South Asian Legal Scholars (SALSA) Network

The South Asian Legal Scholars Association ('SALSA') is an Affiliated Research Centre of the University of Bristol Law School. Founded by the University of Bristol Law School’s Professor Devyani Prabhat and Professor Urfan Khaliq of Cardiff University.

The Association provides a platform for legal scholars of South Asian backgrounds, as well as those with an interest in legal research and teaching relating to South Asia and its diaspora. The Centre aims to foster research collaboration, career mentorship, and the exchange of insights relating to legal pedagogy. While the Association’s focus is on South Asian scholars and research related to the South Asian context, its membership, activities, and events are open to all legal academics, regardless of background.

The primary objectives of the Association are as follows:

  1. Promoting research conducted by scholars of South Asian backgrounds, as well as research that pertains to the South Asian context (including comparative research).
  2. Helping to develop and strengthen research collaborations across institutions – in particular, amongst scholars based in South Asia and those in other parts of the world.
  3. Supporting early career researchers of South Asian backgrounds in relation to career options and progression in legal academia.
  4. Holding events in furtherance of the above three objectives.

The Association’s objectives originate from two inaugural events – an initial meeting amongst interested scholars at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London in March, 2024, and a panel event at the Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference at the University of Bristol Law School in September, 2024. A number of scholars around the world were instrumental in developing the Network – in particular, we note the early contributions of Professor Satvinder Juss of King’s College, London.