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45 years of Law at University of East London

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Stratford Campus

For 45 years our law courses have combined an international outlook with fostering deep links to the legal community and East London area.

Our history

The University of East London’s Law School has always had a proud and radical history rooted in human rights, equality and an international outlook.

Established in 1975, our Law School was founded by Edwin Lichtenstein, an anti-racist, anti-colonial South African activist and lawyer. He and his successor as head of the Law School, Michael Slade, made it their mission to seek those who had largely been excluded from the legal practice of law. As a result, they recruited a youthful staff who wanted to open the legal education and the profession to women and ethnic minorities.

From the beginning the Law School sought to create an open, internationalist atmosphere for students and staff. Their law degree was described as “liberal education through law,” which challenged students to engage with the ways in which law often reinforced inequalities and exclusions related to class, race and sex. It sought to empower graduates to engage in legal practice, public service, business and the academic community. In the early 1980’s Michael Slade carried out the first major academic study of the application of IT to legal education which has had lasting results to this day.

The school’s ethos of human rights education and research has led to many international and influential partnerships, including with UN Habitat. Our staff have published widely on human rights, international law, conflict resolution, police powers, Islamic law, African law, international trade law and development, environmental law, consumer law and development and legal theory. For 45 years our law courses have combined an international outlook with fostering deep links to the legal community and East London area, the most dynamic and exciting urban setting in Europe.

 45 years of law logo

Image gallery

Law students visit the Supreme Court

A group of law students outside the Supreme court

Law students visit the Supreme Court

12.12.2019 - Law students including Legal Advice Centre student volunteers and members of the Mooting and Debating Society were given the opportunity to visit the Supreme Court. During this visit our students were given a tour of the Supreme Court and had the chance to see an appeal hearing.

Law students visit the Law Courts

A group of law students outside the Law courts

Law students visit the Law Courts

A Day Out at the Old Bailey with Imran Khan

Legal Advice Centre

A group of Student Volunteers with the Legal Advice Centre 2019-2020

Legal Advice Centre

Legal Advice Centre, Student Volunteers 2019-2020

Law School Image 80s

A group Law School students in the 80s

Law School Image 80s

A group Law School students in the 80s

Legal Advice Centre student volunteers at HM Revenue and Customs based in Canary Wharf

The Legal Advice Centre student volunteers at the HM Revenue and Customs

Legal Advice Centre student volunteers at HM Revenue and Customs based in Canary Wharf

The Legal Advice Centre student volunteers and students of UEL were invited by Andi Bridges from HM Revenue and Customs based in Canary Wharf for a visit to their offices on Thursday, the 18th of July. Students were provided a unique opportunity to see how a modern HMRC office works and hear about a number of different aspects of work that HMRC undertakes.

His Honour Judge Marks QC

His Honour Judge Marks QC

His Honour Judge Marks QC

This was a unique opportunity to get an inside view of the legal profession from the Common Serjeant of London, His Honour Judge Marks QC, who sits as a senior judge at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey).

View more

Alumni stories

We want to collect and share stories of those who have studied law with us in the past 45 years.
If you have a memory and/or images you’d like to share, please submit them below.

Submit your story

News and Events

Check out our Virtual Hub for other online events

Stay Connected, Professor John Strawson

In conversation with Lady Hale, former president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

In honour of 45 years of law at the University of East London, Lady Hale spoke virtually about the importance of diversity in the legal sector. The former judge has a long history of campaigning for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession as a means to promote greater confidence in the judiciary. She has also called for a more balanced gender representation in the Supreme Court and better routes to top jobs in the profession for those from ethnic minority backgrounds and “less privileged lives”.

Read the full article.

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Legal advice centre

Our Legal Advice Centre is a learning facility for our students, providing them with the opportunity to gain exceptional legal experience by volunteering to work with our team offering legal advice on real cases, to members of the public who are unable access legal aid. The Legal Advice Centre specialises in cases involving contract/consumer law, family law, landlord/tenant law and welfare rights. The Centre also has a special project in partnership with the Sycamore Trust to provide free legal advice to those affected with Autism. Not only is this a useful resource and service for our local community, enabling out students to help real people, continuing to demonstrate the ethos of the Law Department started 45 years ago.

Find out more about the Legal Advice Centre.

Undergraduate courses

LLB Hons Law with International Relations

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLB Hons Law

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLB Hons Law with Criminology

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLB Hons Business Law

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

Postgraduate courses

Master of Laws (LLM)

With a wide range of in-demand LLM specialisations, you can tailor your degree to suit your professional goals.

LLM International Law and Legal Practice

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM General

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM Human Rights Advocacy

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM Business and Financial Law

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM Energy and Natural Resources

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM Transitional Justice and Conflict

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

LLM FinTech Law

Law, Policing and Justice

Royal Docks School of Business and Law

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