Sara Dezalay

Sara Dezalay is a Professor at the European School of Political and Social Sciences (ESPOL) within Université Catholique de Lille. She previously served as a Reader at Cardiff School of Law and Politics (2018-2020) and holds an HDR (Habilitation to Direct Research) from the University of Paris I. Her work bridges legal sociology, African politics, and global economic justice.

• Current affiliations: ESPOL-LAB, Institute of African Worlds (IMAF)
• Editorial roles: Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales, Law & Social Inquiry

Research focus examines:

• Legal intermediation in Africa's global economic relationships
• Historical and contemporary ties between law, imperialism, and resource extraction
• Postcolonial critiques of international justice mechanisms
• Political sociology of legal professions in transitional contexts
• Green mineral extraction and environmental justice in Africa

Her scientific contributions include:

• Key monograph: Lawyering Imperial Encounters (CUP, 2024)
• Co-led €30,000 French Justice Ministry grant on asylum justice
• 20+ peer-reviewed publications across Journal of Law and Society, Politique africaine, and International Criminal Law Review

Professional engagement spans:

• Adjunct judge at French National Asylum Court (2020-2022)
• Keynote speaker at European International Studies Association (2024)
• Contributing editor to Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales