Warwick Law School News

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

Before joining Warwick, Areti Theofilopoulou was an Assistant Professor in the Ethics of Non-Violence at the University of Birmingham. Before that, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Hong Kong and the Czech Academy of Sciences. She holds a DPhil in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Warwick.

When asked about joining Warwick Law School as a faculty member, Areti told us,

“I am thrilled to have joined the University of Warwick. I completed my undergraduate studies here and feel excited about returning so many years later. The Warwick Law School is renowned for its research and for its interdisciplinary approach to legal questions. I am similarly very excited to join the Centre for Ethics, Law, and Public Affairs, which is, in my opinion, the strongest research group in my field in the world. And I look forward to teaching Warwick Law School students, who I am certain will be bright and motivated. I couldn’t be happier about joining Warwick.”

We chatted more…

What will you be doing at Warwick?

Together with some of my colleagues, I will be teaching two undergraduate modules: ‘Law, State, and the Individual’ and ‘Medicine and the Law’. I will also be the Co-Director of the Centre for Ethics, Law, and Public Affairs (CELPA), which organises weekly seminars in legal, moral, and political philosophy.

What are your research interests?

My research is in legal, moral, and political philosophy. I am particularly interested in the philosophy of criminal law, the philosophy of punishment, and the philosophy of family law. I currently work on two projects. My main project is on domestic violence, and I am especially interested in questions about emotional abuse and coercive control. My second project, funded by a BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grant, is on toxic workplaces.

Why did you want to study law?

I actually haven’t studied Law – my undergraduate studies were in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Warwick, although, looking back, I wish that PPL had been available as a degree at that time. But despite being based in Philosophy or Politics Departments, I was always interested in normative questions about the law: which laws are justifiable and why, how different laws should be designed, and how states should respond when individuals break the law.

University can be very stressful, what do you do to unwind?

All jobs involve some degree of stress and I feel very fortunate because academia involves less stress than most other jobs, I think. But I do think that work-life balance and taking care of one’s inner peace is very important. To achieve that, I do pilates, yoga, and wing chun kung fu, I go on walks in nature and to music concerts, I play with my 16-month-old son, and I spend quality time with my friends and family.

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 their fields who each promise to become a major part of our community over the coming years".

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

Find out more about Areti's research.