Jump to content

UCL Faculty of Laws

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

UCL Faculty of Laws
MottoUCL's Inclusive Law School
Established1827
Parent institution
University College London
DeanProfessor Eloise Scotford
Academic staff
90
Undergraduates650
Postgraduates390
Location
Bentham House, London, United Kingdom
Websitewww.ucl.ac.uk/laws

The UCL Faculty of Laws is the law school of University College London (UCL), itself part of the federal University of London. It is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties and is based in London, United Kingdom.[1]

It is one of the world's leading law schools,[2][3][4] ranked 1st in the UK for Law in the 2024 Guardian University Guide,[5] 1st in the 2025 Times' Good University Guide,[6] 2nd in the 2024 Complete University Guide,[7] and 6th globally in the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings for Law.[8] In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, the Faculty of Laws was ranked 1st in the United Kingdom for the quality of its research.[9]

With a history dating back to 1827, the Faculty was the first law school in England to admit students regardless of their religion, the first to admit women on equal terms with men, the first to award a law degree to a woman, Eliza Orme, and appointed one of the first three female law professors in the UK, Valentine Korah, who pioneered the study of competition law in Europe.

The Faculty currently has a student body comprising around 650 undergraduates, 350 taught graduates and around 40 research (MPhil/PhD) students and offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees.[10] It publishes a number of journals, including Current Legal Problems and the UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence. It is the only university in the UK to hold a legal aid contract, which forms part of its Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (iLAC).[11]

Notable alumni of the Faculty include Mahatma Gandhi (leader of the Indian independence movement), Chaim Herzog (President of Israel 1983–1993), John Stuart Mill (philosopher and MP), Sir Ellis Clarke (President of Trinidad and Tobago 1976–1986), Lord Woolf (Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 2000–2005), Lord Goldsmith QC (Attorney General for England and Wales 2001–2007), Terry Davis (Secretary General of the Council of Europe 2004–2009), Taslim Olawale Elias (President of the International Court of Justice 1979–1985) and Chao Hick Tin (Attorney General of Singapore 2006–2008; Judge of Appeal 1999–2006 and 2008–2017).

History

[edit]
Bentham House, the main building of the UCL Faculty of Laws. The Gideon Schreier Wing can be seen to the right.

The Faculty traces its roots to the appointment of the noted legal philosopher, John Austin, as Professor of Jurisprudence in 1827.[12] Andrew Amos, a successful barrister, became the first Professor of English Law (and later Professor of Medical Jurisprudence). It is one of the oldest law schools in England, and was the first to offer a systematic university education to men and women, irrespective of religious beliefs and social backgrounds.

Previous deans of the Faculty include Bin Cheng, Ian Dennis, Jeffrey Jowell, Dawn Oliver, Michael Bridge, Dame Hazel Genn,[13] and Piet Eeckhout. Eloise Scotford has been Dean since 2022.[14][15]

Building

[edit]

The Faculty is based at Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens, a Grade II listed building a few minutes walk from the main UCL campus. The building is named after philosopher, jurist and reformer Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), who is closely associated with UCL, and whose collected works are published from the Faculty as part of the Bentham Project. The main building was originally constructed in 1954–8 as a headquarters for the National Union of General and Municipal Workers: the exterior decoration includes at fifth-floor level five relief sculptures of industrial workers by Esmond Burton.[16] It was acquired by UCL and occupied by the Faculty in 1965.[17] In the mid-2000s, the Faculty expanded into the adjacent 1970s building in Endsleigh Street, formerly the B'nai B'rith Hillel House (a social and residential centre for Jewish students), now renamed the Gideon Schreier Wing.

Facilities at Bentham House include teaching rooms, lecture halls, a courtroom for moots, a student lounge, a coffee bar and two computer cluster rooms.[10]

In the mid-2010s, Bentham House was redeveloped for £18.5m by architects Levitt Bernstein, a project which was completed in 2018.[18]

Academics

[edit]

Research

[edit]
The main portico of University College London

The Faculty was placed first in the UK for the quality of its research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).[9] The Faculty's Judicial Institute, launched in 2010, was the first specialist academic centre for research and teaching about the judiciary to be established in the UK.[19] UCL Laws is home to a number of associated research centres, groups and institutes:[20]

  • Bentham Project
  • Centre for Access to Justice
  • Centre for Commercial Law
  • Centre for Criminal Law
  • Centre for Empirical Legal Studies
  • Centre for Ethics & Law
  • Centre for International Courts & Tribunals
  • Centre for Law, Economics and Society
  • Centre for Law and the Environment
  • Centre for Law and Governance in Europe
  • Institute of Brand and Innovation Law
  • Institute of Global Law
  • Institute of Human Rights
  • Jevons Institute for Competition Law and Economics
  • Judicial Institute
  • Labour Rights Institute
  • UCL Jurisprudence Group
  • UCL Private Law Group
  • Human Rights Beyond Borders

Teaching

[edit]

Undergraduate

[edit]

The Faculty reported in 2010 that it receives around 2,500 applications for approximately 140 undergraduate places each year.[21] The minimum entry requirements are A*AA grades at A-level, and a high LNAT score.[22] All candidates to whom an offer is contemplated being made who are identified as requiring particular consideration are interviewed.[22] There are no places available through the UCAS clearing process.[21]

Graduate

[edit]

The Faculty admits approximately 350 students to its on campus LLM course each year, receiving an average of 2,500 applicants for admission.[10] Further, along with Queen Mary University of London's respective law faculty it is further responsible for a joint LLM by examination awarded by the University of London at large.

The minimum entry requirements for the MPhil and PhD research degrees are a bachelor's degree with first or high upper second honours together with an LLM with an average grade of 65% (ideally with evidence of first class ability).[23]

Publications

[edit]

The Faculty publishes a number of journals, including Current Legal Problems and the UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence.

Public lectures

[edit]

The Faculty hosts a number of free public lectures each week (including the Current Legal Problems series) on a wide range of legal topics. These lectures are delivered by eminent academics from major universities around the world, senior members of the judiciary and leading legal practitioners.

Rankings

[edit]

The Faculty is regarded as one of the best in the UK.[24] In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, the Faculty ranked first in the country for the quality of its research.[25] In 2024, the Faculty was ranked 1st in the UK for Law in both The Guardian University Guide and The Times' Good University Guide,[5][6] and 2nd in the Complete University Guide.[7] It was ranked 6th globally in the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings for Law.[8] During a peer-review assessment conducted by The Sunday Times, the Faculty recorded perfect scores for teaching and research quality.[26]

In 2009, the Faculty enjoyed a 100% graduate employment rate, compared to 99.7% at the University of Oxford, 98% at the University of Cambridge and 97% at the London School of Economics.[27] Many graduates go on to pursue legal careers at 'Magic Circle' law firms and leading barristers' chambers.[27]

UCL Law Society

[edit]

The UCL Law Society has existed for more than 70 years and is regarded as one of the most prestigious student law societies in the UK.[28] In 2017, the UCL Law Society was recognised as one of the top 10 university societies in the UK,[29] and shortlisted for the 'Best Law Society' and 'Best Society for Aspiring Barristers' in the UK.[30]

The vast majority of LLB students become members of the Law Society upon matriculation. LLM and non-law students are able to join as affiliate members.[28]

The Law Society is led by the President and 17 other officers who are (apart from the First Year Representative) elected in March towards the end of the academic year. Election into the UCL Law Society is highly competitive and only LLB students are allowed to be nominated for positions. LLM and non-law students are not allowed to run for elections or vote. The campaigning period lasts for five days, and the voting period lasts for three days.[28] Following a year of service, the President's name is engraved on a board in the law faculty.

The Law Society holds around one activity per day during the academic year and regularly hosts top judges, academics and lawyers around the world.[31] The Law Society organises a wide range of competitions in mooting, debating, negotiation and client interviewing, and has multiple legal publications including Silk v Brief.[31] The Law Society also provides the most comprehensive legal careers programme at UCL and is supported by a range of barristers' chambers, City and national law firms, and overseas law firms.[32]

There is a separate LLM Society which caters solely to LLM students. The UCL Law Society and the LLM Society are independent of each other.

Notable academic staff

[edit]

The Faculty has a large number of academic staff active in research across legal domains. These include:

Current academic staff

[edit]

Emeritus and former academic staff

[edit]

Honourary and visiting staff

[edit]

Notable alumni

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, see Category:Alumni of the UCL Faculty of Laws.

Sir Alfred Wills

Judiciary

[edit]
Main article: List of University College London people in the Law

Other

[edit]
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Academic Units of UCL". UCL Academic Services. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2015/law-legal-studies#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search=>McCall, Alastair (19 September 2008). "Double first for Oxford". London: Times Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  3. ^ "RAE 2008: law results". The Guardian. London. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  4. ^ Paton, Graeme (9 October 2009). "Oxford beaten by UCL in league table". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Best UK universities for law – league table". the Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b "UK university league table 2025". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Law Subject League Table 2025". www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Law". Top Universities. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b UCL (12 May 2022). "UCL Laws is rated top law school for research excellence in the UK in REF 2021". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "About UCL Laws". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  11. ^ UCL (13 July 2022). "UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic recognised with Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award". UCL News. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  12. ^ Harte, Negley; North, John (2004). The World of UCL 1828–2004 (3rd ed.). London: UCL Press. p. 60. ISBN 1-84472-068-3.
  13. ^ "Dame Hazel becomes dean of UCL law". The Lawyer. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  14. ^ UCL (12 September 2022). "Professor Eloise Scotford appointed as Dean of UCL Faculty of Laws". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  15. ^ "UCL Faculty of Laws announce appointment of new Dean". www.laws.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  16. ^ Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1998). London 4: North. The Buildings of England. London: Penguin. p. 274. ISBN 0140710493.
  17. ^ Harte, Negley; North, John (2004). The World of UCL 1828–2004 (3rd ed.). London: UCL Press. p. 235. ISBN 1-84472-068-3.
  18. ^ "Green light for Levitt Bernstein's £18.5 million UCL scheme". Building Design. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  19. ^ "UCL launches institute to teach students about workings of the judicial system". Legal Week. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
  20. ^ "UCL Laws Research: Areas of Expertise". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  21. ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  22. ^ a b "UCL Laws Undergraduate Programmes". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  23. ^ "UCL Laws Research Degree Programmes". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  24. ^ Blair, Alexandra (26 May 2005). "The tests to select the best". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  25. ^ UCL (12 May 2022). "UCL Laws is rated top law school for research excellence in the UK in REF 2021". UCL Faculty of Laws. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  26. ^ McCall, Alastair (19 September 2008). "Double first for Oxford". London: Times Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  27. ^ a b Battersby, Matilda (30 July 2010). "Law". The Independent. London. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  28. ^ a b c "The UCL Law Society". Archived from the original on 31 March 2016.
  29. ^ "UCL Law Society recognised as one of the top 10 University Societies in the UK". www.laws.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  30. ^ "UCL Law Society nominated as 'Best Law Society Overall' and 'Best Society for Aspiring Barristers'". www.laws.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  31. ^ a b "Top 10 Law Schools - The Student Lawyer". Archived from the original on 1 October 2016.
  32. ^ http://www.ucllawsociety.co.uk/careers.php [dead link]
  33. ^ "Baroness Hale appointed Honorary Professor at UCL". UCL. 17 December 2019.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UCL_Faculty_of_Laws&oldid=1250047604"