Ursula Smartt

Ursula Smartt is an Associate Professor of Law at Northeastern University London and Subject Leader for Public Law. She also serves as Legal Careers Counsellor for the Humanities Faculty and holds a Visiting Professorship at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg, Germany. Her expertise spans media/entertainment law, AI ethics, and criminology with a focus on prisoner labor and correctional industries. She has advised governments globally on prison reforms and authored seminal textbooks like Media and Entertainment Law.

• Education: BA English-German (University of Hull), MPhil Social Policy & Criminology (University of Hull), PG Dip Law (University of West London)
• Professional Roles: Former Magistrate in West London courts, External Examiner at multiple universities, Patient Governor at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust

Her research integrates legal, technological, and criminological dimensions, addressing issues like online harm regulation, AI's impact on law, and international prison policy. Over 70 funded research projects span Moldova, Germany, Canada, and India. Her recent work critiques SLAPPs and explores robot-proof legal education.

• Awards: European Woman of the Year (1999), EXPO Hannover (2000)
• Key Publications: 2025 AI Law articles, 2023 SLAPP analysis, 2021 Moldova prison study

Teaching focuses on constitutional law and legal tech innovation. She pioneered Northeastern's legal careers advisory service connecting students with top London law firms.