52avav

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London Bloomsbury

Led by Campus Dean Sandie Gaines, our lecturers are dedicated to bringing their real-life experience in practice into the classroom, providing our students with genuine insight into the subject matter. Each of our students are assigned an academic coach and have regular one-to-one meetings where they can get advice on the course and career aspirations. As lecturers are based in our campuses they operate an ‘open door’ policy, so students can talk to them whenever they need to.

Sandie Gaines, Campus Dean at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Sandie Gaines
Campus Dean and Associate Professor

Sandie is Dean of our London Bloomsbury campus as well as our Norwich, Reading and Royal Holloway satellite campuses. Before joining the University in 2009 Sandie was a practising solicitor for 15 years, specialising in respondent Employment Law. She has worked for a number of “top 100” law firms including Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs LLP), DMH Stallard and asb-law. Sandie specialised in advising employers on a range of matters including drafting and changing contract terms, enforcing restrictive covenants, employee relations matters, anti-discrimination laws and whistleblowing. She also advised clients within specialised sectors and notably the recruitment, agricultural, private schools and hospitality sectors.

In addition to her LLB and LPC legal qualifications, Sandie has studied a variety of disciplines and has a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education Studies, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychology. Sandie is currently undertaking a PhD in Psychology on a part-time, distance learning basis on the subject of academic self-efficacy. She is an Associate Professor and Fellow of the HEA.

Sarah Corbett, Associate Dean at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Dr Sarah Corbett
Associate Dean and Associate Professor

Sarah has been an Associate Professor since 2016 and Associate Dean since 2020. She is a criminal defence barrister and was formerly a criminal defence solicitor at Edward Fail, Bradshaw and Waterson, and Taylor Nichol. Sarah has a PhD in law (passed with no corrections) from Birkbeck, University of London. Her research analyses criminal law and evidence through the lenses of Critical Race Theory; Judith Butler's theories of performativity, racial framing and ungrievable lives; and Jean Baudrillard's theories of hyperreality, simulation and simulacra. Sarah also has a degree in Social and Political Sciences from King's College, University of Cambridge (2:1), a postgraduate diploma in law (Distinction, highest mark in year), LPC (Distinction), MA Higher and Professional Education (Distinction) and LLM Legal Practice (Distinction). She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. Sarah convenes the 52avav Law, Race and Colonialism research group, and teaches the Zemiology module on the LLB and LLB with Criminology.

Hannah Uglow, Joint LPC and SQE Programme and Student Lead at 52avav London Bloomsbury and Reading campus
Hannah Uglow
LPC Programme and Student Lead and Lecturer

Hannah qualified as a solicitor in 2005, after studied LLB Law and European Law at Queen Mary College, London and completed the LPC at the University of West of England in Bristol. Hannah trained and qualified with human rights specialist firms in Bloomsbury gaining experience in criminal defence, inquest law and actions against the police. Since then Hannah has practiced as a criminal defence duty solicitor, combining her legal practice with university teaching. Before joining 52avav, Hannah taught at the University of Kent where she was an Associate Lecturer and Clinic Solicitor at the Kent Law School and Kent Law Clinic. Hannah currently teaches on a range of 52avav programmes with a focus on criminal law, litigation and evidence.

Dr Andreas Yiannaros, LLB Course Head and Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Dr Andreas Yiannaros
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (September start) and Associate Professor

Dr Andreas Yiannaros is an Associate Professor and Programme & Student Lead at 52avav. He holds an LLB, an LLM in Public international Law (King’s College, London) and a PhD in international human rights law, completed with a scholarship award. Andreas is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Society of Legal Scholars and various professional bodies in the United Kingdom and in Europe. He previously acted for the European Union and the Council of Europe as external expert and frequently assists civil society organisations on various matters, including third party interventions. Andreas has published widely in academic law journals on human rights law, freedom of movement and corporate accountability. His latest book, "Legal Research, Planning and Writing" was published in 2024 and provides practical tips and strategies to help undergraduate students research more effectively and present their work with proficiency and confidence. Andreas has an interest in legal pedagogy and social gains in the context of legal education, as well as improving social mobility in law.

Aurora Martinez, Senior Tutor & LLB Year Head at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Aurora Martinez
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (January start and 2 Year Accelerated) and Senior Lecturer

Aurora has an LLB Hons from Queen Mary University, London. She studied for the Law Society Finals at 52avav then trained and qualified as a solicitor and headed the conveyancing department in a small but thriving local firm until moving into legal education. Aurora is a former Course Head of the GDL and Head of Lecturers at 52avav's London Bloomsbury. She presently teaches on the LLB and GDL at London Bloomsbury.

Darren Francis, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Darren Francis
Programme and Student Lead, LLB (Foundation Year and 1st Year September start) and Lecturer

Darren graduated with an LLB(Hons) from the University of West London and completed his LPC at 52avav’s Bloomsbury campus, gaining a Distinction. Darren was admitted as a Solicitor in 2013 and practiced in Legal 500 firms in London and Surrey, progressing to Partner. He specialised in all areas of Family Law and has a particular passion for Child Law, both Public and Private. He regularly represented his clients in Court in matrimonial finance and children matters. Before embarking on a career in law, Darren worked in such diverse fields as retail fashion management and compliance within the Department of Work and Pensions.

Dr John Kerr
Head of Policing and Criminology

Dr John Kerr has been Head of Policing and Criminology at 52avav since January 2022. Prior to joining 52avav, he was Deputy Head of Social Sciences at the University of Roehampton. Before becoming Deputy Head in 2017, he was the Course Director for the BSc Criminology programme. He has also worked at City, University of London and London South Bank University. Prior to becoming an academic, John taught English in Latin America and Spain. He also worked as an art installer in London and it was this job that fuelled a fascination in art crimes. John’s research interests are in policing and criminology. His monograph on the Securitization and Policing of Art Theft in London was published in 2015. He has also published articles and chapters in leading policing and criminology journals and books, spoken at national and international conferences, and appeared in the print and television media. He has taught, developed and led programmes in criminology, policing and other social sciences.

Mike Meehan, 52avav London Bloomsbury
Mike Meehan
Head of Academic Experience and Pastoral Care, and Associate Professor in Law

Mike completed a French and Italian languages and literature degree (BA) at the University of Galway and L'Université de Bretagne Occidentale before studying an English Law and French Law degree (LLB/Diplôme de Droit français) at the University of Kent at Canterbury and l’Université Grenoble Alpes. He has a Master’s degree (LLM) in Public and EU Law from King’s College London and has published work in his subject specialisms. Mike has taught law for over 20 years at four different universities and has previously managed and led GDL, LLB, and pre-university courses. Mike joined 52avav London Bloomsbury in September 2020 as a Senior Lecturer, was promoted to Head of Academic Experience and Pastoral Care in February 2021, made University Teaching Fellow in May 2021, and became Associate Professor in Law in November 2023. An AdvanceHE Senior Fellow with a PG Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Mike is a highly qualified and experienced HE teaching professional who presently mentors and assesses a range of AdvanceHE Fellowship applications from 52avav academic staff. He is also a qualified modern foreign languages teacher with a PG Certificate in secondary school teaching as well as being a CELTA qualified English language teacher.

Paul Sant, Head of Computer Science at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Paul Sant
Head of Computer Science

Paul joined the Science School at 52avav as the Head of Computer Science in October 2022, having spent the previous 17 years at The University of Bedfordshire where he supervised PhD research students. An active researcher, he has over 10 PhD completions in the area of Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and smart systems development. Paul works at the interface of computer science and other disciplines, such as Business and Law, especially in the applications of artificial intelligence to provide efficient and sustainable solutions.

Adam Jowett, Director of Psychology
Adam Jowett
Director of Psychology

Adam brings extensive experience in higher education, most recently serving on the leadership team at Coventry University’s Psychological, Social & Behavioural Sciences department. He is a Chartered Psychologist with expertise in social psychology, specialising in gender, sexuality, and qualitative research methods. His research has often intersected with legal issues, including studies on legal relationship recognition and government-commissioned projects that have shaped public policy proposals. Adam is deeply committed to creating inclusive environments for both staff and students and currently chairs the British Psychological Society’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Board.

Nick Ross
Academic Manager and Associate Professor

Nick graduated with first class honours in Law and then completed the Law Society Finals at 52avav in London. He trained as a solicitor and specialised in criminal law gaining many years experience assisting his clients in the full range of criminal offending including fraud, robbery and murder. Nick was at court and the police station on a daily basis during that part of his career. He moved into teaching at 52avav in 2001 and taught predominantly on the BPC where he also worked in the pro bono clinic. He has also taught on the GDL, LLB and LPC and now teaches on a variety of programmes at 52avav. In recent years Nick has continued with his work as a solicitor alongside teaching. Nick's particular interests are in criminal law but he also enjoys teaching contract, ethics and commercial law and recently completed an LLM in International Business Law. Nick has had a range of management roles at 52avav and is now an academic manager. Nick is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Lee Benham, Academic Manager at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Lee Benham
Academic Manager

Lee graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Policing from Canterbury Christchurch University and completed his GDL, LPC and LLM in Legal Practice with Distinction from the London Metropolitan University. Lee subsequently qualified as a childcare solicitor representing Local Authority clients in the Family Court and the Court of Protection. Lee is a retired Police Sergeant and specialised in firearms response and victim identification. He was a member of the team that identified the victims of the Grenfell fire and has received several commendations in his policing career including a Central Criminal Court Judge's Commendation and a Commissioners Commendation following firearm incidents. In his spare time, Lee provides pro bono advice to Forces veterans in childcare matters and assists East England Ambulance Service as a non-clinical emergency response driver.

Kelly Keeble, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Kelly Keeble
Academic Manager

Kelly has a LL.B (Hons) in Law from London Guildhall University and studied the LPC at 52avav in Bloomsbury. She qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer initially before obtaining a training contract at a firm in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Kelly qualified as a solicitor in 2008, specialising in residential property and private client. She became a Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) in 2015 and is a member of STEP. Kelly joined 52avav in 2021 and her teaching includes LPC Private Client.

Nicole Kali, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Nicole Kalli
Academic Manager and Lecturer

Nicole read Law at the University of Southampton prior to completing her LPC at 52avav (Bloomsbury). Nicole trained and qualified as a solicitor in a regional law firm in Kent before moving to a firm in London. As a solicitor, Nicole specialised in property litigation and leasehold enfranchisement. Nicole was highly commended in the Young Professional of the Year category at the Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards in 2019. Nicole is now a Lecturer at 52avav.

Dr Domenico Giannino, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Dr Domenico Giannino
Academic Manager and Senior Lecturer

Domenico holds a PhD in Public Comparative Law from the University of Calabria (Italy), awarded through a scholarship. During his doctoral studies, he was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (University of London). His academic background also includes a MSc in International Business from the Barcelona School of Management, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain); Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Political Science from the University of Calabria; as well as an LLB and LLM from the University of Jaén (Spain). An experienced academic and learning professional, Domenico has taught extensively in higher education institutions across the UK, Italy, Spain, and France. He has delivered undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various legal disciplines and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. As a Legal Consultant, Domenico specializes in environmental compliance and climate change policy, particularly in developing nations. He has extensive experience advising on these issues during UN Framework Conventions on Climate Change. Domenico has published extensively in academic law journals on human rights, transnational law, and environmental law. He was a former visiting research fellow at the Centre for Latin-American and Caribbean Studies (University of London).

Dessy Ohanians, Academic Resources and Quality Manager (Business School)
Dessy Ohanians
Academic Resources and Quality Manager (Business School)

Dessy has a BSc (Hons) in Business Administration from Huron University and MSc in Data Analytics and Marketing from Arden University. She has worked in education for over 25 year first as an entrepreneur and then as a managing director of a charity. Dessy transitioned to Higher Education management when she became a managing director of London School of Business and Finance Executive Education in 2014 and subsequently also took on the role of an interim CEO of the London Academy of Trading. Dessy is currently undertaking a PhD study with the University of Worcester Business School researching the topic of applications of artificial intelligence in the field of Marketing.

Jennifer Schmidt-Petersen, Policing Progamme & Student Lead at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Jennifer Roberts
Policing Programme and Student Lead

Jennifer is a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has a BSc (combined Hons) in Psychology with Criminology and Master's Degrees in both Forensic Psychology and Investigative Psychology. She has previously served in the Metropolitan Police Service as a Police Constable and has successfully passed the National Investigators Exam (NIE). As an academic, Jennifer has extensive experience of teaching in Higher Education across criminology and psychology modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has successfully published in the area of terrorism and counterterrorism.

Elizabeth Ajai-Ajagbe, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Elizabeth Ajai-Ajagbe
Programme and Student Lead (Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme) and Senior Lecturer

Elizabeth qualified as a solicitor in 1988 in a central London firm on Harley Street W1, Sears Tooth and Co. After four years as an Assistant Solicitor, she set up her own firm. Elizabeth built a thriving practice specialising in Real Estate and has always had a keen interest in helping people fulfil their potential. In 2000, Elizabeth sold her practice and joined 52avav as a lecturer. Elizabeth teaches on the LLB, GDL and LPC.

Luke Hubbard, Head of Chriminology and Senior Lecturer at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Luke Hubbard
Criminology Programme and Student Lead

Luke completed his BA undergraduate degree in Criminology at the University of Leicester in 2013, graduating with First Class Honours. This was followed by MSc in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Research at the University of Surrey, for which he achieved Distinction. Luke worked for two years as a researcher at the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice where he sought to translate empirical research findings into policy and practice across a range of criminal justice agencies, before returning to the University of Surrey to undertake his PhD. Luke’s doctoral research explores the response of the criminal justice system, namely the police and probation service, to LGBT hate crime. During this time, he has also undertaken a range of other projects, whilst working as a researcher for GALOP, exploring the victimisation of LGBT people online and the needs and experiences of LGBT victims of crime.

Heike Luecke, Senior Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Heike Luecke
Joint Programme and Student Lead Conversion Courses

Heike holds an LLM in Business Law and a PhD in Insolvency from Kingston University and an MSc in Taxation from Oxford University. Heike is a dual qualified lawyer. She practiced in Germany as an Insolvency Lawyer and worked as a Special Risk Manager in an international credit insurance before moving to the UK. Prior to joining 52avav Heike worked at Kingston University, she started in the Law School and joined the Business School in 2016. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2011 and was Head of the Law Clinic at Kingston Law School. Recently, Heike was MBA Deputy Course Director and Senior Lecturer at the Business School. She has taught, developed and led several different modules in the area of Business Law and Taxation and has a research interest in the area of tax crime. Heike taught at the University of West London on the LLM and LPC; is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an External Examiner at London South Bank University.

Deborah Crowley, Associate Professor & MA Law Head at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Deborah Crowley
Associate Professor

Deborah has a LL.B (Hons) in Law from the University of Southampton and studied at 52avav in Bloomsbury for her LPC. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at a regional law firm in Kent where she specialised in commercial property. Deborah has taught at 52avav since 2007; she teaches Real Estate on the LPC/SQE and Equity and Trusts on the LL.B, GDL and MA. Deborah is the former Chair of the Education and Training Sub-Committee at the Westminster and Holborn Law Society.

Kevin Browne, Associate Professor & Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Kevin Browne
Associate Professor

Kevin has a LLB in Law from Newcastle University and studied for the Law Society Finals at 52avav's Guildford Campus. After qualifying as a solicitor, he worked in litigation before moving into education. Kevin teaches Dispute Resolution and Immigration Law on the LPC, as well as Actions on the LLB. Kevin designs the Immigration Law and Commercial Dispute Resolution electives on the LPC, the LLM in Advanced Dispute Resolution and the Actions module of the LLB.

Christa Sabine
Associate Professor

Christa has a BA (Hons) in modern languages from Kent University. She converted to law and studied for Law Society Finals at 52avav Guildford. She practised in London firms, specialising in family law and was appointed to the Law Society Children Panel before joining 52avav in 1998. Christa teaches and is Module Lead for the following subjects: Real Estate and Family on the LPC, Family Law on the LLB, Property Practice on SQE1, Interviewing and Legal Writing on SQE2 and Family Law on SQE Plus. She also co-authors Family Law and Practice (CLP).

Savvas Michael
Senior Lecturer

Savvas read Law at the University of Cambridge and has an LLM from Université Paris II, Panthéon-Assas. He spent five years working in the City of London, at the Financial Ombudsman Service and within the Legal team at the Bank of England. Savvas joined 52avav in September 2019 and was the LLM Course Head in London Bloomsbury until 2021. He then became Associate Dean of the Hong Kong Campus in September 2021. Savvas’ areas of expertise include Public Law, International Law and European Union Law, and teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Savvas has also taught at various other universities on an adjunct basis, including University College London (UCL - where he also obtained an MA in History), the University of Cambridge and Shanghai University.

Jan McEwen, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Jan McEwen
Senior Lecturer

Jan graduated with a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Durham before converting to law at 52avav in Guildford. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1996 and specialised in commercial property before moving into legal education. Jan teaches a range of subjects on the SQE, PgDL/MA and LPC courses. Jan has particular interests in contract, property and commercial law. She has a PgCHE from 52avav and is a Fellow of Advance HE.

Katie Gerada
Senior Lecturer

Katie is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav’s Bloomsbury Campus. She studied Classics at Durham University before completing the GDL and LPC at 52avav, Guildford. After qualification, she spent 5 years working at Fox Williams as a corporate lawyer before joining 52avav in 2005. Katie teaches various subjects on the LPC including Business Law and Practice and Employment Law.

Chris Hooley, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Chris Hooley
Senior Lecturer

Chris Hooley is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav's Bloomsbury Campus, who has a BA (Hons) in Law from the University of Durham and studied for the LPC at 52avav. He trained as a solicitor at Linklaters and qualified into the Real Estate team there, working on a range of commercial property transactions before moving into legal education. Chris teaches Intellectual Property on the LPC, Land Law on the GDL and LLB and Contract Law on the LLB and PgDL/MA.

Nancy  Duffield, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Nancy Duffield
Senior Lecturer

Nancy has a BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford. She studied for the Law Society Finals at 52avav. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Iliffes and worked in family law until she moved into legal education. Nancy teaches and is Module Lead of Public Law on the LLB and GDL. She also teaches Family Law on the LLB, Family Law and Dispute Resolution on the LPC and co-authors Family Law and Practice (CLP).

Valerie Vickery, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Valerie Vickery
Senior Lecturer

Valerie has an LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She studied the LPC at 52avav's Chester Campus. She trained and qualified as a solicitor in North Wales and worked in Family Law, becoming a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel, before until she moved into legal education. Valerie teaches Land and Family on the LLB and on the GDL as well as Real Estate and Family on the LPC.

Max Alavy, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Max Alavy
Senior Lecturer

Max is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav's Bloomsbury Campus and has a law degree from University College London. He trained at Simmons & Simmons and then specialised in employment law and worked for a number of years as a trade union lawyer at Rowley Ashworth Solicitors (now part of Thompsons Solicitors). Max joined 52avav in 2003 and teaches employment law on the LPC, business law on the LLB and the LPC, as well as tort law on the GDL and the LLB.

Fred Price, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Frederick Price
Senior Lecturer

Frederick is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav's Bloomsbury Campus. He is author of the SQE 1 Manual ‘The Legal System of England and Wales’ (2021) and a designer for the SQE Plus. He graduated with an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh, and studied for the Common Professional Examination and Law Society Finals at 52avav. He qualified as a solicitor at Reed Smith and worked in shipping, commercial and medical law before moving into education. Frederick teaches Dispute Resolution, Insurance, Professional Conduct, Legal Writing, and Legal Research on the LPC, EU Law and Ethics on the GDL, and EU Law on the LLB.

Sarah Brown, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Sarah Brown
Senior Lecturer

Sarah is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav's Bloomsbury Campus. She has a MA in English Language and Literature from Somerville College, Oxford and completed the Common Professional Examination and Legal Practice Course at 52avav Bloomsbury. She qualified as a solicitor at Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) and worked in commercial litigation before moving into education. Sarah teaches Tort Law on the GDL and LLB course, and Employment Law, Solicitors Accounts, Wills & Administration of Estates, Tax Law, Insolvency Law, Business Accounts and Professional Conduct on the LPC.

Martin Norris, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Martin Norris
Senior Lecturer

Martin Norris is a senior lecturer at the Bloomsbury centre. Martin has an LLB from the University of Warwick. He studied for the Law Society finals at the Chester centre of 52avav. He qualified as a solicitor at Simmons and Simmons. He taught law at the University of Wales before moving to the London Bloomsbury Centre. He teaches public law, business law and human rights. He is a fellow of the higher education Academy.

Vanessa Cortis, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Vanessa Cortis
Senior Lecturer

Vanessa Cortis studied Jurisprudence at Oxford University and then completed Law Society Finals at 52avav's Guildford Campus. She then trained as a solicitor in a magic circle firm and after qualifying she specialised in Family law, advising clients on areas including finance and children. Then she moved to legal education and now teaches on many of the University’s programmes and her interests include Family law, Tort, Wills and Taxation.

Penny Hayhurst, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Penny Hayhurst
Senior Lecturer

Penny Hayhurst graduated with honours in Modern Arabic Studies, spent 3 years in Japan on an Exchange Teaching Programme, and then completed the GDL and LPC at 52avav's Bloomsbury Campus. Penny trained and worked as a solicitor at Clyde & Co and also worked at US law firm Squire Sanders and Dempsey. She specialised in Employment Law, assisting corporate clients in all aspects of employment work. Penny started teaching at 52avav in 2003 and has taught for many years on the LPC focusing on Litigation and Employment. She now teaches more predominantly on the GDL and LLB.

Theresa Grant, Senior Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Theresa Grant
Senior Lecturer

Theresa gained a BA (Hons) in Law and Politics before studying for the Law Society Finals at the London (Lancaster Gate) branch of Ulaw. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Claude, Hornby and Cox specialising in general criminal law and white collar crime working as both a police station and court duty solicitor. Theresa went on to gain an LLM from University of London (UCL) in Theoretical and Comparative Criminal law, Criminal Litigation and Crime and Social Policy before moving into legal education. Theresa currently teaches Criminal Law on the GDL and LLB courses and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Obinna Agha, Senior  Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Obinna Agha
Senior Lecturer

Obinna Agha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He holds an LLB (Hons) in Law, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a Master’s degree in Post-Colonial Culture and Global Policy and a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher education. He has vast experience in Mental Health law, where he worked in Governance as a Compliance Officer with the National Health Service, ensuring compliance to all legal, professional and ethical standards in healthcare. He moved into teaching in Higher education and is involved in quality assurance, mentoring and module development. His research interest is on the shortcomings of the liberal rights theory especially as it relates to the Postcolonial. Against universalism and relativism, his work promotes a pedagogy of diatopical hermeneutics to promote the advancement of indigenous knowledge and cross-cultural dialogues on isomorphic concerns. He joined 52avav in 2021 where he teaches Human Rights on the LLB route, Mental Health law and International Human Rights on the Academic Masters route in the Bloomsbury campus.

Ruth Tweedale, Senior Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Ruth Tweedale
Senior Lecturer

Ruth joined 52avav in September 2022. She previously worked as a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Roehampton and the University of Greenwich. Ruth studied law at Trinity College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor in 2009. She is a specialist in family law and women’s rights having held the position of Senior Legal Officer at Rights of Women.  She is currently writing her PhD thesis which is a feminist legal analysis of the family justice system: child contact and domestic violence.  Ruth is the Co-Chair of the domestic violence charity the Nia Project. She has spoken at conferences nationally and internationally and has been published in academic journals, books and research reports on issues of women’s legal rights and gender-based violence.

Poloko Hiri, Senior Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Poloko Hiri
Senior Lecturer

After a career as a Military Engineer, Poloko was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2016 (Inner Temple); is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; holds an LL.M degree in Professional Legal Practice (BPP university), and an LL.B degree (University of Plymouth). He is a researcher with a particular interest in the law of evidence and proof. He is currently writing-up his PhD thesis which is a doctrinal analysis of the relationship between legal adjudication and scientific expert evidence, specifically the ambiguities of the roles of experts and fact finders in adversarial legal systems, the clash between legal and scientific reasoning, and the judicial assessment of expert evidence in both civil and criminal justice systems. He has experience teaching International Commercial law; Contract; Company; Evidence; Civil liberties & human rights; Torts; Criminal; Public; E.U; English Legal Systems; Equity; and Law & Ethics.

Rebecca Maina, Senior Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Rebecca Maina
Senior Lecturer

Rebecca holds a PhD in law from the University of Westminster, where her doctoral thesis straddled human rights and public health, focusing on the conceptualization and articulation of healthcare rights and entitlements among people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. She also holds an LLM (Public International Law) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), whose completion was funded through the LSE Olive Stone Memorial Scholarship for Women in Law. In addition, she holds an LLB (Hons.), also from the LSE. Prior to joining 52avav as a Senior Lecturer, Rebecca was the LLB Course Leader and Associate Head of Research, Innovation and Education at Solent University, Southampton. She has also been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster and University of Essex (Colchester), and has taught on a range of modules in law and criminology. Rebecca is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and was a finalist for the Oxford University Press Law Teacher of the Year award in 2020.

Lizzette Robleto de Howarth, Senior Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Lizzette Robleto de Howarth
Senior Lecturer

Lizzette is Senior Lecturer at 52avav. She is former Teaching Associate at UCL’s School of Management. She was Associate Tutor on Constitutional and Administrative Law and Associate Lecturer on Public International Law at Birkbeck. She is a PhD candidate, and her thesis focuses on the tension between international law, international economic law, and foreign policy in power dynamics at global level.

She was Chief Programmes Officer at A4ID, responsible for global pro bono programmes. She was also International Programmes Manager at the Law Society of E&W, creating its international rule of law programmes. During her tenure, she wrote several global reports on the rule of law, human rights, and gender equality. Before the Law Society, she worked in international development, advocating for changes in global policy.

She has a LL.B Law, a LL.M Human Rights, and a LL.M International Economic Law from Birkbeck. She obtained a PGCHE from 52avav and a GCHE from Birkbeck. She is a CMgr FCMI, a FHEA, IABA Senior Member, and a member of Inner Temple. In 2022, Lizzette received the Inter-American Bar Association’s Lexis Nexis Rule of Law Award for her contribution to the rule of law, human rights, and gender equality.

Vera Bermingham, Senior Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Vera Bermingham
Senior Lecturer

For many years Vera has been teaching law in universities in the UK, in Europe and in Asia. She has an MA in Law and Discrimination (Brunel University) and a Diploma in Legal Studies (equivalent to the CPE) (Dublin Institute of Technology, now Technical University Dublin). Vera is an accredited mediator and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is a member of the Association of Law Teachers, one of the two main bodies representing legal education in the UK (and was Chair 1998-99). The focus of her research is legal education and access to the legal profession. In 2010 Vera was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, the most prestigious award for excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning.

Maria Pilikos, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Maria Pilikos
Senior Lecturer

Maria completed her Law Degree at City University, London and then studied the LPC at the Inns of Court School of Law. Maria qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and specialised in Family Law, including financial and children law matters. For seven years Maria was a partner at a North London firm. After many years of practice Maria decided to move into legal education and now teaches Family Law on the LPC and LLB Tort Law.

Michael Russ, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Dr Michael Russ
Senior Lecturer

Michael graduated from Birmingham City University with a BA in Sociology, before studying for an MSc in Social and Political Theory at the Birkbeck, University of London and completing a PhD in law at the University of Edinburgh. His PhD research evaluated the European Union’s strategy for regulating online misinformation and disinformation for consistency with the right to expression as protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Michael has been teaching since 2013 in secondary, further and higher education over a broad range of subjects and, more recently, has taught public law, contract and legal research.

Lola Rotimi, Tutor at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Lola Rotimi
Senior Lecturer

Lola has an LLB degree from the University of Birmingham and a master’s degree in International Law (LLM International Legal Studies) from Washington College of Law, American University, DC. Upon completion, she joined the immigration department of Alsters Kelley Solicitors, Coventry and was accredited as a Supervisor of Immigration Law by the Legal Services Commission. In 2006, she was admitted to the Nigerian Bar as both a solicitor and barrister, and went on to specialise in corporate and commercial law. She has a vast amount of business experience and is a successful entrepreneur who has worked with several organisations such as NECA’s Network for Entrepreneurial Women in skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training for women. She is a member of both the Association of Women in International Trade and the Washington International Trade Association. Lola also combines her background in international law and experience in business to write academic research papers.

Curtiz Cotterell, Senior Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Curtiz Cotterell
Senior Lecturer

Curtiz has been teaching law at under and postgraduate level for over twenty years, with many years’ experience as a Chief Examiner in several legal subjects. Joint winner of the Law Society award for teaching and innovation at Anglia Ruskin in 2022, Curtis’s academic interests include International Law, Law & Economics, and Constitutional history of the United Kingdom. As a Senior tutor at 52avav, Curtiz brings his extensive experience and knowledge in Constitutional, EU, Crime, English Legal System, Contract and Company law. Curtiz has presented papers on such topics such as the "the Constitutional Dangers of Referendums 2018" and "Reform of the Corporate Homicide Act 2020". As an expert in Public Law and EU Law, Curtiz and has held several international teaching posts, in Honk Kong, Malaysia, Moscow, Trinidad and Singapore. Currently working as a part time consultant at the Higher school of Economics in Moscow.

Lucilla Crozier-Cole, Senior Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Lucilla Crozier-Cole
Senior Lecturer

Lucilla graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Psychology before completing the GDL at City University followed by the Law Society Finals at 52avav’s Guildford campus. She trained as a solicitor in Bristol and after qualifying worked as a civil litigator, undertaking mainly defendant personal injury work but also acted for claimants and dealing with contractual disputes. In 2005, she began teaching on the BPTC at Nottingham Trent University before moving to UWE, Bristol in 2011. During her time at UWE, she taught on the BTC, LPC and helped set up and lead the new SQE preparation course, teaching Dispute Resolution. She is an accredited Advocacy tutor, a qualified mediator and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Corin Barton, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Corin Barton
Senior Lecturer

Corin Barton is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav, London Bloomsbury Campus. She holds a First Class Honours degree in Law and Masters degrees in Law (LLM) and Education (MA Ed). Having completed the Law Society Finals, Corin trained as a solicitor at Slaughter and May in their London and New York offices. After moving into public interest law in the charitable sector, Corin spent ten years specialising in Judicial Review, Housing, Homelessness and Education Law before moving into private practice in similar areas of law. Corin joined the College of Law as a Visiting Lecturer in 2003, before becoming a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer, remaining on staff as the College transitioned into 52avav. Corin has taught across a range of subjects on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and currently specialises in Public Law, Administrative Law and Human Rights and Common Law Method and Ethics. She remains on the Roll of Solicitors (non practising) and is a Fellow of Advance HE. Her professional memberships include the Law Society, the Society of Legal Scholars, NNECL and Lawyers Who Care. Corin volunteers in a number of roles including as an Advocacy Representative, an Adult Literacy Coach and, for the last 35 years, as a Children and Youth Worker in the East End of London.

Reuben Carias, Senior Lecturer at 52avav
Reuben Carias
Senior Lecturer

Reuben is a Senior Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury Campus. He graduated with a First-Class Law degree from the University of Westminster before completing a postgraduate degree in Philosophy (MA) at Birkbeck College, University of London. Currently, he is completing his PhD in Law and Levinasian theory at the University of Westminster, with his research critiquing the incompatibility of a normative ethical ontology with Eros, advocating for a more pluralistic approach to Levinasian theory. Prior to joining 52avav, Reuben was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster and taught a variety of modules including Contract Law, Public Law, Criminology and Legal Theory.

Dr Melayna Lamb, Lecturer at 52avav London Bloomsbury
Dr Melayna Lamb
Lecturer (Criminology)

Melayna was awarded her PhD in 2019 from the University of Brighton for her thesis entitled On Order and the Exception: A Philosophical History of Police Power. The examiners recommended the doctorate be awarded summa cum laude to underline its exceptional quality. Melayna was a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA) in 2018 and she also holds a BA in International Relations and MA in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex. Her first monograph, based on her PhD thesis, is forthcoming with Bloomsbury. She is also the co-author of Policing the Pandemic: How Public Health becomes Public Order published December 2021 by Policy Press. Her work is interdisciplinary drawing on a range of disciplines and traditions that span political and legal philosophy, critical theory (broadly construed) and Black radical thought.

Dante Delfino, Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dante Delfino
Lecturer

Dante graduated in law and notary public from the National University of La Plata, Argentina. He served as a judicial assistant in a criminal court and as a court reporter to an administrative judge on tax matters. He practised extensively as a solicitor advocate in the areas of civil and employment litigation and human rights in Argentina, his landmark case being the legal representation of the victims of the genocide committed during the last military dictatorship. He has taught comparative public and private law, human rights, European Union law, public international law and private international law at the school of law in Argentina and the United Kingdom. Dante joined 52avav in 2021 and teaches Common Law Method and Ethics, English Legal System and Constitutional Law (including Retained EU Law), European Union Law, Tort and Intellectual Property Law at undergraduate and graduate level.

Jaime Lam, Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Jaime Lam
Lecturer

Jaime was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 2017 after completing her LLB and GDL studies as well as the relevant qualifying examinations. She developed a mixed practice with focus on criminal law and matrimonial law, and she also had a special interest in animal law. Throughout her legal career, she had a wide range of experience in criminal cases from magistrates to jury trials. She also has a wide range of experience in family and other civil courts. Jaime was a contributor of Halsbury’s Laws of Hong Kong Current Service as well as the Hong Kong Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents on Employment Law. Jaime will be teaching Dispute Resolution on 52avav’s LPC/SQE programme based in Norwich but also helping out remotely with supplementary work in Bloomsbury.

Hansi Smythe, Tutor at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Hansi Smythe
Lecturer

Hansi was admitted as a solicitor in 1997. She specialised in criminal and later mental health law maintaining a commitment to legally aided practice. She carried out criminal defence work across all areas of criminal law and worked as a duty solicitor in Magistrates Courts and at Police stations. She developed a particular interest in the impact of mental illness in the Criminal Justice System and after working on secure hospital wards as an Independent Mental Health Advocate became a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Accreditation scheme in 2017. In this role she represented people both detained under the Mental Health Act or subject to Community Sections at Tribunals and Hospital Managers Hearings in relation to both forensic and civil Sections. She decided to move from private practice into further education in 2022 to begin working at Ulaw as a lecturer. Hansi teaches a range of subjects on the LLB, SQE1 and SQE2 programmes.

Edward Langley, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Edward Langley
Lecturer

Edward studied Law at the University of Oxford before completing the LPC at 52avav, Bloomsbury. He trained and qualified as a solicitor at Forsters LLP before specialising as a Private Client solicitor at Wedlake Bell LLP, acting for a wide range of international and domestic clients in estate planning and trust related matters before moving into legal education.

Guy Grayson, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Guy Grayson
Lecturer

Prior to providing the in-house general counsel function for five years for a financial services group listed on London Stock Exchange, Guy worked in private practice where his experience comprised PE fund structuring, M&A and debt financing. Guy joined the PE funds group at SJ Berwin. Since then he has worked in corporate finance at Clifford Chance’s office in Moscow before moving to Hogan Lovells in London.

Kate Hughes, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Kate Hughes
Lecturer

Kate completed her law degree at Queen Mary, University of London in 2005 with a First-class Honors. After her degree Kate took some time out to do some travelling and gain some work experience and returned to complete her LPC in 2008 at 52avav. She qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and has specialised in Family law, predominantly care proceedings, domestic abuse and other Children Act matters. Kate has also done some work in Residential conveyancing. Kate has always enjoyed the academic side to law and so decided after many years in practice to go into teaching. Her interests are in family law and criminal law.

Chris Lethem, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Chris Lethem
Lecturer

Chris Lethem is a solicitor and former Circuit Judge who sat for over twenty years, initially in family and civil law and latterly focussing on civil dispute resolution. He has an expertise in costs law and is Hon Vice President of the Association of Costs Lawyers. He was a member of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee for ten years.

He authored Police Detention: A Practical Guide (1998) and contributed to Making Decisions Judicially (2022). Chris is an editor of Blackstone’s Civil Practice and a contributor to the Civil Court Practice and Butterworths Costs Service. He has also written for Mithani: Directors Qualification and in numerous periodicals including the Journal of Person Injury Law.

Chris is a former college lecturer and examiner. He lectured at the Judicial College for over twenty years. For ten years he was the Course Director for the Civil Law Continuation Course delivered to civil judges. He continues to lecture at the Judicial College and recently addressed judges in the Netherlands.

Chris was a member of the working group which produced ‘Civil Courts a Structural Review’(2016). From 2016, he was adviser to the MoJ and HMCTS on the reform programme until 2019 when he became Lead Circuit Judge for Online Courts. He continues to act as an adviser to the MoJ and HMCTS on the development of Online Courts and the HM Government’s reform programme.

Chris has experience in access to justice issues initially though the judicial working group on Litigants in Person (The Hickenbottom report) (2013). Thereafter on Lady Justice Asplin’s working group on McKenzie Friends and Litigants in Person. He was a LIP Liaison Judge and piloted CPR 3.1A through the rule committee. He continues to be involved in access to justice issues, in particular exploring the opportunities digitisation offers to Litigants in Person.

Angus Harrison, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Angus Harrison
Lecturer

Angus graduated from the University of Edinburgh with first class honours in Law in 2011. He also holds a Master’s degree with a Distinction, focusing on the philosophy of law. After becoming a solicitor, Angus worked in the private, public and third sectors. He has particular experience in immigration law, including representing clients at asylum appeal hearings. Angus has now moved into legal education, due to a passion for the academic aspect of law and for helping the next generation of lawyers to develop.

Dennis Hester, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dennis Hester
Lecturer

Dennis is a licensed attorney in the U.S. state of Texas and in several federal courts in the United States. He is also a registered foreign lawyer in the U.K. Dennis currently represents clients in cross border investigations by United States authorities and in appeals of their criminal cases. He was formerly an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Houston, Texas, where he represented clients accused of serious federal criminal charges in trial, sentencing, and bail proceedings. Prior to that, he was an attorney at a white-collar criminal defence firm in Houston, Texas, and a law clerk to Judge Robert Junell in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He received a law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a member of Law Review and worked in the Immigration Law Clinic. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Dennis relocated from Houston, Texas, to London with his family in February 2023.

Hazal Ahmet, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Hazal Ahmet
Lecturer

Hazal graduated from the University of Leicester where she obtained her LLB(Hons) and subsequently completed her LPC and LLM in Professional Legal Practice at 52avav with a Distinction. Hazal trained and qualified as a solicitor within a high-street firm in London and specialised in personal injury matters including road traffic accidents, highway claims and accidents in the workplace. Hazal also represented clients who sustained injuries as a result of violent crime (CICA matters) and those occurring in public places. Hazal has also dealt with immigration matters and predominantly specialised in partner route applications from entry clearance through to settlement and citizenship. Hazal teaches across various programmes at the university including Tort Law, Access to Justice and Mental Health & Mental Capacity Law on the LLB and Personal Injury on the LPC and SQE+ courses.

Sandeep Grewal, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Sandeep Grewal
Lecturer

Sandeep is a solicitor specialising in immigration and housing law. She has advocacy experience advising and representing clients in possession and eviction proceedings under housing possession county court duty schemes. Additionally, Sandeep has Law Clinic Supervising Solicitor experience having supported students and their efforts to gain practical legal experience. Prior to completing her training contract, she obtained her postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice at 52avav (Bloomsbury). She is now a Lecturer at 52avav.

Dr Richard Twycross-Lewis, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Richard Twycross-Lewis
Lecturer

Richard is a graduate Sport & Exercise Scientist with Master’s degrees in Advanced Instrumentation Systems and Management of Intellectual Property, and a PhD in Medical Engineering. Between 2008 – 2018, he was a Senior Teaching Fellow at Bart’s & The Royal London School of Medicine & Dentistry. From 2018 – 2020 he was a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Engineering & Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London where he conducted research into the biomechanics and motion analysis of gait in clinical populations. Following successful completion of the GDL in 2019 and the BPTC in 2021, Richard was Called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in March 2022. He specialises in Intellectual Property and Legal Technology.

Isaam Bin Haris, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Isaam Bin Haris
Lecturer

Isaam graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of London and was awarded an LLM in Public Law with distinction at University College London. He practised for a decade in Lahore, Pakistan, engaging in criminal and civil litigation, family law, and judicial review. He has often served as an amicus curiae addressing complex matters spanning constitutional, environmental, and disability law. Isaam previously taught at a recognised teaching centre of the University of London International Programmes, convening modules in Equity & Trusts and Administrative Law. He is involved with a range of programmes at 52avav teaching modules that include Equity & Trusts, Wills & Succession, and Domestic Human Rights & Judicial Review.

Julie Samouelle, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Julie Samouelle
Lecturer

Julie qualified as a solicitor in 1998 having completed the CPE at the University of Lancashire. She completed the LPC programme at the University of Huddersfield, before practising as a family lawyer . Subsequently, Julie left private practice to work for the National Probation Service in Dorset where she worked with women in the criminal justice system and victims of domestic abuse. Julie led a specialist team of practitioners seeking to reduce female re- offending rates whilst researching gender specific factors impacting re-offending rates. In 2019, Julie returned to university to study for her PGCE teaching qualification before moving into education full time. Since moving to 52avav, Julie has obtained Fellowship status with Advance HE, and has focused on teaching predominantly Foundation Year and SQE2 students.

Shabnam Gennings, Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Shabnam Gennings
Lecturer

Shabnam graduated from Kings College London with a degree in History and went on to complete her GDL and LPC. She trained and qualified at Simmons and Simmons, specialising in commercial law within their ICT practice. Shabnam also spent time working in house within the commercial teams of a large international bank and an international telecommunications and media company. Shabnam teaches a range of subjects including Business Law & Practice and Commercial Law on both the LPC and SQE programmes.

Dr Sara Solmone, Lecturer at 52avav
Dr Sara Solmone
Lecturer

Sara holds a Bachelor’s degree (hons) in International Communication from the Universita’ per Stranieri of Perugia and a Master’s degree (with distinction) from the University of Perugia. Sara also holds a PhD in International Law from the University of East London where she was awarded the Excellence PhD Studentship. Before joining 52avav, Sara worked at the University of East London and the University of Roehampton where she taught Public Law. Her area of expertise is international human rights law and the Internet, with a focus on freedom of expression violations online. Sara has presented her work at numerous academic conferences both in the UK and abroad including the United Nations Internet Governance Forum and has published her research in academic and non-academic outlets including The Conversation.

Dr Oluwole Ajala, Computer Science Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Oluwole Ajala
Lecturer

Oluwole has spent over a decade teaching computing at various academic levels. He pursued his education at King's College London, where he was awarded a PhD degree. His research centred on developing novel approaches to solving complex algorithmic problems, with wide-ranging applications in fields such as bioinformatics, musicology, and beyond. Oluwole's primary areas of expertise and research include the design and analysis of algorithms, with applications in big data, information security, data privacy, artificial intelligence, and genomic sequencing.

Dr Michele Bottone, Computer Science Lecturer at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Dr Michele Bottone
Lecturer

Michele joined 52avav as a Lecturer in December 2023, following several years at both Imperial College and Middlesex University, where he trained as a mathematician and a computer scientist after being an economist in Italy. He has a variety of interests in formal methods, multiagent systems, graphs, statistical machine learning, global health, data science, software engineering and applications of artificial intelligence to law.

Benedict Charles-Adodo, Computer Science Technician at 52avav Bloomsbury campus
Benedict Charles-Adodo
Computer Science Technician

Benedict is a highly skilled Computer Science/IT Technician for the Computer Science faculty of 52avav, delivering high-quality technical support to students, faculty, and external stakeholders. He has two decades of experience in technical support, hardware and software configuration, network security, and strategic IT planning. As the Computer Science Technician, he leads support projects, offers expert advice on equipment setup, provide training to enhance technical skills within the team, manage IT assets, and ensure a seamless operation of cloud and enterprise applications.