Shivaun Quinlivan

Dr Shivaun Quinlivan is a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in the School of Law. She specialises in equality law, education law and constitutional law, and her research focuses on gender and disability discrimination, with a particular emphasis on educational equality.

Dr Quinlivan’s research is socio‑legal and considers law as it functions in society. Her work focuses on law in context, examining the impact of law within broader political, social and organisational settings. She is an active member of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality and Anti‑Discrimination Law, where she is part of the Disability Rights Working Group. Her pedagogical research addresses equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education. She has co‑led several funded research projects on inclusive learning, one of which received a SATLE Impact Award from the Higher Education Authority in 2024. These national awards recognise excellence and impact in teaching and learning enhancement, including digital transformation, academic integrity and education for sustainable development.

From 2018 to 2020, Dr Quinlivan acted as an expert advisor to the States of Guernsey on the development of new multi‑ground equality legislation, which was adopted in 2022. For this work she received a President’s Team Award for Societal Impact in 2020. In 2016, she was awarded an O’Brien Residential Fellowship and completed a period in residence at 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 in 2020. She was a member of the Institutional Self‑Assessment Team from 2016 to 2021, which presided over two successful applications. In 2010, she coordinated the establishment of the LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy, serving as Programme Director from 2010 to 2016.

Dr Quinlivan holds a BA and LLB from University of Galway, an LLM from King’s College London and a PhD from Trinity College Dublin. She is also a qualified barrister.

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 to 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.