During her time as Head of School, Professor Conaghan has overseen many changes that have been to the benefit of staff and students alike.

Under her leadership the School has grown in both size and reputation for its world-leading expertise across the discipline – improving its profile both internally and externally.

An ambitious staff recruitment plan has attracted leading scholars from around the world with over 30 new members of staff appointed, bringing new areas of expertise and enhancing curriculum delivery through increased contact hours and smaller group sizes.

The quality of the teaching and research is evidenced in the rankings – with the Law School rated in the top five for research in REF2014 and regularly listed as a Top 10 UK Law School – and also rising to a Top 50 law school in the world in the latest Times Higher Education World Rankings for law.

These achievements have helped to fuel higher admissions standards with the buoyancy of the undergraduate market seeing the School move to a standard offer of A*AA from the academic year 2018-19. 

Professor Conaghan has also been a driving force in expanding the School’s employability related activities, an area of work acknowledged by the sector with the team recently shortlisted for a national prize for Best University Careers / Employability Service Award,

With a focus on employability, the expansion of the Law School with the award-winning refurbishment at 8-10 Berkeley Square, provides a new space for law students to hone their skills in the School’s law clinics, state-of-the-art moot court, and postgraduate research hub.

Of Professor Conaghan’s achievements, Dan Schaffer, Chair of the Law School Advisory Board and partner, Slaughter and May (LLB 1986, BCL, LLD 2016), said:

Joanne has led the Law School in a way that has had a transformational effect. Part of the alchemy behind Joanne’s success has been her ability to rigorously keep one eye on the internal operations of the School and the other eye firmly on the external. Expansion brings serious challenges to keeping a strong sense of community and morale amongst staff, students and alumni. The Head of School is pivotal in achieving this. Joanne has succeeded in achieving everything possible in her tenure.

Other achievements include:

• The introduction of innovative new programmes, including International Law and International Relations
• Introduction of new Centres of Research, most recently Health, Law and Society and Brexit.
• Professionalisation of the Law Clinic and associated introduction of a clinical legal studies module.
• Significant growth in gender and law expertise – whilst professor Conaghan has continued herself to publish and remains a leading authority in the field.
• An increasingly diverse student body, reflected in our home undergraduate intake for 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Professor Conaghan, said:

I am truly proud of what I have achieved while Head of School. It would not have been possible without a fantastic team supporting me and working incredibly hard to help deliver transformative change in the School at a time of considerable external challenge.  

Professor Conaghan will formally step down as Head of School on the 31 July 2018. She will remain at the School, returning to teaching after a period of research leave, whilst fulfilling her role as Chair of the Law Subpanel for REF2021.

Professor Ken Oliphant will succeed Joanne Conaghan as Head of School in August.

Dan Schaffer, concluded:

Joanne Conaghan is to be congratulated and thanked deeply by current and prospective students, staff and the alumni community. We wish her every success on her prestigious appointment as a Chair for the REF.