Room is on the 2nd Floor of the Genesee Building.From the guest elevators on the Lobby Level: Turn left before reaching the main staircase. Continue left through the Genesee Building façade toward the Fitness Center. Take either the elevator or the spiral staircase to the 2nd Floor.The Roosevelt Room is located above the Citizens Banks Freestanding directional signs will be posted throughout the route.Learning Outcomes- Understand why historians of medicine are asked to write amicus briefs
- Understand how amicus briefs are written and how this writing differs from other kinds of academic historical writing
- Gain insight into how historians collaborate with lawyers
- Evaluate types of resources that would help future historians write amicus briefs.
