“Interdisciplinary Training and Research Impact in the Legal Academy“
Abeer Sharma (PhD candidate), Shuting Zhang and Ryan Whalen
Hong Kong Law Journal, Vol. 55, Part 3 of 2025, pp.441 – 459
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between interdisciplinary educational backgrounds and academic impact among legal scholars. Analyzing data from faculty members at 50 of the world’s leading law schools, we explore whether scholars with degrees in fields outside of law achieve higher scholarly influence than their peers who hold only law degrees. Our findings reveal that legal academics with interdisciplinary training tend to have significantly greater academic impact, suggesting that integrating perspectives from other disciplines enriches legal scholarship. These results underscore the value of interdisciplinary education in the legal academy and support the incorporation of interdisciplinary approaches in hiring practices, curricula and research initiatives to foster innovation and address complex societal challenges.