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
The Global Law Round Table brings together lawyers, legal scholars, educators, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, administrators, graduate students, and other professionals whose work intersects with law, policy, education, governance, and society.
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.
Who Should Attend?
The Oxford Symposium on Global Law 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:
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Practicing attorneys and legal professionals
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Education and higher education attorneys
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University and college general counsel
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School district and institutional counsel
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Law school faculty and legal scholars
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Education faculty and researchers
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University, college, and school administrators
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Superintendents and education leaders
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Policymakers and government officials
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Education policy and regulatory professionals
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Researchers and doctoral students
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Professionals working in compliance, governance, finance, civil rights, and public policy
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 will you Participate?
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.
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 Law, Finance & Institutional Sustainability
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
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.
Symposium Registration
One Experience. Every Registration.
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Opening Welcome Lunch in a Medieval Dining Hall
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Tuesday & Wednesday Lunches in a Historic Oxford Pub
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Tea/Coffee/Biscuit Breaks during meetings
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Conference Proceedings
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Certificate of Participation
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Printed Program
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Access to Published Papers
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Peer-Reviewed Journal to submit your paper
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Access to all Sessions
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Keynote Address
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Presentation Slot if Abstract is Accepted
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Q&A and Discussions
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Harris Manchester College grounds
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Oxford Union Guided Tour
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Gladstone Room and Oxford Union grounds
SAVE £50 WITH ADVANCE REGISTRATION
Register by 15 January 2027 to receive £50 off your Registration Fee
Delegate
Registration
£799
Alumni
Registration
£699
Student
Registration
£655
Unique Add On Experience
The Immersive Oxford Experience
An Optional Residential Experience at Harris Manchester College
£1110
The best way to visit Oxford-living and dining in historic college surroundings with meals and exclusive experiences included.
Three nights' accommodation at Harris Manchester College · Mon | Tue | Wed
Full English breakfasts in the medieval dining hall · Tue | Wed | Thu
Three-course dinners in the medieval dining hall · Mon | Wed
Formal Certificate Ceremony
DOES NOT INCLUDE SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION
Important Dates
Dates of Symposium
28-30 June 2027
Early Discount Date
15 January 2027
Abstract
Due
28-30 June 2027
