History of the School of Law at Queen Mary

Drawing of the campus from the 60s

Queen Mary’s School of Law was established, with Professor (Francis) Roger Crane serving as the first and foundation Dean of Law. There were three full-time academic staff at this time, Professor Crane, Julian T. Farrand and Jennifer Levin. Cyril E.P. Davies, formerly Sub-Dean at King’s College, was also appointed as a part-time lecturer.

There were 30 students in the first intake of the Queen Mary Department of Law, all from within England and Wales which comprised of 27 men and three women.

The curriculum at the time was heavily influenced by the University of London Intercollegiate LLB degree. The first year’s intake studied the priorities in legal education at the time which included:

• History and outlines of Roman Private Law
• Constitutional Law
• The English Legal System
• Elements of the Law of Contract

The Law Society that is still very active today, was founded in December 1965 with 99 members and a budget for the year of £44.

The Queen Mother at the Opening of the Law Building in 1967

1966

After being previously based in a section of the Queen’s Building, the Law School moved to the current building at Mile End Road, formerly known as the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS).

Five more staff joined the department, Professor Aubrey L Diamond, Reginald S. Nock, Dennis R. Paling, Ingrid H.E. Patient and Ian M. Yeats.

1967

The Laws Building was opened by the then Chancellor of the University of London, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother on 11 May 1967.

In those days, the building had a dining room (known as a refectory) on the ground floor with lectures taking place on the first and second floors and academic offices, where tutorials were conducted, also on the first two floors. There was a law library on the “road-end” of the first floor and a student common room at the “cemetery-end”. However, within a few years, the third floor was taken up by the Law School for lectures.

Four more academic staff joined this year, Mr. (now Lord) Anthony S. Grainer QC, Andrew L.Greystoke, Margaret E. Noble and Victor Tunkel as lecturers.

The Selden Society is based in the new Department of Law. The Society itself was founded under royal patronage in 1887, principally at the behest of FW Maitland, and has, at its object, "to encourage the study and advance the knowledge of the history of English Law, especially by the publication of original documents and the reprinting or editing of works of sufficient rarity or importance". 

Lord Wilberforce judging a mooting competition at Queen Mary

1970

The George Hinde Mooting competition was established around this time after Professor George Hinde, then Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, was a visiting professor at Queen Mary and donated the mooting cup for the Faculty mooting competition upon his departure.

1972

Professor Sir Royston M. Goode QC is appointed to the Crowther of Chair of Credit and Commercial Law, following the establishment of that chair in 1973.

1975

Professor Roger Crane serves as Chairman of the Academic Council of the university until his retirement in 1978.

1976

From 1976, Professor Sir Royston M. Goode QC served as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Head of Department until 1981. He was a pioneer in pursuing commercial sponsorship of the activities of the Law School, a practice which was, for those days, highly unusual.

A group of CCLS students at Cumberland Lodge

1980

Professor Goode gained sufficient financial support to establish a Centre for the Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), which was opened in June 1980 by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham with Professor Goode as its first Director. He combined the offices of Dean and Head with the CCLS Directorship but in 1981 decided to dedicate his activities to developing the mission of CCLS.

1981

Professor Kenneth R. Simmonds held the role of Dean and Head until 1984.

1983

Dr Herschel Smith is made an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary College.

1984

Professor Graham J Zellick QC succeeded Professor Simmonds holding the Dean and Head until 1988. At this point the roles of Dean and Head of Department were separated due to the increase in responsibilities for each role. Professor Zellick remained Head of Department until 1990 when he was asked to take on larger responsibilities as Principal of the College from 1991 to 1998.

1988

Professor Ross Cranston, who was at the time, Sir John Lubbock Chair of Banking Law at CCLS was elected the new Dean.  He later occupied judicial office and elected to Parliament in 1997 holding the office of Solicitor-General and then later appointed to the High Court of England and Wales in 2007.

1989

Professor Roger Cotterrell is appointed Head of Department of the School of Law.

Professor Dame Hazel Genn

1991

Professor David Williams, succeeded Professor Cranston as Dean until 1993. He also later occupied judicial office appointed as a Social Security and Child Support Commissioner.

Professor Dame Hazel Genn succeeds Roger Cotterrell as the first female Head of Department of the School of Law until 1994.

1993 

Professor Roger Cotterrell is the Dean of the School of Law until 1996.

1994

Professor John Yelland takes over as Head of Department until 2000.

1996

Professor Genevra Richardson takes over as the Dean of the Faculty of Law until 1999.

1998

The Queen Mary Law Journal (QMLJ) was founded to offer a place for students and practitioners of law to publish work outside the scope of the typical legal curriculum. The board of the journal is drawn entirely from the law student body and was circulated to libraries across the United Kingdom.

1999

Mr. Ian Yeats was the last Dean of the Faculty of Law from 1999 until 2000 when it was dissolved.

Legal Advice Centre students advising a client

2000

From 2000 to 2004, Professor Geraint Thomas is the Head of Department for the School of Law. 

2001

The School of Law is ranked third in the UK Research Assessment Exercise.

2002

One of our law graduates, Dame Laura Mary Cox DBE is appointed to the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court until her retirement in 2016

2004

Professor William Wilson is the Head of Department until 2008.

2005

Professor Roger Cotterrell elected Fellow of the British Academy

2006

The Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre opened it's doors offering free legal advice to the public, staff and students.

2007

Professor David Ormerod is appointed at the School of Law and in 2010, takes up the position of Law Commissioner at the Law Commission of England and Wales.

2008

Professor Peter Alldridge takes the role as Head of Department until 2012.

Winners of the George Hinde Moot in 2014

2010

One of the first law graduates at Queen Mary, Christopher John Pitchford is appointed Lord Justice of Appeal by Her Majesty, the Queen.

2012

Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas takes over as Head of Department until 2018.

Queen Mary joins the Russell Group highlighting the quality teaching and top class research at the university including the School of Law.

2013

qLegal, a new free legal advice service for tech start-ups and entrepreneurs is launched at CCLS.

2015

School of Law is ranked third in the UK and first in London for Law by the Guardian University Guide.

Law in Practice launches in partnership with Reed Smith to offer an LLB with a placement year working in a firm. 

2016

Launch of the Pathways to Law programme in partnership with the Sutton Trust.

2018

Professor Penny Green takes over as Head of Department until 2022.

2019

Queen Mary's Clinical Legal Exchange Programme with the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago launches.

qLegal at the LexisNexis Awards

2021

Professor Phoebe Okowa is elected to the United Nations International Law Commission as the first African woman to serve on the commission since it was established in 1947.

2022

Professor Jonathan Griffiths takes over as Head of Department for one year.

The Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre (QMLAC) wins first place in the prestigious 2022 MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship.

2023

Professor Michael Harker takes over as Head of Department from 2023 until the present day.

2024

Professor Rachael Mulheron is elected a Fellow of the British Academy.

2025

The introduction of a new LLM programme with integrated SQE preparation launches in partnership with BARBRI.

The Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre wins University Pro Bono Award and qLegal wins University Commercial Impact Award at the LexisNExis Legal Awards 2025