The Global Law
Symposium

convening at the
Historic Oxford Union

28-30 June 2027

28 June -30 June 2027

Gladstone Room | Oxford Union & Harris Manchester College

Oxford | England

Registration from

£655

Abstract Deadline:

30 May 2027

Submit Abstract

The Global Law Symposium

The Oxford Global Law Symposium brings together legal scholars, attorneys, policymakers, educators, researchers, and other professionals from around the world to discuss the legal issues affecting their work and communities.

Following the tradition of the Oxford Round Table, the Symposium is built around discussion and the exchange of ideas. Participants may present research, legal analysis, policy work, case studies, or professional experience, while others may attend simply to listen, ask questions, and join the conversation. You do not need to present a paper to participate.

The programme covers a wide range of current issues, including education law and policy, international and comparative law, constitutional and human rights, public policy, governance, technology and AI, and other emerging areas of law. Bringing together participants from different countries and backgrounds gives everyone the chance to hear how similar legal questions are being handled in different places.

Participants will also meet at the historic Oxford Union, a place known around the world for debate and discussion. It is a fitting setting for the Symposium and for what the Oxford Round Table has always been about—bringing people together, sharing different points of view, asking good questions, and having conversations that lead to new ideas and lasting professional connections.

Why Attend?

Why Attend

The Global Law Symposium welcomes legal professionals, scholars and policymakers from every jurisdiction and legal tradition, whose work touches law, policy, education, governance and society. It is designed for those who wish to present their work and for those who simply wish to join the discussion.

Engage in substantive discussion with colleagues from around the world, exchange perspectives across academic and professional disciplines, and experience Oxford’s historic tradition of scholarship and intellectual inquiry. Participants will also have the opportunity to take part in the distinguished tradition of debate and dialogue at the Oxford Union—one of the world’s most celebrated debating institutions.

Present your Research

Share your research, legal analysis or professional insight with an international audience of legal scholars and practitioners.

Convene at the Oxford Union

Exchange ideas in the historic Oxford Union, where debate, dialogue, and the challenging of ideas have long been part of its tradition.

Build International Legal Network

Develop valuable professional and academic relationships with participants from institutions and jurisdictions around the world.

Examine Law Across Borders

Explore how global challenges are reshaping justice, governance, human rights, legal education and the practice of law.

Submit Abstract

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend?

The Global Law Symposium brings together professionals and scholars whose work intersects with all areas of law, education law, policy, governance, and institutional leadership.

The Symposium is designed for both those wishing to present their work and those who wish to participate in the discussions without presenting.

Participants may include:

LEGAL PRACTICE

Lawyers, barristers, solicitors, advocates and notaries
In-house and general counsel
Judges, magistrates, arbitrators and mediators
Prosecutors, public defenders and legal aid practitioners
Counsel to universities, schools and education authorities
Bar association and law society leaders

ACADEMIA & EDUCATION

Law faculty and legal scholars
Researchers and doctoral students in law, comparative law and legal theory
Faculty in education, criminology, political science and public policy
University, college and school administrators
Education system leaders, school leaders and education officials

POLICY & SPECIALIST FIELDS

Policymakers, legislators and government officials
Diplomats and staff of international and intergovernmental organisations
Regulatory, compliance and governance professionals
Human rights, civil rights and NGO advocates
Specialists in technology, health, corporate, international and environmental law
Finance, public policy and criminal justice professionals

A paper or presentation is not required to attend. Participants are encouraged to contribute their professional experience and perspectives to the discussions, whether attending as a presenter or as a non-presenting delegate.

How to Participate

How will you Participate?

Present your Research

Share your research, legal analysis, case study, policy work, or professional experience and lead a discussion with fellow participants. No paper required to present.

Submit Abstract

Attend & Join the Discussion

No presentation or paper required. Take part in Symposium sessions, ask questions, share your expertise and perspectives, and actively contribute to the discussion.

In Collaboration with

The Education Law Association

The Global Law Symposium is pleased to collaborate with the Education Law Association (ELA) in advancing dialogue on education law, policy, finance, and the legal issues shaping educational institutions.

Education law will be a featured area of the 2027 Symposium, bringing together attorneys, legal scholars, educators, policymakers, administrators, researchers, and other professionals to exchange perspectives on current and emerging legal challenges.

Present your work or join the discussion—no presentation or paper is required to participate.

The Journal of Education Finance and Law

The Education Law Association (ELA), established in 1954, is a nonprofit, non-advocacy member association that promotes interest in and understanding of the legal framework of education. ELA provides information on current legal issues affecting education, including students, parents, school boards, and employees, across both public and private K-12 schools, as well as higher education institutions.

10% off all pricing with an ELA Membership

Session Topics

Suggested Themes & Areas of Inquiry

Rights, Equity and Access to

Education

Disability Rights, Special Education and Inclusive Educational Practice

Title IX, Sex Discrimination and Gender Equality

Racial Equality, Desegregation and Educational Opportunity

Religious Liberty, Freedom of Expression and Competing Rights

Language Access and the Rights of Multilingual Learners

Admissions, Affirmative Action and Equal Access to Education

Socioeconomic Inequality and the Digital Divide

International and Comparative Approaches to the Right to Education

Algorithmic Bias in Admissions, Assessment and Access to Educational Services

Artificial Intelligence, Disability Accommodation and Inclusive Education

Education Law in a Politicised and Regulated Era

Legal battles over curriculum control, academic freedom, and state intervention

Shifting accreditation standards and regulatory oversight of higher education institutions

Student loan regulation, funding caps, and access to higher education

The evolving legal status of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in education

Special education law, disability rights, and compliance enforcement

Legal implications of school choice, charter expansion, and public funding models

Federal, State and Local Conflicts over Authority for Education Policy

Judicial Review of Politically Motivated Education Laws and Regulatory Decisions

Political Influence over University Governance, Leadership Appointments and Institutional Funding

Education Governance, Regulation and Institutional Autonomy

Legal Regulation of Curriculum, Teaching and Academic Content

Governance and Accountability for Artificial Intelligence in Education

University Autonomy and Governmental Oversight

Federal, State and Local Conflicts over Education Authority

Accreditation, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance

School Boards, Local Authorities and Institutional Governance

Charter Schools, Academies and Public-Private Education

Political Influence over Educational Leadership, Governance and Funding

Institutional Liability, Negligence and Risk Management

Legal Responsibility for Automated Institutional Decision-Making

Student Rights, Discipline and Institutional Responsibility

AI-Generated Academic Work, Misconduct and Institutional Due Process

Student Discipline, Suspension, Expulsion and Procedural Fairness

Due Process in Schools, Colleges and Universities

Campus Speech, Protest and Academic Freedom

Bullying, Harassment and Institutional Responsibility

School Safety, Security Measures and Student Civil Liberties

Parental Rights and Challenges to Educational Authority

Student Mental Health and Institutional Duty of Care

Privacy in Disciplinary, Safeguarding and Student-Conduct Proceedings

Artificial Intelligence in Student Discipline and Risk Assessment

Artificial Intelligence, Data Privacy and Digital Education

Legal Governance of Artificial Intelligence in Schools and Universities

Algorithmic Bias in Admissions, Assessment and Student Support

Student-Data Privacy and Educational Records

Surveillance Technologies, Facial Recognition and Online Proctoring

Cybersecurity Obligations and Institutional Liability

Transparency, Explainability and Appeals in AI-Assisted Educational Decisions

Intellectual Property and AI-Created Educational Content

Procurement and Regulation of Educational Technology

Children's Rights in Data-Intensive Education Systems

Legal Responsibility for Automated Educational Decision-Making

Education Finance, Affordability and Institutional Sustainability

Public Funding and the Legal Right to Education

School-Finance Litigation and Funding Equality

Tuition, Student Debt and the Future of Affordability

Financial Accountability and Institutional Transparency

Public-Private Partnerships and Commercial Involvement in Education

Commercialisation and Corporate Influence in Education

Enrolment Decline, College Closures and Institutional Mergers

Legal Oversight of Institutional Endowments and Restricted Funds

Financing Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology

Algorithmic Resource Allocation and Equality in Education Funding

The Education Workforce: Employment & Academic Freedom

Teacher and Faculty Employment Rights

Faculty Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression

Algorithmic Hiring, Employee Monitoring and AI-Based Performance Evaluation

Collective Bargaining, Unionisation and Industrial Action

Tenure, Dismissal and Employment Due Process

Faculty Governance and Institutional Authority

Recruitment, Retention and Education-Workforce Shortages

Workplace Discrimination, Equality and Accommodation

Immigration and International Mobility of Teachers and Faculty

Artificial Intelligence, Automation and the Changing Role of Educators

International Law, Human Rights and Global Education

Education as an International Human Right

Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights and Global Educational Inequality

Comparative Constitutional Protections for Education

International Students, Migration and Academic Mobility

Refugee and Displaced-Student Access to Education

Academic Freedom and the Protection of Scholars at Risk

Cross-Border Recognition of Qualifications and Credentials

International Disability-Rights Standards in Education

Gender Equality in Education across Legal Systems

Transnational Regulation of Universities and AI-Enabled Educational Partnerships

Education Funding, Debt & Financial Regulation

Education Funding Equity & Adequacy

School Finance Litigation

Higher Education Funding & Affordability

Public Funding & Private Education

Special Education Funding & Legal Obligations

Student Loans, Debt & Financial Regulation

Institutional Financial Accountability

Federal, State & Local Funding Policy

Budget Constraints & Educational Access

AI, Technology & the Economics of Education

Printable Topic List

About the Oxford Union

The Oxford Union

Few places capture the spirit of Oxford quite like the Oxford Union—a world-renowned institution where generations of influential thinkers, leaders, writers, and public figures have gathered to debate the ideas shaping our world.

As part of the Symposium, participants will have the opportunity to step inside this extraordinary institution, enjoy a guided tour of its historic rooms, and experience the Union not simply as a visitor, but as part of the programme itself.

Symposium sessions will take place in the Gladstone Room, an elegant and intimate setting named for four-time British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Here, surrounded by the history and tradition of the Union, participants will exchange ideas, present research, and engage in the thoughtful discussion that lies at the heart of the Oxford experience.

From discovering the stories behind the Union's celebrated debates to sitting around the table with colleagues from around the world, this is an opportunity to experience something distinctly Oxford: serious intellectual exchange in a place built for conversation, argument, and ideas.

Come to Oxford to share ideas, exchange perspectives, and join the discussion. Leave having experienced one of the world’s great traditions of debate and intellectual life.