Socio-legal news
Welcome to the news section of the SLSA website. This area is divided into the following categories:
- Events
- Publications
- Research and funding
- Vacancies
- Consultations, inquiries and surveys
- Other announcements
If you would like an item added to the news section, please contact the
News
SLSA events
Reforming Legal and Policy Responses to Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Violence, QUB: registration now open
Disability and Rights: The possibilities and limits of rights discourse under neoliberalism, online: registration now open
Law, Drugs, and the Moving Body, Manchester
Other events
Modern Studies in Property Law, University of Southampton: call for papers
Personal and Professional Relationships in the Organ Recipient’s Life: A lecture by Professor Leach Scully, University of Bristol
How to Talk About Homes: JRF webinar series
Inclusive Legal Education Conference, Leeds Beckett University
Open Justice: Fit for purpose, Green Templeton College, Oxford
British Academy Summer Showcase, British Academy, London
Two Years On: Assessing the impact of surrogacy 'reforms' on future reproductive technologies, University of Greenwich
Contemporary Issues and Challenges in Commercial Law, Swansea University: call for papers
SAFI Annual Conference, University of Amsterdam: call for papers extended
Critical Legal Conference 2025, University of Exeter: call for papers for 'Law and process' stream
Understanding Miscarriages of Justice at 25, Queen Mary University of London
Publications
Law Commission Report: Modernising Wills Law
Research and funding
Pre-Call Announcement: Horizon Europe Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners 2025-26
Vacancies
Up to 10 academic posts: Faculty of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Post-doctoral researcher, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford
Consultations and surveys
Government launches consultation on legal aid
Vacancies
Up to 10 academic posts: Faculty of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Applications are invited for up to 10 academic posts at all levels (lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor) and in all areas of law, and either teaching & research or education focused roles. See website for details. Closing date: 8 June 2025.
Post-doctoral researcher, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford
Applications are invited for this full-time post on the Wellcome Trust funded project ‘Care in the Courtroom: Trauma-informed Specialist Courts and the Medicalisation of Justice’. See announcement for details. Closing date: 2 June 2025.
Two Deputy Editors: The Law Teacher
The Law Teacher, the journal of the Association of Law Teachers, invites applications invited for one temporary post and one permanent post. See announcement for details. Closing date: 9 June 2025.
Vacancies: University of Sheffield, School of Law
Applications are invited for the following posts at the University of Sheffield:
- Lecturer in law (reaching and research): closing date 27 May 2025
- University teacher in law: closing date 28 May 2025
- Teaching specialists: closing date 28 May 2025
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships: open for applications
Applications are invited from early career researchers or innovators for funding to support ambitious research and innovation across UKRI’s remit. See website for details. Closing date: 18 June 2025.
Consultations and surveys
Government launches consultation on criminal legal aid
The Government has launched a consultation on criminal legal aid aiming to deliver more efficient justice for victims and stabilise the criminal legal aid system by investing millions more in criminal legal aid. See announcement for details and see website for consultation. Closing date: 4 July 2025.
Impact of Disability Benefits Survey: call for participants
The survey aims to gather experiences of receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) to highlight the impact that disability benefits can have on the wellbeing of disabled people.
The survey asks respondents how they use their PIP/ADP and what impact it has on their life, work life and how they feel about themselves and their life. The findings of the survey will be submitted as evidence to the consultation on changes to disability benefits being conducted by the government at the end of June 2025. Taking part in this research involves filling out an online survey on MS Forms. Anyone who lives in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and receives PIP/ADP can take part. See announcement for further details. Closing date: 31 May 2025.
Law Commission Consultation on Aviation Autonomy
The Law Commission is examining the law around autonomous flight to support the safe development of rapidly advancing technology. If you have an interest in or awareness of this area of law, the Commission would like to hear your views. See website for details. Closing date: 18 July 2025.
Other announcements
RSVP Law: online seminar-workshops for ECR and precarious employees – call for EOIs and speakers
RSVP Law is a programme of short online seminar-workshops which aim to provide supportive external presentation opportunities, particularly for those in the early stages of their career or precarious employment who may struggle to secure support to engage in external speakership. It's a low pressure, low stakes way to get some presenting experience on their CVs, build their confidence, make new connections and disseminate their work outside their institutions. Organised by Lucinda Bromfield (BPP University) and Cameron Giles (London South Bank University). See webpage to sign up.
Legal Humanities Association launched
A new UK-based learned society, the Legal Humanities Association (LHA), has been set up and is open for membership.
The LHA is a new UK-based learned society, fostering a community dedicated to cultural understandings of law. The LHA is open for inaugural members to join and get involved and help shape the future of the legal humanities academic community. See flyer for details.
There will be an online inaugural event online in July 2025, which will include the first General Meeting at which members will vote in the LHA’s first Governance Committee. Any member can put themselves forward to join the Governance Committee or take up any of the officer roles, including Chair.
See website for full details. The Interim Committee invites you to share this call widely.
Academic Mentoring: Professor Didi Herman
Professor Didi Herman has retired from Kent Law School and is now offering confidential help to individuals and universities looking to improve scholarship for publication, mentoring, and the REF. See her website for details.
Professor Herman is now also offering expert consultancy to law schools for advance preparation for REF 2028.