Annual ESELS Conference 2026
ESELS Conference 2026 Ljubljana, Slovenia (18-19 June)
The upcoming Annual ESELS Conference will take place on 18-19 June 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The event will be hosted by the School of Economics and Business University of Ljubljana which was originally founded in 1595, when Adam Bohorič became rector of the Ljubljana Protestant Estates School (1563-1598), which in its last period of operation acquired some attributes of a higher school. From 1597 to 1773, a Jesuit college operated in Ljubljana, which began to introduce some higher education programs. Higher education in Ljubljana then officially began in 1704, when chairs for logic and canon law were established within the framework of philosophical studies at the Jesuit college, in 1705 a chair for physics and mathematics was established, and in 1766 a chair for mechanics.
Finally, in 1919 University of Ljubljana became a full University which today encompasses 26 faculties and has around 40.000 students. The University of Ljubljana is today the central and largest educational and research institution in Slovenia. It is renowned for its quality social and natural sciences and technical study programmes. School of Economics and Business which hosts ESELS 2026 conference is an internationally triple-accredited school (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB) and is thus among the top 1% of business and economics schools in the world.
The ESELS 2026 Conference will offer legal scholars from across Europe and beyond the opportunity to present their empirical research to a European audience of scholars. We welcome pre-arranged panels, full papers and single abstracts with relevance for European lawyers, employing quantitative and/or qualitative methods of various kinds.
Moreover, key note speakers prof. dr. Jonathan Klick (University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School), prof. dr. Peter Grajzl (Washington & Lee University), Justice Heico Kerkmeester (Supreme Administrative Court for Trade and Industry, The Netherlands), Spela Vizjak (President of the Chamber of Insolvency Administrators of Slovenia) and dr. Ana Kersevan (State Attorney General of the Republic of Slovenia) will shed their light on the relevance of empirical-legal research in Europe today and in the future, while judges and state attorneys take you to the implications and employment of empirical legal studies in courtrooms and in daily legal practice.
For junior ELS scholars and PhDs our upcoming Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity to share their work-in-progress and receive valuable feedback from European legal scholars and colleagues. We also invite early-career researchers to submit full papers and become nominated for our ESELS young scholar recognition.
Our call for submissions is open from 15 December 2025 to 15 February 2026. Registration for our pre-conference workshops will be open in Spring 2026, taking place on 17 June 2026 in the afternoon at the School of Economics and Business University of Ljubljana. The Annual Conference officially opens on the evening of 17 June 2026 at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall with a reception, music program and short historical address about the University of Ljubljana.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
In this unique country, the Pannonian, Alpine and Mediterranean worlds meet and weave a tapestry of natural, cultural and culinary diversity. Ljubljana is one of the greenest and smallest capital cities in Europe and the economic and cultural centre of Slovenia. It is located along a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, north of the country’s largest marsh and it has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is the Slovenia’s cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative centre. Nestled in the heart of Slovenia, Ljubljana is a charming city brimming with history, culture, and a unique blend of old-world charm and modern vibrancy. Originally a Roman settlement known as Emona, Ljubljana boasts a history spanning over two millennia. Today, its Old Town blends narrow streets, picturesque squares, and lively cafés under the watchful presence of Ljubljana Castle and its protector the Green Dragon of Ljubljana.
Accommodations
Below, we leave you a list of hotels located in the centre of the city of Ljubljana:
– Premium hotels
**** Heritage Hotel Ljubljana: https://hotelheritage.si/en
**** Zlata Ladjica Butique Hotel Ljubljana: https://zlataladjica.com/
****Lesar Hotel Angel: https://angelhotel.si/
****Hotel Mrak: https://hotelmrak.si/en/
****Antiq Palace Hotel: https://antiqpalace.com/
**** Allegro Hotel: https://www.allegrohotel.si/en
– Middle range hotels
*** City Hotel Ljubljana: https://www.cityhotel.si/
*** Ibis Styles Ljubljana Centre: https://www.ibisstylesljubljana.com/rooms
*** Urban Hotel: https://www.urbanhotel.si/
***Best Western Hotel Slon: https://www.hotelslon.com/
*** Hotel Meksiko Ljubljana: https://www.hotel-meksiko.si/en/
** Hotel Emonec: https://www.hotel-emonec.com/
***Hotel Cubo Ljubljana: https://hotelcubo.com/en
– Hostel
H2O Hostel: https://www.yourljubljanastay.com/h2o-hostel/
ZZZ Hostel: https://hostelzzz.si/?utm_source=gbusiness&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMBhostelzzz
Cube Hostel Ljubljana: https://guesthouse-2-47-1.worhot.com/
Hostel Vrba: https://hostelvrba.com/
Fluxus Hostel: http://www.fluxus-hostel.com/
