Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, is a senior lecturer/associate professor in the School of Law. Dr Quinlivan specialises in equality law, education law and constitutional law.Her research focuses on gender and disability discrimination with a particular focus on educational equality.

Dr Quinlivan's research is socio-legal and considers law as it functions in society. Her research focuses on law in context, looking at laws impact in broader political, social or organisational contexts. She is an active member of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law, where she is a member of the Disability Rights Working Group. Dr Quinlivan's pedagogical research addresses equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education. She has co-led a number of funded research projects on inclusive learning, one of which received a SATLE Impact Award from the Higher Education Authority in 2024. These national awards celebrate excellence and impact in key areas of teaching and learning enhancement, including digital transformation, academic integrity, and education for sustainable development. From 2018-2020, Dr. Quinlivan acted as an expert advisor to the States of Guernsey in relation to the development of new multi-ground equality legislation, legislation that was adopted in 2022. For this work she was awarded a Presidents Team Award for Societal Impact in 2020. In 2016 Dr Quinlivan, was awarded an O'Brien Residential Fellowship and has completed a period in residence in the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, Faculty of Law, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.

Dr Quinlivan was the first Vice Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law (2018-2022). She co-chaired the successful School of Business and Economics Athena SWAN Bronze Award 2020. She was a member of the Institutional self assessment team from 2016-2021, which presided over two successful applications. In 2010, Dr Quinlivan coordinated the establishment of the LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy, for which she was the Programme Director from 2010-2016.

Dr Quinlivan holds a BA and LLB from NUI Galway, an LLM from Kings College London and a PhD from Trinity College Dublin. She is also a qualified barrister.

Shivaun researches in the area of equality, education and employment. She is particularly interested in how educational rights of people with disabilities. She has spent the past number of years focusing on the impact and desirability of litigating to enforce education rights. Shivaun is also researching in the area of equality and employment law.

Shivaun teaches: Inclusive Education Law and Policy Equality and the Law Constitutional Law She has also taught: Tort Law Labour Law Education Law and Policy Irish Legal Systems Comparative Disability Law and Policy Contemporary Challenges in Disability Law and Policy Shivaun was the first Director of the LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy from 2010-2016. She has also held positions such as Programme Director of the BCL as well as class advisor on both the BCL and B.Corp programmes.