Roger Cotterrell

Professor Roger Cotterrell is the Anniversary Professor of Legal Theory at Queen Mary University of London (part-time since 2005). He holds leadership roles such as Acting Head and Head of the Department of Law (1989–1991), Dean of the Faculty of Laws (1993–1996), and previously taught at Leicester University. A Fellow of the British Academy (2005) and Academy of Social Sciences (2014), he has received the Socio-Legal Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) and the Dennis Leslie Mahoney Prize (2021).

His research focuses on sociolegal theory, legal sociology, transnational law, and Durkheimian legal thought. He has authored influential works including Sociological Jurisprudence, Law, Culture, and Society, and studies on Emile Durkheim. His work bridges jurisprudence and social theory, emphasizing law’s role in community, culture, and trust.

• Education: Law and Sociology at the University of London.
• Visiting Positions: Universities of Texas, Lund, Brussels, Berkeley, Hong Kong, and others.
• Advisory Roles: Member of 10+ international journals’ editorial boards, Law & Society Association Trustee, and UK Research Assessment Exercise panels.

His contributions span legal theory, comparative law, and socio-legal methodology. The Cotterrell Lectures in Sociological Jurisprudence at Queen Mary honor his legacy, hosting global scholars like Wendy Brown and Rahel Jaeggi.