معرفی
Dr. Marc Simon Thomas is an Associate Professor in Sociology of Law at Utrecht University, affiliated with the School of Law and the Institute of Constitutional, Administrative Law and Legal Theory. He holds academic appointments since 2021 and previously served as an Assistant Professor (2016–2021) and Lecturer in various institutions. His research focuses on legal sociology, empirical legal studies, and responsive dispute resolution, particularly mediation and problem-solving justice. He is part of the Montaigne Centre for Rule of Law and Judicial Administration and contributed to the ERI Sector Plan Law Research. His teaching spans legal theory at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and he co-supervises two external PhD candidates.
- Education:
- PhD in Sociology of Law (2013), University of Amsterdam/Utrecht University
- MA in Latin America Studies (2008), University of Amsterdam
- BSc in Cultural Anthropology (cum laude, 2006), Utrecht University
- LLM in Dutch Tax Law (1992), Leiden University
- Key Research Areas: Legal pluralism, conflict resolution mechanisms, mediation methodologies, judicial reform, and empirical legal research.
His research explores the evolving role of judges as problem-solvers and investigates socially effective justice. He co-edited the Dutch Handboek Mediation, a standard text for mediation certification. Administrative roles include Executive Board membership of the Department of Constitutional Law, chairing the Bachelor Examination Committee, and serving as PhD Dean at Utrecht’s Law Department since June 2024.
Media contributions include analyses on neighborhood justice (2022) and the potential of community-based legal practices (2024). His work bridges academic research with practical applications, emphasizing collaboration between legal scholars and practitioners.
