Professor Anthony Julius joins UCL as first Chair in Law and the Arts

Undertaking graduate and undergraduate teaching and world leading research, Professor Julius will contribute to the advancement of the new, interdisciplinary field of law and the arts, in the first role of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Whilst at UCL, Professor Julius will also be leading a research project relating to the under-examined aspect of censorship of literature and the visual arts in liberal democracies, due to be published in 2020, which will involve working closely with both UCL Laws and the BASc course.

Professor Anthony Julius said: “I am delighted to become the first Chair in Law and the Arts and look forward to working with colleagues across UCL. This is a unique opportunity for me to teach and champion literature and the visual arts which is extremely important at a time when artistic freedom is facing increasing censorship in many countries across the world.”

Professor Julius is a highly regarded litigation lawyer – currently Deputy Chairman of Mishcon de Reya – and an acknowledged legal expert on defamation, privacy and reputation management. He is also a noted scholar and author who has written extensively on law, literature, art, and culture. In one sense he is returning to some of his academic roots, having completed a PhD with UCL English and taught part time at UCL Faculty of Laws in the 1990s.

Professor Dame Hazel Genn, Dean, UCL Laws, said: “We are honoured that Anthony has accepted this key, and innovative, post at UCL. Anthony has a unique background with an outstanding track record as a legal expert in his field, combined with being a literary scholar. I am thrilled that our staff and students will be able to enjoy and benefit working alongside him.”

Carl Gombrich, Programme Director of the Arts and Sciences BASc, said: “We are delighted that Professor Julius will be joining us to  teach and to supervise work in areas connected to Law and the Arts.”

Professor Julius will retain his role at Mishcon de Reya alongside his Chair at UCL.

Press enquiries: Ellie Forward, UCL Laws Communications Manager