The Empirical Legal Research Group
About the Cluster
The Empirical Legal Research Group (ELRG) differs from the School of Law's other research clusters in that it consists of researchers who share a common interest in utilising empirical methods and approaches, rather than being unified by a common interest in a particular substantive area of law. The members of the Group have utilised a wide range of different research methodologies on a diverse range of projects, and the ELRG exists as a way of pooling and sharing the experience and skills of its members, and facilitating collaboration. Empirical legal research is a fundamentally important branch of the study of law as a discipline, as it allows researchers to gain insights into the nature and impact of law in practice, to gather evidence that can assist in formulating and verifying theory, and to identify and understand legal problems that may otherwise go unnoticed. The ELRG provides a forum for discussion, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge among researchers, a training resource for those new to the field, and hosts seminars on empirical legal research by internal and external speakers.
Key Researchers
Staff in the School of Law are engaged in cutting edge and often interdisciplinary empirical research in a variety of substantive areas, such as: Community of Property schemes in Family Law, the parental rights and experiences of same-sex couples, the use and impact of ASBOs in England and Scotland, Muslim Family Law and Muslim Women in Britain, the enforcement practices of health and safety regulators, pregnancy-related unfair dismissal litigation at employment tribunals, racial discrimination in the appointment of legal professionals, the effects that counter-terrorism laws have on public discussion and access to information, public attitudes towards punishment and the criminal law, legal mobilisation by NGOs within Pan-European civil society, and much more. Members of the ELRG have obtained funds to facilitate this research from the ESRC, AHRC, Home Office, British Academy, Nuffield Foundation, the European Commission, and the Commission for Racial Equality, among others.
The work of key researchers in the cluster can be viewed on their staff web pages:
- Dr Paul Almond
- Dr Samia Bano
- Dr Therese Callus
- Professor Elizabeth J. Cooke
- Professor Chris Hilson
- Dr Grace James
- Professor Michael King
- Dr Martha-Marie Kleinhans
- Dr Lawrence McNamara
- Dr Aleardo Zanghellini
The Cluster also welcomes proposals from academics who would like to spend some time with us as a Visiting Scholar. Enquiries should be directed to Professor Chris Hilson at c.j.hilson@reading.ac.uk
Previous Research Projects
Postgraduate research students
Members of the ELRG are heavily involved in providing training in Research Methods and empirical methodology to postgraduate students within the School of Law. Postgraduate research students are also encouraged to become members of the ELRG and engage in the activities of the group.
Postgraduate research proposals are welcomed in all areas of empirical legal research. Detailed information about postgraduate research and funding opportunities in Law can be found in the School's Postgraduate Research pages. Prospective candidates who wish to discuss their research proposal should start by contacting the Director of Postgraduate Research, Dr Lawrence McNamara.
Contact us
Contact details for key researchers are available through the links above.
For postgraduate research enquiries, contact Dr Lawrence McNamara at l.mcnamara@reading.ac.uk.