Dr Alex Louise Pearl
- Position: Visiting Scholar in Disability and Human Rights Law
- Areas of expertise: disability law; accessibility; financial inclusion; mental capacity law; equality law; support provision; social care law; the capabilities approach; engaged sociolegal research and social justice
- Email: A.Pearl@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: The Liberty Building
- Website: LinkedIn | ORCID
Profile
I am a Visiting Scholar based in the School of Law at the University of Leeds. I am involved in academic, policy, advocacy and third sector work to increase accessibility, inclusion and social justice for disabled people.
From 2023 to 2025 I completed an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship in the School of Law which focused upon achieving academic, policy and real-world impact to improve financial inclusion and wellbeing outcomes for disabled people in the community.
I obtained a first-class undergraduate degree in Law and a first-class Master’s degree in International and European Human Rights Law. I was also awarded the School of Law ‘Teaching and Research Scholarship’ to undertake my doctoral research.
My PhD research involved a sociolegal examination of how support can help mitigate the legal, policy and practical challenges facing adults with cognitive impairments in managing their financial lives. My work addresses issues around accessibility, mental capacity law, support provision, financial inclusion, the social care and benefits systems, equality and non-discrimination law, access to banking and capability theory.
I am very interested in engaged sociolegal disability research. I have served as part of the Executive Committee within the Centre for Disability Studies at Leeds University and I am involved in the Centre for Law and Social Justice within the School of Law.
Responsibilities
- Visiting Scholar
Research interests
I have published in highly respected journals on the topics of sociolegal theory, disability rights, financial wellbeing, capability theory, mental capacity law and the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. My recent article in the Modern Law Review: 'Recognising Capabilities: The Importance of Recognition for Human Flourishing', offers a novel sociolegal theoretical approach to combatting structural disadvantage by embedding considerations of recognition within the capability paradigm.
I have authored multiple written submissions to Select Committees and Consultations on behalf of the University of Leeds Centre for Disability Studies and the Centre for Law and Social Justice.
I have a forthcoming coedited book exploring empowering disability research paradigms which is due for publication in 2026. I sit on the Board of Trustees for international disability rights charity Ability Beyond Borders. I was also involved in the Project Nemo Collaboration, an initiative drawing together stakeholders and change-makers from across the banking, financial technology, policy, regulatory and third sector spaces to help improve safer payment options and tackle financial exclusion for adults with learning disabilities. Our research report can be found here.
Qualifications
- ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow
- PhD in Law
- LLM in International and European Human Rights Law (First Class)
- LLB in Law (First Class)
Professional memberships
- Socio-Legal Studies Association
Student education
In recent years I have taught the Legal Capacity topic on the ‘Human Rights and Disabled People’ module at Master’s level. I also have four years of experience teaching on the undergraduate Foundations of Law and Constitutional Law modules within the School of Law. I have designed course content and produced teaching materials at both Master’s and Undergraduate level within the School of Law and have assisted with module development in the School of Sociology and Social Policy. I have also supervised three Undergraduate dissertations in the fields of equality and non-discrimination law.
Research groups and institutes
- Centre for Disability Studies
- Centre for Law and Social Justice