Dr Caroline Keenan

OVERVIEW 

I am an Associate Professor of Law and Legal Education at the University of Exeter.

I absolutely love enabling people to learn law, especially to create learning which is active, inclusive, and collaborative. I was responsible for the design and launch of the inter-disciplinary Law and Business programmes, University of Exeter Cornwall.

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that there is no “typical” or “a-typical” student. I design learning environments that allow every student to make choices that work for them, fostering autonomy, confidence, and engagement. I am privileged to collaborate with colleagues from many disciplines and across this and other universities on projects to make learning better and more sustainable for both learners and educators. This includes work on  learner agency, participation, legal literacy, environmental decision-making and education for sustainable development.   

I have taught in Russell Group law schools for over twenty years. I have taught Criminal and Family law, Criminal Justice and Child Protection and latterly also Environmental Law.  I have developed a strong reputation for teaching excellence, receiving awards including an Academic Fellowship of the Inner Temple. My current work focuses on developing undergraduate modules in Criminal and Environmental Law as dynamic, interdisciplinary subjects, using role play, project-based work, and experiential learning to bring complex legal concepts to life.

In research, I work at the intersection of law, education, and social impact. My interdisciplinary work spans legal reform, community environmental decision-making, and most recently inclusive higher education. I am a member of the Exeter Centre for Environmental Law (ExCEL) and a former Senior Research Fellow at the Environment and Sustainability Institute, where I focused on environmental conflict and public engagement with legal frameworks.

I was Director of Education (Law School  Cornwall) 2019 – 2022 and Director of Education and Student Experience (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences) 2022-23.  I currently work as Academic Conduct Officer for HaSS Cornwall (Law) and lead education and outreach initiatives through LAB-C (Law and Business Cornwall).

Interests:

• Inclusive, trauma-informed legal education
• Experiential and interdisciplinary teaching methods
• Environmental and criminal law as lived, evolving subjects
• Public understanding of law and legal literacy
• Supporting student engagement and autonomy in blended learning environments