What is the Center for Diversity in Law?
The Center for Diversity in Law is a newly established research group at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg funded by the Mercator Foundation. It is also intended to serve as a starting point for a network of actors promoting diversity. The Center is dedicated to researching and promoting diversity within the legal system, particularly in the judiciary, administration, legal profession, and (legal) academia. The core of the scientific work is research into structural mechanisms of inequality in the law. By building a network and facilitating (international) exchange, the Center connects academic perspectives on diversity measures with practical experiences related to their implementation.
Why is the Center needed?
The legal system in Germany is still shaped by structural inequalities—there is a lack of diversity and perspectives both in terms of personnel and the application of law. The goal of the Center is to improve access to law for marginalized and underrepresented groups through empirical and doctrinal research, as well as networking and exchange. This will also strengthen the acceptance of the rule of law and democratic order. The research into the causes of structural inequalities in law and their reduction aims to promote access to the legal system overall.
Goals and Activities
- Research: Empirical and doctrinal legal research aims to uncover mechanisms of exclusion and provide legal approaches to promoting diversity. The results will be published in a series of publications and as a Discussion Paper Series.
- Networking: The exchange between practice, academia, and civil society will be enabled and encouraged to discuss concrete measures for improvement and, if necessary, further develop them. During the funding period, in addition to the kick-off conference in spring 2026, two more conferences and two workshops are planned.
- Public Relations: The Center aims to advance the public debate on the topic of diversity in the legal system through specialist conferences, publications and social media.
The Team
The Center is led by Prof. Dr. Emanuel V. Towfigh and Prof. Dr. Iris Canor. Julia Schönemann handles project management and public relations for the Center. Helena Kaim contributes to the Center’s development through her own research as well as through coordinating support.
Contact: diversity@mpil.de