Matthew Nicholson

Dr. Matthew Nicholson is an Associate Professor in International Law at Durham Law School, where he also serves as Director of People and Culture. He is affiliated with the Global Policy Institute and the Durham CELLS (Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences). His research focuses on critical approaches to international legal theory, including intersections with critical theory, literary studies, and Frankfurt School philosophy. Key areas include the nature of international law, relationships between international and domestic law, and human rights jurisprudence. Nicholson has held previous academic roles at the University of Southampton and University College London.

His notable achievements include winning the International and Comparative Law Quarterly's 'Young Scholar Prize' (2015) for his analysis of foreign act of state doctrines. Nicholson's work frequently engages with thinkers like Walter Benjamin, Theodor Adorno, and Fredric Jameson to reframe legal practice as representational and artistic.

Administratively, Nicholson has held roles such as Chair of the LLB Board of Examiners and ECR Coordinator at Durham. He has also served as an external examiner at multiple universities and delivered prestigious lectures, including the Lauterpacht Centre Friday Lecture at Cambridge University.

His research supervision emphasizes fostering critical methodologies in postgraduate studies, co-convening international colloquia on critical international law. Nicholson is actively seeking PhD students interested in topics like the theory of international law, environmental law, and human rights.