The College of Law

The College of Law
Motto	Leges Juraque Cognoscamus ("May we learn the laws and ordinances") Perfect for practice (corporate tagline)
Established	1962
School type	Charitable Private
Dean	Professor Nigel Savage, Chief Executive
Location	Birmingham, Bristol (2010), Chester, Guildford, London (Moorgate & Bloomsbury), Manchester, York, England
Enrollment
Faculty
Annual tuition	£9,830-£11,870 (full-time LPC), £11,340-£14,670 (full-time BPTC), £6,500-£8,390 (full-time GDL)
Website	http://www.college-of-law.co.uk/

The College of Law of England and Wales (CoL) is a private educational institution in England and a registered charity which provides legal education for students and professionals.

History

20th century

The Law Society of England and Wales created the College of Law by merging its own School of Law and the tutorial firm Gibson and Weldon in 1962. The College was created in its current legal form by Royal Charter on 5 December 1975. It was registered as a charity on 24 May 1976 with the aim " to promote the advancement of legal education and the study of law in all its branches".

In 1975, the College of Law submitted proposals which changed the face of legal education, recommending a 36-week Final Examination course for aspiring solicitors and a Common Professional Examination (CPE) or law conversion course for non-law graduates. It became a major provider of – and examining body for – the CPE (now known as the Graduate Diploma in Law).

In the 1980s, The Law Society asked the College to produce a scheme for additional tuition in accounts for articled clerks (now trainee solicitors), combining distance learning with one-day’s attendance at lectures. The course became compulsory for those taking the Final Examination, which meant the College was able to develop distance learning study on other courses over the coming years.

The skills-based Legal Practice Course replaced the Final Examination, giving students a more vocational education. Student numbers grew to around 4,500 a year by the mid 1990s. A few years later, the College severed its links with The Law Society and, when the Council for Legal Education lost its monopoly, was able to run the new Bar Vocational Course for aspiring barristers.

21st century

The College of Law pioneered the establishment of pro bono clinics, with students undertaking legal advice work for free under the guidance of practitioners. It also forged international links, introducing young European lawyers to the English legal system for the British Council.

The College restructured its Legal Practice Courses to give students more choice and won a contract to develop firm-specific LPC programmes for three top magic circle firms - Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance and Linklaters.

In 2006 the College became the first independent institution to be granted degree awarding powers by the Privy Council, leading to development of its Bachelor and Master of Law degree programmes. The London Moorgate centre was also opened – currently the UK’s largest corporate-specific law school.

In March 2010 the College announced that they would become the first legal education provider in the UK to offer direct access to the New York Bar for non-law graduates.

Campuses

• Birmingham (Great Hampton Street)
• Bristol (From September 2010)
• Chester (Christleton Hall)
• Guildford (Braboeuf Manor) in Surrey
• London
  • Bloomsbury
  • Moorgate
• York (Bishopthorpe Road)
• Manchester (New York Street)

Courses offered

A large variety of courses are offered, mainly including:

• the Graduate Diploma in Law (otherwise known as the Common Professional Examination, or the "Law Conversion Course")
• the Bar Vocational Course (the professional qualification for barristers)
• the Legal Practice Course (the professional qualification for solicitors)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Master of Laws (LLM)

The College is the largest postgraduate legal education provider in Europe with 5,300 students in 2005, and is also a major provider of Continuing Professional Development courses for solicitors and barristers.

The Open University's courses in Law (including the LLB by distance learning) are offered "in association with" the College of Law.

As of May 2006 the College became the first private institution to receive the power to award degrees, allowing it to award the degree of LLB to those of its students who complete both the Graduate Diploma in Law and either the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Vocational Course.

The College is a "recognised body", an institution which has its own degree awarding powers under British law. It is in the top 100 of UK charities ranked by expenditure.

Notable alumni

Athletes

• Jonny Searle, British Olympic rower

Judges

• Lord Falconer of Thoroton, former Lord Chancellor of Great Britain
• Lord Widgery, judge and former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
• John Clegg, District Judge

Musicians

• Margaret Fiedler, London-based American musician

Politicians

• Francis Maude, Conservative Member of Parliament for Horsham
• Cheryl Gillan, Conservative Member of Parliament for Chesham and Amersham
• Baroness Warsi, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio
• Edward Garnier QC, Conservative Member of Parliament for Harborough

Writers

• Guy Stair Sainty, author on royal genealogy and heraldry

External links

• Official website
• The College of Law, Registered Charity no. 271297 at the Charity Commission