PhD Course
Theory of Legal Research
Course Description: This PhD course offers a theoretical engagement with the foundations of legal research. It is structured around two core questions of What is law? and What should law be?. It, therefore, examines law not only as a body of rules, but as a social construct, a tool for social and political transformation, as well as a site of power, resistance, and critique. Through the lenses of critical legal theory and decolonial perspectives, the course invites students to interrogate how legal knowledge is produced, contested, and reshaped. The course helps students to explore diverse modes of legal research through emphasizing the fluid boundaries between law and other disciplines. Moreover, it equips students to articulate and situate their own research within this complex scholarly terrain.
Prior Requirements: None.
When: The course has 4 lessons, on the following dates:
- 8 October 2026, 11:00-14:00
- 15 October 2026, 11:00-14:00
- 22 October 2026, 11:00-14:00
- 29 October 2026, 11:00-14:00
Maximum of external participants: The course has up to five spots available for staff from other universities.
Lecturers: Prof.dr. Chantal Mak & Dr. Leila Faghfouri Azar & Dr. Marijn Sax
Registration deadline: Anytime before the start of the course. For questions or registration, please contact Lorena Zevedei at L.Zevedei@uva.nl