Marc has a socio-legal focus on law. He is trained in Law and in Cultural Anthropology, and his PhD-research was on legal pluralism in Ecuador. Currently he is appointed as Associate Professor in Sociology of Law, with a focus on responsive dispute resolution in the Netherlands. In his research he uses empirical, qualitative research methods. His teaching is in line with this.

Within the Montaigne Centre for Rule of Law and Judicial Administration, Marc conducts research on alternative dispute resolution (ADR, with an emphasis on mediation) and on socially effective justice (maatschappelijk effectieve rechtspraak, MER). Both the changing role of the judge into a ‘problem-solver’, and the concept of problem solving justice form his thematic research focus. During a two-years period (Feb 2022 – Feb 2024) he was also part of the Empirical Legal Research into Institutions for Conflict Resolution (ERI) research group, in particular regarding to the Institutions on Conflict Resolution (COI) research agenda.

Marc’s academic publications concentrate on the abovementioned themes: mediation, the judge as a ‘problem-solver’ and problem solving justice, He also writes about empirical legal research methodology. Besides, he also aims to connect with legal practice, in particular to problem solving practitioners. For example, he is one of the editors of the Dutch Handboek Mediation, a handbook that is prescribed reading for those who want to obtain a MfN-mediation certificate in the Netherlands. Since March 2021 he is an independent member of the MfN-register Assessment Committee. 

Marc teaches and coordinates Bachelor as well as Master courses. He is also co-promotor of two external PhD’s.

Marc is part of he executive board (dagelijks bestuur, DB) of the section Jurisprudence, Constitutional and Administrative Law (SBR). From 2022 on, he is a member (and since 2024 president) of the Bachelor Examination Committee of the School of Law. Since June 2024 is Marc appointed as PhD-dean at the Law department.

Interests

Sociology of Law, Anthropology of Law, Empirical Legal Studies (ELS), dispute settlement, ADR, mediation, responsive justice, problem solving justice, Methodology