Research clusters

The School of Law and Social Justice's sixteen research clusters, networks, and units provide focal points for collaboration in different areas of social, legal, and political research. Through them our academic researchers can share ideas, develop projects, gain peer support, access broader networks, and organise seminars and conferences.

Staff members and PhD students can belong to multiple clusters, as can collaborators from across the university and beyond.

Clusters provide the framework for delivering postgraduate research supervision and support, with students fully integrated into projects.

Centre for Ageing and the Life Course Centre for Ageing and the Life Course logo

Centre for Ageing and the Life Course (CALC)

CALC fosters research in critical and cultural ageing studies, exploring the underpinning factors shaping inequalities in ageing, as well as the subjective meaning and lived experience of health and well-being in later life.

Charity Law & Policy Unit A group of people lying on the grass in a star shape

Charity Law and Policy Unit (CLPU)

CLPU carries out research into the legal issues facing charities and third sector organisations, often with a strong empirical element and leading to proposals for legal and regulatory reform, which have made important contributions to policy change in this field.

and Society People crossing at a zebra crossing.

Corporations, Law and Society (CLAS)

The Corporations, Law, and Society research unit brings together academics, researchers, policy-shapers and corporate experts to rethink the key legal principles and assumptions governing the relationship between corporations and society.

Criminal Justice Unit People walking on the pavement.

Criminal Justice Unit

The Criminal Justice Unit brings together leading scholars across law, sociology, social policy, and criminology to advance research on criminal justice processes, law, and policy, as well as fostering cross-department collaboration.

Critical Approaches to International Criminal Law Barbed wire fence on a misty day.

Critical Approaches to International Criminal Law (CAICL)

International criminal law has become one of the most prominent aspects of international law. The International Criminal Court and other tribunals have captured the imagination of the public, and international criminal justice has become a much commented-upon scholarly topic.

EU Law at Liverpool European flag flying in the wind

EU Law at Liverpool

Committed to driving forward a critical understanding of the European Union, EU Law at Liverpool offers a broad range of expertise across diverse areas of EU law and policy.

European Children's Rights Unit A line of children wearing wellies.

European Children's Rights Unit (ECRU)

The European Children’s Rights Unit brings together experts on children’s rights issues of global, European, and local importance.

European Criminal Law Academic Network European flag with ECLAN logo overlay.

European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN)

Liverpool Law School co-ordinates ECLAN together with the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Luxembourg. The network brings together academics from 32 countries from Europe and beyond.

Feminist Legal Research and Action Network Feminist artwork on a wall.

Feminist Legal Research and Action Network (FRAN)

Building on the history of the Feminist Legal Research Unit at the University of Liverpool, we are a group of legal scholars who take an intersectional approach to feminist research, teaching and scholarship.

Health Law and Regulation Unit A person doing yoga at sunset

Health Law and Regulation Unit (HLRU)

The Health Law and Regulation Unit (HLRU) supports research and knowledge exchange activities in the field of health law and regulation. HLRU brings together a range of experts pursuing cutting-edge, impactful research into current legal, regulatory and policy dilemmas in healthcare.

International Criminological Research Unit CCTV cameras

International Criminological Research Unit (ICRU)

ICRU is committed to advancing theoretically-informed, empirically-rigorous, and policy-relevant research in criminology and criminal justice that resonates on a local through to international scale.

International Law and Human Rights Unit Paper chain of humans held up by a person's hands with the AHRI logo in the corner.

International Law and Human Rights Unit (ILHRU)

The International Law and Human Rights Unit (ILHRU) provides a hub for researchers in the broad areas of international law and human rights.

Law & Non Communicable Diseases Unit A bright blue background with Lady Liberty statue in the foreground.

Law & Non-Communicable Diseases Unit

The Law & NCD Unit conducts research into how legal instruments can be used as tools for the prevention of NCDs, and more specifically how robust evidence-based policy interventions can be designed to support effective NCD prevention strategies at local, national, regional or global levels.

Liverpool Public Law Unit Three tall buildings with a grey sky in the background.

Liverpool Public Law Unit (LPLU)

The Liverpool Public Law Unit (LPLU) draws together wide-ranging expertise in public law, in and between global, European, and UK contexts.

Liverpool Sociological Research Cluster A line of hands on a wooden table

Liverpool Sociological Research Cluster (LSRC)

LSRC serves as a vibrant intellectual hub for sociologists. Members explore a diverse array of topics, including AI and online life, contemporary state structures, racial capitalism, knowledge production dynamics, climate emergency responses, medical artefacts, social class dynamics, education systems, cultural industries, and architecture.

Law and Society Unit Data on a laptop screen

Technology, Law and Society Unit

The Technology, Law and Society Unit conducts interdisciplinary research into the impact of technology on society, economy, and human interactions.