Susan Blake

Professor Susan Blake is a leading academic at The City Law School, City, University of London, where she has been a member of staff since 1978. She currently serves as Associate Dean and has held key roles including Course Director for the Bar Vocational Course and Director of Studies. Her work focuses on legal education, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), with a strong emphasis on integrating legal technology into professional training.

• LLB, University of Cambridge (1974)
• LLM, University of Cambridge (1975)
• Barrister, Inner Temple (1976)

Professor Blake's research centers on litigation and ADR, particularly how mediation and arbitration can be effectively implemented in legal practice. She has designed and led the LLM in Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution and teaches across various postgraduate and professional law programmes. Her scholarship bridges academic rigor and practical application in legal professional skills.

Her publications, including multiple editions of authoritative texts published by Oxford University Press, demonstrate a consistent focus on litigation strategy, ADR mechanisms, and legal education. These works reflect evolving trends in civil justice reform, legal technology, and professional training standards.

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Reviewer, Quality Assurance Agency

Professor Blake supervises PhD research in legal professional skills, civil litigation, and ADR. She has played a pivotal role in curriculum development, including the Bar Professional Training Programme and Legal Practice Course. She is a founder member of the Centre for the Study of Legal Professional Practice and convener of the Forum for Alternative Dispute Resolution. She actively contributes to legal education policy and professional discourse through conferences and advisory roles.

She is actively involved in academic leadership and innovation in legal education, particularly in the use of blended learning and educational technology. Her work continues to shape modern legal training in the UK.