Lawyering Imperial Encounters revisits the relationship between the African continent and global capitalism since the 19th century Scramble. Focused on sites of imperial encounters – in London, Paris, Abidjan, Bujumbura, Kinshasa, Johannesburg or the Hague, it provides an unprecedented account of the correlation between the legacy of legal imperialism and British hegemony, and the uneven and unequal expansion of finance and global justice in the current rush for Africa's 'green' minerals. Tracking the role played by legal intermediaries to negotiate and justify Africa's practical and symbolic subaltern position in the global economy, it demonstrates the interconnectedness between political, legal and economic change in capitalism's cores and its so-called peripheries. Embracing the global turn in sociology, history and legal scholarship, it rubs against the functionalist account of global value chains as engines of development. It also constitutes a powerful postcolonial critique of law's double-bind - as both enabler and bulwark against domination.

‘Focused on sites of imperial encounters - in London, Paris, Abidjan, Bujumbura, Kinshasa, Johannesburg and the Hague, Dezalay provides an account of the the legacy of legal imperialism and British hegemony, and the uneven and unequal expansion offinance and global justice in the current rush for Africa’s 'green' minerals.’

Howard S. Erlanger Source: Law & Social Inquiry

‘Lawyering Imperial Encounters is an excellent book, and Dezalay has done us a service by pulling back the veil on a well-hidden industry.’

Samuel Fury Childs Daly Source: Law & Society Review

‘The book under review is a welcome one, not only for scholars interested in learning more about the 'people in the middle' of the mechanics of African extractivism, but also for those wishing to understand better the logics and contours of lawyering at the dizzyingly varied scales of today’s changing global economy. Sara Dezalay’s book is not a small one - in one perspective, she is looking at the relationship of global capitalism to the African political economy, a topic that is experiencing a sort of comeback on scholarly agendas. Her illuminating route into this topic is centrally through lawyering, both off and on the continent.’

Jonathan Klaaren Source: International Journal of the Legal Profession