Warwick Law School welcomes a new Assistant Professor to our community.

Rachel Pimm-Smith joins us from Exeter Law School where she worked for four years teaching undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Rachel is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work explores the history of public law interference in private life, with specific emphasis on parent-child relationships and the role of class and gender. She is an active member of numerous Family Law and Legal History research networks. Rachel is also an Alumna of Warwick Law School as she completed her PhD with us in 2018.

When asked about joining Warwick Law School as a faculty member, Rachel told us “I am thrilled to be back with such a wonderful bunch of colleagues and to be part of such a vibrant community as WLS. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to expand my research expertise and also for my chance to make a meaningful contribution to the life of the School”.

We chatted more...

What will you be doing at Warwick?

I’m joining Warwick as an Assistant Professor and will be teaching Property Law and Family Law. I also hope to get involved in other areas of School administration to help WLS continue its pursuit for excellence.

What are your research interests?

My research focusses on public regulation of private relationships in historical and modern contexts, with particular emphasis on parent-child relationships and notions of protection. My work explores the role of class and gender norms on this area of the law and seeks to contextualise the impetus for certain reforms.

What current research projects are you involved in?

I’m currently involved in an interdisciplinary research project on the history of child custody disputes between 1800-1925. The project explores cases, novels, and census data to assess how custody disputes were decided by the courts, how they were perceived and portrayed, and what arrangements were made in practice. By examining examples of marital separations that did not come to court, this study will evaluate whether social norms and practices aligned with legal rules. It is the first interdisciplinary study of child custody disputes in the long nineteenth century.

Why did you decide to study/work in law?

I always wanted to study law because I saw it as the perfect intersection of public life and the individual. I wanted to understand how the social contract operated in practice and the ways that the law adjusted to keep pace with changing social norms.

Professor Andrew Williams, Head of School has said "I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues to our academic team. They are outstanding scholars in a variety of fields who each promise to become a major part of our community over the coming years".

Good luck in your first term Rachel, we are thrilled to have you with us.