LSAANZ Conference 2025 - University of Canterbury

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa,

Sociolegal studies provide important tools to investigate our most pressing social and legal problems, including environmental harm, inequality and injustice, and climate change. This conference will explore how understandings of rights and responsibilities are evolving in response to legal and social change; and how we can reimagine our socio-legal relationships in ways that foster resilience and better reflect our reciprocal relationships with each other and the world we live in.

We are excited to announce that we will host the 2025 LSAANZ Conference, bringing the conference to Aotearoa for the first time in eight years. Since its establishment in the 1990s, LSAANZ has been dedicated to fostering the study of law and society in Australia and New Zealand. Through conferences, the Association has provided a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, bringing together researchers, academics, practitioners, and social leaders to address critical sociolegal issues.

This conference will bring together law and society scholars working across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions. Attendees will engage in thought-provoking and reflective conversations on key areas of sociolegal studies related to the theme Rights, Relationality, Resilience, Reciprocity. The Conference will include dedicated streams on environmental, Indigenous and feminist/gender studies, explored through multiple worldviews and positionalities, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous and Pacific knowledge. However, engagement with all aspects of law and society scholarship is welcome.

Join us also for a memorable evening at our Conference dinner. Hosted at the Tī Kouka Function Room on campus, the dinner will feature a hangi buffet, a welcome from Professor Petra Butler (Executive Dean of Law), a keynote address by Rachael Jones (Barrister and expert in Māori legal issues), and cultural performances by Suayd Hakaraia (UC Māori) and the Nesian Club Pacific Group. This is a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues, enjoy local cuisine, and celebrate the richness of Aotearoa’s legal and cultural landscape.

Important Information

The 2025 LSAANZ Conference is an in-person event. Conference activities will include keynote and panel discussions, thematic sessions, an early career researcher workshop, book launches, a dinner and cultural events. We welcome attendance by postgraduate students. Students are invited to participate in the dedicated postgraduate and ECR workshop, as well as the broader conference.

The Conference starts at 9 am on Wednesday 3 December only for those attending the ECR workshop. The starting time is 1:30 pm for all others.

Early bird registration is open until 20 October.

The Conference dinner is sold separately from registration. Please note spaces for the dinner may be limited due to venue capacity. We therefore encourage early registration for the dinner event.

You must be a LSAANZ member in order to attend this Conference. You can get your LSAANZ membership for the small annual fee of 20-40 AUD by following this link.

More information about the conference, including the conference themes, provisional programme, keynote speakers, accommodation and venue information is available on the Conference website.

We look forward to seeing you at LSAANZ 2025!