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your faculty

London Bloomsbury

Led by Campus Dean Sandie Gaines, our lecturers are dedicated to bringing their real-life experience in practice into the classroom, providing our students with genuine insight into the subject matter. Each of our students are assigned an academic coach and have regular one-to-one meetings where they can get advice on the course and career aspirations. As lecturers are based in our campuses they operate an ‘open door’ policy, so students can talk to them whenever they need to.

Sandie Gaines, Campus Dean at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Sandie Gaines
Campus Dean and Associate Professor

Sandie has been Dean of the London Bloomsbury Campus since March 2017, having worked at ULaw since 2009. Before joining ULaw Sandie was a practising solicitor for 15 years, specialising in respondent Employment Law. She has worked for a number of “top 100” law firms including Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs LLP) DMH Stallard and asb-law. Sandie is a member of the Westminster & Holborn Law Society’s Education & Training Committee. Sandie also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education Studies, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychology. She is an Associate Professor and Fellow of the HEA.

Sarah Corbett, Associate Dean at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Dr Sarah Corbett
Associate Dean and Associate Professor

Sarah has been an Associate Professor since 2016 and Associate Dean since 2020. She is a criminal defence barrister and was formerly a criminal defence solicitor at Edward Fail, Bradshaw and Waterson, and Taylor Nichol. Sarah has a PhD in law (passed with no corrections) from Birkbeck, University of London. Her research analyses criminal law and evidence through the lenses of Critical Race Theory; Judith Butler's theories of performativity, racial framing and ungrievable lives; and Jean Baudrillard's theories of hyperreality, simulation and simulacra. Sarah also has a degree in Social and Political Sciences from King's College, University of Cambridge (2:1), a postgraduate diploma in law (Distinction, highest mark in year), LPC (Distinction), MA Higher and Professional Education (Distinction) and LLM Legal Practice (Distinction). She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. Sarah convenes the ULaw Law, Race and Colonialism research group, and teaches the Zemiology module on the LLB and LLB with Criminology.

Hannah Uglow, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Hannah Uglow
LPC Programme and Student Lead and Lecturer

Hannah qualified as a solicitor in 2005, after studied LLB Law and European Law at Queen Mary College, London and completed the LPC at the University of West of England in Bristol. Hannah trained and qualified with human rights specialist firms in Bloomsbury gaining experience in criminal defence, inquest law and actions against the police. Since then Hannah has practiced as a criminal defence duty solicitor, combining her legal practice with university teaching. Before joining ULaw, Hannah taught at the University of Kent where she was an Associate Lecturer and Clinic Solicitor at the Kent Law School and Kent Law Clinic. Hannah currently teaches on a range of ULaw programmes with a focus on criminal law, litigation and evidence.

Steve Illingworth, BPC Programme & Student LEad at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Steve Illingworth
BPC Programme and Student Lead (September start full-time course) and Associate Professor

Steve graduated in Law from King’s College, London before qualifying as both a solicitor and barrister. As a solicitor, Steve was a partner in a firm specialising in legal aid, before he transferred to the Bar to practise criminal defence work for 10 years. Steve is a very experienced BPC lecturer, and set up ULaw’s award winning pro bono BPC Tribunal Representation Service - the forerunner to ULaw’s Trainee Litigation Programme and BPC LLM course.

Tariq Al-Mallak
BPC Programme and Student Lead (Jan start, July start and part-time weekend courses) and Lecturer

Tariq was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn.  He practiced as a barrister specialising in criminal defence in the Youth, Magistrates’ and Crown Courts and at the Court of Appeal. He is also Duty qualified and is an accredited Police Station Representative. Tariq is a lecturer on the Bar course, teaching Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing and Criminal Advocacy.  He also teaches the on the LLM Advocacy and Bar Skills course.

Dr Andreas Yiannaros, LLB Course Head and Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Dr Andreas Yiannaros
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (September start) and Associate Professor

Andreas holds an LLB, an LLM in Public international Law (King’s College) and a PhD in human rights law completed with a scholarship award. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and member of the Society of Legal Scholars, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and the Human Rights Lawyers Association. He has consultancy experience, acting for the European Union and the Council of Europe (external expert to CoE), as well as civil society organisations in Europe on issues around equality and non-discrimination. Andreas publishes widely in academic law journals on human rights, non-discrimination, freedom of movement and human rights accountability for multinational corporations.

Aurora Martinez, Senior Tutor & LLB Year Head at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Aurora Martinez
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (January start and 2 Year Accelerated) and Senior Lecturer

Aurora has an LLB Hons from Queen Mary University, London. She studied for the Law Society Finals at The University of Law then trained and qualified as a solicitor and headed the conveyancing department in a small but thriving local firm until moving into legal education. Aurora is a former Course Head of the GDL and Head of Lecturers at ULaw's London Bloomsbury. She presently teaches on the LLB and GDL at London Bloomsbury.

Darren Francis, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Darren Francis
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (Foundation Year and 1st Year September start) and Lecturer

Darren graduated with an LLB(Hons) from the University of West London and completed his LPC at ULaw’s Bloomsbury campus, gaining a Distinction. Darren was admitted as a Solicitor in 2013 and practiced in Legal 500 firms in London and Surrey, progressing to Partner. He specialised in all areas of Family Law and has a particular passion for Child Law, both Public and Private. He regularly represented his clients in Court in matrimonial finance and children matters. Before embarking on a career in law, Darren worked in such diverse fields as retail fashion management and compliance within the Department of Work and Pensions.

Dr John Kerr
Head of Policing and Criminology

Dr John Kerr has been Head of Policing and Criminology at The University of Law since January 2022. Prior to joining ULaw, he was Deputy Head of Social Sciences at the University of Roehampton. Before becoming Deputy Head in 2017, he was the Course Director for the BSc Criminology programme. He has also worked at City, University of London and London South Bank University. Prior to becoming an academic, John taught English in Latin America and Spain. He also worked as an art installer in London and it was this job that fuelled a fascination in art crimes. John’s research interests are in policing and criminology. His monograph on the Securitization and Policing of Art Theft in London was published in 2015. He has also published articles and chapters in leading policing and criminology journals and books, spoken at national and international conferences, and appeared in the print and television media. He has taught, developed and led programmes in criminology, policing and other social sciences.

Mike Meehan, The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Mike Meehan
Head of Academic Experience and Pastoral Care, and Associate Professor in Law

Mike completed a French and Italian languages and literature degree (BA) at the University of Galway before studying an English Law and French Law degree (LLB/Diplôme de Droit français) at the universities of Kent and Grenoble. He has a Master’s degree (LLM) in Public and EU Law from King’s College, London and has published work on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Mike has taught law for over 20 years at four different universities and has been both a GDL and LLB Course Leader, as well as Programme Leader for Business, Law, and Social Science courses at Kaplan International College, London. Mike joined ULaw in September 2020 as a Senior Lecturer, was made Head of Academic Experience and Pastoral Care in February 2021, University Teaching Fellow in May 2021, and made Associate Professor in Law in November 2023. He is an AdvanceHE Senior Fellow with a PG Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, a PG Certificate in secondary school teaching, and a CELTA. Mike is also a qualified modern foreign languages and English language teacher.

Nick Ross
Academic Manager and Associate Professor

Nick graduated with first class honours in Law and then completed the Law Society Finals at ULaw in London. He trained as a solicitor and specialised in criminal law gaining many years experience assisting his clients in the full range of criminal offending including fraud, robbery and murder. Nick was at court and the police station on a daily basis during that part of his career. He moved into teaching at ULaw in 2001 and taught predominantly on the BPC where he also worked in the pro bono clinic. He has also taught on the GDL, LLB and LPC and now teaches on a variety of programmes at ULaw. In recent years Nick has continued with his work as a solicitor alongside teaching. Nick's particular interests are in criminal law but he also enjoys teaching contract, ethics and commercial law and recently completed an LLM in International Business Law. Nick has had a range of management roles at ULAW and is now an academic manager. Nick is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Michelle Braddick, Academic Manager at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Michelle Braddick
Academic Manager

Michelle graduated with an LLB(Hons) in Law from the University of the West of England and completed her LPC at the Inns of Court School of Law. She qualified as a solicitor in 2008 specialising in property law, personal injury and employment law. Prior to joining ULaw in March 2020, Michelle spent three years as Bespoke Programmes Manager at CILEx Law School; where she was involved in programme management, quality assurance, training and course development. Michelle is also a qualified legal assessor and trainer and has over six years’ experience in providing academic training and pastoral support to legal apprentices.

Lee Benham, Academic Manager at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Lee Benham
Academic Manager

Lee graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Policing from Canterbury Christchurch University and completed his GDL, LPC and LLM in Legal Practice with Distinction from the London Metropolitan University. Lee subsequently qualified as a childcare solicitor representing Local Authority clients in the Family Court and the Court of Protection. Lee is a retired Police Sergeant and specialised in firearms response and victim identification. He was a member of the team that identified the victims of the Grenfell fire and has received several commendations in his policing career including a Central Criminal Court Judge's Commendation and a Commissioners Commendation following firearm incidents. In his spare time, Lee provides pro bono advice to Forces veterans in childcare matters and assists East England Ambulance Service as a non-clinical emergency response driver.

Nicole Kali, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Nicole Kalli
Academic Manager and Lecturer

Nicole read Law at the University of Southampton prior to completing her LPC at The University of Law (Bloomsbury). Nicole trained and qualified as a solicitor in a regional law firm in Kent before moving to a firm in London. As a solicitor, Nicole specialised in property litigation and leasehold enfranchisement. Nicole was highly commended in the Young Professional of the Year category at the Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards in 2019. Nicole is now a Lecturer at The University of Law.

Dr Domenico Giannino, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Dr Domenico Giannino
Academic Manager and Senior Lecturer

Domenico holds a PhD in Public Comparative Law from the University of Calabria (Italy), completed with a scholarship award. During his doctorate, he was visiting scholar at Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (University of London). Before being awarded his PhD, Domenico obtained a Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree in Political Sciences at the University of Calabria (Italy); furthermore, he got a LLB and a LLM at University of Jaén (Spain).Domenico has an extensive experience of teaching in Higher Education in the UK, Italy, Spain and France across different areas of law at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Domenico is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Domenico has published widely in academic law journals on human rights, transnational law, environmental law. He is a former visiting research fellow at the Centre for Latin-American and Caribbean Studies (University of London).

Dessy Ohanians, Academic Resources and Quality Manager (Business School)
Dessy Ohanians
Academic Resources and Quality Manager (Business School)

Dessy has a BSc (Hons) in Business Administration from Huron University and MSc in Data Analytics and Marketing from Arden University. She has worked in education for over 25 year first as an entrepreneur and then as a managing director of a charity. Dessy transitioned to Higher Education management when she became a managing director of London School of Business and Finance Executive Education in 2014 and subsequently also took on the role of an interim CEO of the London Academy of Trading. Dessy is currently undertaking a PhD study with the University of Worcester Business School researching the topic of applications of artificial intelligence in the field of Marketing.

Jennifer Schmidt-Petersen, Policing Progamme & Student Lead at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Jennifer Schmidt-Petersen
Policing Programme and Student Lead

Jennifer is a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has a BSc (combined Hons) in Psychology with Criminology and Master's Degrees in both Forensic Psychology and Investigative Psychology. She has previously served in the Metropolitan Police Service as a Police Constable and has successfully passed the National Investigators Exam (NIE). As an academic, Jennifer has extensive experience of teaching in Higher Education across criminology and psychology modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has successfully published in the area of terrorism and counterterrorism.

Elizabeth Ajai-Ajagbe, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Elizabeth Ajai-Ajagbe
Programme and Student Lead (Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme) and Senior Lecturer

Elizabeth qualified as a solicitor in 1988 in a central London firm on Harley Street W1, Sears Tooth and Co. After four years as an Assistant Solicitor, she set up her own firm. Elizabeth built a thriving practice specialising in Real Estate and has always had a keen interest in helping people fulfil their potential. In 2000, Elizabeth sold her practice and joined ULaw as a lecturer. Elizabeth teaches on the LLB, GDL and LPC.

Luke Hubbard, Head of Chriminology and Senior Lecturer at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Luke Hubbard
Criminology Programme and Student Lead

Luke completed his BA undergraduate degree in Criminology at the University of Leicester in 2013, graduating with First Class Honours. This was followed by MSc in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Research at the University of Surrey, for which he achieved Distinction. Luke worked for two years as a researcher at the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice where he sought to translate empirical research findings into policy and practice across a range of criminal justice agencies, before returning to the University of Surrey to undertake his PhD. Luke’s doctoral research explores the response of the criminal justice system, namely the police and probation service, to LGBT hate crime. During this time, he has also undertaken a range of other projects, whilst working as a researcher for GALOP, exploring the victimisation of LGBT people online and the needs and experiences of LGBT victims of crime.

Deborah Crowley, Associate Professor & MA Law Head at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Deborah Crowley
Associate Professor

Deborah has a LL.B (Hons) in Law from the University of Southampton and studied at ULaw in Bloomsbury for her LPC. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at a regional law firm in Kent where she specialised in commercial property. Deborah has taught at the University of Law since 2007; she teaches Real Estate on the LPC/SQE and Equity and Trusts on the LL.B, GDL and MA. Deborah is the former Chair of the Education and Training Sub-Committee at the Westminster and Holborn Law Society.

Kevin Browne, Associate Professor & Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Kevin Browne
Associate Professor

Kevin has a LLB in Law from Newcastle University and studied for the Law Society Finals at ULaw's Guildford Campus. After qualifying as a solicitor, he worked in litigation before moving into education. Kevin teaches Dispute Resolution and Immigration Law on the LPC, as well as Actions on the LLB. Kevin designs the Immigration Law and Commercial Dispute Resolution electives on the LPC, the LLM in Advanced Dispute Resolution and the Actions module of the LLB.

Christa Sabine
Associate Professor

Christa has a BA (Hons) in modern languages from Kent University. She converted to law and studied for Law Society Finals at ULaw Guildford. She practised in London firms, specialising in family law and was appointed to the Law Society Children Panel before joining ULaw in 1998. Christa teaches and is Module Lead for the following subjects: Real Estate and Family on the LPC, Family Law on the LLB, Property Practice on SQE1, Interviewing and Legal Writing on SQE2 and Family Law on SQE Plus. She also co-authors Family Law and Practice (CLP).

Savvas Michael
Senior Lecturer

Savvas completed his Law degree at University of Cambridge in 2012. He spent five years working in the City, including at the Bank of England, predominantly in the Ring Fencing and Brexit legal teams. Savvas then commenced a postgraduate degree at UCL whilst publishing articles and lecturing at various universities. Savvas joined ULaw in September 2019, lecturing on GDL and LLB in EU and Public Law.

Jan McEwen, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Jan McEwen
Senior Lecturer

Jan graduated with a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Durham before converting to law at ULaw in Guildford. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1996 and specialised in Commercial Property before moving into legal education. Jan teaches a range of subjects on the LPC and LLB courses. Jan has a particular interest in technology-supported education and has recently completed a PgCert in Learning Technologies at the University of Leicester.

Katie Gerada
Senior Lecturer

Katie is a Senior Lecturer at ULaw’s Bloomsbury Campus. She studied Classics at Durham University before completing the GDL and LPC at ULaw, Guildford. After qualification, she spent 5 years working at Fox Williams as a corporate lawyer before joining ULaw in 2005. Katie teaches various subjects on the LPC including Business Law and Practice and Employment Law.

Syed Muhammad, Senior Tutor (Business School) at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Syed Muhammad
Senior Lecturer

Syed is an MBA from Bradford University School of Management, and completed his GDL at Middlesex University London. He is a member of Academy of Marketing, British Academy of Management, Chartered Management Institute and Association of Masters of Business Administration. His research interests revolve around Big Data Digital Footprint, Social Media Marketing, Technology Use, Adoption, Privacy and Security. His recent research interest includes customers’ big data digital footprint generation on social media which appeared in the academic journal of Information Systems Frontiers.

Chris Hooley, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Chris Hooley
Senior Lecturer

Chris Hooley is a Senior Lecturer at ULaw's Bloomsbury Campus, who has a BA (Hons) in Law from the University of Durham and studied for the LPC at ULaw. He trained as a solicitor at Linklaters and qualified into the Real Estate team there, working on a range of commercial property transactions before moving into legal education. Chris teaches Intellectual Property on the LPC, Land Law on the GDL and LLB and Contract Law on the LLB and PgDL/MA.

Nancy  Duffield, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Nancy Duffield
Senior Lecturer

Nancy has a BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford. She studied for the Law Society Finals at ULaw. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Iliffes and worked in family law until she moved into legal education. Nancy teaches and is Module Lead of Public Law on the LLB and GDL. She also teaches Family Law on the LLB, Family Law and Dispute Resolution on the LPC and co-authors Family Law and Practice (CLP).

Valerie Vickery, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Valerie Vickery
Senior Lecturer

Valerie has an LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She studied the LPC at ULaw's Chester Campus. She trained and qualified as a solicitor in North Wales and worked in Family Law, becoming a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel, before until she moved into legal education. Valerie teaches Land and Family on the LLB and on the GDL as well as Real Estate and Family on the LPC.

Max Alavy, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Max Alavy
Senior Lecturer

Max is a Senior Lecturer at ULaw's Bloomsbury Campus and has a law degree from University College London. He trained at Simmons & Simmons and then specialised in employment law and worked for a number of years as a trade union lawyer at Rowley Ashworth Solicitors (now part of Thompsons Solicitors). Max joined ULaw in 2003 and teaches employment law on the LPC, business law on the LLB and the LPC, as well as tort law on the GDL and the LLB.

Fred Price, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Frederick Price
Senior Lecturer

Frederick is a Senior Lecturer at ULaw's Bloomsbury Campus. He is author of the SQE 1 Manual ‘The Legal System of England and Wales’ (2021) and a designer for the SQE Plus. He graduated with an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh, and studied for the Common Professional Examination and Law Society Finals at the University of Law. He qualified as a solicitor at Reed Smith and worked in shipping, commercial and medical law before moving into education. Frederick teaches Dispute Resolution, Insurance, Professional Conduct, Legal Writing, and Legal Research on the LPC, EU Law and Ethics on the GDL, and EU Law on the LLB.

Sarah Brown, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Sarah Brown
Senior Lecturer

Sarah is a Senior Lecturer at ULaw's Bloomsbury Campus. She has a MA in English Language and Literature from Somerville College, Oxford and completed the Common Professional Examination and Legal Practice Course at ULaw Bloomsbury. She qualified as a solicitor at Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) and worked in commercial litigation before moving into education. Sarah teaches Tort Law on the GDL and LLB course, and Employment Law, Solicitors Accounts, Wills & Administration of Estates, Tax Law, Insolvency Law, Business Accounts and Professional Conduct on the LPC.

Martin Norris, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Martin Norris
Senior Lecturer

Martin Norris is a senior lecturer at the Bloomsbury centre. Martin has an LLB from the University of Warwick. He studied for the Law Society finals at the Chester centre of the University of Law. He qualified as a solicitor at Simmons and Simmons. He taught law at the University of Wales before moving to the London Bloomsbury Centre. He teaches public law, business law and human rights. He is a fellow of the higher education Academy.

Vanessa Cortis, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Vanessa Cortis
Senior Lecturer

Vanessa Cortis studied Jurisprudence at Oxford University and then completed Law Society Finals at ULaw's Guildford Campus. She then trained as a solicitor in a magic circle firm and after qualifying she specialised in Family law, advising clients on areas including finance and children. Then she moved to legal education and now teaches on many of the University’s programmes and her interests include Family law, Tort, Wills and Taxation.

Penny Hayhurst, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Penny Hayhurst
Senior Lecturer

Penny Hayhurst graduated with honours in Modern Arabic Studies, spent 3 years in Japan on an Exchange Teaching Programme, and then completed the GDL and LPC at ULaw's Bloomsbury Campus. Penny trained and worked as a solicitor at Clyde & Co and also worked at US law firm Squire Sanders and Dempsey. She specialised in Employment Law, assisting corporate clients in all aspects of employment work. Penny started teaching at ULaw in 2003 and has taught for many years on the LPC focusing on Litigation and Employment. She now teaches more predominantly on the GDL and LLB.

Theresa Grant, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Theresa Grant
Senior Lecturer

Theresa gained a BA (Hons) in Law and Politics before studying for the Law Society Finals at the London (Lancaster Gate) branch of Ulaw. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Claude, Hornby and Cox specialising in general criminal law and white collar crime working as both a police station and court duty solicitor. Theresa went on to gain an LLM from University of London (UCL) in Theoretical and Comparative Criminal law, Criminal Litigation and Crime and Social Policy before moving into legal education. Theresa currently teaches Criminal Law on the GDL and LLB courses and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Simon Beamish, Senior Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Simon Beamish
Senior Lecturer

Simon read History at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge before embarking on a legal career. He undertook his legal education at The College of Law Chancery Lane/Store Street (now the University of Law) and qualified as a Solicitor. Simon practiced as a commercial litigator, undertaking regular court work and becoming a partner with the firm’s commercial dispute resolution team. Simon has also held appointment as a Deputy District Judge (Civil) and as a District Judge, hearing a wide range of civil, family and private law children matters. Since joining ULaw, Simon has taught dispute resolution related subjects across ULaw’s programmes and has been Team Leader for the LPC Litigation and CDR courses at the London Bloomsbury campus. Simon is a Senior Lecturer and the Civil Team Leader for the Bar Practice Course.

Obinna Agha, Senior  Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Obinna Agha
Senior Lecturer

Obinna Agha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He holds an LLB (Hons) in Law, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a Master’s degree in Post-Colonial Culture and Global Policy and a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher education. He has vast experience in Mental Health law, where he worked in Governance as a Compliance Officer with the National Health Service, ensuring compliance to all legal, professional and ethical standards in healthcare. He moved into teaching in Higher education and is involved in quality assurance, mentoring and module development. His research interest is on the shortcomings of the liberal rights theory especially as it relates to the Postcolonial. Against universalism and relativism, his work promotes a pedagogy of diatopical hermeneutics to promote the advancement of indigenous knowledge and cross-cultural dialogues on isomorphic concerns. He joined the University of Law in 2021 where he teaches Human Rights on the LLB route, Mental Health law and International Human Rights on the Academic Masters route in the Bloomsbury campus.

Ruth Tweedale, Senior Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Ruth Tweedale
Senior Lecturer

Ruth joined ULaw in September 2022. She previously worked as a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Roehampton and the University of Greenwich. Ruth studied law at Trinity College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor in 2009. She is a specialist in family law and women’s rights having held the position of Senior Legal Officer at Rights of Women.  She is currently writing her PhD thesis which is a feminist legal analysis of the family justice system: child contact and domestic violence.  Ruth is the Co-Chair of the domestic violence charity the Nia Project. She has spoken at conferences nationally and internationally and has been published in academic journals, books and research reports on issues of women’s legal rights and gender-based violence.

Heike Luecke, Senior Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Doctor Heike Luecke
Senior Lecturer

Heike holds an LLM in Business Law and a PhD in Insolvency from Kingston University and an MSc in Taxation from Oxford University. Heike is a dual qualified lawyer. She practiced in Germany as an Insolvency Lawyer and worked as a Special Risk Manager in an international credit insurance before moving to the UK. Prior to joining ULaw Heike worked at Kingston University, she started in the Law School and joined the Business School in 2016. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2011 and was Head of the Law Clinic at Kingston Law School. Recently, Heike was MBA Deputy Course Director and Senior Lecturer at the Business School. She has taught, developed and led several different modules in the area of Business Law and Taxation and has a research interest in the area of tax crime. Heike taught at the University of West London on the LLM and LPC; is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an External Examiner at London South Bank University.

Poloko Hiri, Senior Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Poloko Hiri
Senior Lecturer

After a career as a Military Engineer, Poloko was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2016 (Inner Temple); is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; holds an LL.M degree in Professional Legal Practice (BPP university), and an LL.B degree (University of Plymouth). He is a researcher with a particular interest in the law of evidence and proof. He is currently writing-up his PhD thesis which is a doctrinal analysis of the relationship between legal adjudication and scientific expert evidence, specifically the ambiguities of the roles of experts and fact finders in adversarial legal systems, the clash between legal and scientific reasoning, and the judicial assessment of expert evidence in both civil and criminal justice systems. He has experience teaching International Commercial law; Contract; Company; Evidence; Civil liberties & human rights; Torts; Criminal; Public; E.U; English Legal Systems; Equity; and Law & Ethics.

Rebecca Maina, Senior Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Dr Rebecca Maina
Senior Lecturer

Rebecca holds a PhD in law from the University of Westminster, where her doctoral thesis straddled human rights and public health, focusing on the conceptualization and articulation of healthcare rights and entitlements among people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. She also holds an LLM (Public International Law) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), whose completion was funded through the LSE Olive Stone Memorial Scholarship for Women in Law. In addition, she holds an LLB (Hons.), also from the LSE. Prior to joining the University of Law as a Senior Lecturer, Rebecca was the LLB Course Leader and Associate Head of Research, Innovation and Education at Solent University, Southampton. She has also been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster and University of Essex (Colchester), and has taught on a range of modules in law and criminology. Rebecca is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and was a finalist for the Oxford University Press Law Teacher of the Year award in 2020.

Lizzette Robleto de Howarth, Senior Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Lizzette Robleto de Howarth
Senior Lecturer

Lizzette is a Senior Law Lecturer in the London Bloomsbury Campus. She is former Chief Programmes Officer at Advocates for International Development (A4ID). Prior to joining A4ID, she was International Programmes Manager at the Law Society where she created and led the Society’s International Rule of Law programmes. During her tenure, she authored and co-authored several global reports on the rule of law, human rights, and gender equality in the legal profession. Before joining the Law Society, she worked for over 16 years in international development, advocating for changes in global policy at international level. She has a LLB Law (Hons.) and two LL.Ms: one in Human Rights and one in International Economic Law. She is currently undertaking her PhD Law at Birkbeck. She is a Fellow of the HEA and has a Graduate Certificate in Teaching & Supporting Learning in Higher Education with Merit. She is a Chartered Manager Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Senior Member of the Inter-American Bar Association, a member of The Honourable Society of Inner Temple. She has also obtained several specialist courses from the LSE and the University of Oxford.

Vera Bermingham, Senior Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Vera Bermingham
Senior Lecturer

For many years Vera has been teaching law in universities in the UK, in Europe and in Asia. She has an MA in Law and Discrimination (Brunel University) and a Diploma in Legal Studies (equivalent to the CPE) (Dublin Institute of Technology, now Technical University Dublin). Vera is an accredited mediator and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is a member of the Association of Law Teachers, one of the two main bodies representing legal education in the UK (and was Chair 1998-99). The focus of her research is legal education and access to the legal profession. In 2010 Vera was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, the most prestigious award for excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning.

Dr Melayna Lamb, Lecturer at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Dr Melayna Lamb
Lecturer (Criminology)

Melayna was awarded her PhD in 2019 from the University of Brighton for her thesis entitled On Order and the Exception: A Philosophical History of Police Power. The examiners recommended the doctorate be awarded summa cum laude to underline its exceptional quality. Melayna was a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA) in 2018 and she also holds a BA in International Relations and MA in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex. Her first monograph, based on her PhD thesis, is forthcoming with Bloomsbury. She is also the co-author of Policing the Pandemic: How Public Health becomes Public Order published December 2021 by Policy Press. Her work is interdisciplinary drawing on a range of disciplines and traditions that span political and legal philosophy, critical theory (broadly construed) and Black radical thought.

Alessandra Fahy-Spada, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Alessandra Fahy-Spada
Lecturer

Alessandra has a degree in Law from the University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. When she moved to England, she studied for the Common Professional Examination and Legal Practice Course at the London Bloomsbury Centre of the University (then College) of Law. Alessandra was an Associate Lecturer, teaching European Union Law at the Bloomsbury Centre for two years. She then trained and qualified as a solicitor at Withersworldwide LLP, in the Private Client (International) department. Alessandra teaches Equity and Trusts on the Graduate Diploma in Law and on the LLB course, as well as European Union Law.

Kate Cunningham, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Kate Cunningham
Lecturer

Kate has an LLB in Law and European Studies and is a dual qualified solicitor, having first qualified in the Republic of Ireland. Kate worked in the Republic of Ireland in the areas of residential and commercial conveyancing, private client and family law. Kate then began contracting in commercial litigation, working for some of the largest city law firms in London. She worked on a number of high profile banking and commercial litigation disputes. She joined ULaw in 2017 and teaches Real Estate.

Sibby Salter, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Sibby Salter
Lecturer

Sibby Salter read Law at Cambridge University and was called to the Bar in 1991. In the early stages of her career she practised licensing, family and criminal law. Since 2001 she has specialised exclusively in criminal law, prosecuting and defending. She has experience across a wide spectrum of serious criminal cases with particular expertise in cases involving mental health issues. She is an advocacy trainer for Middle Temple and teaches advocacy internationally. She is a barrister at 3 Temple Gardens.

Clarissa Behal, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Clarissa Behal
Lecturer

Clarissa graduated from Keele University and went on to study the LPC at ULaw in 2010. After completing the LPC with Distinction she joined a high street, legal aid firm practising predominantly in criminal law. Clarissa qualified as a solicitor in 2013. Clarissa went on to become Police Station Accredited, Duty Solicitor Accredited and attained her Higher Rights of Audience in 2018. Clarissa has extensive experience of advocacy in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, criminal litigation and representing clients at the police station. Clarissa joined ULaw in 2020 and is teaching criminal litigation on the BPC.

Kelly Keeble, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Kelly Keeble
Lecturer

Kelly has a LL.B (Hons) in Law from London Guildhall University and studied the LPC at ULaw in Bloomsbury. She qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer initially before obtaining a training contract at a firm in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Kelly qualified as a solicitor in 2008, specialising in residential property and private client. She became a Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) in 2015 and is a member of STEP. Kelly joined ULaw in 2021 and her teaching includes LPC Private Client.

Maria Pilikos, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Maria Pilikos
Lecturer

Maria completed her Law Degree at City University, London and then studied the LPC at the Inns of Court School of Law. Maria qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and specialised in Family Law, including financial and children law matters. For seven years Maria was a partner at a North London firm. After many years of practice Maria decided to move into legal education and now teaches Family Law on the LPC and LLB Tort Law.

Michael Russ, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Dr Michael Russ
Lecturer

Michael graduated from Birmingham City University with a BA in Sociology, before studying for an MSc in Social and Political Theory at the Birkbeck, University of London and completing a PhD in law at the University of Edinburgh. His PhD research evaluated the European Union’s strategy for regulating online misinformation and disinformation for consistency with the right to expression as protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Michael has been teaching since 2013 in secondary, further and higher education over a broad range of subjects and, more recently, has taught public law, contract and legal research.

Lola Rotimi, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Lola Rotimi
Lecturer

Lola has an LLB degree from the University of Birmingham and a master’s degree in International Law (LLM International Legal Studies) from Washington College of Law, American University, DC. Upon completion, she joined the immigration department of Alsters Kelley Solicitors, Coventry and was accredited as a Supervisor of Immigration Law by the Legal Services Commission. In 2006, she was admitted to the Nigerian Bar as both a solicitor and barrister, and went on to specialise in corporate and commercial law. She has a vast amount of business experience and is a successful entrepreneur who has worked with several organisations such as NECA’s Network for Entrepreneurial Women in skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training for women. She is a member of both the Association of Women in International Trade and the Washington International Trade Association. Lola also combines her background in international law and experience in business to write academic research papers.

Dante Delfino, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Dante Delfino
Lecturer

Dante graduated in law and notary public from the National University of La Plata, Argentina. He served as a judicial assistant in a criminal court and as a court reporter to an administrative judge on tax matters. He practised extensively as a solicitor advocate in the areas of civil and employment litigation and human rights in Argentina, his landmark case being the legal representation of the victims of the genocide committed during the last military dictatorship. He has taught comparative public and private law, human rights, European Union law, public international law and private international law at the school of law in Argentina and the United Kingdom. Dante joined ULaw in 2021 and teaches Common Law Method and Ethics, English Legal System and Constitutional Law (including Retained EU Law), European Union Law, Tort and Intellectual Property Law at undergraduate and graduate level.

Jenny Boyden, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Jenny Boyden
Lecturer

Jenny graduated from Oxford Brookes University with an LLB Hons in Law. Following completion of the LPC at ULaw in Guildford, she went on to train at a national criminal firm, qualifying in 2002. Jenny went on to work for two Legal 500 firms as a criminal defence Solicitor, where she garnered a reputation for outstanding commitment, attention to detail and client care. She is a Police Station Accredited Representative and, as a criminal litigator, has conducted a wide variety of criminal cases at all stages of criminal proceedings, many of which have attracted media attention. Having spent over 20 years in practice, Jenny decided to move into legal education and has joined Ulaw in 2022 as a lecturer.

Sean Smith, Tutor at The University of Law London Bloomsbury
Sean Smith
Lecturer

Sean was awarded a first class degree in history at Sheffield University, before completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Law at City University. He qualified as a barrister and practised for over twenty-five years, both in-house and at the independent Bar. He has experience in all aspects of criminal defence work, from advising in the police station, through defending in Crown Court trials and conducting appellate proceedings before the Court of Appeal. He is a member of the Criminal Bar Association.

Jaime Lam, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Jaime Lam
Lecturer

Jaime was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 2017 after completing her LLB and GDL studies as well as the relevant qualifying examinations. She developed a mixed practice with focus on criminal law and matrimonial law, and she also had a special interest in animal law. Throughout her legal career, she had a wide range of experience in criminal cases from magistrates to jury trials. She also has a wide range of experience in family and other civil courts. Jaime was a contributor of Halsbury’s Laws of Hong Kong Current Service as well as the Hong Kong Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents on Employment Law. Jaime will be teaching Dispute Resolution on ULaw’s LPC/SQE programme based in Norwich but also helping out remotely with supplementary work in Bloomsbury.

Lina Khanom, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Lina Khanom
Lecturer

Lina has an LLB (Hons) degree from Brunel University and is an Associate solicitor at Dawson Cornwell. She predominately practices family law and specialises in international children law matters. Lina is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Child Abduction and Private Children Law, and she is a member of Resolution, the Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA), the Westminster & Holborn Law Society, Young Legal Aid Lawyers and London Young Lawyers Group. She regularly mentors students who are aspiring to be solicitors and enjoys writing legal articles regarding current issues within family law.

Dr Heather Allansdottir, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Dr Heather Allansdottir
Lecturer

Heather holds a doctorate in Constitutional and Administrative Law from the University of Oxford and an MA in Human Rights Law from the University of Bologna and University of Sarajevo, and she has taught international and human rights law in the UK, Israel, Iceland and Australia. She is an Associate Fellow at the academic think-tank Oxford Global Society, where she contributes research on public international law, human rights law, and comparative constitutional law, and has a developing interest in medical law, maritime law, and aviation and space law.

Hansi Smythe, Tutor at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Hansi Smythe
Lecturer

Hansi was admitted as a solicitor in 1997. She specialised in criminal and later mental health law maintaining a commitment to legally aided practice. She carried out criminal defence work across all areas of criminal law and worked as a duty solicitor in Magistrates Courts and at Police stations. She developed a particular interest in the impact of mental illness in the Criminal Justice System and after working on secure hospital wards as an Independent Mental Health Advocate became a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Accreditation scheme in 2017. In this role she represented people both detained under the Mental Health Act or subject to Community Sections at Tribunals and Hospital Managers Hearings in relation to both forensic and civil Sections. She decided to move from private practice into further education in 2022 to begin working at Ulaw as a lecturer.

Edward Langley, Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Edward Langley
Lecturer

Edward studied Law at the University of Oxford before completing the LPC at ULaw, Bloomsbury. He trained and qualified as a solicitor at Forsters LLP before specialising as a Private Client solicitor at Wedlake Bell LLP, acting for a wide range of international and domestic clients in estate planning and trust related matters before moving into legal education.

Guy Grayson, Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Guy Grayson
Lecturer

Prior to providing the in-house general counsel function for five years for a financial services group listed on London Stock Exchange, Guy worked in private practice where his experience comprised PE fund structuring, M&A and debt financing. Guy joined the PE funds group at SJ Berwin. Since then he has worked in corporate finance at Clifford Chance’s office in Moscow before moving to Hogan Lovells in London.

Andrew Prynne, Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Andrew Prynne
Lecturer

Andrew Prynne KC has been in practice at the common law and commercial bar for several decades, both as a junior and a leader. He had a broad grounding, practising in the criminal, civil and family courts as well as employment tribunals for the first 10 years. Since, he has been largely devoted to civil work encompassing personal injury, clinical negligence, other professional negligence, property damage including fire claims, contract and commercial work with occasional forays into the criminal courts to defend health and safety and environmental prosecutions. He also was instructed in several public enquiries and inquests. Andrew developed a niche in product liability work largely centred on well known group actions relating to pharmaceutical products, vaccines and tobacco. This work led him into commercial work involving defective products and associated insurance coverage disputes, mainly in the commercial court and arbitrations. Andrew has also ventured into the realms of chancery work dealing with breach of fiduciary duty and civil fraud. Andrew is a CEDR accredited mediator and has carried out several mediations and arbitrations. He left the independent bar in July 2023 and is delighted to be teaching at the University of Law on its Bloomsbury campus.

Kate Hughes, Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Kate Hughes
Lecturer

Kate completed her law degree at Queen Mary, University of London in 2005 with a First-class Honors. After her degree Kate took some time out to do some travelling and gain some work experience and returned to complete her LPC in 2008 at ULAW. She qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and has specialised in Family law, predominantly care proceedings, domestic abuse and other Children Act matters. Kate has also done some work in Residential conveyancing. Kate has always enjoyed the academic side to law and so decided after many years in practice to go into teaching. Her interests are in family law and criminal law.

Chris Lethem, Lecturer at The University of Law Bloomsbury campus
Chris Lethem
Lecturer

Chris Lethem is a solicitor and former Circuit Judge who sat for over twenty years, initially in family and civil law and latterly focussing on civil dispute resolution. He has an expertise in costs law and is Hon Vice President of the Association of Costs Lawyers. He was a member of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee for ten years.

He authored Police Detention: A Practical Guide (1998) and contributed to Making Decisions Judicially (2022). Chris is an editor of Blackstone’s Civil Practice and a contributor to the Civil Court Practice and Butterworths Costs Service. He has also written for Mithani: Directors Qualification and in numerous periodicals including the Journal of Person Injury Law.

Chris is a former college lecturer and examiner. He lectured at the Judicial College for over twenty years. For ten years he was the Course Director for the Civil Law Continuation Course delivered to civil judges. He continues to lecture at the Judicial College and recently addressed judges in the Netherlands.

Chris was a member of the working group which produced ‘Civil Courts a Structural Review’(2016). From 2016, he was adviser to the MoJ and HMCTS on the reform programme until 2019 when he became Lead Circuit Judge for Online Courts. He continues to act as an adviser to the MoJ and HMCTS on the development of Online Courts and the HM Government’s reform programme.

Chris has experience in access to justice issues initially though the judicial working group on Litigants in Person (The Hickenbottom report) (2013). Thereafter on Lady Justice Asplin’s working group on McKenzie Friends and Litigants in Person. He was a LIP Liaison Judge and piloted CPR 3.1A through the rule committee. He continues to be involved in access to justice issues, in particular exploring the opportunities digitisation offers to Litigants in Person.