Tara Lai Quinlan

(She/her)

Dr. Tara Lai Quinlan is a US-trained lawyer (New York) and Associate Professor at University of Birmingham. Dr. Quinlan’s research and teaching focus on criminal law, policing, disproportionality and diversity in the criminal justice system, and counterterrorism.

Dr. Quinlan's new monograph, Police Diversity: Beyond The Blue (Bristol: Policy Press), examines experiences and impacts of police diversity in the UK and US, and includes original interviews with trailblazing UK and US police leaders. Dr. Quinlan’s PhD examined police engagement programmes with Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities as part of post-9/11 counter-terrorism approaches, and involved interviews with leading UK and US law enforcement and counter-terrorism officials. Before commencing her academic career, Dr. Quinlan practiced law in New York City, where she worked on employment litigation, housing discrimination, access to justice and criminal law matters.

Experience

  • 2023–present
    Associate Professor in Law and Criminal Justice , University of Birmingham
  • 2021–2023
    Assistant Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of Birmingham
  • 2019–2021
    Senior Lecturer in Law, Sheffield Hallam University
  • 2015–2018
    Assistant Professor of Law, University of Sheffield

Education

  •  
    Northeastern University School of Law, Juris Doctor
  •  
    London School of Economics and Political Science, PhD

Publications

  • 2024
    Police Diversity: Beyond The Blue, Policy Press

Contact Tara for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision