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School of Law

About the School of Law

Queen Mary, part of the prestigious University of London, is one of the top UK research universities and a member of the Russell Group of leading UK universities.

About the School of Law

Established in 1965, the School of Law has grown from 30 students and four academic staff, to over 2,000 students and over 130 academic staff in 2021.

The School of Law has as its central focus the role of law and its institutions in contemporary international society and it is divided into two organisational units: the Department of Law and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS).

  • The Department of Law covers the full spectrum of legal studies and is based at the University's Mile End campus.
  • The Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) specialises in the knowledge and skills in commercial law that can be placed at the service of government, public bodies, overseas institutions, the legal profession, industry and commerce. CCLS is based in the postgraduate law centre at the Lincoln's Inn Fields campus.

We were ranked 11th in the Guardian League Tables 2023 and 32nd in the world and 7th in the UK by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

We were also ranked ranked 10th in the UK and 50th in world in the THE World University Rankings 2024 by subject.

Excellent research

We are firmly established as a centre of national and international excellence in legal study and research. In the latest Research Assessment Exercise (REF2021) we were ranked 15th in the UK, according to Times Higher Education, with 87 per cent of our School’s research outputs classed as world-leading (4* the highest score possible) or internationally excellent (3*). The independent assessment of research quality takes into account the quality of research outputs, research environment and research impact. Read about research in the School of Law.

Our staff

Our academic staff are actively involved in public affairs in the UK, European institutions and international bodies, and have leading roles in legal scholarship.We have close links with law firms and leading members of the law professions in the UK and overseas. Some are involved in our teaching and others support students and activities within the school.

Events

We organise a number of events throughout the year, including major conferences, workshops and seminars and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD). 

Service to the community

We continue Queen Mary's long-standing tradition of service to the local community. Our Legal Advice Centre is run with the help of students from the School of Law and offers free legal advice to members of the public.

Athena Swan Bronze Award

Athena Swan Bronze Award logoIn 2021 the School of Law was awarded the prestigious Athena Swan Bronze Award by Advance HE. This achievement recognises the School's efforts and ongoing commitment to boosting gender equality within the university.

Statement on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The School of Law at Queen Mary strives to be an inclusive work environment, with a community committed to challenging and opposing both individual and institutional ableism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia, and discrimination based on religion, class or age. Read the full statement.

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