Jugnu at 17:53, 23 April 2026

2026-04-23T17:53:24Z

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{{short description|Indian lawyer, author, and professor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}{{Infobox biography
| name = Lavanya Rajamani
| image =
| education = [[National Law School of India University|National Law School]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])}} [[Hertford College, Oxford]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Civil Law|BCL]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|DPhil]])}} [[Yale University]] {{small|([[Master of Laws|LLM]])}}
| occupation = Lawyer, Academic
| employer = [[University of Oxford]]
| known_for = International Climate Change Law International Environmental Law [[Common But Differentiated Responsibilities]]
| honours = [[Rhodes Scholarship]] (1996) Radhakrishnan Memorial Bequest (2002) [[ASIL]] Certificate of Merit (2018)
}}
'''Lavanya Rajamani''' is an Indian lawyer and academic whose area of expertise is international [[climate change]] law, [[International law|public international law]], and [[environmental law]] and policy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-03 |title=Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} Faculty of Law |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> She is currently a professor of International Environmental Law at the [[Faculty of Law, University of Oxford]], a Yamani Fellow in Public International Law at [[St Peter's College, Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-03 |title=Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} Faculty of Law |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

She is amongst the most prominent scholars in the field of international environmental law and has been considered to be "one of the biggest names" in the field.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sriram |first=Jayant |date=1999-11-30 |title=Brain Gain: Fifteen young academics who have reversed the brain drain at the peak of their careers by returning to India |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/20130923-young-academics-return-india-leaving-their-careers-767693-1999-11-29 |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> She is also the youngest Indian academic to be invited to offer a course in public international law at the [[The Hague Academy of International Law|Hague Academy of International Law]] in the Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sriram |first=Jayant |date=30 November 1999 |title=Brain Gain: Fifteen young academics who have reversed the brain drain at the peak of their careers by returning to India |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/20130923-young-academics-return-india-leaving-their-careers-767693-1999-11-30 |access-date=2018-10-05 |website=India Today}}</ref>

== Education ==
Rajamani completed her undergraduate degree in law at the [[National Law School of India University]] in 1996. She then completed her [[Bachelor of Civil Law|Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL)]] from the [[University of Oxford]] in 1997 as a [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes scholar]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013 |title=Lavanya Rajamani Profile |url=https://rhodesproject.com/lavanya-rajamani-profile |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=The Rhodes Project |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1998, she completed her [[Master of Laws|Master of Laws (LLM)]] from [[Yale University]], following which she went on the complete her [[Doctor of Philosophy|Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.)]] from the University of Oxford in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-03 |title=Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} Faculty of Law |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Her [[thesis]] on [https://academic.oup.com/book/4639 '''Differential Treatment in International Environmental Law'']' was published by [[Oxford University Press]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/lavanya_rajamani.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241225175649/https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/lavanya_rajamani.pdf |archive-date=2024-12-25 |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=unfccc.int}}</ref> Rajamani was also awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) ([[Ad eundem degree|By Incorporation]] ''Ad eundem'' degree) from the [[University of Cambridge]] in 2006.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2026-02-03 |title=Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} Faculty of Law |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Rajamani is currently a Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Oxford and a Yamani Fellow in Public International Law at [[St Peter's College, Oxford|St. Peter's College, University of Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} St Peter's College Oxford |url=https://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/people/prof-lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.spc.ox.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Before coming to Oxford, she held a Professorship at the [[Centre for Policy Research]] in New Delhi.<ref name="cprindia.org">{{Cite web |title=Lavanya Rajamani |url=https://www.cprindia.org/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2019-09-05 |website=[[Centre for Policy Research]]}}</ref> She has previously also been a Lecturer of Environmental Law, and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Law at [[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens’ College, Cambridge]], and a Junior Research Fellow in Public International Law at [[Worcester College, Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lavanya Rajamani |url=https://cprindia.org/people/lavanya-rajamani/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=CPR |language=en-US}}</ref> Rajamani has held visiting positions and taught public international law, international climate change law, international environmental law, and human rights law at the [[The Hague Academy of International Law|Hague Academy of International Law]], Ashoka University, [[Osaka Gakuin University]], [[Aix-Marseille University]], and [[University of Bologna]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |others=Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University |title=Speakers |url=http://www.1point5degrees.org.uk/speakers |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725145223/https://www.1point5degrees.org.uk/speakers |archive-date=25 July 2021 |access-date=2018-10-05 |website=1point5degrees.org}}</ref>

Rajamani has made several important contributions to the international climate negotiations since 1998. Among other roles, she has served as a legal consultant to [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)]] secretariat, as a negotiator for the [[Alliance of Small Island States]], and as a legal adviser to the Chairs of Ad Hoc Working Groups under the UNFCCC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law: Lavanya Rajamani Bio |url=https://legal.un.org/avl/pdf/ls/Rajamani_bio.pdf}}</ref> Rajamani has also actively participated in the negotiation and drafting of various landmark international environmental treaties such as the [[Paris Agreement]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-01 |title=Bad COP, Good COP? Oxford law professor Lavanya Rajamani and why climate talks matter {{!}} Oxford University |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-10-01-bad-cop-good-cop-oxford-law-professor-lavanya-rajamani-and-why |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> She played a key role in the drafting of the Paris Agreement where she was a member of its core drafting and advisory team,<ref>{{Cite web |title=PROF LAVANYA RAJAMANI |url=https://netzeroclimate.org/netzero_team/prof-lavanya-rajamani/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=Net Zero Climate |language=en-GB}}</ref> and was considered a key influential figure at the [[2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Ed |date=2014-08-06 |title=Women to watch ahead of the UN's 2015 climate summit |url=https://www.climatechangenews.com/2014/08/06/women-to-watch-ahead-of-the-uns-2015-climate-summit/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=Climate Home News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Her expertise in these negotiations lie in drafting 'constructively ambiguous' provisions by innovating with the legal character of obligations to reflect political compromises and drive consensus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} St Peter's College Oxford |url=https://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/people/prof-lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.spc.ox.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

She has advised governments and multilateral agencies, including the Danish Ministry of Climate Change, the [[United Nations Development Programme|UNDP]], the [[World Bank]], and the [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change|Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/lavanya_rajamani.pdf|title=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Consultant Profile|website=United National Climate Change|access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref> In 2018, the Government of [[Vanuatu]] appointed her Rajamani as External Counsel in relation to the landmark [[Obligations of States in respect of climate change|Climate Change Advisory Opinion]] before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-07 |title=Professor Lavanya Rajamani discusses landmark ICJ climate |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/news/professor-lavanya-rajamani-discusses-landmark-icj-climate-opinion-two-leading-podcasts |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Rajamani has also served as the Coordinating Lead Author for the [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]]'s [[Sixth Assessment Report]] and is a member of the influential Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} St Peter's College Oxford |url=https://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/people/prof-lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.spc.ox.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2022, Rajamani delivered the Heilbron Lecture at the [[Old Bailey]] which is part of a lecture series championing female legal experts organized annually by [[First 100 Years]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY8oQCe9s7g |title=The Heilbron Lectures 2022 - Prof Lavanya Rajamani |date=2023-04-23 |last=First 100 Years |access-date=2026-04-21 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof Lavanya Rajamani Delivers the 2022 Heilbron Lecture at the Old Bailey {{!}} St Peter's College Oxford |url=https://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/news/prof-lavanya-rajamani-delivers-the-2022-heilbron-lecture-at-the-old-bailey |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=www.spc.ox.ac.uk}}</ref> [[Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond|Baroness Hale]] - the former [[President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|President]] of [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|UK Supreme Court]] - delivered the closing remarks and described Rajamani's lecture as "truly inspiring."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Heilbron Lectures |url=https://next100years.org.uk/what-we-do/lecture-series/ |website=The Next 100 Years}}</ref>

== Research ==
Rajamani has published well over 100 journal articles and book chapters, 4 books, and 4 edited volumes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-03 |title=Lavanya Rajamani {{!}} Faculty of Law |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/lavanya-rajamani |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=www.law.ox.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Her writings have been published in prestigious peer-reviewed international journals such [[International and Comparative Law Quarterly|International & Comparative Law Quarterly]], [[International Affairs (journal)|International Affairs]], [[European Journal of International Law]], [[Climate Policy (journal)|Climate Policy]], Cambridge Journal of International Law and [[Theoretical Inquiries in Law]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Lavanya%20Rajamani&eventCode=SE-AU|title=Author Lavanya Rajamani|website=Cambridge Core|access-date=2018-10-05}}</ref> She is also amongst the most highly cited Indian international law scholars.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-13 |title=Top-Cited International Law Scholars from India |url=https://allaboutil.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/top-cited-international-law-scholars-in-india/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=Indian Blog of International Law |language=en}}</ref> Rajamani's research has significantly shaped the jurisprudence on international environmental law and has been referenced widely by international courts. For instance, her works were relied upon heavily by several parties before the ICJ in the Climate Change Advisory Opinion proceedings such as [[Australia]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Written Statement of Australia |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20240326-wri-02-00-en.pdf |website=International Court of Justice}}</ref> [[France]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Written Statement of France |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20240322-wri-29-00-en.pdf |website=International Court of Justice}}</ref> the [[United Kingdom]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Written Statement of the United Kingdom |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20240318-wri-01-00-en.pdf |website=International Court of Justice}}</ref> and the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Written statement of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20240319-wri-02-00-en.pdf |website=International Court of Justice}}</ref> Rajamani's work on fairness justifications for [[Nationally determined contribution|nationally determined contributions]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rajamani |first=Lavanya |last2=Jeffery |first2=Louise |last3=Höhne |first3=Niklas |last4=Hans |first4=Frederic |last5=Glass |first5=Alyssa |last6=Ganti |first6=Gaurav |last7=Geiges |first7=Andreas |title=National ‘fair shares’ in reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the principled framework of international environmental law |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2021.1970504 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=www.tandfonline.com |doi=10.1080/14693062.2021.1970504}}</ref> was also relied upon centrally by claimants before the [[European Court of Human Rights]] including in the groundbreaking [[Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland|Klimaseniorennen]] case.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights |url=https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#%7B%22documentcollectionid2%22:%5B%22GRANDCHAMBER%22,%22CHAMBER%22%5D,%22itemid%22:%5B%22001-233206%22%5D%7D |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=hudoc.echr.coe.int}}</ref> Her research has also been instrumental in influencing domestic environmental law in India and has been referred to by the Supreme Court of India on multiple occasions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Municipal Corporation Of Gr. Mumbai vs Ankita Sinha |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/5754869/ |website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gene Campaign vs Union Of India |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/85502318/ |website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vedanta Limited vs The State Of Tamil Nadu |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/151606927/ |website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref>

She has co-authored and co-edited leading textbooks in international environmental law such as '<nowiki/>''[https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/41336 The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law]''' (co-authored with Jacqueline Peel; Oxford University Press, 2021) and '[https://academic.oup.com/oxford-law-pro/book/57770 ''International Climate Change Law''<nowiki/>'] (co-edited with Daniel Bodansky and [[Jutta Brunnée]]; Oxford University Press, 2017). For the latter, she was awarded a Certificate of Merit for a specialized area of international law by the [[American Society of International Law]] in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=web.developer |title=Previous Book Award Winners |url=https://asil.org/about/honors-and-awards/previous-book-award-winners/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=ASIL |language=en-US}}</ref>

Rajamani's course at the [[The Hague Academy of International Law|Hague Academy of International Law]] on '[https://brill.com/display/title/59239?srsltid=AfmBOor_lxthvC1JWV8Hq2iXmyN6-JleY78KvjsbCIpKMEAxhGm6_Gh3 ''Innovation and Experimentation in the International Climate Change Regime''],' has been published as part of the Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law/ Receuil des Cours in 2020. Her lecture on the ‘International Climate Change Regime: Evolution and Challenges’ features in the [[United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law|UN Audio Visual Library of International Law]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lecture Series: Ms. Lavanya Rajamani |url=https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Rajamani_EL.html |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=legal.un.org}}</ref>

=== Books ===

* Lavanya Rajamani, ''Innovation and Experimentation in the International Climate Change Regime'' (Brill/Nijhoff, 2020)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rajamani |first=Lavanya |title=Innovation and Experimentation in the International Climate Change Regime |date=2020 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-44440-9 |series=The Pocket Books of the Hague Academy of International Law / les Livres de Poche de l'Académie de Droit International de la Haye Ser |location=Boston}}</ref>
* Daniel Bodansky, Jutta Brunnée and Lavanya Rajamani, ''International Climate Change Law'' (Oxford University Press, 2017) (Winner of the ASIL 2018 Certificate of Merit for a specialized area of international law)<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bodansky |first1=Daniel |title=International climate change law |last2=Brunnée |first2=Jutta |last3=Rajamani |first3=Lavanya |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-176109-6 |location=Oxford}}</ref>
*Siobhán McInerney-Lankford, Mac Darrow and Lavanya Rajamani, ''Human Rights and Climate Change'' (World Bank, 2011)<ref>{{Cite book |last=McInerney-Lankford |first=Siobhán Alice |title=Human Rights and Climate Change: A Review of the International Legal Dimensions |date=2011 |publisher=World Bank Publications |others=Mac Darrow, Lavanya Rajamani, World Bank Group |isbn=978-0-8213-8720-7 |series=World Bank Studies |location=Herndon}}</ref>
*Lavanya Rajamani, ''Differential Treatment in International Environmental Law'' (Oxford University Press, 2006) <ref>{{Cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/differential-treatment-in-international-environmental-law-9780199280704?cc=in&lang=en&#|title=Differential Treatment in International Environmental Law|last=Rajamani|first=Lavanya|date=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199280704|series=Oxford Monographs in International Law|location=Oxford, New York}}</ref>

=== Edited Volumes ===

* Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel, ''The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law'' (7th edn, Oxford University Press 2021)<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford handbook of international environmental law |date=2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-188346-0 |editor-last=Rajamani |editor-first=Lavanya |edition=Second |series=Oxford handbooks online Law |location=Oxford |editor-last2=Peel |editor-first2=Jacqueline}}</ref>
*Jutta Brunnée, [[Meinhard Doelle]] and Lavanya Rajamani, ''Promoting Compliance in An Evolving Climate Regime'' (Cambridge University Press, 2012)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/law/environmental-law/promoting-compliance-evolving-climate-regime|title=Promoting compliance evolving climate regime {{!}} Environmental law|website=Cambridge University Press|access-date=2018-10-05}}</ref>
* Richard Lord, Silke Goldberg, Lavanya Rajamani and Jutta Brunnée'', Climate Change Liability: Transnational Law and Practice'' (Cambridge University Press, 2012)<ref>{{Cite book |title=Climate change liability: transnational law and practice |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-08438-3 |editor-last=Lord |editor-first=Richard |location=Cambridge}}</ref>
* Sandrine Maljean-Dubois and Lavanya Rajamani, ''Implementation of International Environmental Law'' (Brill, 2011)<ref>{{Cite book |title=La mise en œuvre du droit de l'environnement: = Implementation of international environmental law |date=2011 |publisher=Nijhoff |isbn=978-90-04-20916-9 |editor-last=Maljean-Dubois |editor-first=Sandrine |series=Les livres de droit de l'Académie |location=Leiden |editor-last2=Rajamani |editor-first2=Lavanya |editor-last3=The Hague Academy of International Law}}</ref>

=== Recent Journal Articles ===

* Lavanya Rajamani, 'The International Court of Justice on the Mitigation Obligations in the Paris Agreement’ [2026] Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law (RECIEL)
*Lavanya Rajamani and others, 'Legal guardrails on States’ dependence on carbon dioxide removal to meet climate targets’ [2026] Climate Policy
*John Knox, Daniel Bodansky and Lavanya Rajamani, 'The Trump Administration Steps Back from International Environmental Cooperation’ (2025) 119(4) American Journal of International Law 767
*Lavanya Rajamani, ‘Empowering International Law to Address Claims for Climate Reparations’ (2025) 119(3) American Journal of International Law 484

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* {{Cite web |date=13 September 2021 |title=Humans of Oxford Net Zero: Prof Lavanya Rajamani |url=https://skollcentreblog.org/article/humans-of-oxford-net-zero-prof-lavanya-rajamani |website=Skoll Centre Blog |publisher=Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajamani, Lavanya}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women lawyers]]
[[Category:Indian Rhodes Scholars]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Indian environmental lawyers]]
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Fellows of St Peter's College, Oxford]]

Lavanya Rajamani - Revision history

Jugnu at 17:53, 23 April 2026