Dr Mischa Allen

Mischa Allen joined the Open University in 2018 as an Associate Lecturer on W203 (Public Law and Criminal Law). She worked in the Central Academic team in the Law School from 2022 to 2024 on the production of modules on the new LLB, concentrating on the SQE-focussed modules and Criminal Law. She was also responsible for bespoke academic references for law students, and assisted students in applying for scholarship opportunities. She is currently a Student Experience Manager in the Law School, with responsibility for Evidence Law and Family Law as well as having oversight of the SQE modules. 

Before joining the OU, Mischa was a full-time lecturer at London Metropolitan University, where she was course leader for the CPE. She has taught undergraduate Criminal Law for a number of years and has also taught Law of Evidence, Penal Policy, English Legal System and Law Dissertations. Her other roles have included projects on academic skills development in the law curriculum, course and module management, collaborative provision and curriculum review. Mischa especially enjoys working with first year law students helping them to develop academic skills as they progress through their law degree. She is the co-author of Complete Criminal Law, 6th-9th editions (with Janet Loveless and Caroline Derry), OUP, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025 (forthcoming) and of two editions of OUP's Criminal Law Concentrate: Q and A, 2nd and 3rd editions ,OUP, 2017-2021).

Mischa did an undergraduate degree in French Literature and Philosophy, going on to take the CPE and Legal Practice Course. She then pursued an academic route, completing an LLM in Criminal Litigation, a MRes focussing on Legal Theory and a PhD, exploring the role of forgiveness and mercy in the criminal process. She continues her research in this area and maintains research interests in the substantive criminal law, criminal procedure, sentencing and penal policy. She is currently undertaking research in legal pedagogy, in the experiences of joint honours students and in the experience of intimidated defendants at trial.