Chris Thornhill

Chris Thornhill is a Professor of Law at the University of Birmingham and previously held positions as Professor of Law at the University of Manchester (2013–2024) and Professor of Politics at the University of Glasgow (2006–2013). He has also served as Head of the School of Law at Manchester University (2018–2019). His academic career began at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a BA (1987–1990) and PhD (1990–1993). Thornhill's research focuses on legal history, the sociology of law, political philosophy, comparative constitutional law, historical sociology, and institutional sociology.

• Education: BA (double first with hons.) and PhD from University of Cambridge
• Professional Memberships: Academia Europaea, European Research Council, and multiple international research councils

His awards include the Humboldt Research Prize (2018), World Complexity Science Academy Lifetime Achievement Award (2020), and European Research Council Advanced Grant (2013). He has held visiting professorships globally, including at Brazilian, German, and Chilean institutions. Thornhill is a prolific author with works published by Cambridge University Press and Routledge, focusing on constitutionalism, legal sociology, and political theory.

He has contributed significantly to editorial boards, including History of European Ideas and Siberian Law Review, and serves on international research councils in Europe and Brazil. His research explores the intersection of law, politics, and global sociological structures.