Our next Warwick Law School Staff Spotlight interview features Dr Rachael Blakey, Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of ED&I (Student Facing).

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

I first studied law as part of my A-Levels. Originally, I wanted to work in film editing, but quickly changed my mind a few months into my studies! I went on to study Law at undergraduate level, before being lucky enough to gain a 1+3 funded scholarship for my PhD. The scholarship meant I first had to do a Masters in Social Science Research Methods (which massively changed how I understood law and society!). My PhD continued this socio-legal approach by looking at the meaning and purpose of family mediation after the cuts to legal aid in 2013. Very early on in the PhD, I realised that I was interested in an academic career – both in terms of research and teaching!

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

I am a few years out of my PhD, having been at Warwick since September 2021. No day is the same in academia, which makes the job really mentally stimulating. It can also be really fun, working with both colleagues and students. At the same time, I really like the independence that academia gives me.

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

My research is all about family mediation, a process that sits outside the court system yet has become increasingly important in legal system. From developing a theoretical framework, to scrutinising the structural problems around the mediator profession, I re-examine family mediation as a process that promotes a contemporary vision of family justice. My work has (slowly!) begun to widen, thinking about the meaning of family justice, as well as the professionalism of its mediators.

I’ve always felt that family mediation is massively overlooked in research and debate. It is such an important process in today’s legal systems, yet we have very little data on how it works and what has changed over time. It looks like more research on mediation is going to be conducted in the next few years following government proposals to make the process mandatory. Hopefully, my work can contribute to some of these important discussions!

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

I’ve just written an article on my first quantitative (number-based) study, looking at the number of people who accessed the Help with Family Mediation legal aid scheme. This is the first study on this scheme and also tells us about the types of cases being resolved through it. From this, we can begin to think about the value and quality of legal advice being given in family matters.

The big thing I’m working on is a book on my PhD research! I submitted a first draft (all 95,000 words!) in December 2023, and am waiting for anonymous feedback. I will then have until August this year to make any further edits. As any academic will admit, in many ways I am desperate for the project to be finished. I started this project in 2017; sometimes it feels like I can recite the book section by section! But in other ways, I have really enjoyed developing my arguments and contributing to policy discussions.

What does ‘law in context’ mean to you?

To me, law in context is all about understanding how law and society interact. Sometimes, law influences our day-to-day lives. Alternatively, society impacts the law and legal rulings being made. Law in context is all about combining theory and the real life – using different techniques to uncover the truth.

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

An email is always the best way to contact staff! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Are there any University committees or initiatives that you are involved in that students should be aware of?

I am the Student-Facing Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). That means I am your point of contact for any issues relating to your protected characteristics. I regularly attend Committee meetings to advise on EDI issues, both within and outside the Law School.

Part of my role that I really enjoy is working with my EDI Officers. Each year, we hire undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD researchers as representatives. We work together to run different EDI related events, as well as deal with any EDI issues.

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

X (or Twitter!) is a really good way to keep up with academics’ new publications. Practitioner journals are also a useful tool for learning about any legal developments – their articles tend to be condensed and succinct which helps you understand things with very limited time.

Thank you for completing our interview, Rachael!