Laura Carlson

Laura Carlson is a Professor in Private Law at the Department of Law, Stockholm University, with significant roles as Academic Director of International Affairs and Head of the Labour Law Department. She serves as Editor-in-Chief for Comparative Discrimination Law (Brill) and co-editor for the International Journal of Discrimination and the Law (Sage). She co-chairs the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality working groups on Digital Equality and Covid-19 & Equality.

Her research focuses on labour and employment law, discrimination law, access to justice, and academic freedom. Current projects include the Brill Research Perspectives in Comparative Discrimination Law and a multi-volume Encyclopedia of Equality (Edward Elgar, 2026). Her recent work addresses the EU Pay Transparency Directive’s procedural mechanisms and the Swedish corporatist model’s limitations in tackling structural discrimination.

Scientific awards include a 2017 nomination to AcademiaNet as an outstanding woman of science. She has secured major grants from the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Memorial Fund (SEK 5.3 million) and contributed to EU projects like FamiliesAndSocieties and ADPOLIS. Her comparative studies span the UK, Germany, Sweden, and the US, analyzing historical and modern labor law intersections with democracy and human rights.