Inns of Court School of Law
Encyclopedia
The Inns of Court School of Law, often abbreviated to ICSL is a professional legal training institution based in London
in Gray's Inn
. Until 1999 the ICSL had a monopoly on the provision of the Bar Vocational Course (BVC), the obligatory professional training for would-be barristers in England and Wales
, before they commence pupillage
.
The School now also teaches the Legal Practice Course
(LPC) for would-be solicitors. In 2007 it received the highest grading from the Law Society of England and Wales
for its provision. The School also provides a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and a Master of Laws
(LLM) programme.
Students who successfully complete the BVC are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma
. The ICSL provides all its bar students with the opportunity of upgrading that diploma to a full LLM through the submission of a dissertation.
were responsible for the education of young barristers. There was call during the nineteenth century for the education of barristers to be unified and thus the Council of Legal Education was formed and ICSL founded. Since 2001 the ICSL has been affiliated with and administered by City University.
When the ICSL was first created, each of the four Inns of Court were required to each provide two rooms for the school. Until just after the second world war the ICSL was located in Lincoln's Inn
. In the 1950s a purpose built building was built at 4 Gray's Inn
Place within Gray's Inn and the school relocated there. Shortly after that Atkin Building in Gray's Inn was secured and then in the 1980s a further building was acquired for the ICSL in Princeton street.
and has three buildings, 4 Gray's Inn Place (GIP), Atkin Building (AB) and Princeton Street (PS).
4 Gray's Inn Place houses the library, school office and the staff offices. Located in Atkin Building is the lecture theatre, (formerly named Morrison Hall), the Common Room, the Muslim Prayer Room and several small group rooms. The Princeston Street building houses a computer suite and a number of small group rooms as well as playing host to the school's pro bono facilities and the video recording rooms.
All small group rooms are specifically maintained to accommodate a class of twelve, although the rooms can accommodate a few more students without desk space. Each room has a television, video camera and DVD player to allow for filming a student's advocacy performances.
, and distinguished academics. Others who went on to achieve the highest distinction include four British Prime Ministers - Tony Blair
, Margaret Thatcher
, Clement Attlee
and Herbert Asquith - Mahatma Gandhi
, M A Jinnah
(first Governor General and founder of Pakistan
), and Jawaharlal Nehru
(first Prime Minister of India
).
, the professional societies to which every English and Welsh barrister must belong.
brand. Replacement of the ICSL brand was phased in gradually. Initially both logos were used on the school stationery, then the 2007-2008 manuals bore the City Law School name with the ICSL logo, and now all notices in the school are being fully replaced with the City Law School logo. However, the options manuals still have the ICSL logo.
Many students currently at the ICSL still refer to it by that name and also when students and alumni state either verbally or in written form, such as their CV, they went to the ICSL without any mention of City University London
.
One possible motive for the rebranding of the ICSL appears to be from pressure from the Bar Council resulting from complaints raised by other BVC providers of the association the Inns within the name of the ICSL and the unfair prejudice other providers receive from that.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. Until 1999 the ICSL had a monopoly on the provision of the Bar Vocational Course (BVC), the obligatory professional training for would-be barristers in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, before they commence pupillage
Pupillage
A pupillage, in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, is the barrister's equivalent of the training contract that a solicitor undertakes...
.
The School now also teaches the Legal Practice Course
Legal Practice Course
The Legal Practice Course also known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practiceis the vocational stage for becoming a solicitor in England and Wales. The course is the successor to Law Society Finals and is more vocational in its syllabus. The LPC can be taken in many different formats including...
(LPC) for would-be solicitors. In 2007 it received the highest grading from the Law Society of England and Wales
Law Society of England and Wales
The Law Society is the professional association that represents the solicitors' profession in England and Wales. It provides services and support to practising and training solicitors as well as serving as a sounding board for law reform. Members of the Society are often consulted when important...
for its provision. The School also provides a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LLM) programme.
Students who successfully complete the BVC are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma
Postgraduate diploma
A postgraduate diploma is a postgraduate qualification awarded typically after a bachelor's degree. It can be contrasted with a graduate diploma...
. The ICSL provides all its bar students with the opportunity of upgrading that diploma to a full LLM through the submission of a dissertation.
History
The ICSL was founded by the Council of Legal Education in 1852. Before that time the Inns of CourtInns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
were responsible for the education of young barristers. There was call during the nineteenth century for the education of barristers to be unified and thus the Council of Legal Education was formed and ICSL founded. Since 2001 the ICSL has been affiliated with and administered by City University.
When the ICSL was first created, each of the four Inns of Court were required to each provide two rooms for the school. Until just after the second world war the ICSL was located in Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. In the 1950s a purpose built building was built at 4 Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
Place within Gray's Inn and the school relocated there. Shortly after that Atkin Building in Gray's Inn was secured and then in the 1980s a further building was acquired for the ICSL in Princeton street.
Campus
As mentioned above the ICSL is mainly based in Gray's InnGray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
and has three buildings, 4 Gray's Inn Place (GIP), Atkin Building (AB) and Princeton Street (PS).
4 Gray's Inn Place houses the library, school office and the staff offices. Located in Atkin Building is the lecture theatre, (formerly named Morrison Hall), the Common Room, the Muslim Prayer Room and several small group rooms. The Princeston Street building houses a computer suite and a number of small group rooms as well as playing host to the school's pro bono facilities and the video recording rooms.
All small group rooms are specifically maintained to accommodate a class of twelve, although the rooms can accommodate a few more students without desk space. Each room has a television, video camera and DVD player to allow for filming a student's advocacy performances.
Famous alumni
As might perhaps be expected from the institution which had a monopoly on half of the legal training in a large jurisdiction for nearly a century and a half, the alumni of the ICSL includes many judges, Queen's CounselQueen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, and distinguished academics. Others who went on to achieve the highest distinction include four British Prime Ministers - Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
and Herbert Asquith - Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, M A Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
(first Governor General and founder of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
), and Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
(first Prime Minister of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
).
Scholarships
In 2007 the ICSL introduced a new scholarship award scheme, worth over £25,000, for the BVC. Each scholarship award is made through each Inn of CourtInns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
, the professional societies to which every English and Welsh barrister must belong.
Coat of arms
The ICSL Coat of Arms is pictured at the top of this page, the picture is taken from the front entrance to Gray's Inn Place. The Arms consists of th joint Coats of Arms of all four Inns of Court, namely (in order) Lincoln's Inn, the Middle Temple, the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. The Council of Legal Education used a similar form of the Arms.Rebranding
Since July 2008, the ICSL brand was dropped and replaced with the City Law SchoolCity Law School
The City Law School is one of the seven schools of City University in the City of London, and includes the former Inns of Court School of Law....
brand. Replacement of the ICSL brand was phased in gradually. Initially both logos were used on the school stationery, then the 2007-2008 manuals bore the City Law School name with the ICSL logo, and now all notices in the school are being fully replaced with the City Law School logo. However, the options manuals still have the ICSL logo.
Many students currently at the ICSL still refer to it by that name and also when students and alumni state either verbally or in written form, such as their CV, they went to the ICSL without any mention of City University London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
.
One possible motive for the rebranding of the ICSL appears to be from pressure from the Bar Council resulting from complaints raised by other BVC providers of the association the Inns within the name of the ICSL and the unfair prejudice other providers receive from that.