Year: 2024-2025
Research Team Type: Student-led
Organizers: Andrea Lara-Garcia, PhD student, Geography; and Ralph Madlalate, PhD student, Jurisprudence and Social Policy
Contemporary social challenges such as widespread evictions, border militarization, migration and global climate change highlight the interconnections between legal ordering and spatial phenomena in shaping societal outcomes. In this context the boundaries between law, geography, and other disciplines continues to blur; such that there is a growing need to understand the complex interplay between legal frameworks, social relations, and geographical landscapes.
This research team aims to bring together graduate students from various fields, including law, urban planning, geography, and beyond, to foster a vibrant exchange of ideas on contemporary spatial and legal challenges. By delving into the intersection of law and geography–both through analyzing classical and foundational texts as well as drawing on critical perspectives in postcolonial studies, feminist geographies, and critical legal studies–we aim to uncover new perspectives, challenge conventional wisdom, and chart innovative pathways for research and scholarship. Our inquiry is motivated by the recognition that legal frameworks are not neutral instruments of governance, but are embedded within broader social, spatial, and economic contexts that (re)produce injustice. Ultimately, we believe that by critically interrogating the spatial dimensions of law, we can contribute to efforts aimed at creating more just, equitable, and inclusive spaces for all.