GLJ Special: Socio-Legal Studies in Germany and the UK: Theory and Methods (GLJ 21:7)

Germany and the UK are marked by quite different legal cultures, institutional contexts, and scholarly traditions. But how does this shape socio-legal scholarship situated in those contexts? And how does this play out when studying labor law, contracts, transnational law, or urban law? What are the key contemporary trends, theoretical applications, and methodological approaches in both socio-legal academic contexts?

Meet one of our editors-in-chief, Jen Hendry, as she and Naomi Creutzfeldt and Christian Boulanger talk about their Special Issue "Socio-Legal Studies in Germany and the UK: Theory and Methods," what made the project so fascinating to them, what insights it produced, and what their next projects are. And of course, find out what advice Christian received from his grandma, what Naomi is missing while working from home, and who would play Jen in a movie!

The Special Issue appeared in October 2020 in GLJ 21:7. GLJ editor Nora Markard is the host, editing by Marlene Stiller.

With Jen Hendry, Naomi Creutzfeldt, and Christian Boulanger
The Special Issue

Table of Contents of the Special Issue "Socio-Legal Studies in Germany and the UK: Theory and Methods"

GLJ Editorial for the Special Issue

Jennifer Hendry, Naomi Creutzfeldt & Christian Boulanger: Socio-Legal Studies in Germany and the UK: Theory and Methods, German Law Journal 21:7 (2020)

Abstract
This Special Issue considers the situated and contextualized development of socio-legal, or law and society, scholarship within two materially different legal and academic cultures, namely Germany and the United Kingdom, with a view to achieving a better understanding of why and how such differences in understanding and practice have arisen. The contributions are grouped into three themes. The first reflects upon the influence of institutional contexts and scholarly traditions in terms of the development of those approaches that come under the banner of socio-legal studies. The second features contributions that adopt a comparative perspective in terms of selected areas of law, pointing to notably different approaches taken in Germany and the UK, and considering the development of these respective situations. The third looks at the key contemporary trends, theoretical applications, and methodological approaches taken within both countries’ socio-legal academic contexts.

Submitting an article or a Special Issue Proposal to the German Law Journal

"Pints" by Matt Brown on Flickr, 2014 – (CC-BY 2.0)