Driven by a profound passion for legal scholarship and pedagogy, Elena is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an accomplished Senior Lecturer in Law who joined DMU in 2021. With a distinguished career spanning over nine years in Higher Education, her journey through academia has been marked by unwavering dedication to fostering intellectual curiosity and shaping the minds of future legal professionals.
Elena holds a PhD in Law from The Open University published in 2023 entitled Assisted Dying Law Reform: Overcoming the Painful Process that Leads to a Painless Death. This was a fully funded research thesis which focused on the argument that, by navigating the assisted dying debate through the lens of six elements (autonomy, capacity, compassion, safeguard, voluntary decision, vulnerability) and their influencing factors, the journey to a compassionate good death by way of assisted dying law reform can lead to the achievement of a more robust framework in England and Wales.
Prior to that, Elena was called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn following the successful completion of her Bar Course (BPTC). Elena obtained an LLM with Distinction from the University of Bedfordshire, specializing in International Commercial Law. The LLM programme was studied under the Jubilee Scholarship awarded by the University of Bedfordshire in 2012; this was owing to the successful completion of the LLB(Hons) with a First Class. Elena’s commitment to academic excellence is underscored by a consistent record of scholarly achievement, including presentations at national and international conferences.
As an educator, Elena has had the privilege of guiding students through the intricate terrain of legal theory and practice. Her teaching philosophy emphasises critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and the cultivation of a deep understanding of legal principles. Whether leading seminars on contract law, arbitration, medical law or lecturing on constitutional rights, Elena strives to create an engaging and intellectually stimulating learning environment that inspires students to excel.