The Cotterrell Lectures in Sociological Jurisprudence are named in honour of Professor Roger Cotterrell.
‘Sociological jurisprudence’ is understood broadly, as encompassing any theoretical aspect of socio-legal studies, any serious effort to relate jurisprudence and legal theory to changing social and historical conditions, or any topic linking law and social theory.
The Cotterrell Lectures were founded and are convened by Professor Maksymilian Del Mar.
3 April 2025: Professor Wendy Brown (Berkeley)
Wendy Brown is a distinguished American political theorist and Professor Emerita of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. She will discuss "Human Rights for Nature or Dehumanizing the Demos?".
Find out more on the 2025 Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence event page.
The 2024 Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence was delivered by Professor Rahel Jaeggi. Read more about the 2024 lecture and Professor Jaeggi.
The 2021-22 Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence was delivered by Professor Lorraine Daston. Find out more about the 2021-2022 lecture.
he 2020 Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence was delivered by Professor Renisa Mawani (University of British Columbia). Find out more about the 2020 lecture.
This lecture was delivered by Professor Scott Veitch (The University of Hong Kong). Find out more about the 2019 lecture.
The 2018 Cotterrell Lecture was delivered by Professor Annelise Riles. The lecture was chaired by Dr Isobel Roele, Lecturer in Law at Queen Mary. The event was organised by Professor Maks Del Mar. Learn more about the 2018 lecture.
The Third Cotterrell Lecture was delivered by Kwame Anthony Appiah (NYU), the renowned British born, Ghanaian-American philosopher and cultural theorist. The lecture was chaired by Professor Phoebe Okowa (Queen Mary). Learn more about the 2017 lecture.
The Second Annual Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence was delivered by Professor Eve Darian-Smith (University of California, Santa Barbara). Learn more about the 2016 lecture.
The Inaugural Cotterrell Lecture in Sociological Jurisprudence was given by Professor Brian Tamanaha (Washington University Law School). Watch the Innaugural Cotterrell lecture.
Roger Cotterrell studied law and sociology at the University of London and taught at Leicester University before joining the Queen Mary faculty where he has been Anniversary Professor of Legal Theory since 2005. He was Acting Head and Head of the College's Department of Law between 1989 and 1991, Dean of the Faculty of Laws from 1993 to 1996 and Professor of Legal Theory from 1990 to 2005. He was elected as a Fellow of the British Academy in 2005 and of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2014. In 2013 he was awarded the Socio-Legal Studies Association life-time achievement award for contributions to the socio-legal community.
More information about Professor Cotterrell, including publications and research can be found on his staff profile.