dissertation for law degree

HLS Dissertations, Theses, and JD Papers

S.j.d. dissertations, ll.m. papers, ll.m. theses, j.d. papers, submitting your paper to an online collection, other sources for student papers beyond harvard, getting help, introduction.

This is a guide to finding Harvard Law School (“HLS”) student-authored works held by the Library and in online collections. This guide covers HLS S.J.D Dissertations, LL.M. papers, J.D. third-year papers, seminar papers, and prize papers.

There have been changes in the HLS degree requirements for written work. The library’s collection practices and catalog descriptions for these works has varied. Please note that there are gaps in the library’s collection and for J.D. papers, few of these works are being collected any longer.

If we have an S.J.D. dissertation or LL.M. thesis, we have two copies. One is kept in the general collection and one in the Red Set, an archival collection of works authored by HLS affiliates. If we have a J.D. paper, we have only one copy, kept in the Red Set. Red Set copies are last resort copies available only by advance appointment in Historical and Special Collections .

Some papers have not been processed by library staff. If HOLLIS indicates a paper is “ordered-received” please use this form to have library processing completed.

The HLS Doctor of Juridical Science (“S.J.D.”) program began in 1910.  The library collection of these works is not comprehensive. Exceptions are usually due to scholars’ requests to withhold Library deposit. 

• HLS S.J.D. Dissertations in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic or faculty advisor, or limit by date, click Add a New Line.
• Hein’s Legal Theses and Dissertations Microfiche Mic K556.H45x Drawers 947-949 This microfiche set includes legal theses and dissertations from HLS and other premier law schools. It currently includes about 300 HLS dissertations and theses.
• Hein's Legal Theses and Dissertations Contents List This content list is in order by school only, not by date, subject or author. It references microfiche numbers within the set housed in the Microforms room on the entry level of the library, drawers 947-949. The fiche are a different color for each institution.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses @ Harvard University (Harvard login) Copy this search syntax: dg(S.J.D.) You will find about 130 SJD Dissertations dated from 1972 to 2004. They are not available in full text.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, DASH is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. There are currently about 600 HLS student papers included. Unfortunately it is not possible to search by type of paper or degree awarded.

The Master of Laws (“LL.M.”) degree has been awarded since 1923. Originally, the degree required completion of a major research paper, akin to a thesis. Since 1993, most students have the option of writing the LL.M. "short paper."  This is a 25-page (or longer) paper advised by a faculty supervisor or completed in conjunction with a seminar.  Fewer LL.M. candidates continue to write the more extensive "long-paper." LL.M. candidates holding J.D.s from the U.S. must write the long paper.

• HLS Written Work Requirements for LL.M. Degree The current explanation of the LL.M. written work requirement for the master of laws.

The library generally holds HLS LL.M. long papers and short papers. In recent years, we require author release in order to do so. In HOLLIS, no distinction is made between types of written work created in satisfaction of the LL.M. degree; all are described as LL.M. thesis. Though we describe them as thesis, the law school refers to them solely as papers or in earlier years, essays. HOLLIS records indicate the number of pages, so at the record level, it is possible to distinguish long papers.

• HLS LL.M. Papers in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

HLS LL.M. Papers are sometimes available in DASH and Hein's Legal Dissertations and Theses. See descriptions above .

The HLS J.D. written work requirement has changed over time. The degree formerly required a substantial research paper comparable in scope to a law review article written under faculty supervision, the "third year paper." Since 2008, J.D. students have the option of using two shorter works instead.

Of all those written, the library holds relatively few third-year papers. They were not actively collected but accepted by submission from faculty advisors who deemed a paper worthy of institutional retention. The papers are described in HOLLIS as third year papers, seminar papers, and student papers. Sometimes this distinction was valid, but not always. The faculty deposit tradition more or less ended in 2006, though the possibility of deposit still exists. 

• J.D. Written Work Requirement
• Faculty Deposit of Student Papers with the Library

HLS Third Year Papers in HOLLIS

To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

• HLS Student Papers Some third-year papers and LL.M. papers were described in HOLLIS simply as student papers. To refine these search results, click "Add a New Line" and add topic, faculty advisor, or course title.
• HLS Seminar Papers Note that these include legal research pathfinders produced for the Advanced Legal Research course when taught by Virginia Wise.

Prize Papers

HLS has many endowed prizes for student papers and essays. There are currently 16 different writing prizes. See this complete descriptive list with links to lists of winners from 2009 to present. Note that there is not always a winner each year for each award. Prize winners are announced each year in the commencement pamphlet.

The Library has not specifically collected prize papers over the years but has added copies when possible. The HOLLIS record for the paper will usually indicate its status as a prize paper. The most recent prize paper was added to the collection in 2006.

Addison Brown Prize Animal Law & Policy Program Writing Prize Victor Brudney Prize Davis Polk Legal Profession Paper Prize Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize Yong K. Kim ’95 Memorial Prize Islamic Legal Studies Program Prize on Islamic Law Laylin Prize LGBTQ Writing Prize Mancini Prize Irving Oberman Memorial Awards John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics Project on the Foundations of Private Law Prize Sidney I. Roberts Prize Fund Klemens von Klemperer Prize Stephen L. Werner Prize

• Harvard Law School Prize Essays (1850-1868) A historical collection of handwritten prize essays covering the range of topics covered at that time. See this finding aid for a collection description.

The following information about online repositories is not a recommendation or endorsement to participate.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses HLS is not an institutional participant to this collection. If you are interested in submitting your work, refer to these instructions and note that there is a fee required, which varies depending on the format of submission.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Relatively new, this is an open repository of metadata for dissertations. It is an outgrowth of the index American Doctoral Dissertations. The aim is to cover 1933 to present and, for modern works, to link to full text available in institutional repositories. Harvard is not one of the institutional participants.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, this is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. See more information about the project. 

Some HLS students have submitted their degree paper to DASH.  If you would like to submit your paper, you may use this authorization form  or contact June Casey , Librarian for Open Access Initiatives and Scholarly Communication at Harvard Law School.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Harvard Login) Covers dissertations and masters' theses from North American graduate schools and many worldwide. Provides full text for many since the 1990s and has descriptive data for older works.
• NDLTD Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog Worldwide in scope, NDLTD contains millions of records of electronic theses and dissertations from the early 1900s to the present.
• Law Commons of the Digital Commons Network The Law Commons has dissertations and theses, as well as many other types of scholarly research such as book chapters and conference proceedings. They aim to collect free, full-text scholarly work from hundreds of academic institutions worldwide.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Doctoral dissertations from many institutions. Free, open repository.
• Dissertations from Center for Research Libraries Dissertations found in this resource are available to the Harvard University Community through Interlibrary Loan.
• British Library EThOS Dissertation source from the British Library listing doctoral theses awarded in the UK. Some available for immediate download and some others may be requested for scanning.
• BASE from Bielefeld University Library Index of the open repositoris of most academic institutions. Includes many types of documents including doctoral and masters theses.

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Legal Dissertation: Research and Writing Guide

About this guide, video on choosing a topic, tools on westlaw, lexis and bloomberg, circuit splits, research methodologies, additional methodology resources, conducting a literature review, beginning research, writing style guides, citation guides, ask a librarian.

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About This Page

Choosing a topic can be one of the most challenging aspects of writing an extensive paper. This page has resources to help you find topics and inspiration, before you get started on the in-depth research process.

Related Guides

Citation and Writing Resources

Legal Research Tutorials

Secondary Sources for Legal Research

Methods of Finding Cases

Methods of Finding Statutes

Current Awareness and Alerting Resources

Compiling State Legislative Histories

Locating International and Foreign Law Journals

This guide contains resources to help students researching and writing a legal dissertation or other upper-level writing project. Some of the resources in this guide are directed at researching and writing in general, not specifically on legal topics, but the strategies and tips can still be applied.

The Law Library maintains a number of other guides on related skills and topics that may be of interest:

The Wells Library also maintains guides. A few that may be helpful for managing research can be found here:

Choosing a Topic

This video discusses tips and strategies for choosing a dissertation topic.

Note: this video is not specific to legal dissertation topics, but it may still be of interest as an overview generally.

The Bloomberg/BNA publication United States Law Week can be a helpful resource for tracking down the major legal stories of the day.  Log into Bloomberg Law, in the big search box, start typing United States Law Week and the title will appear in the drop down menu beneath the box. This publication provides coverage of top legal news stories, and in-depth "insight" features.

If you have a general idea of the area of law you wish to write about, check out the Practice Centers on Bloomberg. From the homepage, click the Browse link in the top left-hand corner. Then select Practice Centers and look for your area of law. Practice Centers are helpful because they gather cases, statutes, administrative proceedings, news, and more on the selected legal area.

Bloomberg has other news sources available as well. From the homepage, click the Browse link in the top left-hand corner. Then select News and Analysis, then select News or Analysis, and browse the available topics.

If you know what area of law you'd like to write about, you may find the Browse Topics feature in Lexis Advance helpful for narrowing down your topic. 

Log into Lexis Advance, click the Browse Topics tab, and select a topic.  If you don't see your topic listed, try using the provided search bar to see whether your topic is categorized as a sub-topic within this list. 

Once you click on a topic, a box pops up with several options.  If you click on Get Topic Document, you'll see results listed in a number of categories, including Cases, Legislation, and more.  The News and Legal News categories at the right end of the list may help you identify current developments of interest for your note.  Don't forget about the filtering options on the left that will allow you to search within your results, narrow your jurisdiction, and more.

Similar to Lexis Advance, Westlaw Edge has a Topics tab that may be helpful if you know what area of law you'd like to write about.

Log onto Westlaw Edge, and click on the Topics tab.  This time, you won't be able to search within this list, so if you're area is not listed, you should either run a regular search from the main search bar at the top or try out some of the topics listed under this tab - once you click on a topic, you can search within its contents.

What is great about the Topics in Westlaw Edge is the Practitioner Insights page you access by clicking on a topic.  This is an information portal that allows you quick access to cases, legislation, top news, and more on your selected topic.

In United States federal courts, a circuit split occurs whenever two or more circuit courts of appeals issue conflicting rulings on the same legal question. Circuit splits are ripe for legal analysis and commentary because they present a situation in which federal law is being applied in different ways in different parts of the country, even if the underlying litigants themselves are otherwise similarly situated. The Supreme Court also frequently accepts cases on appeal that involve these types of conflicted rulings from various sister circuits.

To find a circuit split on a topic of interest to you, try searching on Lexis and Westlaw using this method:

in the search box, enter the following: (circuit or court w/s split) AND [insert terms or phrases to narrow the search]

You can also browse for circuit splits on Bloomberg. On the Bloomberg homepage, in the "Law School Success" box, Circuit Splits Charts appear listed under Secondary Sources.

Other sources for circuit splits are American Law Reports (ALR) and American Jurisprudence (AmJur). These publications provide summaries of the law, point out circuit splits, and provide references for further research.

"Blawgs" or law-related blogs are often written by scholars or practitioners in the legal field.  Ordinarily covering current events and developments in law, these posts can provide inspiration for note topics.  To help you find blawgs on a specific topic, consider perusing the ABA's Blawg Directory or Justia's Blawg Search .

Research Methodology

Types of research methodologies.

There are different types of research methodologies. Methodology refers to the strategy employed in conducting research. The following methodologies are some of the most commonly used in legal and social science research.

Doctrinal legal research methodology, also called "black letter" methodology, focuses on the letter of the law rather than the law in action. Using this method, a researcher composes a descriptive and detailed analysis of legal rules found in primary sources (cases, statutes, or regulations). The purpose of this method is to gather, organize, and describe the law; provide commentary on the sources used; then, identify and describe the underlying theme or system and how each source of law is connected.

Doctrinal methodology is good for areas of law that are largely black letter law, such as contract or property law. Under this approach, the researcher conducts a critical, qualitative analysis of legal materials to support a hypothesis. The researcher must identify specific legal rules, then discuss the legal meaning of the rule, its underlying principles, and decision-making under the rule (whether cases interpreting the rule fit together in a coherent system or not). The researcher must also identify ambiguities and criticisms of the law, and offer solutions. Sources of data in doctrinal research include the rule itself, cases generated under the rule, legislative history where applicable, and commentaries and literature on the rule.

This approach is beneficial by providing a solid structure for crafting a thesis, organizing the paper, and enabling a thorough definition and explanation of the rule. The drawbacks of this approach are that it may be too formalistic, and may lead to oversimplifying the legal doctrine.

Comparative

Comparative legal research methodology involves critical analysis of different bodies of law to examine how the outcome of a legal issue could be different under each set of laws. Comparisons could be made between different jurisdictions, such as comparing analysis of a legal issue under American law and the laws of another country, or researchers may conduct historical comparisons.

When using a comparative approach be sure to define the reasons for choosing this approach, and identify the benefits of comparing laws from different jurisdictions or time periods, such as finding common ground or determining best practices and solutions. The comparative method can be used by a researcher to better understand their home jurisdiction by analyzing how other jurisdictions handle the same issue. This method can also be used as a critical analytical tool to distinguish particular features of a law. The drawback of this method is that it can be difficult to find material from other jurisdictions. Also, researchers should be sure that the comparisons are relevant to the thesis and not just used for description.

This type of research uses data analysis to study legal systems. A detailed guide on empirical methods can be found here . The process of empirical research involves four steps: design the project, collect and code the data, analyze the data, determine best method of presenting the results. The first step, designing the project, is when researchers define their hypothesis and concepts in concrete terms that can be observed. Next, researchers must collect and code the data by determining the possible sources of information and available collection methods, and then putting the data into a format that can be analyzed. When researchers analyze the data, they are comparing the data to their hypothesis. If the overlap between the two is significant, then their hypothesis is confirmed, but if there is little to no overlap, then their hypothesis is incorrect. Analysis involves summarizing the data and drawing inferences. There are two types of statistical inference in empirical research, descriptive and causal. Descriptive inference is close to summary, but the researcher uses the known data from the sample to draw conclusions about the whole population. Causal inference is the difference between two descriptive inferences.

Two main types of empirical legal research are qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative, or numerical, empirical legal research involves taking information about cases and courts, translating that information into numbers, and then analyzing those numbers with statistical tools.

Qualitative, or non-numerical, empirical legal research involves extracting  information from the text of court documents, then interpreting and organizing the text into categories, and using that information to identify patterns.

Drafting The Methodology Section

This is the part of your paper that describes the research methodology, or methodologies if you used more than one. This section will contain a detailed description of how the research was conducted and why it was conducted in that way. First, draft an outline of what you must include in this section and gather the information needed.

Generally, a methodology section will contain the following:

• Statement of research objectives
• Reasons for the research methodology used
• Description and rationale of the data collection tools, sampling techniques, and data sources used, including a description of how the data collection tools were administered
• Discussion of the limitations
• Discussion of the data analysis tools used

Be sure that you have clearly defined the reasoning behind the chosen methodology and sources.

• Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students Nadia E. Nedzel Aspen (2004) A guide to American legal research and the federal system, written for international students. Includes information on the research process, and tips for writing. Located in the Law Library, 3rd Floor: KF 240 .N43 2004.
• Methodologies of Legal Research: Which Kind of Method for What Kind of Discipline? Mark van Hoecke Oxford (2013) This book examines different methods of legal research including doctrinal, comparative, and interdisciplinary. Located at Lilly Law Library, Indianapolis, 2nd Floor: K 235 .M476 2013. IU students may request item via IUCAT.
• An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research Lee Epstein and Andrew D. Martin Oxford University Press (2014) This book includes information on designing research, collecting and coding data, analyzing data, and drafting the final paper. Located at Lilly Law Library, Indianapolis, 2nd Floor: K 85 .E678 2014. IU students may request item via IUCAT.
• Emplirical Legal Studies Blog The ELS blog was created by several law professors, and focuses on using empirical methods in legal research, theory, and scholarship. Search or browse the blog to find entries on methodology, data sources, software, and other tips and techniques.

Literature Review

The literature review provides an examination of existing pieces of research, and serves as a foundation for further research. It allows the researcher to critically evaluate existing scholarship and research practices, and puts the new thesis in context. When conducting a literature review, one should consider the following: who are the leading scholars in the subject area; what has been published on the subject; what factors or subtopics have these scholars identified as important for further examination; what research methods have others used; what were the pros and cons of using those methods; what other theories have been explored.

The literature review should include a description of coverage. The researcher should describe what material was selected and why, and how those selections are relevant to the thesis. Discuss what has been written on the topic and where the thesis fits in the context of existing scholarship. The researcher should evaluate the sources and methodologies used by other researchers, and describe how the thesis different.

The following video gives an overview of conducting a literature review.

Note: this video is not specific to legal literature, however it may be helpful as a general overview.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few suggestions for digging into sources once you have selected a topic.

Research Guides

Research guides are discovery tools, or gateways of information. They pull together lists of sources on a topic. Some guides even offer brief overviews and additional research steps specifically for that topic. Many law libraries offer guides on a variety of subjects. You can locate guides by visiting library websites, such as this Library's site , the Law Library of Congress , or other schools like Georgetown . Some organizations also compile research guides, such as the American Society of International Law . Utilizing a research guide on your topic to generate an introductory source list can save you valuable time.

Secondary Sources

It is often a good idea to begin research with secondary sources. These resources summarize, explain, and analyze the law. They also provide references to primary sources and other secondary sources. This saves you time and effort, and can help you quickly identify major themes under your topic and help you place your thesis in context.

Encyclopedias provide broad coverage of all areas of the law, but do not go in-depth on narrow topics, or discuss differences by jurisdiction, or  include all of the pertinent cases. American Jurisprudence ( AmJur ) and Corpus Juris Secundum ( CJS ) have nationwide coverage, while the Indiana Law Encyclopedia focuses on Indiana state law. A number of other states also have their own state-specific encyclopedias.

American Law Reports ( ALR ) are annotations that synopsize various cases on narrow legal topics. Each annotation covers a different topic, and provides a leading or typical case on the topic, plus cases from different jurisdictions that follow different rules, or cases where different facts applying the same rule led to different outcomes. The annotations also refer to other secondary sources.  

Legal periodicals include several different types of publications such as law reviews from academic institutions or organizations, bar journals, and commercial journals/newspapers/newsletters. Legal periodicals feature articles that describe the current state of the law and often explore underlying policies. They also critique laws, court decisions, and policies, and often advocate for changes. Articles also discuss emerging issues and notify the profession of new developments. Law reviews can be useful for in-depth coverage on narrow topics, and references to primary and other secondary sources. However, content can become outdated and researchers must be mindful of biases in articles. 

Treatises/Hornbooks/Practice Guides are a type of secondary source that provides comprehensive coverage of a legal subject. It could be broad, such as a treatise covering all of contract law, or very narrow such as a treatise focused only on search and seizure cases. These sources are good when you have some general background on the topic, but you need more in-depth coverage of the legal rules and policies. Treatises are generally well organized, and provide you with finding aids (index, table of contents, etc.) and extensive footnotes or endnotes that will lead you to primary sources like cases, statutes, and regulations. They may also include appendices with supporting material like forms. However, treatises may not be updated as frequently as other sources and may not cover your specific issue or jurisdiction.

Citation and Writing Style

• Legal Writing in Plain English Bryan A. Garner University of Chicago Press, 2001. Call # KF 250 .G373 2001 Location: Law Library, 3rd Floor Provides lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars with sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. The leading guide to clear writing in the field, this book offers valuable insights into the writing process: how to organize ideas, create and refine prose, and improve editing skills. This guide uses real-life writing samples that Garner has gathered through decades of teaching experience. Includes sets of basic, intermediate, and advanced exercises in each section.
• The Elements of Legal Style Bryan A. Garner Oxford University Press, 2002. Call # KF 250 .G37 2002 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Reference This book explains the full range of what legal writers need to know: mechanics, word choice, structure, and rhetoric, as well as all the special conventions that legal writers should follow in using headings, defined terms, quotations, and many other devices. Garner also provides examples from highly regarded legal writers, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Clarence Darrow, Frank Easterbrook, and Antonin Scalia.
• Grammarly Blog Blog featuring helpful information about quirks of the English language, for example when to use "affect" or "effect" and other tips. Use the search feature to locate an article relevant to your grammar query.
• Plain English for Lawyers Richard C. Wydick Carolina Academic Press, 2005. Call # KF 250 .W9 2005 Location: Law Library, 3rd Floor Award-winning book that contains guidance to improve the writing of lawyers and law students and to promote the modern trend toward a clear, plain style of legal writing. Includes exercises at the end of each chapter.
• The Chicago Manual of Style University of Chicago Press, 2010. Call # Z 253 .U69 2010 Location: Law Library, 2nd Floor While not addressing legal writing specifically, The Chicago Manual of Style is one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States. It focuses on American English and deals with aspects of editorial practice, including grammar and usage, as well as document preparation and formatting.
• The Chicago Manual of Style (Online) Bryan A. Garner and William S. Strong The University of Chicago Press, 2017. Online edition: use the link above to view record in IUCAT, then click the Access link (for IU students only).
• The Bluebook Compiled by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. Harvard Law Review Association, 2015. Call # KF245 .B58 2015 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Circulation Desk The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is taught and used at a majority of U.S. law schools, law reviews and journals, and used in a majority of U.S. federal courts.
• User's Guide to the Bluebook Alan L. Dworsky William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2015. Call # KF 245 .D853 2015 Location: Law Library, Circulation Desk "This User's Guide is written for practitioners (law students, law clerks, lawyers, legal secretaries and paralegals), and is designed to make the task of mastering citation form as easy and painless as possible. To help alleviate the obstacles faced when using proper citation form, this text is set up as a how-to manual with a step-by-step approach to learning the basic skills of citation and includes the numbers of the relevant Bluebook rules under most chapter subheadings for easy reference when more information is needed"--Provided by the publisher.
• Legal Citation in a Nutshell Larry L. Teply West Academic Publishing, 2016. Call # KF 245 .T47 2016 Location: Law Library, 1st Floor, Circulation Desk This book is designed to ease the task of learning legal citation. It initially focuses on conventions that underlie all accepted forms and systems of legal citation. Building on that understanding and an explanation of the “process” of using citations in legal writing, the book then discusses and illustrates the basic rules.
• Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (Online) Peter W. Martin Cornell Legal Information Institute, 2017. Free online resource. Includes a thorough review of the relevant rules of appellate practice of federal and state courts. It takes account of the latest edition of The Bluebook, published in 2015, and provides a correlation table between this free online citation guide and the Bluebook.
• Last Updated: Oct 24, 2019 11:00 AM
• URL: https://law.indiana.libguides.com/dissertationguide

Edinburgh Research Archive

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Law thesis and dissertation collection

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Presented here is a selection of theses and dissertations from the School of Law. Please note that this is not a complete record of all degrees awarded by the School.

This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Recent Submissions

Challenges and limitations of granting legal personality to distributed/decentralized autonomous organizations , development of international shipping standards under the auspices of the imo and their implementation in practice: a case study of thailand , adequacy of the ex post armed attack framework of the jus ad bellum in relation to the evolving means and methods of warfare , governing disputed maritime areas , what we say when we criminalise: a metanormative inquiry , testamentary law in england, c. 1450-1540 , sovereign immunity from execution of foreign arbitral awards in the 21st century , conceptualizations of addiction in harm reduction strategies for effective and ethical uk drug policy , liminality and the lived experience of law in medicine: the legal consciousness of physicians in encounters with people living as undocumented migrants , contested citizenship and statelessness in question: an anlysis of cases of overseas taiwanese people and tibetan exiles in taiwan , eternity and the constitution: the promise and limits of eternity clauses , hate speech in the british press: a theoretical and practical assessment of the case for broader regulation , liberty versus security under illiberal constitutionalism: the legality of criminalising humanitarian assistance in hungary and greece , operationalising ‘publicness’ in data-intensive health research regulation: an examination of the public interest as a regulatory device , worldmaking powers of law and performance: queer politics beyond/against neoliberal legalism , development of law of the sea by unclos dispute settlement procedures: towards a coherent jurisprudence , evaluating the european union's response to online misinformation and disinformation: how to address harm while maximising freedom of expression , reconciling reverse burdens of proof with the presumption of innocence: a new approach , uses of roman law in the construction of the concept of possession in the german-speaking countries in the nineteenth century , paths of effectiveness, fairness and legitimacy for eliciting public confidence in policing and cooperation with the police in monterrey metropolitan neighbourhoods .

Stanford Law School's Theses and Dissertations Collection

• Early Thesis and Dissertation of Stanford Law School, 1929 to 1956
• Theses and Dissertations of Stanford Law School,1970-1995
• Stanford Program in International Legal Studies’ Theses, 1996 to 2010
• Stanford Law School’s Dissertations, 1996 to 2010
• Stanford Program in International Legal Studies Theses, 2011 to 2025

Collection Description

This collection contains Stanford Law School Students’ theses and dissertations written to fulfill the academic requirements for advanced degrees.   Historically, the collection of Theses and Dissertations were produced as part of the requirement coursework for receiving a Master of Laws (1933-1969), a Juris Doctor (1906-1932), or a Doctor of Jurisprudence.  

Currently, works received from students are produced under two different graduate programs.  Thesis are works were produced as part of the requirement for the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS). SPILS was established in 1995 by Professors Lawrence Friedman and Thomas C. Heller, to educate international students, lawyers, judges, public officials, and other professionals trained in the study of law outside the United States.  Students in the SPILS Program are required to do interdisciplinary research that affects the global community.  The culmination of this program is a research project that each individual student develops over the course of the year under a faculty advisor, after which the earns a Master of the Science of Law degree.  The research project must demonstrate the student's ability to employ empirical methods of investigation and must addresses issues in the international community or within a specific country.  These can cover a large range of topics that analyze legal cultures, legal reforms, or public policy.  

Dissertations are produced under Doctor of Science of Law program or JSD.  The JSD program as we know it was revised for the Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1969 is designed for students who are interested in pursuing an academic career. Doctor of Science of Law Students are selected from the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies and those who have a postgraduate degree in Legal Studies.

All materials in this collection were donated by individual authors to the Stanford Law Library's Special Collections.

Collection Identity Number: LAW-3781

Finding Aid prepared by

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Ph.D. Program

The ph.d. in law degree.

The Ph.D. in Law degree program is designed to prepare J.D. graduates for careers as legal scholars and teachers through a doctoral program aimed at the production of a substantial body of academic research and writing under the close supervision of a three-member faculty dissertation committee. Unlike programs designed for students who wish to learn about law from the disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences or the humanities, the Ph.D. in Law is directed at students who wish to pursue advanced studies in law from the perspective of the law. This program offers emerging scholars an opportunity to contribute to the development of law as an academic field, and it provides an alternate pathway into law teaching alongside existing routes such as fellowships, advanced degrees in cognate fields, legal practice, and clerkships.

Because our entering Ph.D. students will have already completed their J.D. degrees, the anticipated course of study toward the Ph.D. in Law degree is three academic years and two summers in residence. In their first two semesters, Ph.D. students will enroll in courses designed to help them acquire the background and research skills needed to complete a dissertation in their field of interest and to prepare them for qualifying examinations that test the depth and breadth of the literacies and skills they have acquired. During their second year, students will prepare a dissertation prospectus and begin work on a dissertation. The dissertation may take the form of either three law review articles or a book-length manuscript and will make up a portfolio of writing that will be essential for success in the job market. Ph.D. students will also gain experience in the classroom, and receive the full support of Yale Law School’s Law Teaching Program , which has had remarkable success in placing graduates in tenure-track positions at leading law schools.

Ph.D. students receive a full-tuition waiver, a health award for health insurance coverage, and a stipend to cover their year-round living expenses, as well as support for participation in national and international conferences.

Applications for admission to the Ph.D. in Law program are available starting on August 15. The deadline for submission of all materials is December 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. in Law program must complete a J.D. degree at a U.S. law school before they matriculate and begin the Ph.D. program. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, at [email protected] .

Watch Gordon Silverstein, Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, describe the Ph.D. program at Yale Law School.

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Duke Law > Duke Law Scholarship Repository > Student Works > SJD Dissertations

Duke Law SJD Dissertations

Dissertations from 2022 2022.

Adaptive Regulation in India- Groundwater, Electric Vehicles, and Health Data , Rupanjali Karthik

Dissertations from 2021 2021

From Freedom of Speech to Information Capability , Tao Huang

Gender-Blind: International Human Rights on Abortion Through Irish Eyes , Christine A. Ryan

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Post-Crisis Financialization Through Product Innovation: Assessing Complexity, Growth & Design In Exchange Traded Funds , Ryan Clements

Institutional Choice and Targeted Killing: A Comparative Perspective , Elad D. Gil

The Margin of Appreciation as a Foreign Relations Law Doctrine , Elad D. Gil

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Crime, Judicial Discretion and Reconciliation: A Place for Christian Theology in Criminal Sentencing , Kevin Anthony Blazs

Totemic Functionalism in Foreign Affairs Law , Elad D. Gil

China's Approach to International Law as a Rising World Power: An Internal Dynamics Perspective , Chaoyi Jiang

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Adaptive Regulatory Impact Assessment: Beyond the Foresight-Hindsight Divide , Daniel Lima Ribeiro

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Banking Regulation in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Malaysia: A Model for Harmonizing Islamic Banking Law , Salman M. Alasiry

A Textbook Problem: Providing Open Educational Resources as Public Goods , Andrew Rens

Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Entrepreneurial Activity Across Diverse Regulatory Regimes: Promotion, Obstruction and Unintended Consequences of Business Startups' Regulations , Anas S. Albanyan

A Capability Approach to the Patent System , Julia Carbone

Circling the Behavior of Terrorist Supporters: A Comparative Study of the US and Israel , Shimrit Itay-Horev

Global-Peripheral Music: New Lessons for Reconciling Economic Development With Copyright Law and Practice , Ana Santos Rutschman

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Constitutional Reasoning , Wen-Yu Chia

Beyond Area-Based Ocean Management , Xiao Recio Blanco

The Prosecution and Punishment of Atrocity Crimes in Perspective: A Comparative Study , Nir Shnaiderman

Market Discipline in the Post‐Crisis Banking System: A Proposed Collaborative Approach and Its Theoretical Application in China , Cheng-Yun Tsang

Dissertations from 2014 2014

A Social Psychological Perspective on the Decision-Making Processes of Trial Judges in Taiwan , Mong-Hwa Chin

Scandinavian Private Law: Nationalism, Realism, and Instrumentalist in Private Law , Rasmus Goksor

Brazil's Copyright Law Revision: Tropicália 3.0? , Pedro Paranaguá

Constitutionalizing Religion and Religious Freedom: A Comparative Study of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka , Dian Abdul Hamed Shah

A Theory of Ethical Copyright , Haochen Sun

Dissertations from 2013 2013

From the Digital Library of Babel to Microscopes for the Mind: Overcoming the Legal Obstacles to Mass Digitization Projects , Avraham Osterman

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Cumulative Creativity : From the Oral-Formulaic Tradition to Digital Remix , Giancarlo F. Frosio

Dissertations from 2011 2011

European Research Infrastructure Consortiums: Privately Ordered and Publicly Funded Research Commons for Data , Heather J. Ritch

Dissertations from 2010 2010

Interregional Recognition and Enforcement of Civil and Commercial Judgments: Lessons for China from US and EU Laws , Jie Huang

Dissertations from 2008 2008

Balancing Commitment and Flexibility at the WTO: Proposals for a New Safeguard Mechanism , Jaratrus Chamratrithirong

Dissertations from 2006 2006

Beyond Conviction: The Principles and Politics of Criminal Justice in Dealing with Human Rights Violations; A Theoretical and Contextual Inquiry , Dadimos Haile

Submissions from 2004 2004

Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Intellectual Property Judgments: Analysis and Guidelines for a New International Convention , Yoav Oestreicher

Dissertations from 2003 2003

Corruption: Its Treatment Under International Law , Alejandro Posadas

Dissertations from 2001 2001

Intellectual Property Protection: The Public-Private Cooperative Organization , Pakvipa Ahviphan

A Comparative Analysis of Canadian and American Law Relating to the Preservation of the Confidentiality of Settlement and Mediation Discussions , Gail H. Forsythe

The Panoramic Theory: A Corporate Opportunity Doctrine for Anglo-New Zealand Law - Building on U.S. Insights , Struan Scott

Dissertations from 1999 1999

World Banking Revolution: The Legal Perspective , Way-Wen Yang

Dissertations from 1998 1998

The Constitutional Protection of Social Rights in Israel and the United States , Avraham Ortal

Dissertations from 1996 1996

Financial Liberalization and Internationalization: The Korean Experience , Dong Won Ko

Dissertations from 1994 1994

Perspectives of Foreign Bank Supervision: The U.S. Supervisory Regimes and Other Models , Xiaqiu Wang

Dissertations from 1993 1993

The Gulf Cooperation Council Stock Markets: Regulation, Problems and Integration: A Thesis , Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Sheaibi

International Economic Integration and Mechanisms for International Dispute Settlement: The Case for a Permanent Tribunal for the Central American Common Market , Walter Niehaus-Bonilla

Corporate and Company Law Trends in the United States and the European Community: Freedom of Incorporation From the "Foreign" Perspective , Krešimir Piršl

Dissertations from 1990 1990

Mergers and Acquisitions: Motives, Effects and Policy Implications , Min-Kyo Lee

Dissertations from 1989 1989

Alternative Approaches to the Consideration of Surveillance of Relationship , Jiin-Fang Lin

The Constitutional Problem of Subversive Advocacy in the United States and Greece: A Comparison of the Legal Guarantees of the Freedom of Political Speech in Times of Internal Crisis , Ioannis Tassopoulos

Dissertations from 1987 1987

An Overview of the Policy and Legislation Governing Foreign Direct Investment, Transfer of Technology and Intellectual Property, Protection of the Republic of China (Taiwan): With Special Reference to the Impact of International Law and Agreements, Codes of Conduct, and the U.S. Trade Remedy Laws , Chin-Hsien Chen

Joint Criminal/Civil Actions as an Alternative to Criminal Restitution Orders: A Constitutional and Procedural Analysis , Huei Huang Lin

Dissertations from 1985 1985

Labor Conflicts and the Role of Lockouts From a Comparative Perspective: A Legal Study of American and German Approaches , Torsten Joachim Lange

Dissertations from 1980 1980

Terrorism: A Question of Law and Justice , Abdulrhman Hassan Al. Nafisah

Multinational Companies and Kuwait National Policy , Tamah S. Al-Shammari

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Law Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On April 26, 2024

Law dissertations can be demanding because of the need to find relevant regulations, cases, and data to address the research problem successfully. It is of utmost importance to critically examine facts before framing the  research questions .

Selection of the most appropriate legal terms and legal authorities, whether online or in print, can be challenging especially if you have not tackled a law dissertation project before.

To help you select an intriguing law  dissertation  topic,  our expert writers have suggested some issues in various areas of law, including trust law, EU law, family law, employment and equality law, public law, tort law, intellectual property rights, commercial law, evidence, and criminal law, and human rights and immigration law.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Review step by step guide on how to write your own dissertation  here.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question , aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for 2024 here.

2024 Law Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the role of international criminal laws in reducing global genocide. It will be an exploratory study identifying the explicit and implicit effects of international criminal laws on the worldwide genocide. It will analyse different incidents of international genocide and find out how international criminal laws played a positive role to reduce these incidents. Lastly, it will recommend possible changes in the international criminal laws to effectively mitigate global genocide. And it will be done by comparing criminal laws of world-leading powers to reduce genocide.

Topic 2: Impact of Anti-Racism Employment Laws on Organisational Culture- A Comparative Study on the Anti-Racism Employment Laws in the US and Canada

Research Aim: This research aims to find the impact of anti-racism employment laws on the organisational culture in the US and Canada in a comparative analysis. It will identify the change in employees’ behaviour after implementing anti-racism laws. Moreover, it will find whether employees gleefully welcomed these laws or showed resistance. And how do these laws affect the organisations’ performance that strictly implemented them?

Topic 3: Globalization, international business transactions, and commercial law- A perspective from literature.

Research Aim: Students and practitioners can find the law of international business transactions as a subfield within a broader field of international commercial law to be somewhat amorphous.

This study will explain the impact of globalization on international business transactions and commercial law by establishing some necessary links between the study of transnational business law and related fields of international studies. This study also aims to address theories about foreign business regulation, such as the idea that it is free of power politics. For the collection of data existing literature will be studied. And the methodology of this research will rely on existing previous literature.

Topic 4: Investigating the impact of competition law on the businesses in the UK- Post Brexit

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of competition laws on businesses in the Post-Brexit UK. The proposed study will not only analyze the performance of the businesses with the current competition laws. But also analyze the impact of possible changes in competition laws on the businesses in the post-Brexit UK. And it will also incorporate the possible difference of changes in competition laws in deal, no-deal, hard deal, and soft deal scenarios. This way of individually analyzing the difference of competition laws due to the status of the UK’s deal with the EU will give better insights into how businesses will be affected by these laws in the post-Brexit UK.

Topic 5: A comparison between Islamic and contemporary laws against rape. Which law is the most effective in preventing this horrific crime?

Research Aim: Since several years, marital and non-marital relations in Muslim majority countries have been a source of controversy. Under Islamic law, it is strictly forbidden for a Muslim, or even non-Muslim to engage in illicit sexual relations with the opposite gender under any situation. The current study will help us understand the concepts presented in Islamic laws about rape cases. In this context, a comparative analysis of Islamic and contemporary law will be explained. It will also identify efficient and effective strategies to prevent this horrific crime.

Law Dissertation Topics For Covid Crisis

Topic 1: the legal implications of the covid-19 pandemic on canadian immigration and the way forward..

Research Aim: This study will focus on how the Canadian government benefits from resources accrued from immigration, the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Immigration, the current legislation on immigration, the effects of COVID-19 on the immigration law, the possible amendments that could help cushion the impact and the way forward.

Topic 2: Effect of COVID-19 on the United States Immigration policies; an assessment of International Legal agreements governing pandemic disease control and the way forward.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the pandemic’s effect on immigration policies in the United States. It also suggests the required steps based on the laws that regulate government acts during an outbreak of a pandemic.

Topic 3: Creating legal policies in preparedness for the global pandemic; lessons from COVID-19 on Canadian immigration policies.

Research Aim: This research will focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and how most countries seemed unprepared. Historical background of the flu pandemic can also be made to assess how the world overcame the pandemic. And the need for the Canadian government or any other country you wish to choose can prepare for a global pandemic by creating legal policies that could help prepare ahead for such a period, such as policies on scientific research and funding.

Topic 4: The need for uniformity of competition law and policy in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries; An approach to the European Union standard.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the Gulf Cooperation Countries and their current legislation on competition law and its implications. Countries under the European Union’s competition law, the legal implications, and the need to consider such a part.

Topic 5: The need for competition law and policy enforcement; An analysis of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Research Aim: This research focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ competition laws and their enforceability. It analyses the benefits of enforcing the competition law and looks at the European Union uniformed laws and its benefits. It looks into the various countries, how the competition law currently works, and how it can affect each country’s economy in a better way or adequately enforced.

Topic 6: Provisions of the law on rape, the need to expand its coverage on the misuse of its provisions, and false accusations.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s present provisions on rape and rape victims and the recent false accusations.

Topic 7: Summary dismissal of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the legal implications under the labour law, and the way forward. The case study of Nigeria

Research Aim: This research will focus on the statistics of people who were summarily dismissed during the COVID-19 pandemic based on natural occurrences, provisions of the law against summary dismissal, and its enforcement, and how this can be cushioned against future events. The need to expand the labour law to cover similar situations for the protection of workers.

Topic 8: A legal assessment of the settlement of international disputes through the peaceful process and its effectiveness

Research Aim: This research focuses on the mode of dispute settlement in the international community, assessment of international laws and treaties on peaceful settlement of conflicts among countries of member states, the methods of dispute settlements, its strengths and weaknesses, and the need to improve the current mechanisms of peaceful settlement in the international community.

Topic 9: The protection of minority shareholders and the majority shareholders' power in Companies, a critical analysis of the Nigerian Companies and Allied Matters Act provisions.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the law’s provisions on protecting minority shareholders in companies and the majority shareholders’ power. How effective are these provisions in protecting the minorities against the management of the majority shareholders and the way forward

More Law Dissertation Topics 2024

Topic 1: world bank developmental projects and greater accountability.

Research Aim: Examine communities impacted by development operations under the World Bank Development project schemes using the project law model to understand the lack of participation and successful influence of these communities to improve accountability and good governance.

Topic 2: The right to bear arms: Rethinking the second amendment

Research Aim: Gun control and the right to bear arms has been an ever-evolving web discourse in the United States. The research aims at analysing how gun control laws have changed in the USA since specifically focusing on the 2nd Amendment and its original framework.

Topic 3: Rethinking the international legal framework protecting journalists in war and conflict zones.

Research Question: Is the current legal framework still appropriate for protecting journalists in today’s conflict zones? Research Aim: The primary body of law that is set out to protect journalists includes the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols. However, since the time they have been drafted and decades after, there have been conspicuous changes to the way warfare is conducted. It is imperative to examine this body of law in order to improve it as journalists have now become prime targets in war zones and conflict areas because of their profession.

Topic 4: A critical analysis of employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency.

Research Aim: Employment or labour law has always been under the limelight. Many critiques and researchers have proposed different amendments to the existing law pertaining to labour and employee. The main aim of the research is to critically analyse the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK along with effective recommendations that need to be made in order to make the existing law more efficient and effective.

Topic 5: A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how it impacts the workplace environment

Research Aim: Racial discrimination has always been a controversial issue in almost every part of the World. However, many developed countries (companies) face severe racial discrimination issues that directly impact their name and brand value. Therefore, this research provides a critical evaluation of the racial discrimination laws, particularly in developed countries. Moreover, the research will be focusing on how racial discrimination laws are impacting the workplace environment.

Topic 6: A comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between UK and USA.

Research Aim: Domestic laws basically deal with and provide criminal rules for punishing individuals who have physically or emotionally harmed their own family members. It has been found out that many domestic cases of abuse are not reported to the concerned authority. Due to this reason, the main focus of the research is to conduct a comparative analysis of legislation, policy, and guidelines of domestic abuse between the UK and the USA and how effective both the countries have been to minimise domestic abuse.

Topic 7: Analyzing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.

Research Aim: Intellectual property has gained significant importance after the emergence of counterfeit products coming from different parts of the world. It has been found out that many factors have motivated the sale of counterfeit products. Therefore, this research aims at analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of products and corporations.

Topic 8: A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Research Aim: Since the incident of 9/11, the entire world has been under the pressure of terrorism activities, especially Muslims living around the world. Therefore, this research intends to critically assess the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the globe.

Trust Law Dissertation Topics

The trust law requires the settler to meet the three certainties, including the object, intention, and subject matter. As posted to a moral obligation or mere gift, confidence of choice can be best described as clarity of purpose. Some interesting dissertation topics in the field of trust law  are listed below:

• To investigate the attitude of the courts to trusts supporting political agendas.
• To identify and discuss principles on which half-secret and full secret trusts are enforced? Does a literature review highlight circumstances where it is essential to consider whether such beliefs are constructive and express?
• The role and impact of trust law as asset portioning and fiduciary governance
• From law to faith: Letting go of secret trusts
• Critical analysis of the statement “Traditionally, equity and the law of trusts have been concerned with providing justice to balance out the rigour of the common law” regarding modern equity development/operation.
• Should the assumption of resulting trusts and progression be abolished in this modern age? A critical review of the literature
• A critical examination of the courts’ concern of financial reward in the context of “trustee powers of investment”
• Does the doctrine of cypress do justice to the intentions of the testator?
• The impact of the decision of Harrison v Gibson on the law of the clarity of intention?
• The approval of trustees in the Zimbabwean law of trusts

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European Law Dissertation Topics

European law has recently attracted wide attention from the academic world, thanks to the growing influence of European Law on administrative law in EU members. It should be noted that every aspect of life in European states is significantly affected by European law, and therefore this area of research has gained tremendous popularity. Some exciting and specific research areas are given below:

• A critical review of the European anti-discrimination Law
• To investigate the economics and history of European Law.
• An investigation of the European human rights law
• Investigating the impact of “Freedom of Speech” on the German economy
• Investigating the impact of immigration laws on the German economy
• How the French parliamentary sovereignty has been affected by the European Union
• Uniform interpretation of European patent law with a unique view on the creation of a standard patent court
• The impact of European consensus in the jurisprudence of the European court of human rights
• The impact of the European convention on human rights on the international human rights law
• A critical analysis of the tensions between European trade and social policy
• To investigate the European Union’s enforcement actions and policies against member countries.
• European Laws amidst the Brexit process

Read this Article.

Family Law Dissertation Topics

A wide range of topics are covered under the field of family law and the law of children. Essentially, this area of law takes into consideration the registration of marriages, statutory rights concerning marriage, the effects of a decree, void and voidable marriages, the impact of the Human Rights Act, the legal stature of unmarried and married individuals, and the case for reform of UK family law . Other research areas include enforcing financial responsibilities in the Magistrates court, enforcing the arrears of maintenance payments, the award of maintenance, enforcing financial obligations to children or a child, financial orders for children, and the Child Support Act. An extremely intriguing area of law that has gained tremendous popularity in the modern era, some specific  dissertation topics  in this area of law studies are listed below:

• Investigating therapeutic and theoretical approaches to deal with spouse abuse in light of the UK government’s latest research on domestic violence
• Unmarried fathers’ access to parental responsibility – Does the current law enforce rights and responsibilities towards children?
• To study the criminal justice process involving a child witness.
• The children’s right to participation – Rhetoric or Reality? – A critical review of literature from the past two decades
• To study the position of unmarried fathers in the UK.
• Does the UK Family law need a major reform?
• A critical review of the rights of married women in real estate
• Child welfare and the role of local authorities
• To study the legal and social foundations of parenting, civil partnership, and marriage.
• To examine whether the Child Support Act has positively influenced child maintenance?

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Employment Law Dissertation Topics

Employment and equality law governs the relationship between the government, trade unions, employers, and employees.  Employment and equality law in the UK is a body of law that prevents bias and negative attitudes towards someone based on their ethnicity or race rather than work skills and experience. Some interesting dissertation topics  in this area of law are below:

• A critical investigation of the right to fair labor practices in the United Kingdom
• To determine the job’s inherent requirements as a defence to unfair discrimination or a claim – A comparison between the United Kingdom and Canada.
• The role of the South African Labour Relations Act in providing unhappy staff sufficient protection against unfair dismissals and discrimination at the workplace
• To investigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on employees’ lives with a focus on unfair dismissal and discrimination.
• To assess ethnic discrimination in the European Union: Derogations from the ban on discrimination – Sexual harassment – Equal pay for equal value work.
• To study the international employment contract – Regulation, perception, and reality.
• To identify and discuss challenges associated with equality at work.
• A study of the legal aspects of the relationship between employer and employee
• How influential is the role of trade unions in English employment law?
• A critical review of discrimination policies in the UK

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Commercial Law Dissertation Topics

Commercial law, also known as business law, is the whole body of substantive jurisprudence applicable to the conduct, relations, and rights of sales, trade, merchandising, and businesses and persons associated with commerce. Important issues of law covered by commercial law include real estate, secured transactions, credit transactions, bankruptcy, banking, and contracts. An intriguing area of law within the UK, specific topics for your law dissertation are listed below:

• The impact of legislation for the regulation of investments services with EU economic area on the EU financial services market
• Handling regulatory involvement incorporates organisational structure and strategy.
• A study of convergence and complementarities concerning international corporate governance
• How drafting and diffusion of uniform norms can help to harmonise the law of international commercial arbitration?
• Convergence and adaption in corporate governance to transnational standards in India
• A critical review of the international commercial arbitration system
• Analysing the international commercial law on risk transfer
• The role of the tripartite financial system in the UK on economic development
• A comparative analysis of European contract law, international commercial contracts law, and English commercial contracts law
• Is the European contracts law meeting the needs of the commercial community?
• A critical review of anti-corruption legislation in the UK
• The problems of director accountability in the UK and the impact of soft and hard law on corporate governance

Criminal and Evidence Law Dissertation Topics

Criminal law  can be defined as a system of law dealing with the punishment of criminals. Criminal evidence, on the other hand, concerns evidence/testimony presented in relation to criminal charges. Evidence can be presented in various forms in order to prove and establish crimes. A wide array of topics can be covered in this subject area. To help you narrow down your research focus, some  interesting topics  are suggested below:

• The politics of criminal law reform with a focus on lower-court decision making
• To understand and establish the historical relationship between human rights and Islamic criminal law
• Investigating the rights of victims in internal criminal courts
• The efficacy of the law of rape in order to prevent misuse by bogus victims and to protect rightful victims
• To assess the criminal law’s approach to Omissions
• To investigate the issues associated with the identification of the distribution, extent, and nature of the crime
• A critical review of the Bad Samaritan laws and the law of omissions liability
• How international criminal law has been significant influenced by the “war on terrors”?
• The efficacy of modern approaches to the definition of intention in International criminal law
• The efficacy of the law of corporate manslaughter

Company Law Dissertation Topics

Company law, also known as the  law of business associations , is the body of law that deals with business organisations and their formation, registration, incorporation, governance, dissolution, and administration. Some suggestions for company law dissertation topics are listed below:

• Developing equity markets in growing economies and the importance of corporate law
• A critical review of English company law and its effects on member workers and creditors
• To investigate the essential aspects of corporate law.
• To study business responsibilities for human rights.
• Identifying disparities in corporate governance – Theories and Realities
• The external relations of company groups in Zambian Corporate law
• To study corporate governance practices concerning the minority stakeholders.
• Establishing and evaluating arguments for and against “stakeholder theory.”
• The importance of non-executive directors in the British corporate legal system
• Investigating the regulation of the UK public company

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Intellectual Property and Tort Law Dissertation topics

All forms of legal injury are dealt with under the subject area of tort law. Essentially, tort law helps to establish the circumstances whereby a person may be held responsible for another person’s injury caused by either accident on intentional acts. On the other hand, intellectual property covers areas of law such as copyright, patents, and trademark. Trademark dissertation topics trademarks directive, trademarks act, infringement of trademarks such as revocation, invalidity, and the use of similar marks. Some interesting dissertation ideas and topics  of tort law and intellectual property are suggested below to help your law studies.

• The efficacy of intellectual property rights in the UK under influence of European Law
• The efficacy of UK copyright law concerning the needs of rights users and holders
• The impact of intellectual property right on economic development
• To investigate the right of confidence in the UK
• Does the trademark law ensure sufficient protection in England?
• The impact of European Law on intellectual property rights in the UK
• The end of the road for loss of a chance?
• To assess the success ratio of psychiatric injury claims in the UK
• Should a no-fault system be implemented into UK law or should the law of negligence apply to personal injury claims?
• A critical review of economic loss in 21 st century tort law

Human Rights and Immigration Law

The primary objective of human rights and immigration law is to ensure and protect human rights at domestic, regional, and international levels. With the world becoming a global village, human rights and immigration laws have attracted significant attention from academicians and policymakers. Some interesting law dissertation topics in this subject area are suggested below:

• To assess the efficacy of the common European Asylum system in terms of immigration detention.
• A historical analysis of Britain’s immigration and asylum policies
• A critical analysis of immigration policy in Britain since 1990
• A critical analysis of the right of the police and the public right to protest under PACE 1984
• The right of prisoners to vote under the European law of human rights
• Arguments for and against the death penalty in English Law with a focus on human rights treatise
• A critical analysis of the right to private life and family for failed asylum seekers
• The impact of UK immigration policies on the current education industry
• How beneficial the points system has really been in regards to create a cap in the British immigration system
• To study the impact of privatisation on immigration detention and related functions in the UK.

More Human Rights Law Dissertation Topics

Pandemic Law Dissertation Topics

Coronavirus, also known as the Covid-19, has become the most trending topic in the world since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that started in China. Here are some interesting Corona Virus or Covid 19 Pandemic Law topics that you can consider for your law dissertation.

• Co-parenting in the coronavirus pandemic: A family law scholar’s advice
• How San Diego law enforcement operated amid Coronavirus pandemic
• Pandemic preparedness in the workplace and the British with disabilities act
• Why In a pandemic, rumors of martial Law fly despite reassurances
• Investigating About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
• Resources to support workers in the UK during the Coronavirus pandemic
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• A legal perspective
• Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the UK going forward
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in the US going forward
• Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and employment laws in Australia going forward

More Law Dissertation Topics

• A critical analysis of the employment law of disabled individuals in the UK and what new policies can be integrated to increase its efficiency
• A critical evaluation of racial discrimination laws in developed countries and how it impacts the workplace environment
• A comparative analysis of domestic abuse with the legislation, policy, and domestic abuse guidelines between the UK and USA.
• Analysing the negative impact of technology in protecting the intellectual property rights of corporations.
• A critical assessment of the terrorism act of 2010 and its impact on Muslims living around the Globe.

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As a law dissertation student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing law dissertation theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

The field of law dissertation is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like civil engineering ,  construction ,  project management , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your fundamental research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your case wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best law dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample law dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure your Law Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and binding terms can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the products and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : Make sure to complete this by your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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How to find law dissertation topics.

To find law dissertation topics:

• Research recent legal developments.
• Explore unresolved issues or debates.
• Analyze gaps in existing literature.
• Consider societal or technological influences.
• Consult professors and peers.
• Select a topic aligning with your passion and career aspirations.

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Access to theses and dissertations from other institutions and from the University of Cambridge

This guide provides information on searching for theses of Cambridge PhDs and for theses of UK universities and universities abroad. 

For information and guidance on depositing your thesis as a cambridge phd, visit the cambridge office of scholarly communication pages on theses here ., this guide gives essential information on how to obtain theses using the british library's ethos service. .

On the last weekend of October, the British Library became the victim of a major cyber-attack. Essential digital services including the BL catalogue, website and online learning resources went dark, with research services like the EThOS collection of more than 600,000 doctoral theses suddenly unavailable. The BL state that they anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months. For the latest news on the attack and information on the restoration of services, please follow the BL blog here:  Knowledge Matters blog  and access the LibGuide page here:  British Library Outage Update - Electronic Legal Deposit - LibGuides at University of Cambridge Subject Libraries

A full list of resources for searching theses online is provided by the Cambridge A-Z, available here .

University of Cambridge theses

Finding a cambridge phd thesis online via the institutional repository.

The University's institutional repository, Apollo , holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates. Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link . More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be found on the access to Cambridge theses webpage.   The requirement for impending PhD graduates to deposit a digital version in order to graduate means the repository will be increasing at a rate of approximately 1,000 per year from this source.   About 200 theses are added annually through requests to make theses Open Access or via requests to digitize a thesis in printed format.

Locating and obtaining a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis (not yet available via the repository)

Theses can be searched in iDiscover .  Guidance on searching for theses in iDiscover can be found here .   Requests for consultation of printed theses, not available online, should be made at the Manuscripts Reading Room (Email:  [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333143).   Further information on the University Library's theses, dissertations and prize essays collections can be consulted at this link .

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form either through the Library’s  Digital Content Unit via the image request form , or, if the thesis has been digitised, it may be available in the Apollo repository. Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the  law  and in a manner that is common across UK libraries.  The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study.

How to make your thesis available online through Cambridge's institutional repository

Are you a Cambridge alumni and wish to make your Ph.D. thesis available online? You can do this by depositing it in Apollo the University's institutional repository. Click here for further information on how to proceed.    Current Ph.D students at the University of Cambridge can find further information about the requirements to deposit theses on the Office of Scholarly Communication theses webpages.

UK Theses and Dissertations

Electronic copies of Ph.D. theses submitted at over 100 UK universities are obtainable from EThOS , a service set up to provide access to all theses from participating institutions. It achieves this by harvesting e-theses from Institutional Repositories and by digitising print theses as they are ordered by researchers using the system. Over 250,000 theses are already available in this way. Please note that it does not supply theses submitted at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford although they are listed on EThOS.

Registration with EThOS is not required to search for a thesis but is necessary to download or order one unless it is stored in the university repository rather than the British Library (in which case a link to the repository will be displayed). Many theses are available without charge on an Open Access basis but in all other cases, if you are requesting a thesis that has not yet been digitised you will be asked to meet the cost. Once a thesis has been digitised it is available for free download thereafter.

When you order a thesis it will either be immediately available for download or writing to hard copy or it will need to be digitised. If you order a thesis for digitisation, the system will manage the process and you will be informed when the thesis is available for download/preparation to hard copy.

See the Search results section of the  help page for full information on interpreting search results in EThOS.

EThOS is managed by the British Library and can be found at http://ethos.bl.uk . For more information see About EThOS .

World-wide (incl. UK) theses and dissertations

Electronic versions of non-UK theses may be available from the institution at which they were submitted, sometimes on an open access basis from the institutional repository. A good starting point for discovering freely available electronic theses and dissertations beyond the UK is the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , which facilitates searching across institutions. Information can also usually be found on the library web pages of the relevant institution.

The DART Europe etheses portal lists several thousand full-text theses from a group of European universities.

The University Library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses  (PQDT) database which from August 31 2023 is accessed on the Web of Science platform.  To search this index select it from the Web of Science "Search in" drop-down list of databases (available on the Documents tab on WoS home page)

PQDT includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations, representing 700 leading academic institutions worldwide from 1861 to the present day. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University Library only subscribes to the abstracting & indexing version of the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database and NOT the full text version.  A fee is payable for ordering a dissertation from this source.   To obtain the full text of a dissertation as a downloadable PDF you can submit your request via the University Library Inter-Library Loans department (see contact details below). NB this service is only available to full and current members of the University of Cambridge.

Alternatively you can pay yourself for the dissertation PDF on the PQDT platform. Link from Web of Science record display of any thesis to PQDT by clicking on "View Details on ProQuest".  On the "Preview" page you will see an option "Order a copy" top right.  This will allow you to order your own copy from ProQuest directly.

Dissertations and theses submitted at non-UK universities may also be requested on Inter-Library Loan through the Inter-Library Loans department (01223 333039 or 333080, [email protected] )

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The law dissertation

The law dissertation is the final module in our Master of Laws (LLM). The content of the module has been designed to support you in developing and completing your own research project. This must be based on a legal topic related to one of the individual LLM law modules and linked to one of the themes (international, comparative, regulation, human rights). Alongside the time spent in conducting your own legal research, you'll learn about the role and purpose of a literature review, how to identify a suitable research method for a legal research project, how to develop research questions and how to evaluate the ethical implications of your research. Throughout the module, the complexities and challenges of the research process are explored. The writing-up process forms an important aspect of research, and guidance is provided on this process. You'll also consider sources of information, including legal databases, and explore how information is critically analysed and evaluated to draw valid and evidenced conclusions.

Vocational relevance

There is growing professional and commercial demand for highly qualified graduates who have a range of transferable skills. In particular, skills gained from postgraduate legal study are highly valued for their relevance and application. This module is particularly useful preparation for environments in which research and the ability to develop persuasive arguments form a significant part of the work It will also be helpful for any profession that requires skilled graduates who have a demonstrable ability in developing and managing an independent research project.

Universities are keen to admit doctoral research students who have completed most of their research training, finding them better prepared to begin and better able to complete their theses in the required time. This module provides some of that training in research methods and skills.

Qualifications

In certain circumstances, this module can count towards F64, which is no longer available to new students.

• Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
• One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
• You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
• For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.

Find out more about entry requirements .

What you will study

The module builds on the work undertaken in your previous LLM modules and equips you to undertake a significant piece of independent legal research. You'll learn how to:

• conduct a literature review
• select an appropriate research method
• define a clear purpose for your research project
• plan, organise, manage and carry out an extended independent research project
• develop written communication skills suitable for masters level
• write clearly and imaginatively, and with a sense of authority
• create a persuasive argument drawing on evidence and an analysis of a range of primary and secondary legal sources
• consider the ethical implications of your planned research and how to manage these
• use an appropriate referencing system with consistency and accuracy.

The module materials are specifically designed to support you in six key areas: developing your research proposal, undertaking your literature review, choosing an appropriate research method(s), undertaking and analysing your research to form your own conclusions and the process of writing up your research.

Your choice of legal research topic will depend on your interests. The only stipulation regarding the research topic you choose for your law dissertation is that it must be related to one of the LLM law modules you have studied at the OU and be linked to one (or more) of the themes of the LLM (international, comparative, regulation, human rights). Your tutor will help you to decide what is feasible for a legal research project and will provide feedback on your draft research proposal.

Your studies and research will require the use of online sources, including the OU library legal databases. Your work on this module requires an exploration of relevant existing literature and law in your chosen topic area. You're expected to be as up to date as far as possible with recent literature, law, commentary and developments in your chosen research topic. You are expected to make effective use of OU library legal databases and other appropriate resources as you plan and conduct your research. Your law dissertation must include primary and secondary sources of law.

A tutor will support you throughout your studies. They will provide advice on the appropriateness of your research plans, choice of method, literature review and support you through the writing-up process. Your tutor's comments on your written work form a key part of the teaching on the module and provide a way of monitoring your progress.

During the module, you are required to produce four pieces of assessed written work before submitting the law dissertation itself. Each of these is designed to support you as you work towards writing up your law dissertation. The first piece of assessed written work is a draft of your initial research proposal, on which you will receive feedback from your tutor. The second enables you to explore different research methods and identify one which meets the needs of your own research project. Again, you receive feedback from your tutor. The third is your final research proposal which must be approved by the W800 Board. The fourth piece of work is a draft chapter of your dissertation. The fifth and final piece of work is your law dissertation itself. This is marked by two tutors, and their recommendations will help to determine the result awarded by the Examination and Assessment Board.

The work you produce for your law dissertation is not expected to be entirely original (originality is a requirement for a PhD). The work you submit for your law dissertation should include an analysis of the existing literature and law in the topic area covered by your dissertation.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor.

You will have a tutor, who you can contact by email or telephone, who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on three of the five pieces of assessed work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Your tutor will also run online tutorials that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to take part in.

Contact us  if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Course work includes

Future availability.

The law dissertation  starts once a year – in November. This page describes the module that will start in November 2024. We expect it to start for the last time in November 2026.

Regulations

Entry requirements.

As the final module in the LLM, you must have completed 120 credits towards this qualification to register on W800 (or have completed 90 credits and be awaiting the results from the fourth and final 30-credit module).

The module is taught in English, and your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you seek assessment under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an  adviser .

Additional costs

Study costs.

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

Ways to pay for this module

We know there’s a lot to think about when choosing to study, not least how much it’s going to cost and how you can pay.

That’s why we keep our fees as low as possible and offer a range of flexible payment and funding options, including a postgraduate loan, if you study this module as part of an eligible qualification. To find out more, see Fees and funding .

Study materials

What's included.

You will have access to a dedicated module website which includes:

• online university library access (including access to legal databases)
• specially written study materials designed exclusively for this module
• an assessment section
• audio material
• Law Postgraduate Home (which contains a range of study resources and advice)
• online tutorials and forums

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the module materials may be available in the future.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages .

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Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.

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Sep 20, 2019

Written By Billy Sexton

LLB Law Dissertation

So, you've picked your final modules, consolidated your favourite library seat, and are finally feeling like a big fish in the university pond. But you've got one more challenge on the horizon—the dissertation... 

The final year of your LLB is here, which means it’s time to put together a lovely 10,000 or so word law dissertation.

Gone are the days of first year where a casual 2,000-word essay would be enough to secure 50% of your module marks. Even the tougher second-year essays, where word counts were raised up to 3,500 words, now seem like a walk in the park when faced with the mammoth dissertation.

Many law students before you have faced this, so don’t worry. If they do it, you can too!

A dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint (so no last minute late nights) and working on your dissertation should be treated like eating salami (bear with us on this). You wouldn’t eat a whole salami at once as it’s much tastier in thinner slices.

Therefore, you shouldn’t do your whole dissertation at once. Put it together bit-by-bit, and it will be a much stronger piece of work!

Law dissertation ideas

What you base your law dissertation on is entirely your choice… to a certain extent. You will need to find a supervisor for your dissertation so you won’t be able to do a dissertation on a specific issue if there’s no lecturer at your university who specialises in that topic!

However, presuming there is a lecturer to guide you along the long and bumpy dissertation path, you have free choice over what you’d like to study. Usually, first class dissertations carry originality and research depth.

If you’re stuck for ideas or broad topic areas, let us help you out. We can’t cover every individual area of law  but here are ideas for some of the core areas:

Contract Law – The influence of the EU on contract law, including anti-discrimination directives, a comparison of contract law in different jurisdictions or penalty clauses in contracts.

Criminal Law – Philosophical issues surrounding criminal law, human rights in criminal procedure or social dimensions of crime.

EU Law – Immigration and the law, the law of the European Convention for Human Rights and how this affects human rights within national borders or the impact of the EU on environmental legislation.

Public Law – Public understanding or law and education, state responsibility or historical developments in public law.

These are just a handful of suggestion and may or may not tickle your fancy. It’s best to talk to a range of potential supervisors to get a feel for how they could help you. Start looking early though, as supervisors get snapped up pretty quickly!

Law dissertation structure

Your university should tell you how to structure your dissertation, but usually an introduction highlighting the objectives of the dissertation should also put forward any issues or knowledge the reader will need to be aware of in order when they progress.

Next up is your methodology and literature review. This basically means pointing out what you’re going to research and how and summarising the key arguments already out there.

Then comes the juicy bit—the evidence. This should be what you discovered from your research and a detailed analysis of this.

Finally, the conclusion should outline what you discovered and your conclusion of this.

Writing a law dissertation can be stressful and it’s highly likely you might lose a bit of sleep over it. But at the same time it’s a great opportunity to stick your teeth into a subject you’re really passionate about and gain some good marks that will contribute significantly toward your overall degree mark. 

Next article:  Post LLB: applying for the LPC vs a training contract

If you're currently on the hunt for a  Training Contract  or  Vacation Scheme , head over to our  Law Jobs section.

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Law Dissertation Topics

Completing a dissertation can be a daunting task for any student. However, this is especially true for law students. Any issue that is tackled in a law dissertation should be framed carefully. To successfully complete a law dissertation, it is absolutely imperative to locate relevant primary sources in the form of statutory instruments and case law decisions in particular where relevant, either in print or online, to carefully scrutinise the issue that is set out to be considered in a law dissertation. There is also typically a need to supplement the primary sources that are used in the writing of your law dissertation with reputable secondary materials, such as government and organizational documentation, along with the views of scholars, to contextualize the arguments that the work completed raises.

These kinds of issues can make it very difficult to know where to begin when it comes to writing an effective law dissertation. Therefore, it is in most students’ best interests to seek reliable and knowledgeable assistance regarding what kinds of titles for law dissertations will offer the best chances to achieve the highest grades possible. Consequently, this article proposes some law dissertation topics in some of the key areas of law that both undergraduate and postgraduate students look to when writing this kind of study in the form of criminal law, commercial law, company law, tort law, employment law, EU law, intellectual property, constitutional law, administrative law, and family law.

Criminal Law Dissertation Topics

Commercial law dissertation topics, company law dissertation topics, tort law dissertation topics, employment law dissertation topics, eu law dissertation topics, intellectual property dissertation topics, the english legal system and constitutional and administrative law dissertation topics.

• Family Law Dissertation Topics

Criminal law covers a wide range of areas and is an interesting and often topical area, since it can take on a national, regional, or even international vent. It can be difficult to grasp some of the principles and subject areas and topics should be chosen very carefully. To help you to focus your law dissertation, here are some suggestions for topics that you should consider in the area of criminal law.

• A critical examination of the need to reform homicide offences in England and Wales in view of the Law Commission’s proposals in this regard.
• An investigation into the ‘war on terror’s’ impact upon on the construction and enforcement of international criminal law.
• An analysis of the Sexual Offences Act 2003’s ability to determine consent regarding the offence of rape.
• A critical evaluation of how complaints regarding the completion of investigations and the assessment of evidence are dealt with in the criminal justice system in England and Wales.
• A critical discussion of the threat of criminal gangs’ activities impact upon public order and state interests in England and Wales.
• An examination of the partial defences of diminished responsibility and loss of control’s sufficiency for defending against a murder charge in England and Wales.
• An investigation of problems with identifying the nature, extent and distribution of crime.
• A critical discussion of the law’s construction regarding both omissions’ liability and ‘Bad Samaritans’.
• A theoretical assessment of criminal theory regarding the intersection between crime, criminality, and morality.
• An assessment of the ability of the criminal law in England and Wales to deal with new manifestations of criminality and the rise and prevalence of acid attacks in particular.
• An evaluation of the offence of joint enterprise criminality in England and Wales to determine whether there is a need for reform.
• An assessment of the need to protect the anonymity of those accused of sexual offences based upon the need to balance the recognition of defendants and victim rights in England and Wales.

Commercial law is often described as covering a wide area of study because it cannot really be dealt with in isolation within a single legal jurisdiction. Frequently, a commercial law dissertation will involve some kind of comparison with other countries. That said, there is a lot of focus on the jurisdiction of England and Wales as the commercial centre of choice, especially in relation to the matter of arbitration as a means of dispute resolution. With this in mind, some suggestions for commercial law topics are set out below.

• A discussion regarding the ability of commercial law to support commercial transactions in England and Wales with a view to determining the need for reform.
• Is the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) better suited to international contracts than the law related to the sale of goods in England and Wales?
• A critical assessment of the international commercial arbitration system as a cost effective and efficient means to administer justice in commercial disputes.
• A comparative analysis of the recognition of the principles of commercial contracts in England and Wales and the approach taken in the European Union after Brexit.
• An evaluation of the Lex Mercatoria in England and Wales as an appropriate choice of law for commercial arbitration proceedings.
• An assessment of security over personal property when it comes to the matter of possessory and non-possessory forms of security and other legal devices.
• An investigation of the emergence of new manifestations of international commercial law.
• A critical discussion of the creation of a tripartite financial system in England and Wales and its role, if any, in the credit crunch.
• An evaluation of European Union Sale of Goods law’s place in the law of England and Wales since the completion of Brexit.
• A critical assessment of the passing of risk in the commercial law in England and Wales.
• A legal assessment of the role of commercial law in sustaining public private partnerships based upon what happened with the Carillion Collapse.
• An investigation of the sufficiency of England and Wales’ insolvency laws for dealing with instances of insolvency.
• A critical assessment of the future of consumer protection in England and Wales in the post Brexit era.

There are numerous areas of interest in company law for producing an effective dissertation. Topics can include the Companies Act 2006’s effectiveness, incorporation’s benefits, limited liability, lifting the veil of incorporation, the raising of capital, and shareholder dividends payment. In addition, acquisitions, mergers and takeovers as well as aspects of insolvency, including administration, winding up and the emergence of rescue culture could prove fantastic topics for producing successful dissertations. Therefore, if you are interested in an area company law as a subject for your law dissertation, a number of potential topics are listed below:

• A critical examination of the shareholder versus stakeholder basis of corporate governance.
• An investigation of the importance of the non-executive director in the respective corporate legal systems of England and Wales and the United States of America.
• An exploration of the transplantation of corporate legal regimes: does it promote better corporate governance?
• The protection of minority shareholders’ rights based upon remedies of unfair prejudice and the basis for bringing proceedings under the Companies Act 2006 and the case law of England and Wales.
• What are the arguments for and against ‘stakeholder theory’ and to what extent are they still valid?
• A critical study of the legal and governance restraints on excessive executive director remuneration from the perspective of corporate governance in England and Wales and the United States of America.
• A critical assessment of the law on corporate manslaughter from victims’ families’ perspective.
• As assessment of the ability of Insolvency law in England and Wales to promote and deliver corporate rescues.
• A critical analysis of the regulation of public companies in England and Wales when compared to the United States of America.
• An assessment of the need for company law’s reform regarding directors’ duties in the wake of the Carillion Collapse.
• An assessment of the need for the reform of mergers and acquisition law in England and Wales to enhance stakeholders’ understanding to support the achievement of long-term economic stability.
• The need to reform the taxation rules of England and Wales and the United States of America to ensure multinational organisations pay their fair share of tax.

Tort law effectively defines what is considered a legal injury. This area of law is important because it establishes the circumstances whereby an individual may be held liable for another party’s injury due to either intentional acts or omissions or even accidents. Tort law is potentially a wide area of study for a law dissertation since includes areas as diverse as different forms of negligence and trespass to both land and the person. Therefore, in view of Tort law’s complex nature, here are some suggestions to help you formulate an effective law dissertation for you to complete:

• A critical assessment of the importance of foreseeability and policy in establishing a duty of care.
• A critical analysis of the rules regarding the recovery of economic losses in tortious actions.
• To what extent is it true to say that there is still a growing compensation culture in the jurisdiction of England and Wales when compared to the position in the United States of America?
• Where does the decision of the House of Lords in Gregg v Scott leave the loss of a chance in England and Wales?
• To what extent is the rule in Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee still the standard for assessing the notion of reasonable care in professional negligence cases?
• When it comes to matter of occupiers’ liability under the Occupiers Liability Acts of 1957 and 1984 respectively, when is a trespasser not a trespasser?
• An investigation of the jurisprudence of England and Wales that serves to limit what may be recovered where some form of psychiatric harm is proved.
• The impact of the House of Lords’ decision in Chester v Afshar on the law of Informed Consent when it comes to instances of medical negligence.
• Why might the duty of care afforded to children be considered to be a step too far regarding the recognition of tortious liability?
• An investigation of the need to account for policy considerations in tortious claims.
• An assessment of the need for reform of the rules to determine causation in the event of their being multiple and consecutive causes of the claimant’s loss.
• A critical discussion regarding the need to reform the law on nuisance in England and Wales.
• An exploration of the need to reform the rules to establish a duty of care regarding the tortious liable to public body defendants in cases of negligence.

Where someone elects to write their law dissertation in relation to some aspect of Employment law, the focus typically seems to be on some aspect of unfair dismissal. Topics that are directly involved typically include unfair dismissal at common law, unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996, and exclusions from unfair dismissal. In addition, employment law dissertations will also often consider the common law termination of a contract, the acquiring of employment rights, including analysing the calculation of continuous employment and interruptions in work, and, finally, the effectiveness of employment tribunals. Consequently, to impress an examiner with a law dissertation in employment law, there is a need to recognize that there are a lot of other interesting areas of study to consider, like the examples that are set out below:

• A critical review of the approach to discrimination under the law of England and Wales.
• An analysis of the extent to which a claim for wrongful dismissal provides more effective redress than a claim for unfair dismissal.
• A comparative and critical review of the law related to the position of disabled people in positions of employment in England and Wales and the United States of America respectively.
• A critical evaluation of the key legal aspects of the employee and employer relationship.
• How does the legal position of casual and agency workers in England and Wales compare with the European Union?
• What are the key legal issues associated with the use of Contracts of Employment in England and Wales in view of the increasing prevalence of’ zero hours’ contracts?
• An evaluation of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 to determine the extent to which it still protects the rights of employees.
• To what extent is there still a role for trade unions to play in the application of principles of employment law in England and Wales when compared with the position in the United States of America?
• How could the reference of disputes to Employment Tribunals be reformed to improve the position of employees and employers respectively?
• Critically analyse the role of indirect discrimination in discrimination law in the context of the employment relationship.
• How will employment law in England and Wales be impacted upon by Brexit?
• A critical analysis of whether the circumstances for when a contractor becomes an employee still effectively apply to the modern understanding of employment relationships.
• What does the recent decision in Uber BV v Aslam mean for the future development of employment law in England and Wales?

The law of the EU has been recognised as an ever-expanding area with a considerable amount of academic interest, especially in view of the UK’s recent Brexit from the Union. To illustrate, a growing interest has developed regarding the effect that EU law will continue to have upon the UK constitution. This is because there has not only been some considerable overlap between EU law and both the constitutional and administrative law of England and Wale, but also due to the fact that EU law has served to impact virtually every area of life in the UK. Consequently, as the examples of potential law dissertation titles set out below serve to illustrate, there is plenty of scope for an effective law dissertation:

• Critically assess the freedom of movement recognised under EU law and their impact upon the development of England and Wales’s law prior to Brexit: will this freedom still have a role to play in England and Wales in the future?
• In view of the direct effect of EU law and the recognition of state liability in individual Member States, is there a need for an EU Constitution?
• How important are enforcement actions against EU Member States as part of the European law-making process?
• Is integration in the EU best explained by the concept of Federalism or Neo-Functionalism and to what extent has the law enacted and implemented to date achieved this?
• What are the most significant tensions between social policy and trade in the EU and what efforts have been undertaken to resolve them to date?
• How has the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 contributed to the recognition of human rights internationally?
• To what extent does the EU regulation of transport overlap with the regulation of state aid in the EU?
• How have Articles 101(1) and (3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union improved international trade and competition within the EC?
• What affect will the law of the European Union have upon the recognition of Parliamentary Sovereignty in the UK in the wake of Brexit?
• What are the key aspects of the law of the EU that the UK should look to retain in the wake of Brexit?
• Why is it important for the rights of citizens from EU Member States to be recognised in the UK once Brexit has been completed?
• What impact will the UK’s Brexit serve to have upon the ongoing development of the law of the EU in its remaining Member States?

The law as it relates to intellectual property covers the creation, use and protection of trademarks, patents and copyright, together with other ancillary rights. In view of the array of intellectual property rights that it is possible for a given author to protect, there are clearly many topics that you could choose from for the completion of your law dissertation. As you can see from the examples that are presented below, there are a number of interesting areas that you could cover related to the recognition and/or the application of different intellectual property rights within the jurisdiction of England and Wales, the EU or even on a more global basis.

• Critically evaluate the recognition of intellectual property rights impact upon economic relations between Member States within the EU.
• To what extent are intellectual property rights effectively protected on the Internet in the jurisdiction of England and Wales?
• How may it be said that passing-off in the context of trademark law is insufficient for providing protection for authors of creative works within the EU?
• Analyse whether a right of confidence has been created in the jurisdiction of England and Wales that is effective for protecting an individual’s intellectual property rights.
• Can the current, overly stringent patent system still be an incentive for innovation in the UK since Brexit from the EU was completed?
• Does the copyright law of England and Wales provide a more effective balance between the needs of intellectual property rights holders and users than under the law of the United States of America?
• Does the Fair Use principle provide an effective exemption to the application of England and Wales’ copyright law when compared to the position in the United States of America?
• How will European law serve to impact upon the recognition of intellectual property rights in the UK now that Brexit has been completed?
• Which of the legal systems of England and Wales, the EU, or the United States of America most effectively protect intellectual property rights holders against peer-to-peer file sharing? Why?
• To what extent are indigenous people’s rights to intellectual property more effectively protected in the EU than in the United States of America?
• What more could be done at a global level to improve the law to provide those people from less developed countries, particularly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with greater protection of their intellectual property right?
• Is there a need for intellectual property to be recognised in social media posts? Why?

Essentially, the topic of the English Legal System and Constitutional and Administrative Law may be divided into three key areas. First, the nature of the constitution may be considered in areas including, but not limited to, the recognition and application conventions and the rule of law. Second, it is necessary to evaluate the roles of the legislature, executive and parliament in the context of the recognition of the separation of powers, which could include legislation’s passage through Parliament, the delegation of legislation, the relationship between Parliament, the crown and the Royal Prerogative, and the executive, legislative and judiciary’s relationship. Finally, Judicial Review is another significant area of interest that could include the basis for intervention, such as ultra vires and illegality, procedural irregularity, irrationality, proportionality, and the nemo judex rule. Therefore, as the examples of potential law dissertation topics set out below show with regard to the English Legal System and Constitutional and Administrative Law, there are clearly a number of interesting areas that could be covered.

• Why should England and Wales’ legal system be fused so that there is one legal profession rather than solicitors and barristers?
• To what extent do the different conceptualisations of Parliamentary Sovereignty affect the relationship between the courts and Parliament in England and Wales?
• Taken as a whole, does the UK need a single constitution for Northern Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales to adhere to?
• How has the recent introduction of the Criminal Cases Review Commission improved the position regarding miscarriages of justice in England and Wales?
• How could the system of Judicial Review in England and Wales be reformed to improve its application?
• Critically analyse the extent to which the view that the legitimacy of the law is based upon its effectiveness is agreeable within England and Wales’ jurisdiction.
• Are select committees a useful and helpful check on government activities?
• What role does natural justice play in the UK Constitution?
• Are conventions still a valid part of the UK Constitution?
• Why does the UK’s Brexit from the EU have to mean the end of the recognition of Parliamentary Sovereignty?
• How will Brexit serve to impact upon the development of England and Wales’ legal system as a means of regulating the activities of national and local government, as well as interrelated public bodies?
• In what ways will the relationship between constitutional and administrative law in England and Wales be affected by Brexit?

 Family Law Dissertation Topics

Family Law is considered to cover a wide range of topics regarding the family and marriage, including moves to harmonise married and unmarried couples position, the influence of the Human Rights Act 1998, nullity, void and voidable marriages, the effects of a decree, statutory rights relating to marriage, the registration of marriages, and the case for reform. Other topics that may be of interest include the Child Support Act 1991, financial orders for children, the enforcement of financial obligations to a child or children, the award of maintenance and the enforcement maintenance payments arrears and the enforcement of financial obligations in the Magistrates court. With this in mind, as the examples of potential law dissertation topics set out below show with regard to the subject of Family Law, there are clearly a number of interesting areas that could be covered in a law dissertation.

• Following the Government’s current research on domestic violence, consider whether and how the law related to spousal abuse needs to be reformed in England and Wales to provide greater protection for the victims.
• What was the purpose behind the Civil Partnership Act 2004’s enactment and to what extent has it been effectively interpreted and applied by the courts to fulfill the aforementioned purpose?
• To what extent are the social and legal foundations of marriage, civil partnerships and parenting now considered to be effectively interrelated in England and Wales so as to account for the modern concept of the family and all its connotations?
• Is the “Best Interest” test outdated when it comes to applying the current law to dealing with children’s particular circumstances in the jurisdiction of England and Wales?
• Have the amendments to the Child Support Act 1991 under the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 improved the position regarding child maintenance? If not, why not?
• Critically analyse the development of the law related to divorce. Is it a product of the increased divorce rate in England and Wales or has it caused it?
• Critically analyse the role of the local authority in achieving the effective provision of child welfare.
• To what extent is it true to say that married women’s rights in property are still not effectively recognised within the jurisdiction of England and Wales?
• Discuss whether and how the role of various available orders (i.e. contact, prohibited steps orders) serve to further the recognition of the paramountcy principle regarding children under the provisions of the Children Act 1989.
• Family law – Is it time for reform?
• To what extent are the rights of children currently effectively protected under the law of England and Wales?
• How could the recognition of the right to a family life under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 be improved upon in England and Wales?
• What could be done with the law as it relates to adoption to effectively reform it in the best interests of all potential stakeholders in England and Wales?

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Home > Student Works & Orgs > LLM Theses and Essays

LLM Theses and Essays

Submissions from 2013 2013.

Some Important Causes for Settlement in American Civil Litigation , Felipe Forte Cobo

Submissions from 2011 2011

TO REVEAL OR CONCEAL?—AN ISP’S DILEMMA, Presenting a New “Anonymous Public Concern Test” for Evaluating ISP Subpoenas in Online Defamation Suits , Cayce Myers

Submissions from 2008 2008

Infrastructure Development in Emerging Economies and the Roles Played by Multilateral Institutions , Amjad Ahasan Basheer

Universal Human Rights and Threat to International Peace and Security: The United Nations' Obligation to Intervene , Godfrey Mhlanga

Submissions from 2007 2007

Applicable Law Provisions in International Uniform Commercial Law Conventions , Paolo E. Conci

Licenses, Leases and Other Contractual Arrangements for the Exploration and Production of Petroleum A Comparative Study Between Nigeria and the United States , Omolara Elumelu

Judicial Review of International Commercial Arbitral Awards by National Courts in the United States and India , Aparna D. JUJJAVARAPU

Ethiopia's Sovereign Right of Access to the Sea under International Law , Abebe T. Kahsay

Comfort Women: Human Rights of Women from Then to Present , Jinyang Koh

Imports or Made-in-China: Comparison of Two Constitutional Cases in China and the United States , Xiao Li

Taxing Emotional Distress Recoveries: Does Murphy Show the Way? , Kaushal P. Mahaseth

The Land of the Free: Human Rights Violations at Immigration Detention Facilities in America , Caitlin J. Mitchel

International Legal Standards Governing the Use of Child Soldiers , Dorcas B. Mulira

Corporate Restrictions in Mexico and the United States , Dennis Rios

Regulating Transnational Corporation for Environmental Damage , Sonal Sahu

The Need for a Transnational Appellate Arbitral Review Body , Priya Sampath

A Consumption Tax versus a Federal Income Tax in the United States , Shelly-Ann R. Tomlinson

Financial Holding Company System and Relevant Legislation , Ye Wang

Submissions from 2006 2006

The Hamburg Rules , Kweku G. Ainuson

Tourism in Antarctica: History, Current Challenges and Proposals for Regulation , Juan Y. Harcha

Reconsidering the Medical Expert Witness System , Yunwei Jiang

A Comparative Study of the Legal Responses to Domestic Violence in the United States and Hungary , Adam Keri

Enforcement of Human Rights under Regional Mechanisms: a Comparative Analysis , Fekadeselassie F. Kidanemariam

Shareholders' Agreements in Close Corporations and Their Enforcement , Ricardo Molano Leon

A Comparative Study on the Trade Barriers Regulation and Foreign Trade Barriers Investigation Rules , Junrong Song

How to Deal with Multi-party Nominations of Arbitrators in International Commercial Arbitration - a Comparative Study of Appointment Procedures with Emphasis on U.S.-European Commerce between Private Entities , Marie-Beatrix Tupy

Balancing Regulations and Incentives for Foreign Direct Investment: a Case Study of Mexico and Kazakhstan , Dauren B. Tynybekov

Submissions from 2005 2005

The Legality of Humanitarian Intervention , Eric Adjei

A Comparative Assessment of U.S. Direct Investment in China and India , Kalpana Arjunan

Pre-contractual Obligations in France and the United States , Florence Caterini

Comparative Law: Alcohol, Drug Abuse & Jurisprudence from the United States to Korea , Hyun J. Cho

Commercial Speech in the United States and Europe , Oxana Valeryevna Gassy-Wright

Accountability of Transnational Corporations under International Standards , Lea Hanakova

Protection of "Persona" in the EU and in the US: a Comparative Analysis , Anna E. Helling

Income Tax Preferences to Foreign Investment in China since the Late 1970s , Xiaoyang Hou

Role of the World Bank and IMF in Issuing Loans to Russia: Responsibility, Tricks, Corruption, Mafia, and Important Use of Legal Enforcement , Elmira A. Makova

Governance and Responsibility of Multinational Enterprises: the Use of Codes of Conduct and Litigation to Change Multinational Enterprises' Behavior , Maria Fernanda Matach

Free Movement of Goods: a Comparative Analysis of the European Community Treaty and the North American Free Trade Agreement , Pedro A. Perichart

The Drafting Process For a Hague Convention on Jurisdiction and Judgements with Special Consideration of Intellectual Property and E-Commerce , Knut Woestehoff

The Drafting Process for a Hague Convention on Jurisdiction and Judgments with Special Consideration of Intellectual Property and E-commerce , Knut Woestehoff

Trade-related Environmental Measures and GATT: the Conflict between Trade Libralization and Environmental Protection , Fang Zheng

Submissions from 2004 2004

The Question of Non-trade Issues in the WTO from a Developing Country Perspective , Cecilia Alzamora

Cybercrime , Karissa Ayala

Protection of Children from Exploitation in West Africa: Illusion or Reality? , Afua Brown-Eyeson

Legal Structures of European Security and Defense Policy and War Powers under the U.S. Constitution , Heiko Buesing

U.S. Antidumping Law and Practices against Korean Exports , Jinwook Choi

Regulation of Hate Speech , Haiping Deng

The Institutional Framework of the European Union for the Conduct of Foreign Affairs , Frederic Eggermont

Comparison of New Zealand and United States Securities Markets through the Looking Glass of the Efficient Market Hypothesis , Carla Natalia Gargiulo

Private Party Participation in the World Trade Organizations , Taehyung Im

Issues Regarding the Most Effective Tool of U.S. Bankruptcy Law , Zeenat Kera

Contracts and Electronic Agents , Sabrina Kis

Historical Aspects of State Arbitration Policy , Elton R. Lanier

Regulating Non-territorial Commercial Environments in Territorial-based Legal Systems , Pedro Martin G. Less Andrade

Unilateral Refusals to Deal in Intellectual Property as Monopolistic Conduct , Bolanle Meshida

Comparative Analysis of Federal Income Tax Imposed on U.S. C Corporations and Russian Joint Stock Companies , Alina Y. Mitskevich

Legislation and Implementation of International Environmental Law by African Countries: a Case Study of Ghana , Brigitte L. Okley

The Challenges of Tax Collection in Developing Economies (with Special Reference to India) , Pramod K. Rai

Family Businesses, Choices of Legal Entity , Martina L. Rojo

Sound Record Producers' Rights and the Problem of Sound Recording Piracy , Stanislava N. Staykova

The Change of Corporate Governance Structure in the United States and Taiwan , Yifan Tseng

Fiduciary Duties of Directors in the Context of Going-private Transactions to the Minority Shareholders under Delaware Law , Yuan Wang

Recognition and Enforcement of International Commercial Arbitration Awards , Shouhua Yu

Submissions from 2003 2003

Interim Measures in International Commercial Arbitration: Past, Present and Future , Sandeep Adhipathi

Reservations, Human Rights Treaties in the 21st century: from Universality to Integrity , Pierrick Devidal

Technological Advances Leading to the Diminishing of Privacy Rights , Anabelle Maria D'Souza

Protection of Consumer Privacy in E-commerce , Choong L. Ha

Mergers and Acquisitions in Europe: Analysis of EC Competition Regulations , YoungJun Lee

Security Interests in Intellectual Property Rights: the Time Has Come for the Enactment of New Laws , Esteban Mazzucco

The Convergence of Trade and Environment and the Relative Role of WTO , Xiaoxi Meng

The Main Characteristics of State's Jurisdiction to Tax in International Dimension , Alfred Nizamiev

U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries: a Case Study of Malaysia, Mexico and South Africa , Abenaa A. Oti-Prempeh

Free movement of goods: A comparative analysis of the European community treaty and the north American free trade agreement , Pedro A. Perichart

A Historical View of Intellectual Property Rights in the Palestinian Territories , Ihab G. Samaan

Submissions from 2002 2002

An Analysis of the Duty to Negotiate in Good Faith: Precontractual Liability and Preliminary Agreement , Aarti Arunachalam

Multinational Corporations Facing the Varying Concepts of Jurisdiction : "forum non-conveniens", Contrasts between the Anglo-American and the European Law Systems , Sandrine Buttin

Minority Shareholders and Oppression in Close Corporations: Contracting as an Effective Protection Device , Marcella Machado Carneiro

Freedom of Speech, Cinema and Censorship: a Comparative Analysis of Issues of Freedom of Speech Violations as a Result of the Rating Regulation Authorities in the Motion Picture Industry in France and the United States , Stephanie Grenier

International Corporate Governance Practices and Their Implications on Investors , Namwandi Hamanyanga

Current Problems of International Taxation of Electronic Commerce , Nuran G. Kerimov

An End to the Political Question Doctrine in Korea?: A Comparative Analysis , Myeong-Sik Kim

The Evolution of the Law's Treatment of the Confessions of Mentally Disabled Criminal Suspects , John E. Knight

Public and Private Interests in Copyright Law: Creativity, Science and Democracy vs. Property and Market , Daryana I. Kotzeva

The Intra-enterprise Conspiracy Doctrine as Applied to Affiliated Corporations under Section 1 of the Sherman Act , Michael B. Menz

Privacy and Personal Data Protection in the Information Age: A Comparative Evaluation , Emeka B. Obasi

The Right to Freedom of Religion vis a vis Religious Intolerance in the New Millennium , Buihe P. Okenu

Conflict of Laws in the Enforcement of Foreign Awards and Foreign Judgments: the Public Policy Defense and Practice in U.S. Courts , Anupama Parameshwaran

Balancing Interests: Statute of Limitations and Repose in Medical Malpractice Cases , Laurie L. Paterson

A Comparison of Environmental Impact Assessment Process between the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and the Basic Environmental Protection Act (BEPA) , V An Rhee

Offshore Investments , Ana Maura M. Safrin

Lawyers' Value in Mergers and Acquisitions under the New World of Multidisciplinary Practices , Yunling Wu

Submissions from 2001 2001

FAIR USE AND THE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION OF MUSIC - RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA v. NAPSTER, INC. (A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF A RESTRAINT ON COPYRIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO) , MICHELLE LISA ALEXANDER

THE IMPACT OF MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT ON MUSLIM WOMEN IN EGYPT: A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE , MAZAHIR MUHAMMED ATA EL-SID

David vs. Goliath (2001): An Analysis of the OECD Harmful Tax Competition Policy , Truman Butler

Transfer Pricing: A Comparative Study of the French and U.S. Legal Systems , Valerie Ciancia

REFORMING CHINA'S PARTNERSHIP LAW: ACHIEVEMENTS, PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS , HONGBING FAN

SHOULD AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT HAVE PRIMACY OR BE COMPLEMENTARY TO NATIONAL COURTS? AN ANALYSIS OF CONCURRENT JURISDICTION IN THE AD HOC TRIBUNALS AND THE ROME STATUTE , GODWIN YENIKA FONYE

Foreign Direct Investment in Colombia , Juliana Gomez

LEGALIZE IT? -OSP AND PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK LIABILITY FOR ONLINE MUSIC COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY , CHRISTIAN NILS JOCHEN ENGELHARDT

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Dissertation

Where a student can show evidence that he or she is capable of a long dissertation of 12,000 words and wishes to submit such a long dissertation, this may replace two of the electives, subject to agreement on a topic by an MSc in Taxation programme director. A programme director must be satisfied that the dissertation topic is of sufficient scope and depth to be appropriate to replace two courses. The director shall make the decision in consultation with the other directors.

The long dissertation may cover material not covered expressly by any other course on the programme or may build on material covered in another course within the programme provided it has the necessary element of originality, analysis and independent research.  A teacher on the MSc in Taxation must have the suitable knowledge to supervise the dissertation before it can be accepted as an appropriate topic. The topic must, however, be sufficiently different from that chosen for the Tax Research Round Table extended essay to avoid overlap and unfair reduction of burden. It may not be a dissertation, or part of a dissertation, that has been or is being submitted for any other degree in Oxford or elsewhere.

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The optional dissertation seminar

Undergraduates in their final year may write a dissertation in place of one of their five papers. This currently involves writing a 12,000 word dissertation – which typically works out as about twenty to thirty pages. This may sound a daunting prospect, but every year, students find that after they have read and thought about a topic which interests them all year, the difficulty is not coming up with 12,000 words but keeping down to the word limit!

Students preparing a dissertation work within a supportive seminar group structure. Students will have personal contact with a member of academic staff (one of the seminar leaders) who provides them with guidance about reading and on the structure and content of their work, reading and commenting upon a partial draft. The seminar group structure also allows the opportunity to give a work-in-progress presentation to the group on their own research, receiving feedback from the seminar leaders as well as from other students.

The seminar options are intended to be broad umbrellas, giving students scope to choose, from within an expansive field, any topic which particularly sparks their interest.

Most undergraduates who choose the dissertation option find it one of the most rewarding elements of their Law degree, because they get to study in depth some aspect of the law which they themselves have selected. It is also enormously valuable in educational terms, giving students experience not only in producing a sustained piece of legal writing, but also in researching a topic independently. After all, when you start work at a law firm, you won’t be handed a reading list!

Abi, 3rd year Law student

Abi talks about the her experiences of studying a seminar subject and writing a dissertation as part of her undergraduate Law degree at Cambridge.

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Dissertation Topics in Law for LLM Students

• Updated on  
• May 9, 2023

The last academic challenge before the completion of your postgraduate degree is a dissertation or thesis. Many students pursuing LLM are often confused while deciding the correct topic for the dissertation as it requires a lot of research. To help you with the dissertation this blog contains ideal law dissertation topics for LLM in India. Keep reading to know more!

This Blog Includes:

How to choose the best dissertation topic, advantages of choosing a good dissertation topic, criminal law dissertation topics, international law dissertation topics, family law dissertation topics, employment law dissertation topics, international commercial law dissertation topics, law dissertation topics india, intellectual property law topics in dissertation, constitutional law topics in dissertation, sports law topics in dissertation, medical law topics in dissertation, commercial law dissertation topics, company law dissertation topics, tort law dissertation topics, eu law dissertation topics, the english legal system and constitutional and administrative law dissertation topics.

A lot of research and hard work is required to decide what is a correct and valuable topic for the dissertation or thesis. It is seen in various students that before graduation the dissertation is the last hurdle in the way. It is advised to pursue a topic after valuable research and most importantly that goes with the student’s interests.

Also Read: Dissertation Topics

There are an array of benefits when you choose a good and valuable dissertation topic. These advantages include:

• This helps you in the analysis of the topic and deep research.
• Present you with a program to enhance your investigative skills.
• In explaining your subject option, you should be prepared to show how your previous research experiences ended up with great knowledge. 
• You can find a degree of education useful for postgraduate research.

Also Read: Law Entrance Exams: India & Abroad

Criminal law is the body of law regulating crime and criminal activities in India. This proves to be an important topic and is interesting as well. Some of the criminal law dissertation topics are:

• A Significant Study of Struggle against Girls in India
• Case Debate on business trial in India
• An Analysis on Terrorism and Lawlessness Against Infants in India
• A survey on Legislation against private terrorism in India
• Significant Evaluation Of Death Cost In India
• An Analysis of Juvenile Justice System and Order in India
• The appearance of the group is in the criminal law process
• The Root Elements of the Infant Mergers
• White-Collar Crime Law in India
• Criminology and Criminal Justice

Also Read: How to Write a Dissertation?

International law dissertation is another amazing topic where you can add your relevant thoughts. Some of the unique international law dissertation topics are:

• What are the significant aspects of collective civil obligations in now’s global order?
• What are the causes that cause application of foreign order at the state standard also complex?
• Figure out the very important issues encountered by establishing universal rules.
• What are the effects of accelerated market restraints on people? Can such a thing be explained?
• What are global challenges encountered by international businessmen, when installing service projects in third group societies?
• What are the effects of letting offenders continue to their native land for action?
• How seeing abuse as a foreign war case will change the position of African people?
• What are the important challenges encountered by companies that are coming in the global travel industry from the ocean.
• What universal rules regulate copy? How should this case be corrected?
• Which governmental law of the UK is sufficiently sufficient to be carried out universally?

Also Read: What is a Dissertation? Meaning, Projects, Report Work

Some of the most important and unique family law dissertation topics are:

• Separation case for father and female representatives of the group, makes it favour any particular gender or is it merely a sense
• Matrimonial Act and how it affects women who join without their permission. What is the attitude of decisions about made mergers and how can one explain it in the court of decision
• Residential part by stepmothers and offspring, how goes on the case provide everybody has their got right and place
• Youth insurance problems in the unified kingdom, which of the state shows to have very trouble with such arguments and why is it so
• Adolescent abuse-is it important to discipline your children and youths? What is the perimeter between youth abuse and correcting your children for setting their limits
• Internal disorder and its effect on the boy and female representatives personally, which of them picks up a greater claim in the mind of order and how can we get rid of that biasness
• Protection problems for separated mothers, how goes on it go and what goes on the statute have to do about the protection of the child for each mother
• How looks at the proper form thing if a man is incapable to provide and provide his house owing to lack or scarcity of means
• Long-distance communications and their fair significance cut off from the spiritual and artistic attitudes
• Minor job- what are we looking at to abolish it and how goes on our constitutional process set limits and provide that they are found

Employment law dissertation enables you to craft perfect research on your thesis or dissertation. Some of the employment law dissertation topics are:

• The link between trade and morality in the UK. An academic context.
• A study of the relationship between sports departments and their service contracts.
• The effect of variation in the business decisions of the UK after starting the EU.
• The task of infant employment regulations in the UK. How does the judiciary remain fighting developing youth employment?
• The influence of civil responsibility service in UK regulations.
• A study of the market association in the UK study of the business requirements and principles.
• A provisional review of business decisions in the station waggon part of the UK and EU. Who gets the first job benefit and rights insurance systems?
• An in-depth study of justice fees in the validities of UK legislation.

Some of the international commercial law dissertations you can choose from are:

• An assessment of the enemy-pollution bill in the UK. Its origins and effects on the state leaders.
• A strategic study of the joint cloak and how the decision can pass through it.
• The performance of UK legislation in affecting joint difficulties while preserving major human rights.
• A symposium on the differences enveloping the purview of field 33 groups do 2006 in the UK
• The effects of setting reasonable requirements for the principal’s needs. How does the organisation do well under this?
• An in-depth assessment of economic regulation programs at attending institutions in the UK.
• The effect of UNCITRAL’s performance on the unification of universal economic legislation in the UK.

Also Read: How to Write Acknowledgement for Dissertation?

Some of the Indian legal topics you can choose for your dissertation are:

• Handgun Case in India: Provision of a Different Structure
•  Animal investigation: Order in India
• Wire advertising and constitutional structure
•  Joint Civil Power and change
• Moral Orders and Cases in producing societies
• Men Investigations and Indian constitutional practice
•  Improvement of infants and proper conflict

Some of the catchy and interesting dissertation topics that you can choose as a dissertation topic for law assignment:

• Scientific advances and present IP rule in India
• IP rules and the safety of/on Internet
•  New patent statutes and digitalisation

Also Read: University of Law: Eligibility, Application, Courses & More

Here are some of the finest dissertation or thesis topics for constitutional law dissertation topics are:

• Accident plans in India: A study
• Legal exploitation and its interest: An assessment
• Application of International Cases in Indian Legal Structure
• Able expression in virtual life and Indian Custom

Also Read: Dissertation vs Thesis

A constantly fascinating subject, sports provides a large range of fields and issues to judge from to create your analysis report. It can deal with universal order, national order, carrying out parties, power, and often better.

Here are some of the finest dissertation (thesis)points on Sports law:

• Doping and Sports: National and International fair innuendo
• Legalisation of speculating in India: Law and Cons
• Handling sports organisations and their constitutional ramifications
• Transgender animals and Indian Custom

Medical law dissertation is another great topic you can choose from, some of the medical law dissertation topics are:

• Member retention: Fair experts and cons
• Miscarriage in India: A global review
• Made fertilisation: Provision of primary training to find out these matters
• Supported suicide: Fair, honest and therapeutic ethics
• Animal torture: A fair claim research

Also Read: Law Courses

Commercial Law is one such topic where a wide area of study is to be covered because it cannot be described within a single legal jurisdiction. A commercial law dissertation often involves comparisons with other countries. Listed below are some topics for Commercial Law Dissertation:

• A critical assessment of the international commercial arbitration system as a cost-effective and efficient means to administer justice in commercial disputes
• An assessment of security over personal property when it comes to the matter of possessory and non-possessory forms of security and other legal devices
• An investigation of the emergence of new manifestations of international commercial law
• A critical assessment of the passing of risk in the commercial law in England and Wales
• A critical assessment of the Future of consumer protection in England and Wales in the post-Brexit era

There is a great scope of producing an effective Company Law Dissertation as it provides you with potential sources. From the Companies Act 2006 to corporate governance, you have a lot of options to choose from. Listed below are some great Company Law Dissertation Topics:

• A critical analysis of the shareholder versus stakeholder basis of corporate governance
• Arguments for and against ‘stakeholder theory’ and to what extent are they still valid?
• Should the OECD’s Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital 2010 be ratified into UK Law?
• To what extent has Environmental Law merged together Vicarious and Corporate Liability
• Is the English maintenance of the “internal management” model failing to bring company law in the 21st Century?

The word Tort comes from the Latin term torture which means “Wrong”. In simple terms, Tort Law is supposed to address the civil wrongs done to a person, accidentally or incidentally. The victim/injured/aggrieved party is provided with compensation for the damages.

This area of law is one of the most important aspects of law study as it demonstrates the circumstances through which an individual is held accountable for another party’s injury either done intentionally or omissions or even by accident. Listed below are some topics for a Tort Law Dissertation to make it easier for you to draft an effective dissertation:

• Importance of foreseeability and policy in establishing a duty of care
• Analysis of the rules regarding the recovery of economic losses in tortious actions
• When it comes to matters of occupiers’ liability under the Occupiers Liability Acts of 1957 and 1984 respectively, when is a trespasser, not a trespasser?
• Wrongful Restraint of a man’s Liberty: Meaning, Defense and Remedy
• Why might the duty of care afforded to children be considered to be a step too far regarding the recognition of tortious liability?

Also Read: All About PhD Thesis

EU Law is considered as an expandable area of academic interest, particularly due to the UK’s recent Brexit from the Union. There is a wide range of dissertation topics you can consider for an EU Law Dissertation, from UK’s Brexit to the superiority of EU Law. Listed below are some great dissertation topics to start with your EU Law Dissertation:

• Critical Analysis of the UK’s Separation from the EU.
• Brexit and EU economy: How the UK’s decision has affected EU trade.
• An argument: Is EU Law actually superior?
• Importance of the enforcement actions against EU Member States as part of the European law-making process.
• How has the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 contributed to the recognition of human rights internationally?

The English Legal System and Constitutional and Administrative Law may be classified into 3 key areas-

• The nature of the Constitution may be considered in areas including, but not limited to, the recognition and application of conventions and the rule of law. 
• Evaluation of the roles of the legislature, executive and parliament in the context of the recognition of the separation of powers, which could include legislation’s passage through Parliament, the delegation of legislation, the relationship between Parliament, the crown and the Royal Prerogative, and the executive, legislative and judiciary’s relationship.
• Judicial Review includes the basis for intervention, such as ultra vires and illegality, procedural irregularity, irrationality, proportionality, and the nemo judex rule.

A number of areas can be covered in this dissertation as the English Legal System and Constitutional and Administrative Law is quite different from other legal systems as the role of the judge differs in an adversarial system. The major difference is in how a trial is pursued. Some topics for an English Legal System and Constitutional and Administrative Law Dissertation are as mentioned below:

• The Role of natural justice  in the UK Constitution
• Are conventions still a valid part of the UK Constitution?
• Is the Royal Prerogative an essential part of the British Constitution?
• Are the current models of statutory interpretation fit for purpose, especially as the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) infer a more active approach for judges?
• In what ways will the relationship between constitutional and administrative law in England and Wales be affected by Brexit?

The following are the popular law universities in the world: Harvard University Columbia University Stanford University

Here are some of the finest dissertation or thesis topics for constitutional law dissertation topics are: Accident plans in India: A study Legal exploitation and its interest: An assessment Application of International Cases in the Indian Legal Structure Able expression in virtual life and Indian Custom

The average salary of a lawyer in India is 3.5 Lakh per year.

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Preparing Scholars for Distinguished Academic Careers

The most advanced degree program at UCLA Law, the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) is designed for those seeking to pursue careers as teachers and scholars of law.

Apply to the SJD Program

The Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) Degree Program is designed for those seeking to pursue careers as teachers and scholars of law. This highly selective program is open only to applicants who possess a distinguished prior academic record in law, show promise of outstanding scholarship, and demonstrate a high potential for completing a scholarly dissertation of required quality. Applicants must hold a J.D. degree or foreign equivalent and an LL.M. degree (or be enrolled in a program leading to an LL.M. degree).

The S.J.D. Program provides a unique opportunity for outstanding international law graduates to study at the UCLA School of Law. In the sixty years since its foundation, UCLA School of Law has grown to an institution of over 1,000 students and approximately 100 full and part-time faculty members. It is recognized by academic surveys to be among the twenty best law schools in the United States. The school is particularly noted for the unsurpassed expertise of its faculty, whose intellectual strength is balanced by commitments to improved instructional programs and an active recognition of social responsibilities.

UCLA is the premier university in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, a dynamic, cosmopolitan cultural center of more than ten million people. A vital part of the nine-campus University of California system, UCLA has reached national prominence in a variety of disciplines and consistently ranks in the top half-dozen universities in the nation, as judged by its academic peers and in terms of fellowships and grants awarded. UCLA enrolls approximately 45,000 students across 13 schools and colleges, in over 100 academic departments, and in 23 research units. Its 19 libraries, special collections, and archives hold approximately 12 million print and electronic volumes.

Our distinguished law faculty help prepare these students across an extensive range of law subjects -- using a variety of effective and often interdisciplinary approaches to teaching -- for outstanding careers in academia, transactional and litigation practices, government, international and domestic public policy, business, and nonprofit public interest arenas.

Those who ultimately join us can look forward to a promising future for themselves and for those whom they will teach, inform, and represent.

Students in the S.J.D. program must enter with an LL.M. degree, remain in residence for two semesters, and take a minimum of ten units of graded coursework each semester, which must be approved by the supervising faculty member and Graduate Studies Committee. The choice of courses will be from among  those generally offered  at the Law School and will depend on the particular subject matter and course of study approved for each S.J.D. student.

Applicants should bear in mind that, due to curriculum scheduling and faculty availability, not every class listed is taught each year. This is most often true in the case of specialized seminars. The final schedule of law classes will be available shortly before the enrollment process begins in July. The law school academic year begins in the middle of August with a fall semester of 15 weeks. After examinations and vacation in December, classes resume early in January for another 15-week semester that ends in mid-May.

Upon successful completion of the residency requirement and performance in courses at a level substantially above the quality expected of J.D. candidates, the Graduate Studies Committee, following its favorable review of the candidate's course work and of the developed research proposal, shall constitute a doctoral committee. It shall consist of three faculty members, including the student's supervisor and a member from a department outside the Law School. Upon the successful oral defense of the research proposal before the doctoral committee, the Graduate Studies Committee shall admit the student to full candidacy for the S.J.D. degree.

Within two years of the completion of the residency period, unless for exceptional circumstances an extension is granted by the Graduate Studies Committee, a candidate shall submit, and successfully defend in an oral examination, a dissertation in the form of a monograph or series of closely related essays suitable for publication and constituting a substantial contribution to knowledge in its field.

At UCLA Law, S.J.D. students are part of a diverse, vibrant, and thriving international graduate community, comprised of the best and brightest students from around the globe. Our select group of S.J.D. students - alongside members of the LL.M. community – hail from cultures near and far, representing over 30 different countries each year. Upon completion of the program, our students transition into the next phase of their professional careers having developed strong friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. S.J.D. students will also get to know and work closely with our faculty, who are accessible, open and who create a flourishing collegial environment at the law school. As an S.J.D. student, you are in for one of the most intellectually stimulating, memorable, and exciting times of your life, and we look forward to welcoming YOU to the Bruin family.

Hazim Alnemari is a current S.J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. In addition to his classical training in Islamic law, Alnemari earned his LL.B. from Taif University and his LL.M. from the University of Washington. He is an academic and legal counselor as well as a lecturer in constitutional law at the Islamic University of Madinah. Alnemari's research focuses on constitutionalism in Arab monarchies by tackling the intersection of law, religion, and monarchy. His research covers areas of comparative constitutional law, constitutional theory, political theory, and jurisprudence.

Suraj Girijashanker completed his legal education from the London School of Economics (LLB), School of Oriental and African Studies (LLM), and Columbia Law School (LLM). He is currently an Assistant Professor at Jindal Global Law School, India and Adjunct Faculty at the Centre for Migration and Refugee Studies at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Prior to transitioning to academia, he served as a Legal Advisor with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal in New Zealand; Expert on Mission with UNHCR Turkey; Associate Refugee Status Determination Officer with UNHCR Egypt; and Legal Representative at Manus Island Regional Processing Centre in Papua New Guinea. His doctoral project traces imperial and racial narratives in international refugee law, focusing on the nexus between foreign intervention and displacement.

Sofia Grafanaki is a current S.J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. She previously earned her Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford and her LL.M. in Corporation Law at New York University School of Law. She also earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a second LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Information Law. She is admitted to the New York State bar, as a solicitor of the Senior Courts in London, and as an attorney in Athens, Greece. Grafanaki writes on the implications of big data on individual autonomy and democracy, as well as on speech and the role of the First Amendment in the online environment.

Qin Sky Ma is a current S.J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. Ma earned her J.D. from Tsinghua University in China and her LL.M. from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in international and comparative law. Ma passed the Chinese Bar Exam and worked as an assistant lawyer for several Chinese defense attorneys. As a student, Ma served as one of the executive editors for the Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs at UCLA. She was a judicial extern at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District in 2017. Ma taught criminal procedure at a local high school in Los Angeles through the UCLA Street Law Clinic. Ma is focusing her studies on comparative criminal justice and the international justice system.

Wietske Merison is a current S.J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. She has an interdisciplinary educational background with an LLM in Public International Law from Utrecht University, an MA in Theology and Religious Studies from VU Amsterdam and a BA majoring in International Law, Religion and Anthropology from University College Roosevelt. She previously worked as a lecturer in International and European Law at Utrecht University and is currently employed as a Research Assistant to Professor Abou El Fadl. In her dissertation she will be working on the articulation of an Islamic framework for environmental justice, specializing in the fields of Islamic Law, Environmental Law and International Human Rights Law.

Diego Nicolás Pardo Motta is a current S.J.D. student at UCLA School of Law. He earned his LL.B. at the Universidad del Rosario (Bogotá, Colombia) with specializations in Administrative and Constitutional Law. Diego then earned a Master’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Law with an emphasis in legal research from the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá). Finally, he obtained an LL.M. at UCLA School of Law with specializations in Law & Philosophy, International & Comparative Law, and Human Rights. Diego has served as a Public Worker for the Government of Bogotá, a Law Clerk at the Colombian Council of State, and a Lecturer at the Universidad El Bosque and Universidad del Rosario. His research is focused on the philosophical, historical, and comparative significance of the Consultive Function of the Council of State.

Marina Reis is a current S.J.D. candidate at UCLA School of Law. She previously earned her LL.B. from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a concentration in criminal law and an LL.M. from UCLA Law. While a student, Reis worked at UCLA's Prison Education Program  and was involved in the development of an academic curriculum for incarcerated persons in California. Reis currently works as a research assistant at the African American Policy Forum. Her research uses an intersectional lens to analyze gender-based violence in Brazil and the United States. She is particularly interested in investigating the (in)effectiveness of colorblind legislation to combat gender-based violence and the protection of women of color.

Alessia Zornetta is currently an S.J.D student at the UCLA School of Law. She is affiliated with the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy. Alessia obtained her LL.B at the University of Trento (Italy) and her LL.M at McGill University (Canada). Prior to UCLA, she worked as external researcher for the Institute for Legal Informatics at the University of Saarland (Germany). At present, she works as a student researcher at the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law & Policy and as graduate research assistant at the McGill Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy (Canada). Her research focuses mainly on platform governance, content moderation, privacy and data protection. During the S.J.D. program, Alessia will focus on the legal challenges concerning end-to-end encrypted platforms.

Hilal Elver is a 2009 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. She earned her J.D. as well as a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Ankara. During the S.J.D. program, her work was focused on the Critical Race Studies program and comparative constitutional law. She published her S.J.D. thesis: The Headscarf Controversy: Secularism and Freedom of Religion (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012). She was a member of the Academic Council of the UN Least Developed Countries as well as a member of the official delegation of Turkey's UN Climate Change Framework Convention. Elver taught in the UC Santa Barbara Global Studies department until she was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. She held this position from 2014 until May 2020. She is currently in the process of writing a book on the right to food and food policies on a global level.

Willmai Rivera-Pérez is a 2011 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. In 2006 she earned her LL.M. from UC Berkeley School of Law. Her doctoral dissertation explored the role that the international human rights discourse has had in the adoption and development of the direct application of constitutional norms to relations arising from disputes between private parties in Latin America. Rivera-Pérez practiced as an attorney at Marchand Quintero Law Offices focusing on First Amendment litigation. She also clerked for Associate Justice Antonio S. Negrón García at the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. Rivera-Pérez is currently the Kendall Vick Endowed Professor of Public Law at the Southern University Law Center, where she teaches constitutional law, federal jurisdiction, federal civil procedure, succession, donations, and comparative law.

Martin Petrin is a 2011 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. Petrin earned his LL.M. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of St. Gallen. During his time at UCLA, Petrin worked on corporate directors' and officers' liability, exploring various aspects of managers' liability towards shareholders as well as third parties. Petrin previously practiced law with a leading international business law firm and is admitted to the bar in New York and Switzerland. He has been a visiting professor at NYU London and a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and Private Law in Hamburg. He is currently the Dancap Private Equity Chair in Corporate Governance at Western University in Canada, having moved there from University College London in the UK, where he served as Associate Professor and Vice Dean (Innovation).

Astrid Liliana Sánchez-Mejía is a 2015 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. She earned her law degree from Javeriana University, Colombia and her LL.M. from Los Andes University, Colombia. She earned another LL.M. in legal theory from New York University. During her time at UCLA, her research examined the effects of adversarial criminal justice reforms on victims' rights by specifically analyzing the Colombian criminal justice reform of the early 2000s. She published her thesis: Victims' Rights in Flux: Criminal Justice Reform in Colombia, (new York, NY: Springer, 2017). Sánchez-Mejía has taught at various universities and training centers for state representatives in Colombia and Latin America. She is currently a Professor of Law at Javeriana University, Colombia.

Sumit Baudh is a 2016 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore and graduated with honors. He earned his LL.M. from the London School of Economics. Baudh is qualified to practice law in India and enrolled as a solicitor n.p. with the Law Society in England and Wales. He was formerly an assistant professor at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. As an independent consultant, Baudh has advised national and international organizations including the U.S.-based Arcus Foundation, the United Nations Development Program, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, and the Government of India (among others). Currently, he is a Visiting Scholar, The Center for International and Comparative Law at Emory Law School.

Catarina Prata is a 2017 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. She earned her first law degree with a specialization in international law and a Master's degree in International Legal Sciences, both from the New University of Lisbon in Portugal. Prata was a Fulbright Scholar at New York University School of Law, where she obtained her LL.M. degree with a specialization in International Legal Studies. Prata conducted her research on the law of armed conflicts. She focused on private security and military companies and the possible alternatives for their regulation under international law. Prata has worked for Amnesty International in Portugal as a research and advocacy coordinator, and she currently works as a consultant in her field of expertise.

Yang Liu is a 2018 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. Liu previously earned law degrees from Harvard Law School and Tsinghua University, China. His doctoral dissertation focused on judicial politics within and among international courts. Liu also clerked at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Liu continues to research the judicial politics of international courts, theory and history of international law, and comparative foreign relations law. He currently serves as an assistant professor at Renmin University of China Law School, where he teaches international law and comparative politics.

Ricardo Lillo is a 2020 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. Lillo earned his LL.B. from Universidad Diego Portales School of Law in Santiago, Chile. He also earned his LL.M. in Public Interest Law and Policy from UCLA. His doctoral thesis explored the relation between the right to a fair trial and access to justice, and he proposed a new theoretical approach for its understanding in non-criminal matters. Lillo served as a Hoffenberg Research Fellow and as a fellow at UCLA's Transnational Program on Criminal Justice. Lillo is currently a faculty member at Universidad Adolfo Ibañez School of Law, where he teaches procedural law, and is a member of the Law and Society Research Centre.

Qin Xia is a 2020 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. She previously earned her LL.B. with a minor in English Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University and her LL.M. from the University of Michigan. Xia also earned another master's degree in international economic law from Beijing Foreign Studies University. During her time in the S.J.D. program, she focused her studies on information disclosure and investor protection in the securities markets. Xia is admitted as an attorney in China and is also admitted to the New York State bar. Prior to coming to UCLA, she practiced as a corporate attorney with China Orient Asset Management Corporation. Xia later joined Nanjing University Law School as an assistant professor.

Andrés Caicedo is a 2021 graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law, and he is a Fulbright Scholar. He earned his first law degree from Rosario University in Colombia. Caicedo also holds an LL.M. with a specialization in Critical Race Studies from UCLA School of Law, as well as a Master of Public Law from Charles III University of Madrid in Spain. He has worked as a law professor at two universities in Colombia, teaching human rights, constitutional law and sociology of law. During his time in the S.J.D. program, his research focused on issues related to Critical Race Theory, affirmative action, civil rights, equality, constitutional law, and human rights. His doctoral thesis focused on Critical Race Theory and race-conscious remedies to address racial subordination in Colombia.

Zezen Zaenal Mutaqin is a graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. He previously earned his LL.B from the State Islamic University Jakarta School of Shari'a and Law and his LL.M from Melbourne University School of Law. Prior to the S.J.D. program, Mutaqin worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as an assistant to the Asia Pacific Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs and a lecturer at UIN. During the S.J.D. program he focused his studies on the interpretation, articulation, and enforcement of Islamic jus in bello (Islamic law regulation on the use force) and its relation to international humanitarian law. He is now head of the Master Degree Program in the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia.

Bryan Hance is a graduate of the S.J.D. program at UCLA School of Law. He previously earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA, his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, and his LL.M. degree from UCLA School of Law. Hance clerked for Justice Edward Panelli of the California Supreme Court. Previously, he taught at Glendale University College of Law in Los Angeles and was a partner at the law firm of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, where he handled litigation and transactional matters. He also served as Associate General Counsel at Pepperdine University and as Executive Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution, where he handled training, arbitrations, and mediations. In addition to his law practice, Hance  serves as a professor and program director of the pre-law and paralegal studies programs at National University in San Diego.

Hiroshi Motomura is quoted in an LA Times column about putting the immigration and border situation in perspective

Gary blasi is quoted in the la times about a brief that he co-authored on basic income grants to reduce homelessness, ann carlson is quoted in the washington post about the regulation of tesla's autopilot.

Film screening followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and SDP Director, Rick Hasen.

A conversation with Laura Black Dawson, Head of Business Affairs and General Counsel at Echoverse and Andrea Hartman, Lecturer in Law at UCLA School of Law

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Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

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Dissertation Presentation in the Doctoral Program for Educational Leadership for Social Justice

Join us for a dissertation presentation by Monique Daley on Thursday, May 2, at 2 p.m.

This study utilizes hermeneutic phenomenology to examine the experiences of racial injustice faced by three Black West Indian women who work as Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs). The overarching aim was to amplify the voices of Black West Indians in research, provide a much-needed counter-narrative, and challenge the monolithic approach to understanding Black lived experiences and identities. To achieve this, West Indian Critical Theory (WestIndianCrit) was developed by the candidate as a lens to understand the unique lived experiences of West Indians in the context of hegemonic socio-political ideals. Additionally, Black Feminist Thought (BFT) amplified the visibility of Black West Indian women. The research serves as a call to action to center the experiences of Black West Indian women CDOs in research and to utilize their expansive perspectives to advance diversity initiatives.

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Call for Nominations: Law Alumni Board

The Law Alumni Board is made up of 28 Colorado Law graduates. The members promote the best interests of the law school by stimulating interest in, building loyalty for, and increasing support for the law school among its alumni and students and assisting the Law School in serving the needs of its alumni, students, and faculty, the legal profession, and the public at large. The 2023-24 Board Chair is Caitlin McHugh, and the Chair-Elect is Tim Galluzzi. Read about current LAB members here: https://www.colorado.edu/law/law-alumni-board    

LAB meets in September, January, April, and June. Each LAB member serves on a LAB committee in addition to the quarterly meetings. LAB terms are four years with a maximum of two terms. Nominations remain active for three years as limited members roll off the board each year.  

The LAB would like to hear from you! Please follow the link below to nominate. Nominations are due May 24, 2024. 

https://cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZ9kKE0J9JXXDLg  

Sincerely, 

The Nominating Committee:  

Stan Garnett '82, Chair 

Michael Carrigan 94 

Sonny Cave '85 

Hiwot Covell '09 

Alinka Flaminia '90 

Velveta Golightly-Howell '81 

Caitlin McHugh '12 

Linda Kato '85 

David Stark '73 

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Four law enforcement officers killed while serving warrant in North Carolina

Four officers were fatally shot as a U.S. Marshals task force was serving a warrant at a home Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina, officials said. A suspected shooter was also dead.

A marshal and two local officers working with the fugitive task force were killed in the gunfire around 1:30 p.m. Gov. Roy Cooper  said that “two state Department of Adult Correction officers” had died.

The city's police chief announced Monday night that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who had been wounded, Joshua Eyer, had also died.

"It was just last month I was in this very room congratulating Officer Eyer for becoming officer of the month in April," Police Chief Johnny Jennings said. "And he certainly dedicated his life and gave his life to serve our citizens."

The secretary of the state Adult Corrections Department identified two of the other people killed as Sam uel Poloche and William "Alden" Elliott , both of whom had been with the department for 14 years and were on the marshals task force.

In total, eight law enforcement officers were shot.

Jennings said the fallen officers were "heroes that were just simply trying to keep our community safe."

The violence broke out as the task force was serving a warrant on a suspect in possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The subject, who was not publicly identified, began shooting with a high-powered rifle, Jennings said. Task force members returned fire and killed the suspect in the home's front yard, he said.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police sergeant was on the task force but was not struck by gunfire, Jennings said. The sergeant called for backup, and that's when the four responding Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were shot, Jennings said.

Police were eventually able to clear the home, Jennings said. Two people inside, one of them 17 years old, were detained as persons of interest.

Officials believe two people fired at law enforcement, Jennings said.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who spoke at Monday's news conference, said the community must honor the deputy marshals who lost their lives and the wounded officers.

"These are people that cared deeply about what they've done for our profession, and now today, we have to say to them how much we are grateful for what they have done," Lyles said.

Cooper, the governor, called the incident "tragic" and said the state is offering assistance.

He later offered his condolences to the families and co-workers in the "brutal attack."

President Joe Biden said Monday night of the slain officers: "They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us."

"We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded," the president said in a statement . He also called for more funding for law enforcement and for Congress to do more to combat gun violence.

Eyer, the CMPD officer whose death was announced Monday night, is survived by his wife and a 3-year-old son, the police chief said.

Poloche is survived by a wife and two children, and Elliot and his wife were parents to one child, state Adult Correction Secretary Todd Ishee said in a statement.

CORRECTION (April 29, 2024, 6:40 pm ET): A previous version of this article misstated the number of U.S. marshals who were killed. One marshal was fatally shot and two local officers working with the marshals task force were also killed. (A fourth officer who was initially wounded later died.)

Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington.

Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

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Campus protests over the Gaza war

As pro-palestinian protests spread, more university leaders weigh police involvement.

Meg Anderson

A Georgia State Patrol officer detains a protester on the campus of Emory University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday in Atlanta. Mike Stewart/AP hide caption

A Georgia State Patrol officer detains a protester on the campus of Emory University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday in Atlanta.

For the second time in a week, police arrested dozens of demonstrators at the University of Texas at Austin protesting Israel's war against Hamas. Protesters chanted for the police to leave, repeating: "We are being peaceful, you are being violent."

The scene at UT-Austin grew tense as campus police and state troopers deployed a chemical irritant to control the crowd. While some students dispersed, others were seen blocking police vans and resisting arrest. University officials said in a statement that the university took swift action to preserve a safe learning environment.

UT-Austin isn't the only school where clashes with law enforcement have escalated. At Emory University in Atlanta last week, police used pepper balls and tasers to control what they described as unruly protesters throwing bottles. Nationwide, there have been hundreds of arrests , including at Columbia University, the University of Southern California and at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Police, protesters clash at VCU student protests on campus tonight @RTDNEWS pic.twitter.com/o6MZUdScNp — Zach Joachim (@ZachJoachim) April 30, 2024

Yet other universities have taken a more hands off approach. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology told NPR demonstrations there have been peaceful, though police are monitoring and MIT's president has urged an end to its encampment.

Sometimes the response has shifted even at the same institution. Columbia University initially sent police to quell the protests. University President Minouche Shafik announced on Friday the school has no plans to call police to campus to respond to the demonstrations. On Monday, the university began suspending students who refused to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment by a 2 p.m. deadline. Minouche said officials need to enforce the school's rules and norms.

These vastly different approaches on when to involve police – and when not to – underscore the delicate balance between a desire to protect free speech and keep a college safe and functioning.

Universities can choose how to react

Alex Morey, the director of campus rights advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, says responses vary in part because individual colleges decide how to regulate speech on campus. They outline where students can post flyers, or what time of day protests need to end. Those rules are allowed, as long as they apply to any student group, regardless of the cause, Morey says.

She says many campuses don't allow tent encampments, for instance.

"If I were a college administrator and there was an encampment on my campus and it was not causing disruption, you may as well let it lie if you're going to cause more disruption by removing it. But they do have the right to remove it if they choose to do so," she says.

At the University of California, Berkeley, for instance, Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof says their policy is to avoid police involvement unless it's absolutely necessary.

"Every action has a reaction, and sometimes the reaction is antithetical to what your goals are. Law enforcement is an important resource, but it can also have unintended consequences," he says.

Mogulof says Berkeley's protests have been peaceful so far. He says the school is committed to both free speech and to keeping the university safe and functioning.

"There can be a tension between those objectives," he says. "And the trick is to manage those inherent tensions, the right to freely express your perspective, but also the right to pursue your academic interests."

Other universities are trying to strike a similar balance.

At Northwestern University, officials negotiated an agreement with protesters, making a plan on where students can continue to protest while not breaking the university's rules.

"This agreement represents a sustainable and de-escalated path forward, and enhances the safety of all members of the Northwestern community while providing space for free expression that complies with University rules and policies," university officials wrote in a statement .

A balancing act

But at some universities, that balancing act has become more fraught.

Washington University in St. Louis told NPR in a statement that the university protects free speech, but that right doesn't include activities that disrupt the functions of the university. On Saturday, university officials made the call to arrest 100 people it said "did not have good intentions" and were mostly unaffiliated with the school, according to a statement .

On Sunday, demonstrators at the University of California, Los Angeles breached a barrier set up to separate pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters, resulting in "physical altercations," according to a university spokesperson. Campus police eventually separated the two groups.

At Northeastern University, campus police arrested around 100 people Saturday after an encampment was "infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation" to the school and who were using "virulent antisemitic slurs," including "Kill the Jews," officials told NPR in a statement.

"All of these factors, taken together, left university leaders with no choice but to act," Chancellor Ken Henderson and Provost David Madigan wrote . "Over the weekend, like many colleges and universities nationwide, Northeastern faced an untenable dilemma."

Jewish students at several universities have reported feeling unsafe. A group of Jewish students at the University of Minnesota say they have seen "violent and hateful messages" on campus and no longer feel safe. Jewish student groups at other schools on Friday demanded that campus officials take stronger measures to ensure their safety.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at other universities have also expressed safety concerns, saying they've been doxxed and harassed. And they also say universities are stifling free speech.

David Cole, national legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union, says colleges have to intervene if there is violence or targeted threats of violence, but short of that, it is "ultimately an exercise in discretion."

He says schools may also face pressure from politicians and donors to respond harshly. At Columbia, hundreds of alumni signed a statement this week demanding the school strongly discipline students who engage in threats and hate speech and remove all illegal encampments.

But sometimes pressure can backfire, Cole says.

"History demonstrates that if you try to suppress protests, you will only strengthen the side that you are seeking to vanquish," he says.

In the meantime, schools will continue grappling with safety concerns as the school year ends and graduation season gets underway.

Toward the end of its semester, Columbia University switched to hybrid classes. The University of Michigan is enlisting volunteers to be part of "protest and disruptions response" teams to work during May commencement ceremonies, and the University of Southern California recently announced it is canceling its main commencement ceremony altogether.

• Israelis and Palestinians
• college protests