Our next Warwick Law School Staff Spotlight interview features Professor James Harrison, Director of Research and Director of the Centre for Human Rights in Practice (CHRP).

Can you provide a brief overview of your academic background and professional experience in the field of law?

I started out as a legal researcher for the UK-based human rights group Liberty. There, I was the researcher who produced Liberty’s proposals for an independent system for investigating police complaints which ended up largely being adopted by the UK government. I then became a solicitor at the human rights firm, Bindman and Partners. I enjoyed lots of aspects of this, but I wasn’t very good at all the administration needed to be a good solicitor. I lack the organisational skills! Inspired by my experience of research (and its impacts) at Liberty, I did a PhD at the European Institute in Florence. That’s where I learnt all about international trade law and its social and environmental dimensions which have been at the heart of my research interests over the last 20 years.

How long have you been in your role at Warwick Law School and what motivated you to pursue a career in academia?

I have been at Warwick Law School since 2007 and always loved working here. Great colleagues and great students! My experience at Liberty taught me that really good research can have a powerful influence on the real world and I have been seeking to achieve that ever since. I also really enjoy trying to inspire young people with my passion and interest in thinking about the social and environmental dimensions of international trade law and international economic activity.

Could you describe your primary areas of research interest and expertise within the field of law? What inspired you to focus on these areas?

I did my PhD on the human rights impacts of the World Trade Organisation. Since then, I have researched the broader social and environmental impacts of international trade agreements. I also look at various other mechanisms for regulating the social and environmental impacts of global supply chains. At the moment I am particularly interested in the ‘due diligence’ laws that are springing up around the globe.

How would you describe your teaching philosophy?

I teach a very technical area of law. So I try to make sure that students know the law. And then, I try to make sure we have all kinds of interesting discussions, debates, etc about the social, environmental, economic and developmental implications of the areas of law we are studying. That is how the ‘law in context’ approach comes in for me. But you have to know the law first before you can effectively critique it afterwards.

Are there any specific teaching methods or approaches you find most effective in engaging students?

I try to make it as varied as possible. Videos, debates, discussions, readings, facts, figures. Anything that provokes interesting discussion. Generally speaking, I try to make sure they are never listening to my voice for more than about 10 minutes at a time.

Are you currently working on any research projects or publications? Could you provide some insight not the topics and objectives of these projects?

As I said, I am currently working on trying to understand what the impacts will be of various due diligence laws that are being proposed and enacted around the world at the moment which impose various social and environmental obligations on companies and their supply chains. On the one hand, these new regulations could be really important for combatting issues like climate change and human rights abuses in global supply chains. But they could also impose big burdens on poorer producers in developing countries. So they are complex to analyse and understand which makes them an interesting project for research.

Are there interdisciplinary connections in your work that students may find interesting or valuable?

Because I am interested in understanding the social and environmental impacts of the laws and regulations I analyse, I do quite a bit of empirical work. I have worked with geographers, political scientists, sociologists, economists, etc. to develop methods of analysis for my empirical work. I also enjoy working in teams of people because it is fun to share ideas and discuss issues as you are doing the research. I did one project where I sought to understand the impact of EU trade agreements on workers’ rights in Korea, Moldova and the Caribbean. I travelled to those places with geographers and political scientists who were experts in particular value chains like automobiles, sugar and clothing. I learnt a huge amount from them about how to understand those industries, the trade flows associated with them and how that trade can affect workers’ lives.

How can students reach out to you for academic advice or support outside of regular classes?

I always say to students to email me and then I will get back to them and arrange a meeting that is convenient for both of us.

Are there any emerging legal issues or trends that you find particularly fascinating, and do you incorporate these into your teaching or research?

I try and use as many emerging issues as I can in my teaching. The due diligence laws I discussed above were one example. I also use Covid as a case study for thinking about responses to the pandemic through international trade law.

How do you stay updated on developments in the legal field?

Lots of reading! And I have developed a network of fellow researchers across the world with whom I share insights and updates on key developments.

Do you feel that the area of law you specialise in is widely recognised? Do you consider it a niche?

Since Brexit in the UK, a lot more people have knowledge of international trade law. So it's less of a niche than it used to be. But when you dig down into the technicalities of it, most people don’t really understand it, so I suppose it is still very much a niche subject in that respect.

Thank you for completing our interview, James!