This conference has been rescheduled for May 17, 2023.
All tickets are valid until the new date. If you have any questions, please email our events team.Please also note this Ticket page for in-person events. Click here for the hybrid version of the conference.
Please note: Reservations close at 12pm on May 15th. We will not be able to accept any reservations after that time.
Legal research with social impact
Civil society, universities and governments all want impactful research. This event is for anyone who wants to commission, develop or collaborate on legal research that makes a positive difference in people’s lives by influencing law, policy and practice.
If your organization has very limited resources and would like to participate, we can help you with tickets. To discuss please email events@publiclawproject.org.uk.
This event is for:
- Legal researchers, or researchers commissioned by NGOs or universities to conduct research aimed at social change.
- Policy experts, campaigners and lawyers will use the findings to inform action.
As a representative, you will learn:
- What is the impact agenda and why is it important for researchers, lawyers, civil society and governments?
- Defining and measuring impact in the context of legal research
- How to collaborate, build relationships, build projects, and co-produce impactful research
- What support is available from universities and funders for impactful research, and how can organizations access this?
- Discuss perceptions of failure in impact
11:00-11:05: Introduction: Professor Caroline Hunter, University of York
11:05-11:45: Opening Conversation: Legal Research for Social Impact
Our speakers kick off the conference with a discussion of why impact matters, covering the themes of the day, including understanding the experiences and purpose of communities and movements when designing research projects that have social impact. To do.
- Shameem Ahmad, Public Law Project Director
- Habib Qadiri, stopwatch
- Dr Lawrence McNamara, Law Commission of England and Wales and York Law School
11:45-13:00: What is impact?
Speakers will discuss influential research projects and the impact those projects have. This session will also explore theories of change and how they can inform research projects from the start and influence models from the beginning. Also ask speakers about what happens if the impact doesn’t meet expectations and they need to tell funders or re-evaluate results.
- Chair: Arabella Lang, Public Law Project
- Dr. Emily Greitak, American Civil Liberties Union Research Director
- Joe Hynes, Public Law Project
- Professor Charlotte O’Brien, University of York
- Professor Joe Tomlinson, University of York
13:00: Optional: Access the Justice Research Library
Network for Justice presents online library resources and the broader Network for Justice project.
13:00 -14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:15: Breakout (choose 1 of 4)
- Impact of legal amendments
This session will examine the process of using research to influence law reform and influence the work and programs of law commissions. Case studies include reforming the court process to assist litigants (LIPs), the legal treatment of non-binding religion-only marriages, and potential conflicts with non-unanimous verdicts, race, and miscarriages of justice. This includes related matters.
- Chair: Dr Lawrence McNamara, Law Commission of England and Wales
- Dr Rajnara Akhtar, University of Warwick
- Professor Grainne McKeever, University of Belfast
- Nisha Waller, Appeal
2. Litigation implications – test case strategy
This session will explore how research can inform litigation strategy, particularly litigation testing. This session will also explore collecting litigation data and acting on it.
- Chair: Alice Stevens, Public Law Project
- Polly Glynn, Dayton Pierce Glynn
- Daniel Hoadley, Mishcon de la Reya
- Kuba Jobronovsky, 3 million people and University of Exeter (participating remotely)
- Gillian Lobo, Client Earth
3. collaborative production research
This session focuses on examples of collaborative production among researchers and explores the benefits to research by involving individuals who are not researchers but have interests and experience in a project.
- Chair: Mia Leslie, Public Law Project
- Professor Helen Carr, University of Southampton
- Martin Collett, English Countryside
- Ife Thompson, BLAM UK
15:15 – 15:30 Break
15:30-16:00: Funding for Impact
Academic funding bodies and philanthropic foundations – useful tips on what types of funding are available and what potential funders are looking for.
- Caroline Gentil, Lloyds Foundation
- Robert Street, Nuffield Foundation
16:00-16:15: Communicating impactful research
This session uses real-world examples to illustrate how complex ideas and research results need to be distilled to communicate them to different, and often broader, audiences.
- Luke Robins-Grace, Public Law Project
16:30 -17:00: On scholatism in constitutional law: Skeptical thinking
- Professor Tarnab Khaitan, University of Oxford (virtual presentation)
17:00-17:45: Closing remarks
- Chair: Arabella Lang, PLP
- Professor Geoff King, UCL
18:15: Drinks reception
This conference is organized in partnership with York University Law School.
Please note that this is a developing program and some speakers and times are subject to change.
All bookings are processed by our events team and may take 1-2 business days to receive booking confirmation.
If you have any questions about ticket sales or programming, please email our events team.