Gráinne de Búrca is an Irish legal scholar and Florence Ellinwood Allen Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, specializing in EU law, international law, and global governance. She is best known for developing experimentalist governance theory alongside Charles Sabel, which analyzes how international institutions can achieve democratic legitimacy through iterative, participatory rule-making. Her work bridges legal theory and political philosophy, examining how supranational bodies can be made more accountable and responsive.
Co-developed experimentalist governance theory as a framework for democratic legitimacy in international institutions
Pioneered scholarship on EU constitutional law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights
Advanced global administrative law as a field connecting international law and democratic theory
Authored influential work on human rights law and its interaction with global governance structures
Edited foundational texts on EU law widely used in legal and political philosophy scholarship