Dundee Law 1865-1967: the development of a law school in a time of change

Robin White, LLB 1967

This book traces the evolution of law teaching in Dundee primarily in terms of processes, structures and curricula. It begins with the first recorded classes, started at the instance of clerks and apprentices, and continues through the institution of the first University College Dundee law teaching for professional purposes, the introduction of the BL and LLB degrees, the founding of the first Chairs, and the creation of a Law Faculty, concluding with the introduction of the modern Honours LLB.

On the way, it considers related events, including UCD's lengthy and troubled "affiliation" to St Andrews University, the BCom debacle, the LNER Railway Lectures, the Polish "soldier students", the introduction of "unique selling points", such as English Law teaching, and the translation of UCD into Queen's College Dundee and the creation of Dundee University. But it also traces this evolution in terms of the identites and careers of those initiating and delivering teaching, with observations on the role of local practitioners and the rise of full-time staff in the post-war burgeoning of law teaching. No less importantly, it also does so in terms of those receiving law teaching, including the identities of the more noteworthy, their numbers, gender and achievements.

This account is located within the radical, even revolutionary, changes in both professional legal education and university legal education in the mid-19th century (including the creation of the natonal legal qualification of "law agent" with unified admission arangments, and the institution of the original part-time Ordinary LLB and BL degrees) and the mid-20th century (including termination of the BL, but the introduction of full-time Honours LLBs and full-time apprenticeships). It thereby seeks to contribute to the study of legal history more broadly. A Coda gives a brief comparison of the experiences of staff and students in 1967 with those of today, and an appraisal of the Dundee Law School's success.

The book will appeal to those interested in the development of the Dundee Law School, and the history of Dundee and St Andrews Universities, but also local historians and to legal historian generally.

ISBN: 978-0-900019-59-3