Lauren Clayton-Helm

Assistant Professor

School: Northumbria School of Law

Dr Lauren Clayton-Helm graduated from the University of Sunderland with a 1st Class LLB (Hons) degree in 2011 and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2012.

In 2013 Lauren returned to Northumbria to undertake her PhD, entitled ‘Marriage And The Question Of Validity: A Comparative Reformulation of Essential Validity Precepts To Establish Certainty For Couples Via Optimal Choice Of Law Rules’ and was awarded her PhD in December 2017.

Whilst completing her PhD, Lauren became a graduate tutor at Northumbria University, before becoming a lecturer upon successful completion of her PhD. Lauren also currently holds the role of International Recruitment Co-Ordinator in the Law School.

Campus Address

115 Ellison Terrace

Email Lauren

Key Publications

Beyond borders: A post-Brexit analysis of the domestic and international law challenges in enforcing civil protection orders in the European Union, Clayton-Helm, L., Speed, A. 25 Aug 2025, In: International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family
Female genital mutilation (FGM): an exploration of educators’ understandings of their role in protecting girls from FGM, Bessant, C., Clayton-Helm, L. 25 Oct 2025, In: Child and Family Law Quarterly
Civil protection orders when crossing jurisdictional lines: Gaps in the law and a call for reform to better protect victims of domestic abuse, Speed, A., Clayton-Helm, L. 17 Sep 2024, Research Handbook on Domestic Violence and Abuse, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar
Marriage and Cohabitation in Private International Law: Regulating De Jure and De Facto Relationships, Clayton-Helm, L. 18 Jun 2024, Research Handbook on International Family Law, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar
To what extent do teachers understand their legal responsibilities where girls have undergone or are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM)?, Bessant, C., Clayton-Helm, L. 29 Jan 2024, Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference 2024
Past, present and future: the roadmap to eradicating FGM in England and Wales, Clayton-Helm, L. 1 Sep 2022, In: Child and Family Law Quarterly
Harmonisation of choice of law rules on same-sex marriage, Clayton-Helm, L. 15 Jan 2020, Same-Sex Relationships, Law and Social Change, Taylor & Francis
Out with the Old and In with the New: Bringing the law of domicile into the twenty-first century, Clayton-Helm, L. 1 Jun 2020, In: Journal of International and Comparative Law
Same-Sex Relationships, Law and Social Change, Hamilton, F., Clayton-Helm, L., Noto La Diega, G., Burton, F., Donovan, C., Eddy, D., Fielder, B., Hayward, A., Maine, A., Richardson-Self, L., Ryan, F., Schuster, A., Sperti, A., Tobin, B., Tryfonidou, A. 17 Jan 2020
Same-sex relationships, choice of law and the continued recognised relationship theory, Hamilton, F., Clayton-Helm, L. 2016, In: Journal of International and Comparative Law

PGR Supervision

Ajunta Ayasamy Beyond Relationship Status: A Vulnerability Framework for Addressing Legal Inequalities of Cohabiting Couples in England and Wales Start Date: 31/03/2025 End Date: 31/10/2025