Dr Elisabeth Griffiths

Elisabeth obtained a BA (Hons) from Newcastle University in Government and European Community Studies before undertaking a CPE and LPC at the College of Law. Elisabeth was a trainee solicitor with Eversheds Sutherland LLP at their offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and qualified as a Solicitor in 1996 working in the Employment Department. Elisabeth joined Northumbria Law School as a Senior Lecturer specialising in employment law. In 2003 she returned to Eversheds and practised as a Professional Support Lawyer in the Employment and Human Resources team.

She returned to Northumbria University as a Senior Lecturer in 2005. In 2009 Elisabeth became a Principal Lecturer and Director of Employer Engagement for the Law School, delivering on an ambitious employer engagement and workforce development project under the auspices of the University’s SDF project. Elisabeth also secured the contract to train the staff at the newly formed Legal Ombudsman in Birmingham. She has also developed a Masters programme in Employment Law in Practice and a number of work-based learning programmes for the Law School.

In 2013 Elisabeth became Director of Placements for the Faculty of Business and Law delivering a successful long term plan for growth in placements for the Faculty.

In 2017, building on her research interests in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Elisabeth became the Academic Lead for Northumbria Law School’s Athena SWAN application.

Elisabeth is also studying for a Professional Doctorate in Law exploring equality and diversity issues within legal education, the legal profession and employers more widely. The focus of the research is specifically on students with disabilities and their future ‘possible selves’. The study takes a phenomenological approach to the lived experience of students with disabilities as they plan for their professional lives as lawyers. The study focuses on employability and inclusive education. Supervisors: Professor Chris Ashford and Professor Ron Beadle. Submission March 2020.