School of Law, Gender and Media

Overview

The School of Law is the only one of its kind in the UK -  dedicated to legal systems and legal challenges of the developing world, with complementary strengths in human rights, international law and institutions, environmental law and international trade and commerce.

We have unrivalled expertise and produce world-leading research in comparative law (China, Africa, South/South-East Asia, the Middle East), complemented by specialists in international and transnational law, human rights, transnational commercial law, environmental law and socio-legal method.

The Centre for Gender Studies and Centre for Global Media and Communications are vibrant research units associated with the School that host their own masters programmes.

We host six specialist law centres: Centre for Law in AsiaCentre for the Study of Colonialism, Empire and International LawCentre for Human Rights LawCentre for Islamic and Middle Eastern LawLaw, Environment and Development Centre and Centre for AI Futures.

 

Our Head of School says...

The School of Law, Media and Gender at SOAS has a global reputation for excellence. Our outstanding research has earned SOAS Law the rank of #1 in the UK in REF research outputs and top 10 in the UK for Research Quality in Law (Complete University Guide 2023). Undergraduate students on our LLB or BA in Law receive a firm foundation in British Law along with an education focussed on scholarship from and about our mandate areas: Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Postgraduate students on our LLM, MA and PhD programmes benefit form an education anchored in and focussed on the Global South, on post-colonial legal geographies, and on some of the most pressing global issues of our time. All of our students are taught by academic thought leaders, practicing lawyers, and other experts from across a range of disciplines.

The intellectual community at SOAS is vibrant and globally oriented. The School of Law, Gender and Media is home to a range of specialist law centres, which put on events regularly throughout the year. Additionally, the student Law Society is active and hosts career and social events.

Facts and figures

1st in UK

REF 2021 (Research Outputs)

6th in UK

REF 2021

Top 20 in the UK

QS World University Rankings 2023

Why choose SOAS for Law?