Get to know CRN 3 Co-Chair Matthew Canfield!
Institution:
Leiden University Law School, Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society
Number of years as LSA member:
13
Number of LSA Meetings Attended:
12
LSA Governance Position(s) and Committees:
Co-Chair, CRN 3: Ethnography, Law and Society
Other Association Affiliations:
American Anthropological Association
European Association of Social Anthropologists
Association for Political and Legal Anthropology
Areas of Research:
Human Rights
Transnational Law
Law and Technology
Food Security and Food Systems
Legal Anthropology
Favorite Topics to Teach or Research:
Law and Social Change
Unique Skill or Fact:
I’ve recently come out of retirement as a rower and coxswain and am back on the water for the first time in many years.
Additional Hobbies:
Backpacking, hiking, running, anything outdoors
Notable Awards and Grants:
Consolidator Grantee, European Research Council | 2025 – 2030
Book Prize in Critical Anthropology Honorable Mention, Association of Political and Legal Anthropology | 2022
Top Books and/or Publications:
Translating Food Sovereignty: Cultivating Justice in an Age of Transnational Governance (Stanford University Press, 2022)
“The Promises and Tensions of Socio-Legal Participatory Action Research” (Journal of International Law in Context, 2025)
“The Anthropology of Legal Form: Ethnographic Contributions to the Study of Transnational Law” (Law & Social Inquiry, 2023)
Education:
PhD, New York University | Cultural Anthropology
MA, New York University | Law and Society
BA, Johns Hopkins University | Anthropology and International Studies
Major Appearances:
Keynote Lecture, “Towards Transdisciplinary: Remaking Human Rights Research in Volatile Times.” Transforming Human Rights Methods Lab; Bonavero Institute of Human Rights (2026).
“Resisting Surveillance Agriculture in the Majority World,” Launch of Digital Ecologies Network, Kings College (2026).
“Postliberal Legal Anthropology: The Anthropology of Legal Form” Law and Anthropology Colloquium, London School of Economics (2025).
What do you find the most beneficial about being an LSA member?
LSA has been an incredible space to build a supportive intellectual community beyond my discipline. Through the LSA, I have met scholars whose work has inspired me, formed new collaborations, and pushed myself to engage with new methods and approaches. Every year, I look forward to the Annual Meetings to connect with old friends and new colleagues.
Why should professionals or students join LSA?
As the global hub for socio-legal studies, LSA is not only essential for building your academic network, but it also offers a space to push the field forward with new ideas. The Collaborative Research Networks are fantastic entry points for those joining the LSA, and they are incredibly welcoming!
Learn more about Matthew Canfield, his many publications, awards, and involvement with academic organizations here.