LLM Law and Gender

The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to develop an original piece of academic work in an independent, albeit supervised, way. The topic of the dissertation can relate to any subject-area covered in any of the courses of the LLM programme.

In this module, the international legal instruments for the guarantee of women's civil and political and economic and social rights will be examined for students to acquire knowledge and understanding of the basic texts and the international monitoring mechanisms.

The international legal instruments for the guarantee of women's civil, political, economic and social rights will be examined for students to acquire knowledge and understanding of the basic texts and the international monitoring mechanisms. Detailed attention will be paid to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979.
The impact of certain conceptual assumptions within international law, and human rights law in particular, that militate against the adequate protection of women's rights will be considered. After an examination of the general framework, more detailed attention will be given to certain topics including the family, reproductive rights, violence against women, including in armed conflict, refugees, children's rights and development policies.
The module will finally consider the question of whether international human rights law is an appropriate vehicle for the furtherance of women's interests.

This module uses diverse legal, historical, anthropological and sociological literature to introduce the dynamic region of Southeast Asia to SOAS postgraduate students. We are guided by a law and society approach, which places an emphasis on empirical, interdisciplinary understandings of the historical and present-day Southeast Asian polities; their social, religious and legal regimes; and the ways they have interacted with one another. You are not required to possess any prior knowledge of legal studies or, indeed, of Southeast Asia. Your weekly classes will be led by experts in the field of Southeast Asian Studies, and you will be able to learn a great deal about the historical, social and legal dimensions of life across Southeast Asia.

This module offers an investigation into the theories and key texts that inform the dynamic field(s) of postcolonial, decolonial and anticolonial studies, with a specific focus on law. Whilst anticolonial uprisings are as old as the global project of Euro-American colonialism and imperialism itself, the long twentieth century saw the emergence of a body of thought that critically addressed the realities of both an enduring ‘coloniality of being’ around the world and the prospects of a Third Worldist approach to social, political and legal justice claims. This body of thought is the core preoccupation of the module, taught by a diverse team of experts in the field. No prior knowledge of law is required to attend the module.

This module aims to examine the substantive bodies of law and procedure and the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, in particular regard to their treatment of and interaction with gender, women's rights and normative claims and practices in society. Further context is given by consideration of the increasing reach of international legal instruments governing a broad spectrum of legal activities implicated in the study of gender, law and society.

This module provides a continuation of interdisciplinary critical explorations relative to the field of feminist, queer and trans legal theories and methodologies, as they pertain to law, initiated in our Term 1 module Gender, Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies (which you need to take in order to be able to attend this module). We introduce a series of in-depth studies on a range of topics relative to gender, sexuality and law, which will provide you with an opportunity to study various specialised issues and apply the knowledge of theories and methodologies covered by the above-mentioned Term 1 module.

The objective of this module is to enable students to become well versed in the field of feminist, queer and trans legal theory, and the study of gender and sexuality in relation to law, with a particular focus on Global Southern experiences and methodological directions. Critical approaches to colonialism, imperialism and capitalism, and their entanglements with law and the state, are particularly emphasised. However, no prior knowledge of law is required to attend the module. You will be taught by diverse experts in the field and gain an interdisciplinary, critical introduction to this ever-evolving field.

This module offers an introduction to law on armed conflict, including collective security, the use of force, international humanitarian law and counter-terrorism. These are studied alongside legal reforms in response to contemporary understandings of the relationship between war and gender.

This module examines international, regional and national legal and institutional arrangements concerning the conservation and use of natural resources. It introduces legal principles relevant to the conservation and use of natural resources in international and national law. It examines in particular focuses on the international law aspects of natural resource use and conservation, the North-South dimension and on individual developing country case studies. It focus on issues of governance (state, commons and private aspects), rights (including human rights, property rights), and on land as the main resource through which other natural resources are accessed.

This module builds up on the first half of the course and is structured around three clusters. The first examines international and national aspects of governance concerning biological resources, both related to their use and protection, including on relation to food security. The second cluster engages with the increasing role of corporations in natural resource use, including a focus on corporate social responsibility, corporate accountability and private governance in the field of natural resources. The third cluster focuses on the governance of oil & gas, mining and energy at the national and international levels.

As the most heavily populated region in the world, the Indian subcontinent has always played an important role in world affairs. From being one of the most successful trading nations of the world, to becoming the heart of the British Empire, and now sitting adjacent to the newly world-dominant China, South Asia has always been a region of strategic, cultural, political and economic importance.? This module aims to introduce students to the many ways in which law, religion and the state interact in the subcontinent. We seek to do so by using, as far as possible, authors from the region, and focus on issues that continue to hold contemporary relevance.
We begin by briefly examining the relationship between law and religion in the colonial legal system in South Asia and its lasting legacies today. In contemporary South Asia we study the increasing rise of religious intolerance and religious nationalism in South Asia and the legislative and judicial responses to these challenges before analysing whether ‘secularism’ can ever truly be at home in the subcontinent. Other topics include freedom of religion, offences against religion including laws against blasphemy, and the recent provisions against interfaith marriages in India.

This module introduces students to the way in which law, religion and the state interact in the family law systems of the subcontinent. We study the construction of family law in the colonial legal system in South Asia and its lasting legacies today. A central focus is analyse of the impact of religion on family law, and especially the ways in which this affects women. Within the field of personal and family law we discuss a number of themes and jurisdictions, such as child marriage and polygamy, marriage equality and queer rights, Public Interest Litigation and women's rights, divorce and maintenance, the much-debated issue of uniform civil codes and finally, the role of family courts and ADR in dispute resolution. subcontinent. We seek to do so by using, as far as possible, authors from the region, and focus on issues that continue to hold contemporary relevance.

The Clinic aims to encourage an engaged critical consciousness that reflects on and works within the trans-national intersection of law, human rights and social justice on briefs agreed with partners in the UK and the Global South. For SOAS students, the Clinic aims to provide a dynamic and critical environment in which to engage with advocacy strategies and the tensions of the theory and practice of human rights, and the opportunity to contribute to the work of the global human rights movement through practical work with cases, policy analysis, and research and advocacy briefs. The module offers the experience of bringing to academic knowledge the challenges of the ongoing struggle to 'make rights real' in the disparate power structures that determine their realisation. The combination of learning experiences in the module is designed to nurture a process of reflective practice - that is, the reflection on human rights work by the student as practitioner.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard. Following on from Part 1, this module focuses on substantive issues, States practices and application of the law.

This module explores the theory and law of international arbitration from a comparative perspective. It examines arbitration as the preferred dispute resolution process for cross border disputes, the central role of the arbitration agreement, arbitrators, national courts, and the recognition and enforcement of the final award. The module equips students with a critical understanding and ability to apply international arbitration in practice.

This module equips students with both written and oral advocacy skills working in groups, in simulated arbitration proceedings before three member tribunal of experienced arbitration practitioners.

This module aims at conceptualising a new law and development initiative for Africa by critically engaging with the traditional “law and development movement” and identifying its methodological shortcomings with respect to Africa. It examines the scope and limitations of law as an instrument of development and explores what contributions law, legal theory and legal institutions can make towards the realisation of human, economic and socio-political development in Africa.

This module examines how law shapes, and is shaped by, processes of development and social transformation across Africa. Moving beyond abstract theory, it engages with real-world challenges to explore the complex relationships between law, power, economy, and society. Through thematic case studies, students analyse how legal frameworks interact with issues such as gender equality, education, human security, informality, trade and regional integration, resource governance, technology, and economic crime. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach grounded in socio-legal studies, political economy, and development theory, the module critically assesses both the transformative potential and the limits of law as a tool for change. Students engage with contemporary policy debates, regional initiatives such as the AfCFTA, and grassroots struggles for justice, developing analytical skills relevant to law, policy, development practice, and research focused on Africa.

Intellectual property is a collective noun for an aggregate of individual disciplines of law. The only common theme among them is that all are concerned with intangible creation. In a recent decision, the Supreme Court stated {h}ere there is no particular potency about the expression intellectual property because there is a general consensus as to its core content . . . , but no general consensus as to its limits", Phillips v Mulcaire [2013] 1 A.C. 1, para. 20. Accordingly, this Module focuses solely on the core disciplines within intellectual property law in the UK and thus covers: copyright, sui generis databases right, patents, breach of confidence and trade secrets. "

This module focuses on the protection of industrial property.  As such, it covers patents, trade secrets, and breach of confidence.
Since the UK is a member of the WTO, it is required to comply with the standard of protection recognised under TRIPS.  Therefore, this course will cover the relevant industrial property law provisions of that Agreement.  Since the European Patent Convention 1973 is a Council of Europe Instrument, the UK must, at least in theory, follow the standard of protection required by that Convention.  Accordingly, this course will also cover the relevant provisions of that instrument.  As such, each topic on the syllabus will be examined from European and domestic law point of view.

This module provides students with the opportunity to engage with the range of international laws which govern war and armed conflict. International law on the use of force forms the core content. Each seminar will introduce students to mainstream approaches and debates on the use of force before contrasting these with topical and controversial views on the law on the use of force. Students will be encouraged to follow current developments and practice while being introduced to the Charter system for collective security and the role of state practice on shaping the law.

This course aims to provide a critical introduction to the building blocks of public international law – its nature and sources, international personality, statehood and recognition, jurisdiction and immunities, the law of responsibility, international organisations, and enforcement. Throughout the course, you will be introduced to different theoretical perspectives– including feminist and 'third world approaches to international law' (TWAIL)– and encouraged to think critically about the rule and role of law in the international order.

This module provides a critical introduction to the law of armed conflict ( also known as international humanitarian law). We will explore its history and sources, its relationship to the law on the use of force, and the basic principles that have governed its development. We then examine a range of historical and contemporary challenges to the law of armed conflict including colonial warfare and wars of national liberation, the classification of conflicts, lawful and unlawful combatants, the protection of the civilian population, weaponry, and human rights. Throughout the course we will think critically about the legal regulation of violence and the history of legal efforts to humanise war.

This module explores historical and contemporary dimensions of the relationship between International Law and colonialism/ imperialism.
In the first part of the course, we will consider the historical mappings of the colonial endeavour within international law as well as theoretical debates concerning colonialism, post-colonialism and neo-colonialism. In the second half, we will focus on a variety of contemporary international law issues – e.g., statehood and recognition; self-determination of peoples; failed states; administration of territory; racialisation and capitalism; and reparations- in light of the historical and theoretical perspectives introduced in the earlier part of the term.

This module examines ‘water justice’ in the global South from a combined Law and Development Studies perspective. The three main themes in the course are water rights/right to water, the modalities of access to water, and social movements on water issues. The course discusses examples from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and selected examples from the global North. It seeks to provide students with a broad understanding of the multi-faceted issues arising in the water sector from the local to the international level.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to understand and analyse issues concerning water law and policy, conflicts and governance from a broad perspective encompassing their economic, social and environmental dimensions. Students will acquire knowledge of basic concepts and principles underlying the regulation, management and conservation of water, focusing on national, regional examples in the international context in which governance evolves and the increasing importance of conflicts in the water sector.

This module “de-colonizes” comparative constitutional law: It introduces students to critical approaches to comparative law; it de-centres the “role model” constitutions; it critiques mainstream liberal theories that idealise these constitutions; and it sheds light on often marginalised constitutional histories and systems.

This subject will provide an overview of the discipline of international criminal law. First, the course will examine the origins of the fundamental principle of international criminal law – individual criminal responsibility – and its operations through a variety of international crimes. Second, the course will explain the core theoretical assumptions of the law - focusing in particular on the rationales for criminalisation and for the creation of international criminal tribunals – and take a critical look at these core theoretical assumptions. Third, the course will look at the operation of international criminal law through national jurisdictions and international tribunals.

This module examines the nature of international investment and its legal regimes; the impact of foreign and domestic investment on the economic development of states; the protections afforded investors and their interpretations, the role of states and the impact of investment law on their regulatory powers; and the current debates on reforming the system. This module aims to equip students with a clear understanding and critical engagement of these issues from a legal perspective and particularly as it relates to developing and capital importing states.

In this module we examine theories about the relationship between law, rights and social change, using country and thematic case studies to illuminate and deepen our understanding of both the potential and the limits of what may be achieved through the language and architecture of law and rights. With a special focus on some of the countries in the SOAS mandate, we explore the possibilities for human agency for change through law and rights, identifying national and international constraints, in relation to issues and situations that pose some of the greatest challenges to the concept of rights as a valuable tool for social change.

This course is an introductory module to environmental law that aims at giving students a solid and comprehensive foundation of key concepts of environmental law and a grounding in some of the most topical and foundational debates. These include the role of justice frameworks in relation to environmental law, as well as key debates in environmental legal regulation. The aim is to provide a platform from which to better appreciate some of the central tensions and dynamics in the study of environmental law generally. The course will introduce environmental law in its North-South context, in historical perspective, in a domestic, comparative and regional context. It will cover the context for environmental regulation, principles and regulatory techniques from a theoretical and practical perspective.

The course will provide an in-depth introduction to international migration law. It covers key areas forming part of the broader field of what has been referred to as international migration law. This includes core concepts, such as sovereignty, nationality and statelessness; regional arrangements; migration control; trafficking and smuggling; the rights of migrants, with a particular focus on migrant workers; and broader questions of global migration law and policy. It also explores cross-cutting issues, such as race, gender, age, and intersectionality that are of increasing importance in the field of international migration law. The course builds on a range of theoretical perspectives that enable students to critically interrogate the genesis of, and current developments in international migration law.

The course will provide an in-depth introduction to international refugee law. It covers core concepts, the historical development of international refugee law, the Refugee Convention, particularly its definition, regional refugee treaties, particularly in Africa, refugee law and practice worldwide, the relationship between refugee law and human rights law, and broader questions of global refugee law and policy. It also explores cross-cutting issues, such as race, gender, age, and intersectionality, which have been of increasing importance in the field of international refugee law. The course builds on a range of theoretical perspectives that enable students to critically interrogate the genesis of, and current developments in international refugee law. Students will engage with case law and policy documents, as well as key academic texts to acquire both sound knowledge of the law and critical awareness of the biases, gaps and challenges in the current system.

This course focuses on global commons, in other words all the spaces and resources that are beyond state sovereignty. Certain global commons, like the sea, have been the object of significant attention for centuries and have led to the development of innovative legal regimes (common heritage of humankind). Others, such as outer space, have been the object of recent attention, with the regime of non-appropriation developed in the past now been put under constrain due to economic and other interests. Other global commons, such as the atmosphere and the global water cycle, are recognised as issues of global importance but suffer from incomplete or insufficient regulation. This course looks at the ways in which international law has been used to regulate global commons, explores issues concerning global commons whose regulation is lacking and reflects on the consequences of appropriation, environmental degradation, and the quest for equitable sharing of resources and benefits.

This module introduces the foundations of international environmental law, including its subjects, sources, principles and measures of implementation, compliance and dispute settlement. It explores the range of laws and norms that impact on global environmental problems. This module is built around the understanding that international environmental law is about both conservation and use (captured in the notion of sustainable development). It is also structured around an understanding that it is the North-South dimension of environmental issues that explains a large part of existing international environmental law
It provides an introduction to the principles of international environmental law (such as the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the precautionary principle), environmental justice (human rights, participatory rights), examines questions related to compliance, effectiveness and enforcement of international environmental law; the governance and institutional framework governing the environment at the international level; and links with other branches of international law, such as human rights.

Torture, as an extreme form of denial of agency and infringement of mental and physical integrity, is a paradigmatic human rights violation. Its legal prohibition reflects both a major achievement and challenge. It raises core questions about power, violence and vulnerability, and the effectiveness of the law in this context. The course provides an anatomy of torture as a human rights violation and the prohibition of torture in international and national law. It combines an interdisciplinary, critical, intersectional approach on the history, nature, methods and impact of torture situated within the broader human rights framework with an in-depth legal analysis and an examination of institutional mechanisms and strategies employed to prevent and combat torture. The course will cover the historical development of torture, its absolute prohibition in various areas of international law, including international refugee law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law, prevention, prosecution of its perpetrators and reparation for its victims. It will also include a specific focus on counter-terrorism and torture, and torture of particularly vulnerable persons, examining its use in the colonial and post-colonial context, gender-based violence, and torture of marginalised and other disadvantaged members of society. This examination will provide an opportunity to explore the efficacy of the law, and of strategies used by actors working in the field, including national and transnational networks forming part of the worldwide anti-torture movement.

This course offers an introduction and critical exploration of ‘Harmony with Nature’ and the emerging legal doctrine of ‘Rights of Nature’ as potential alternatives to sustainable development. It delves into the philosophical roots and evolution of the idea of granting legal rights to the natural world, all within the larger framework of Environmental Law, Earth Law, and the Anthropocene era. Harmony with Nature", in the context of this module, refers to developments at the international and domestic level that promote a paradigmatic shift away from human-centred environmental law, towards a more ecologically-centred legal system. Relatedly, "Rights of Nature" is a legal concept that recognises nature's intrinsic value and grants certain legal rights to elements of the environment. For instance, the recent rise in granting legal personhood to certain natural entities, like rivers, forests, or specific ecosystems, in different parts of the world, allowing them to be protected and represented, on their own account. These developments have arisen as responses to the shortcomings of sustainable development and traditional environmental law in addressing environmental degradation at local, national, and global levels. The course will examine case studies of rights of nature laws, in their political, social, and legal contexts in various regions, engaging with different developments, such as the granting or river rights in the Global North and Global South. Throughout the course, students will critically assess the structure and key features of these laws, accounting for this broader context .The course examines case studies of rights of nature laws, in their political, social, and legal contexts in various regions, engaging with different developments, such as the granting or river rights in the Global North and Global South. Throughout the course, students will critically assess the structure and key features of these laws, accounting for this broader context."

This course offers a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary study of MNEs and their legal, commercial and structural characteristics as globalised business organisations. The legal issues arising from their structural complexity, cross-border operations and interface with the territorial state are explored in a political economy context

This module considers the emergence of Business and Human Rights as field of practice and academic inquiry. Constituted by jurists (broadly defined) who aim to ensure both that corporations respect human rights and victims secure remedies for corporate human rights abuses, Business and Human Rights poses both a challenge and an opportunity.

This module aims to offer a critical appraisal of the role of International Law in the Israel-Palestine conflict. In the first part, we explore the international legal history of the conflict. In Part 2, we build the international legal architecture with a particular focus on the right of self-determination, and the law of occupation. In Part 3,  we consider  shifting legal paradigms including apartheid, settler colonialism, and genocide. We close by analysing  the various peace initiatives in the light of international legal norms.  Throughout the course we employ a reflective and critical approach to international law, exploring its constraints as well as its benefits as a normative framework. 

What is the relation between law and resistance in colonial contexts? This course takes the question of Palestine as an emblematic case study for the examination of the potentialities and limitations of human rights and legal discourse in empowering the oppressed and constraining the powerful in situations of gross asymmetry of power. It thus examines the question of Palestine from the perspective of legal discourse and examines law from the vantage point of the question of Palestine. In particular, the module considers the role of violence, both of the law and of the resistance to British and Israeli colonial legality, including the British pacification of the 1936 Revolt, the violence of partition and preemptive war, the right to violent resistance of Palestinian national liberation movements, and the right to resistance in the intifadas.

The course approaches the development of ADR (principally mediation) from both a practical and comparative perspective, examining the processes of negotiation and mediation. The course begins with a critical examination of the tenets on which ADR is based, its relationship to civil law, and how it is applied in different contexts. It discusses the various areas in which ADR operates including community, civil and family mediation, and includes a discussion of ADR in an international context.

This module complements the existing offering in environmental law and offers a more focused module on one of the most sensitive environmental issues of our time. It seeks to provide a broad analytical view of the problem of climate change law and policy in its broader context. The module examines the main international legal instruments that constitute international climate law and policy within their broader context. This includes an examination of the underlying principles of climate change law and policy, an introduction to the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, a focus on specific legal issues arising the context of the UN regime, such as carbon trading, as well as an analysis of more specific problems such as regional approaches and relations between climate change law and other areas of law such as trade law. The module also examines specific problems arising in the context of the law and policy response to climate change both concerning mitigation and adaptation, such as human rights implications, land-use, forests and biodiversity. Particular attention is given to climate justice dimensions examining the disproportionate burdens of climate change, including response measures on peoples in the Global South.

The module is a foundational module for students on the LLM human rights programme who have no prior experience in international human rights law. It provides an in-depth introduction to international human rights law, particularly its historical development, major theoretical debates, the main legal framework within the broader international law setting, the global and regional (especially the African, Inter-American and European system) institutional machinery for enforcement, as well as an introduction to the main bodies of rights (civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights, collective rights). The module also explores cross-cutting issues, such as race, gender, age and intersectionality, and their salience in the field of human rights law. The module builds on a range of theoretical perspectives that enable students to critically interrogate the genesis of, and current developments in, international human rights law. Students will engage with case law, policy documents and key academic texts to acquire both sound knowledge of the law and critical awareness of the biases, gaps and challenges in the current system. Regional and practitioners’ perspectives will inform students' encounter with international human rights law, encouraging them to develop a grounded, nuanced, and self-reflective approach to the subject that prepares them to navigate its complexities in multiple contexts.

This module provides a detailed examination of Islamic family law, covering the laws of marriage, dissolution of marriages, guardianship and child custody. These are examined in light of classical rules of Islamic jurisprudence and recent family law reforms in different parts of the Muslim world and also with relevant examples from UK cases. Taking the different areas of family law in turn, we examine the development of positions in the different jurisprudential schools (including the sources on which the classical schools relied) before considering later (colonial and post colonial) treatment of and approaches to these areas of law in states' courts and codes. A focus on codification and the modern state's identity as legislator is highlighted. Approaches to reform of particular areas of law by different social actors are considered, including the use they make of classical and post-classical sources.

This module presents, from a comparative legal perspective, an overview of Islamic law in its theoretical, historical and jurisprudential evolution. Islamic legal theory (Usul al-Fiqh) is considered from a comparative perspective with a critical analysis of its history, development and application in contemporary jurisdictions. An overview of the historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism.

This module examines how transnational law operates across borders through the interaction of actors, norms, institutions, markets, and legal conflicts. Using case studies from financial, technological, and socio-legal practice—including developments from the Global South, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Africa, and the UK—it explores complex problems shaped by hybrid norm creation, public–private intersections, global regulatory dynamics, and technological diffusion. Students analyse the role of non-state actors, multinational corporations, standard-setting bodies, and informal financial systems in shaping transnational normative orders.
The module has two main aims: (1) to introduce students to research at the intersection of transnational law, finance, and technology, supported by comparative, socio-legal, and law-and-economics methods; and (2) to examine the legal conflicts and regulatory changes emerging in these contexts. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the module considers law alongside customs, institutions, market forces, and code, questioning the assumed primacy of state-law and its role within globally embedded exchanges.

This groundbreaking module explores the relationship between international law and materiality, specifically in the context of the geography and history of the city of London in which SOAS is based. The module begins in the classroom, with an introduction to the cutting-edge, burgeoning literature on the material representation of international law. After developing students' theoretical understanding, the class moves to a series of weekly walking tours at different locations in London. Whilst the locations will vary from year to year, likely sites include memorials, archives, museums, docklands and embassies. These tours will provide students with the opportunity to experience first-hand the manner in which international law is embedded in the geography and history of London and to explore for themselves how international law exists in the every- day places of the city. Drawing on SOAS scholars' rich research in history, geography, gender studies, and post-colonial theory, the module will deploy an innovative method of teaching that breaks with the lecture hall and, like modern day international legal situationists, encourages students to shape their own learning by mapping how international law is made material in the city of London.

The module examines the law and procedure in the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, including their relationship with regional and international normative systems.

This course examines and interrogates the relationship law and literature, using themes and theoretical interventions related to race. The course invites participants to engage with the productive ruptures that exist when articulating the place and form of (a) race at the intersection of law and literature, (b) state and legal rationales in creative writing on race, and (c) the particular types of unveiling and co-production of race and law that is possible through literature. During the course, students will critically analyse and appraise the ways race and racism are constructed in various genres of literature (including fiction, non-fiction essays, memoir, poetry and epistolary works) as well as legal texts and scholarship. Ultimately, students will reflect on the limits of both legal and literary genres as modes of reaching intended audiences and advancing larger social and political debates around power, social reform and societal transformation; they will also formulate reasoned analysis regarding how genres of writing and disciplines of study within law and literature aim to discipline our thinking around institutional power, legitimacy, authenticity identity, and the ability to produce knowledge.