Clair is Professor Law at the University of Bristol. She is a generalist of trade law and development with a specialist interest in the linkages between trade and gender, human rights, labour standards, environment and sustainable development. As a socio-legal scholar, Clair is interested in the relationship between trade and human flourishing and her work focuses on the dynamics between power, (in)equality and (in)justice in international trade law. Much of her work analyses legal phenomenon through political economy lenses to analyse blindspots in international trade law. Her current work focuses on mainstreaming development in international trade agreements, with an emphasis on the way(s) in which trade law can lead to, and undermine, social and environmental change. She is currently writing a monograph on Trade and Women and this forms part of the longer-term research agenda to articulate an ethics for trade law.

In addition to her academic role, Clair has acted as a consultant with government institutions in the UK and she has provided expert evidence before both the UK and EU Parliaments on trade and development. Most recently, Clair authored a Briefing for the European Parliament on ‘Human Rights Clauses in EU Agreements with Third Countries: Exploring New Mechanisms and Best Practices’ (2024).

Clair has experience of senior leadership and has acted as the Head of Law School (University of Exeter) and the Faculty Education Director for Undergraduate Studies (University of Bristol). She has held a number of School roles in the portfolio areas of education, employability, global engagement and alumni relations. Clair is an experienced PhD supervisor and has supervised students to completion in the fields of trade and investment.

In the 2024/5 academic year, Clair is teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate units. She is unit coordinator for Jurisprudence (undergraduate), Human Rights in Law, Politics and Society (postgraduate) and she is teaching on World Trade Law (postgraduate).

Clair holds degrees in law from the University of Nottingham (LLB & LLM International Law) and the University of Bristol (Socio-Legal Studies MSc & PhD), where she was an ESRC scholar.