The Transnational Law and Racial Justice Network (TLRJN) is a research, advocacy and networking consortium housed at Windsor Law.  Using law as our main tool, we research, teach and work with communities in pursuit of social justice. Our work is transnational in several respects.

First, we are concerned with the ways in which Canadian laws regulate the lives of those who cross national borders. Migrant workers and immigration law are of particular interest to us.

Second, we explore how borders shape the pursuit of social justice by enabling some legal outcomes and inhibiting others. Transnational environmental advocacy offers a good example.

Third, we engage in participatory action research outside Canada. Our work has taken us to diverse areas such as Sri Lanka, Detroit, Brazil and Palestine. 

Fourth, we are interested in social justice issues that cross borders and unite people regardless of the jurisdictions in which they live.  We ask questions like how does law facilitate or inhibit solidarities across borders? And, how can we learn from experiences beyond our own borders? Examples include projects focused on transnational judicial education as well as Anti-Black Racism.

Fifth, we are interested in international and regional laws and institutions, especially from TWAIL (third world approaches to international law) perspectives. 

Finally, we explore key concepts in transnational legal practice. Examples include transitional justice and human dignity. 

Our goal is to advance social justice through law though we are aware that law has been used to discipline and oppress people. Our inspirations are drawn from legal theories that recognize law’s contradictions. Critical race theory, critical race feminism, critical pedagogy, TWAIL, post-colonial theory and interdisciplinarity are particularly important to us. We aim to be responsive to the world around us and to engage in both theorizing about law and selectively harnessing law to achieve just outcomes.

Each year, we organize The Boundaries, Borders and Intersections speakers’ series to highlight pressing but under-explored developments in law and legal practice. In addition, we organize an annual conference that identifies and contributes answers to unresolved transnational law and social justice issues. TLRJN also creates and curates public education resources around pressing social justice issues. In 2020, we began the Anti-Black Racism project to highlight resources relevant and useful to the struggle for equality and liberation, with a special emphasis on North America. Our members occasionally become involved in key, high impact litigation and we participate in the creation of public education materials and opportunities.

TLRJN recognizes that the University of Windsor sits on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy, comprised of the Ojibway, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. We call for truth and reconciliation with all Indigenous communities across Turtle Island.  

People

TLRJN is comprised of Windsor Law faculty, students and staff.  The TLRJN Director is appointed for two years to guide our activities.  The TLRJN Board sets strategic directions. Windsor Law faculty affiliates collaborate on projects and offer suggestions on global issues in the spirit of solidarity. TLRJN student fellows are actively involved in all aspects of TLRJN’s work from website development to litigation, the creation of public education tools and working directly with community based organizations. We are grateful for the support provided by Windsor Law staff. Through our activities, we have established a growing global network of scholars who share our approach to teaching, pedagogy and research.  

Board Members – 2022/2023

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Click here to see our past board members.

Windsor Law Faculty Affiliates

TLRJN is home to a number of local, national and international experts whose scholarship translates theory into practice in their respective communities and primarily focuses on the intersection of local/global. A highlight of Windsor Law’s faculty research can be found here.

TLRJN Fellows – 2022/2023

Senior Fellow

Graduate Fellows

JD Fellows

Click here to see our past student fellows.

Global Network
TLRJN is grateful to the following people for their participation in our activities:

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Windsor Law Staff