Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

Last updated

Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge
Law Faculty University of Cambridge.jpg
The Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge in September 2005
Undergraduates 700
Postgraduates 250
Location
Cambridge
,
Cambridgeshire
,
United Kingdom
Campus Sidgwick Site
Website www.law.cam.ac.uk

The Faculty of Law, Cambridge is the law school of the University of Cambridge.

Contents

The study of law at the University of Cambridge began in the thirteenth century. The faculty sits the oldest law professorship in the English-speaking world, the Regius Professorship of Civil Law, which was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year for which the holder is still chosen by The Crown. [1] [2]

The present-day faculty incorporates the Institute of Criminology as well as 11 Research Centres, including the world's leading research institute for international law, The Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. The faculty has 31 professors, six readers, and over 70 other university, faculty and college teaching officers.[ citation needed ] The student body comprises about 700 undergraduate and 250 postgraduate students. It is also home to the Cambridge University Law Society, the largest student-run law society in the United Kingdom and among the largest in the world.[ citation needed ]

Courses offered

The BA Tripos undergraduate degree at Cambridge is intended to give a thorough grounding in the principles of law viewed from an academic rather than a vocational perspective. [3] The faculty offers the following postgraduate degrees: the LLM, the MCL, the MLitt, the MPhil in Criminology, the MPhil in Criminological Research, the M.St in Applied Criminology, Penology and Management, the M.St in Applied Criminology and Police Management, the PhD in Criminology, and the PhD in Law. [4] [5] In addition, the faculty offers the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies and the Postgraduate Diploma in International Law. [6]

Rankings and reputation

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025) [7] 1
Guardian (2025) [8] 1
Times / Sunday Times (2025) [9] 1
Global rankings
QS (2025) [10] 3
THE (2025) [11] 2

Cambridge is unanimously ranked as the best law school in the UK by all major national academic league tables. It is currently ranked first by The Guardian , [12] The Times/The Sunday Times' Good University Guide, [13] and The Complete University Guide. [14] Since it started publishing its annual rankings for 2010, The Guardian has ranked Cambridge first six times (2010, [15] 2012, [16] 2015, [17] 2016, [18] 2017, [19] and 2018 [12] ). The Complete University Guide has given the top spot to Cambridge since 2013 [20] and eight times in the last 11 years. [21] The TimesGood University Guide law rankings has Cambridge atop its league table since 2014. [22]

In 2021, THE ranked Cambridge as the world's second best university for law in its 2021 subject rankings. [23] In 2021, the QS World University Rankings ranked Cambridge as the world's third best university for law and legal studies. [24]

Facilities

David Williams Building

The Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge in the evening Faculty of Law, Cambridge.jpg
The Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge in the evening

The faculty is housed in the David Williams Building on the university's Sidgwick Site in Cambridge. The building is named after the university's first full-time vice-chancellor and professor of public law, Professor Sir David Williams. [25] It opened in 1996 and was designed by Lord Norman Foster of Thames Bank, who also designed the terminal building at Stansted Airport and 30 St Mary Axe (the "Gherkin" in London). [26] The building suffered serious acoustic problems (primarily due to a lack of consideration of acoustics in Foster's design), with its form amplifying any noise from the lower levels and causing significant disturbance at higher levels, not least in the library. [27] This was fixed in 1999 with the installation of a glazed acoustic screen, separating quiet areas from noisy ones. Other issues still remain: the toilets in the building are often out of order due to plumbing issues. Additionally, due to an excessive focus on the design of the study spaces, the toilets appear to have been an afterthought, being unbearably small and cramped. [28]

The David Williams Building contains the university's Squire Law Library, together with offices, lecture and seminar rooms and common room facilities.

The interior of the faculty building Facinterior.jpg
The interior of the faculty building

Squire Law Library

The Squire Law Library, which occupies the majority of the first, second and third floors of the building, is a dependent library of Cambridge University Library. [29] It contains one of the three largest legal collections in the UK with more than 180,000 volumes. The collection is very strong across UK law, the law of other major common law countries (the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand), international law and the law of the European Union, France and Germany. There are also smaller collections for the law of many other countries. The library provides its users with access to many major legal databases.

The library was founded in 1904, at first with only 8,000 volumes, [30] although this soon increased. In 1934, together with the Seeley Historical Library, it moved to the Cockerell Building on Senate House Passage, previously the home of the University Library built in 1837–42. The Squire took over the whole of the Cockerell Building on the construction of James Stirling's building for the history library in 1968. With the Squire's own move in turn, its former site became the library of Gonville and Caius College.

Most individual colleges also have a smaller law library of their own, while the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law has its own library composed of international law books and other related materials.

Societies

There are a number of groups and societies based around the Faculty of Law:

Most colleges also have their own law societies.

Publications

Notable publications produced under the aegis of the faculty include:

Notable persons

Alumni

Faculty

Named Chairs

Others

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOAS University of London</span> Public university in London, England

The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Metropolitan University</span> University in London, England

London Metropolitan University, commonly known as London Met, is a public research university in London, England. The University of North London and London Guildhall University merged in 2002 to create the university. The University's roots go back to 1848.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Montfort University</span> Public university in Leicester, England

De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was taken from Simon de Montfort, a 13th-century Earl of Leicester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Strathclyde</span> University in Glasgow, Scotland

The University of Strathclyde is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first technological university in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde, its combined enrollment of 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students ranks it Scotland's third-largest university, drawn with its staff from over 100 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberystwyth University</span> University in Wales

Aberystwyth University is a public research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 students studying across three academic faculties and 17 departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Essex</span> Public university in Essex, England

The University of Essex is a public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, it is one of the original plate glass universities. The university comprises three campuses in the county, in Southend-on-Sea and Loughton with its primary campus in Wivenhoe Park, Colchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Bradford</span> Public university in Bradford, England

The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but can trace its origins back to the establishment of the industrial West Yorkshire town's Mechanics Institute in 1832.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mary University of London</span> Public university in London, England

Queen Mary University of London is a public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Portsmouth</span> Public university in Portsmouth, England

The University of Portsmouth (UoP) is a public university in Portsmouth, England. Comprising five faculties, the university offers a wide range of academic disciplines. With around 28,280 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the university in 2022 was the 25th-largest higher education institution by student enrolments in the United Kingdom. The university employed approximately 3,500 staff in 2020.

Three national rankings of universities in the United Kingdom are published annually by The Complete University Guide, The Guardian and jointly by The Times and The Sunday Times. Rankings have also been produced in the past by The Daily Telegraph and Financial Times. UK Universities also rank highly in global university rankings with 8 UK Universities ranking in the top 100 of all three major global rankings as of 2023/24: QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh Law School</span> Law school in City of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Edinburgh Law School, founded in 1707, is a school within the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom dedicated to research and teaching in law. It is located in the historic Old College, the original site of the University. Two of the twelve currently sitting Supreme Court of the United Kingdom justices are graduates of Edinburgh, including the current President and Deputy President.

Imperial College Business School is the graduate business school of Imperial College London. The business school was established in 2003 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The school fosters an entrepreneurial culture by integrating business disciplines with a science-based curriculum. It offers a range of courses, including MBA programmes, Master's programmes, PhD programmes, and executive education. According to the 2023 QS MBA Rankings, Imperial's MBA programme is ranked third in the world for career specialisation in entrepreneurship. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, the business school is ranked second in the UK for business and management studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCL Faculty of Laws</span> Law school of University College London

The UCL Faculty of Laws is the law school of University College London (UCL), a member institution of the federal University of London. It is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties and is based in London, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Law School</span> Law faculty of the University of Sydney

Sydney Law School is the law school at the University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university. Sydney Law School began a full program of legal instruction in 1890 following the appointment of its first dean, having offered legal examinations since 1855.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham Law School</span> Law school in Durham, England

Durham Law School is the law school of Durham University in Durham, England. In 2022, Durham Law was ranked 5th in the UK in a league table which averaged the rankings of the Complete University Guide, The Guardian and the Times University League Table. Durham Law School is ranked 42nd in the world for law in the 2023 Times Higher Education ranking and 46th in the world for law by the 2023 QS ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundee Law School</span>

The Dundee Law School is the law school of the University of Dundee in Scotland. It provides undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Scots and English law, permitting students to qualify into all three United Kingdom legal jurisdictions. The law school traces its roots to the University of St. Andrews, and has placed in the top 15 law schools in the UK on the University League Tables. The school is based in the Scrymgeour Building—named for Henry Scrymgeour, a 16th-century legal philosopher from Dundee—while the Law Library is based in the libraries building, both on the university's main campus. The Law School is part of the wider School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law at Dundee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Glasgow School of Law</span>

The School of Law at the University of Glasgow provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Law, and awards the degrees of Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, LLM by Research, Master of Research (MRes) and Doctor of Philosophy, the degree of Doctor of Laws being awarded generally only as an honorary degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Aberdeen School of Law</span> Law school in Aberdeen City, Scotland, UK

The University of Aberdeen School of Law is the law school of University of Aberdeen, located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Established in 1495, it is consistently ranked among the top 10 law schools in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faculty of Law, University of Oxford</span> Law school of the University of Oxford

The University of OxfordFaculty of Law is the law school of the University of Oxford. It has a history of over 800 years in the teaching and learning of law.

The SOAS School of Law is a law school of the University of London. It is based in the Paul Webley wing of the Senate House in Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom. The SOAS School of Law has an emphasis on the legal systems of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

References

  1. ↑ Helmholz, R. H. (2003). The Oxford History of the Laws of England: The Canon law and ecclesiastical jurisdiction from 597 to the 1640s . Oxford University Press. p.  245. ISBN   9780198258971. The origins of the so-called regius professorships: an aspect of the renaissance in Oxford and Cambridge civil law thomas smith.
  2. ↑ "Professors". Cambridge. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "The BA Tripos undergraduate degree". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Courses". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Courses". University of Cambridge. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "Diplomas in Law". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Complete University Guide 2025". The Complete University Guide. 14 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "Guardian University Guide 2025". The Guardian. 7 September 2024.
  9. ↑ "Good University Guide 2025". The Times. 20 September 2024.
  10. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2025". Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. 4 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "THE World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education. 9 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 "University guide 2018: league table for law". the Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  13. ↑ HitCreative. "The Times and The Sunday Times | Education - UniversityGuide". st.hitcreative.com. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  14. ↑ "Law - Top UK University Subject Tables and Rankings 2018" . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "University guide 2010: Law". the Guardian. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "University guide 2012: Law". the Guardian. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  17. ↑ "University guide 2015: league table for law". The Guardian. 3 June 2014. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  18. ↑ "University guide 2016: league table for law". the Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  19. ↑ "University guide 2017: league table for law". the Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  20. ↑ "Law - Top UK University Subject Tables and Rankings 2013" . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "Law - Top UK University Subject Tables and Rankings 2008" . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  22. ↑ HitCreative. "The Times and The Sunday Times | Education - Table UniversityGuide". st.hitcreative.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  23. ↑ "World University Rankings 2021 by subject: law". THE World University Rankings. THE. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "QS World University Rankings for Law & Legal Studies". QS Top Universities. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "Naming of the Law Faculty building | Faculty of Law". www.law.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  26. ↑ "Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge". Foster and Partners. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  27. ↑ "Faculty of Law Lawlink: Issue 1, August 2000 - Faculty Resources - Faculty of Law". Law.cam.ac.uk. 15 March 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  28. ↑ King, Katie (17 October 2016). "'Very strong presence' of cocaine detected in Cambridge law faculty". Legal Cheek. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  29. ↑ "A brief history | Squire Law Library". www.squire.law.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  30. ↑ Squire Law Library Appeal Archived 17 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine , Law Faculty website. Accessed 2012-04-02.
  31. ↑ "SSRN Legal Studies Research Paper Series - Faculty of Law". www.law.cam.ac.uk.
  32. ↑ "Cambridge International Law Journal – Edward Elgar Publishing (www.elgaronline.com/cilj)". cilj.co.uk.

52°12′06″N0°06′35″E / 52.2017°N 0.1096°E / 52.2017; 0.1096

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.