Dr Nicola Smithers

Dr Nicola Smithers graduated from the University of Northampton in 2004 with BA in Law with Criminology. After working at Shoosmith's Solicitors as a case handler for a year, she decided to pursue a career in academia and went back to university to complete a Master's of Law (LLM) in 2006. She took up a full time position at the University of Northampton as a lectuer in law upon completion of her Masters. 

In 2012, Nicola began her PhD as a part-time student. Her thesis focused on the lived experiences of parents involved in decisions to withhold or withdraw treatment from their criticaly ill baby, and was awarded in July 2019. She is currently in the process of securing publications from her PhD and in addition, is working on a project to extend current understandings of children's experiences of the loss of a sibling or parent.

Nicola is also a member of CHELSIG (Children’s Healthcare Ethics and Law Speciality Interest Group) which is an independent, membership based, organisation closely allied to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Ethics and Law Advisory Committee. It is a multidisciplinary professionals group seeking to explore ethical and legal issues affecting children and their healthcare.

Nicola's areas of interest include: Medical negligence. Infertility. Medical ethics, specifically the ethics of withdrawing or withholding medical treatment from critically ill babies and parental and sibling experiences of bereavement.

Nicola is the programme Leader for the 3 year LLB.

She is currently the module leader for:

Law2009 - Tort

Law2014 - Consumer Law

Law3007 - Family Law

Law3013 – Medical Law

She is also a module tutor on: LAWM019 - International Organised Crime and LAWM049 Transnational organised Crime. 

Nicola is a member of CHELSIG (Children’s Healthcare Ethics and Law Speciality Interest Group) which is an independent, membership based, organisation closely allied to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Ethics and Law Advisory Committee. It is a multidisciplinary professionals group seeking to explore ethical and legal issues affecting children and their healthcare.