Mr James Ressel

LLB (Hons), LLM (Merit), FHEA
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales

Prior to joining the University of Northampton I lectured in law at Birkbeck College, Law School, University of London, the University of East London and the Open University. I am also a non-practising consultant Solicitor with a central London firm. In practice as a solicitor I focused on dispute resolution, personal insolvency and family law. I am currently engaged in PhD research concerning the 'legality' of political trials and justice. My other research interests include the ethics of the legal profession, the procedures and theatre of the trial, and the cultural constructs of personal relationships.

Membership of Professional Bodies and Learned Societies

Family Justice Council
Law Society of England and Wales
Society of Legal Scholars
Socio-Legal Studies Association
Resolution (Solicitors Family Law Association)
Insolvency Lawyers' Association

Other activities

Judge at numerous mooting competitions and debates including:-
'Debating Matters' competition for the Institute of Ideas
The Weekly Law Reports mooting competition,
ESU-Essex Court National mooting competition,
BPP Law School mooting competition.

Endorsements: Willey B., Employment Law in Context (2009) Pearson.

Undergraduate:

Law and Society  (Module Leader)
Law of Relationships & Child Law
Media Law for journalists
Contract Law
Tort Law
Dissertation supervision

Postgraduate:

European Union Law (LLM) (Module Leader)
Research Methods (LLM)
Child Law in Context (MSc)
Dissertation supervision

Political justice/politics of justice: This area of interest seeks to examine law and jurisprudence at times of crisis and social change and examine Kirchheimer's sense of political justice. This includes interest in the theatre, rhetoric and the language of the trial and law generally as well as notions of free expression.
Ethics, culture and the construction of law: here I am concerned with the culture(s) of law, professional ethics and how we perceive and construct law in society as illustrated, for instance, by gender relations in family law.

Research activities

Established the following interdisciplinary reading groups and events:
Dialogues!  a series of cross disciplinary research events and lectures promoting an exchange of ideas across the public and academic communities.
On 'Empire' by Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt.
The Continental Philosophy and Legal Theory group at Birkbeck Law School, University of London.
On "Homer Sacer - Sovereign Power and Bare Life", by Giorgio Agamden.

Other publications

'Culpability and trial by the fiat of the successor regime.' paper deliver at the SLSA Annual Conference, University of West England, Bristol, (2010).
'Childrens' Rights & Law of Education.' presentation at the Professional Collaboration Conference, The University of Northampton, (2009).
'On Clemency and Justice.' University of Northampton, Law Research Series, (2008).
'New Solicitors' Rules of Conduct, Legal ethics and autopoeisis.' paper given at Annual Conference, Society of Legal Scholars, at Durham University, (2007).
'Possibility of Teaching Law - Destiny or What?' paper delivered at the Open University Learning and Teaching Conference, (2006).
'On Heidegger and Nietzsche.' paper presented at the Critical Legal Conference, University of Westminster, (2004).
'Exemplar, Emergency and the State of Exception.' paper delivered at the Critical Legal Conference, London Metropolitan University, (2002).

Lectures

Barendt, E. (2009) Freedom and privacy of speech: balancing two rights. Lecture presented to: Dialogues! The University of Northampton, 11 May 2009. Appendix material contributed by James Ressel.

Publications

Ressel, J. (2009). "The Problem of 'Free Speech' in the idea(l) of Freedom of Speech" in Free Speech - Constitutional Pathways. (Ravi, S., ed.)  Hyderabad, India. The Icfai University Press.
Ressel, J. (2008). "The Problem of 'Free Speech' in the idea(l) of Freedom of Speech". eLaw Journal, Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law, Vol 15, no 10.
Ressel, J. (2004). "Justice against Objectivity for Nietzsche's Modern man. Or the Efficient Causes of Modernity". eLaw Journal, Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law, Vol 11, no 2.

Other publications:

Ressel, J. (2009) "Deciding who gets the House" Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 26 June 2009.
Ressel, J. (2009) "The law aim for a clean break" Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 24 April 2009.
Ressel, J. (2008) "Prenuptial Agreements: Some Recent Developments." LZW Law web publication.
Ressel, J. (2003) "Enterprise Act 2002" Business Extra, Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

Editorships

Commissioning Editor.  Journal of Academic Legal Studies, (JOALS) Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany.

Books in Preparation

Contract Law textbook.