Postgraduate Research Student Board
The Postgraduate Research Student Board (PGRSB) is the representative body of the PGR Community (PhD and LLM by Research students) within Edinburgh Law School.
The Board aims to support the community by overseeing the PhD offices and reading groups, organising academic and social events and responding to any concerns. The Board also represents PhD and LLM(R) students to the wider School, including liaising with staff regarding issues and matters which impact the community.
Email: lawpgrsb@ed.ac.uk
George Dick (he/him) – President
I'm George, a third year PhD student who started in September 2022, specialising in legal theory. My research interests revolve around methodological issues in regard to theorising about the nature of law. In my (ever-decreasing!) spare time, I am an avid gamer of the video and board variety.
After serving as PGRSB Treasurer during the 23/24 academic year, I have had the absolute privilege to be appointed as PGRSB President for this academic year! In this role, I am tasked with ensuring the smooth operation of the PGRSB, alongside ensuring that the PGRSB pursues its fundamental goals of (a) representing the Law PGR student body and (b) facilitating the running of PGR-led events at the Law School.
This year, I am particularly keen to boost the visibility of the PGRSB within the wider Law PGR community, both through the organisation of more PGRSB-led events and through creating more opportunities for PGR students to share their views on their experiences at Edinburgh Law School. Given that the role of President also involves regular liaising with Law and wider College Staff, I am also keen to ensure that our community's voice is heard, and that our needs and interests are recognised and taken into consideration. Thus, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the PGRSB if you have any feedback you want to share on your PGR experience here at Edinburgh Law School!
Rania Djojosugito (she/her) – Vice President
I’m Rania, a second year PhD student specialising in the regulation of outer space activities, specifically on the return/re-entry of space debris from orbit to Earth.
Last year I acted as an ordinary member to the PGRSB, and now I am delighted to be representing the PGR community as the PGRSB Vice President, working alongside George to improve the PGR experience of LLMRs and fellow PhDers. I am vigilant in attending General Meetings and wider School meetings to ensure individual and community voices are heard and addressed!
If I’m not hunkering down in the mezzanine office, I will be in the gym working on calisthenics, dancing, or making drawings on my iPad. I am also the operations director of the non-profit organisation Space Pride which advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the space industry.
Juan Pablo Andrade Rojas (he/him) – Treasurer
My research focuses on the theoretical challenges surrounding human rights adjudication. Particularly the tensions brought about by diversity claims on communitarian, religious or cultural grounds. I’m also interested on broader issues of legal and constitutional theory.
Before coming to Edinburgh, I worked as a lecturer and academic coordinator at the law school of Universidad Panamericana, where I still teach regularly. I also worked as a legal assistant in the Mexican Supreme Court. Apart from my research, I enjoy both literature and philosophical readings, and partaking in book clubs with other members of the academic community.
As Treasurer, I am responsible for the allocation of the PGRSB's budget to support reading groups in the Law School and other initiatives for the Law PGR community.
Holly Hayes (she/her) – Secretary
I'm Holly, I started my PhD in September 2023. My research focuses on the justifiability of traditional mental health laws. My broad research interests are legal theory, medical law, human rights law. In my spare time I enjoy weightlifting and both the collection and reading of non-academic books.
As the secretary of the Board, I am responsible for ensuring seamless communication within the Board and supporting my colleagues. My mission is to help prepare for meetings meticulously and manage our mailbox, making certain that important messages and documents reach the right hands promptly.
Amrita Krishnakumar (she/her) – Social Officer
Amrita is a first-year PhD researcher focused on the intersection of law, abortion, and mental capacity. With over 3.5 years of experience in marketing, she specialises in cultural consulting, using her deep understanding of South Asian cultural nuances and consumer behavior to help brands grow and engage with niche markets. Her marketing expertise also shines in her role as Social Secretary, where she applies her skills to create vibrant, engaging events for the PGRSB. Passionate about celebrating the hard work of PhD students, Amrita is dedicated to fostering a supportive social space. And with a background in French patisserie, she knows how to make her social initiatives both meaningful and delicious!
Alexandrine Lamarre (she/her) – Ordinary Member
I am an ordinary member in the PGRSB and act as the First Year Representative. I am a first-year PhD candidate and I am researching governance dynamics in international humanitarian law. My research interests include global governance, the laws of war, sovereignty & statehood, and the history of international law. Outside of the law school, I am passionate about running, hillwalking and music.
Grayson Bartels (he/him) – Ordinary Member
I am a fourth year PhD student studying how carceral and community systems impact autonomy and recovery relating to drug use. Within the University, I am currently in the second year of my three-year term sitting on the Student Discipline Committee which hears and adjudicates individual cases of alleged breaches of the Code of Student Conduct. I am also an ordinary tutor for criminology and sociology courses in both the Law School and the School of Social and Political Science.
Outside of my studies, I am active within Scottish harm reduction community. I was recently appointed to Crew2000’s Board of Directors which oversees and supports the charity to achieve their mission of reducing drug and sexual health related harms and stigma. Additionally, I am a member of the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research.
Before sitting as an ordinary member of the PGRSB, I previously held the roles of Vice President and EUSA Law PGR Representative. Now as an ordinary member, I aim to support the other Board members with achieving the PGRSB’s goal of supporting the PGR Community within the Law School.
The Reading and Discussion groups are a key part of the PGR community, and they put on academic events and sessions across areas of research at the Law School, with support from the PGRSB. Below is a list of active groups and contact details:
Commercial Law Reading Group
Contact: z.chang-5@sms.ed.ac.uk or c.paduano@sms.ed.ac.uk
The Commercial Law Reading Group (CLRG) is founded by PhD students at Edinburgh Law School. Its current convenors are Zekun (Eric) Chang and Claudia Paduano. The group members include teaching staff and research students. During term time, the CLRG hosts monthly events where teaching staff, visiting scholars, and group members present their recent works that fall in the commercial law category. The presentations are followed by discussions. Tea and coffee receptions are provided in each event to encourage the participants to socialise and network. These events are open to all Law School members. The CLRG hopes to facilitate the conversation of intelligence and networking between researchers in the commercial law field. If you would like to be on their email list, please email Eric or Claudia so that they can notify you of their new events. The CLRG is also looking for new convenors from academic year 2023/24 onwards, please get in touch with the convenors if you are interested.
Criminal Law Discussion Group
Contact: crimlawdg@ed.ac.uk
The Criminal Law Discussion Group (CrimLawDG) is a student-run space for research and discussion of criminal law topics for the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the UK as a whole. Its main objective is to provide a permanent academic forum in which criminal law scholars and researchers can present their work, propose a discussion topic through a presentation, and workshop ideas with criminal law colleagues. In this sense, the CrimLawDG seeks to fill a gap in criminal law academia, namely that there are very few academic instances dedicated specifically to criminal law – most research or discussion groups are either focused on criminal justice as a whole or as an interdisciplinary effort to include social sciences (such as criminology or social theory) in the discussion of criminal matters. Though these are interesting and worthy projects, there are almost no instances in which criminal law itself – substantive criminal law, criminal procedure, criminal evidence, philosophy of criminal law and criminal law theory – is discussed in depth. Therefore, the CrimLawDG encourages the analysis of these topics in particular and creates a chance for open discussion for criminal law scholars and researchers.
The CrimLawDG also seeks to act as an open space for students who wish to explore criminal law themes more in depth. We seek to give undergraduate and LLM students an opportunity to participate in further study of the criminal law, and engage with current and ongoing ideas and research, through attendance to our events. It is our belief that the CrimLawDG serves as a motivation for embarking in further postgraduate studies in criminal law, acting as an interesting part of the University of Edinburgh’s academic community.
We run both online and in-person events. Together with scholars from the University of Glasgow and University of Stirling, we organise the Virtual Criminal Law Group - a space where criminal law scholars from around the world present work-in-progress papers for in-depth discussion. We also run an in-person Open Seminar Series every term, and Work-in-Progress sessions on an ad-hoc basis upon request from students or staff. If you would like to join our mailing list to keep up to date on our events or would like to contact us to organise an event of your own, please write to us at crimlawdg@ed.ac.uk.
Criminology Reading Group
Contact: law.crg@ed.ac.uk
The Criminology Reading Group (CRG) is a student-led group that aims to facilitate discussion and knowledge exchange between the University of Edinburgh PhD students and early career researchers in the fields of criminology and social and political sciences, as well as with the wider community. We organise a number of events throughout the year and invite internal and external speakers conducting research on contemporary issues in criminology and socio-legal sciences.
We look forward to hosting exciting events for our community!
Europa Postgraduate Research Group
Contact: andrea.christou@ed.ac.uk or unai.gomez-hernandez@ed.ac.uk
Edinburgh Europa Research Group (EERG) is a PhD-led research group supported by the Edinburgh Europa Institute. Its aim is to bring together PhD researchers and early career researchers working on Europe-related issues at the University of Edinburgh. It provides the opportunity for students to present their research, receive feedback, and exchange ideas in a friendly setting at monthly meetings. The EERG will also be hosting a variety of workshops and events on European issues.
Please feel free to contact the co-convenors, Andrea Christou and Unai Gomez-Hernandez, to request further information. You can join the group by joining this Microsoft Teams page and subscribing to the mailing list on the website.
Visit the Edinburgh Europa Research Group website
International Law Reading Group
Contact: Lucy Tomkins (ilrg@ed.ac.uk)
The International Law Reading Group (ILRG) is a student-led group aiming to facilitate discussion between postgraduate students and researchers in the field of international law and governance. We are a new reading group, as of 2023/2024, and are aiming to organise a number of events throughout the coming year.
We currently intend to host two types of events, “book club” style meetings where we discuss papers and current topics, and larger events hosting speakers from different institutions to discuss their research. We aim to focus on various areas across international law; our current plans incorporate international criminal law, international human rights law, and international environmental law but we are eager to expand on this. We are keen for participants to join our events and contribute towards future topics.
Please get in touch with Lucy Tomkins (ilrg@ed.ac.uk) to be notified about upcoming events.
Law, Borders and Migration and Reading Group
Contact: g.zanotti-1@sms.ed.ac.uk and valentina.rioseco@ed.ac.uk
The Law, Borders and Migration Reading Group is a newly re-formed reading group created by PhD researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The current convenors are Valentina Rioseco Vallejos and Gaia Zanotti. We aim to offer our members a safe space and platform to discuss issues surrounding migration, citizenship, and human rights. Our intention is to convene on a monthly basis and grant our members significant influence over shaping the content of each session. Within our member-driven approach, participants in the reading group will have the opportunity to contribute by suggesting articles, blog posts, or presenting ongoing research for constructive peer feedback during meetings. This forum provides an excellent space for members to delve into their individual research passions and exchange their discoveries with fellow researchers who share similar areas of interest. Furthermore, following the success of the June 2023 Roundtable, we intend to reintroduce the Law, Borders, and Migration Roundtable in June 2024. Similar to its earlier iteration, we are in the process of arranging a full-day event where PhD students and early career researchers will have the chance to showcase their research and benefit from insights provided by scholars from the University of Edinburgh or other academic institutions. This event presents an excellent occasion for participants to expand their professional network, and gain exposure to ongoing research within the university and beyond.
In conclusion, this dedicated reading group for research students, with its focus on migration, serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, collaborative learning, and the exploration of diverse perspectives. Through this group, we not only expand our knowledge and understanding but also foster a vibrant academic community.
Legal Theory Research Group
Contact: edinbugh.legal.theory@gmail.com
Visit Legal Theory Research Group website
Private Law Discussion Group
Contact: P.L.Carmona-Fontaine@sms.ed.ac.uk
The Private Law Discussion Group is a PhD-led group that meets to discuss a wide range of Private Law topics. Each meeting features an invited guest speaking on a paper or project they has been working on, followed by an open-floor discussion on the issues raised. Regular attendees include junior and early career researchers, senior academics, practicing lawyers, and members of the judiciary. The sessions are fairly informal and are followed by drinks, giving attendees the chance to mingle and build networks. Anyone is welcome to attend but places must be reserved in advance through Eventbrite. Events are advertised through Edinburgh Law School, a mailing list, and Eventbrite. For more information on upcoming events, to be added to the mailing list, and for all other queries please contact León Carmona Fontaine (the Convenor) on the email above.
The Mason Institute PhD Research Group
Contact: MIPhD.Group@ed.ac.uk
The MI PhD Research Group is a research group run by PhD students for PhD students who are interested in and/or are researching in areas at the interface between ethics, law, medicine, and the life sciences at the University of Edinburgh. It aims to support the research processes of these PhD students and lead to the creation of research outputs to strengthen the students’ research profile. Events include writing workshops, discussion seminars, writing retreat, career development session, ‘PhD taster’ sessions. Opportunities offered include publishing a blog on the Mason Institute Blog. The current directors are Emma Nance, Rebecca Richards, and Jamie Webb who can be contacted via the email above.
The PGRSB is thrilled to share a new medium to reach out to us with any feedback, comments, and suggestions to improve the PGR experience (office spaces, communal spaces, activities, etc.).
We are officially implementing a feedback form which can be answered anonymously.
You can access this form at any time online, and we will be monitoring it on a bi-weekly basis.
Edinburgh Law School PhD Team: PhD.Law@ed.ac.uk
Edinburgh Law School PGR Director: Law.pgrdirector@ed.ac.uk
