Welcome to CSLS
For over fifty years the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies has been at the forefront of research into the nature and role of law in society. CSLS researchers study law as a historical and culturally specific mode of social organisation, which takes a variety of forms within and across societies. They bring together a wide variety of disciplinary expertise, including sociology, anthropology, politics, international relations, human rights, economics, geography and art history, to examine the interface of law and society throughout the world.
Explore Our Work
Frontiers of Socio-Legal Studies Blog
In this week's Frontiers of Socio-Legal Studies, James Campbell (University of Oxford, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies) discusses the benefits of looking at the unknown while mapping (research) landscapes. Read the full article, which is published as part of the blog's Borderlands section. If you would like to receive a summary of all of Frontiers’ latest posts, please sign up to receive our bi-monthly newsletter.
Krzysztof Lukaszek (University of Oxford, CSLS) reviews the edited collection, Ideology and Private Law: Polish Experiences in the Long 20th Century (Brill Nijhoff 2025). Read the full article, which is published as part of the blog's A Good Read section. If you would like to receive a summary of all of Frontiers’ latest posts, please sign up to receive our bi-monthly newsletter.
Frontiers of Socio-Legal Studies is launching a new section of our blog, titled ‘Methodological Toolkits', designed to support socio-legal scholars interested in adopting particular methodological approaches and instructors looking for material to use in seminars. In our first posting, we focus on critical race theory and counter-colonial thinking. These approaches are playing an increasingly vital role in informing methodological debate and in questioning concepts of neutrality and objectivity, which have long served as a veil for particular ways of seeing.
Our graduate students are at the heart of the Centre’s research community. Meet our current DPhil and MPhil students and explore Notes from the Field, where they reflect on fieldwork, methods, and the practice of socio-legal research.
Featured News
Professor Fernanda Pirie reflects on her career, research and the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies
Professor Fernanda Pirie, Director of CSLS, reflects on her career from barrister to legal anthropologist and discusses the Centre’s interdisciplinary approach, her research on Tibetan law, and the importance of studying law in society.
