Visiting scholars

academic staff in seating area in the Liberty Building

The School of Law welcomes visiting scholars under two schemes:

Liberty Fellows

The School of Law, University of Leeds is one of the UK’s leading Law Schools and the University was The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2017. In recognition of the global reach of our research and teaching, the School has launched a programme for scholars wishing to visit the School. Liberty Fellows will be welcomed as part of a vibrant and supportive academic community and be based in the state of the art Liberty Building.

We are particularly keen to encourage applications from international scholars whose interests align with and complement the activity of one or more of our Research Centres: Centre for Business Law and Practice, Centre for Criminal Justice StudiesCentre for Law and Social Justice, and Centre for Innovation and Research in Legal Education

Liberty Fellows will be invited to spend between two weeks and three months at the Law School, which will allow them to take a full and active role in the research life of the School and wider University. Requests for longer periods will also be considered. Wherever possible Fellows will be allocated office space within the Liberty Building. Fellows will enjoy full library access and IT support. Fellows will be expected to deliver a staff seminar to the School and we would hope that visitors will engage with our postgraduate community and involve themselves in other School research activity during their stay.

Our Liberty Fellows scheme has attracted distinguished scholars from around the world to work specifically with our research centres.

Support

All our visitors are welcome to apply for assistance with expenses to a maximum of £5,000. Funds are, of course, limited and applications will be assessed on the proposed programme of activity which we hope will foster long-term collaboration with researchers in the School.

Applying to be a Liberty Fellow

Application is by way of a curriculum vitae and a 2-page cover letter which outlines the proposed research activity. Applicants may wish to seek a letter of support from a member of the School with whom they wish to collaborate during their Fellowship. We appreciate that in some instances this will not be possible. There are two deadlines each year when applications are considered by the School’s Research Committee:

  • For applicants wishing to visit between 1 September and 31 December, the deadline is 31 March of the same year and decisions will be made by the end of April
  • For applicants wishing to visit between 1 January and 30 June, the deadline is 30 September of the previous year and decisions will be made by the end of October.

Applications and enquiries should be submitted to lawmso@leeds.ac.uk.

Visting scholars

If you are a professional or an academic, and you have a scheme of academic research that you can appropriately conduct at the School of Law, then our visiting scholar programme may be a perfect opportunity for you.

Generally, our visiting scholars are full-time members of another university. We encourage applications from established and early career scholars. We normally limit visits to a maximum of one semester but you can also arrange a visit for a period of weeks.

Our visiting scholars participate in our academic life as much as possible, for example, engaging in discussions or joint projects with School members and presenting papers about their own research within the School or Centre seminar programme. Full details of our Research Centres can be found on the left-hand side of the page.

Our visiting scholar programme has attracted distinguished scholars from around the world.

Facilities

  • Office space: desk space is available in the School of Law
  • Computing: facilities are available in the School of Law and through open clusters across the University campus
  • Library: Leeds University Library is one of the major academic research libraries of the UK, with a stock of over 2.8 million and 500,000 online books, and more than 37,000 print and online journals. You can find the main collections in relation to the School of Law in the Brotherton Library, which also houses Governmental Papers, a ‘European Documentation Centre’ and the Law Library
  • Class attendance: you may attend a class on a non-credit, unregistered basis subject to the consent of the Centre member teaching the course. Those wishing to obtain credits may be able to register for our Certificate or Diploma programmes, subject to their meeting the usual admissions requirements and subject to the payment of the normal fee
  • Accommodation: the University may be able to assist visiting scholars with university housing during the summer months.

As a Visiting Scholar, you will become part of a close academic community. We recognise you will wish to concentrate on your own specialist research, but we also assure you that you won't be left in academic or social isolation.

Above all, the School is a cooperative and friendly unit. We also offer the usual facilities of a staff common room with access to food, retail and leisure facilities just minutes from its front door.

How to apply

Applications and enquiries should be submitted to lawmso@leeds.ac.uk. Applications should include the following information:

  • Name, address, telephone, email
  • Citizenship, date of birth, place of birth
  • English language ability
  • Current post, with details of your education, employment, and publication record.
  • Details of proposed visit and any facilities likely to be required
  • Links and contacts, if any, with Leeds faculty members
  • A summary of your proposed research
  • A full explanation (more than 500 words), including purpose, methodology, and likely publications
  • Letter of reference: We require a letter of reference from your current head of department or employer. Please submit your letter of reference along with this application. If that is not possible, please ask your referee to email the above address directly or send their letter by post to the Management Support Office, School of Law, The Liberty Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.

Applicants should supply evidence of degree qualifications and, if appropriate, English Language ability.