Robin M White, Dundee Law 1865–1967: The Development of a Law School in a Time of Change
| Date | 01 May 2020 |
| DOI | 10.3366/elr.2020.0645 |
| Pages | 320-321 |
| Published date | 01 May 2020 |
Dundee Law School is now a well-established part of Scotland's legal education landscape but the story of how it came to be is not straightforward. In
The material in the book is ordered chronologically. Chapter one sets the scene by discussing the legal profession and universities, and relevant reforms, in the nineteenth century (with particular reference to Dundee) before chapters two to six focus on the history of teaching law in Dundee in specific time periods. These chapters are followed by a “coda” briefly examining post-1967 developments and an annex providing sources of information on Dundee law students. Throughout the book, considerable attention is paid to people (including law teachers and students), courses, processes, curricula and qualifications. For example, White carefully explains the complicated and changing requirements of legal professional qualifications in the period covered as well as the content of BL and LLB degrees offered, with useful appendices provided to assist the reader. Understandably, Dundee is the central focus of the book; however, at various points the author places local matters within a wider national context and makes references to the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
As highlighted in chapter two (1865–1898), there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to set up a law school in the burgeoning industrial city of Dundee in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Although law lectures were delivered at various points in this time period (in the 1860s, 1880s and 1890s), they were intermittent and did not last. A key contemporary figure was Sir Thomas Thornton (1829–1903), Dundee's “Great Panjandrum” who is described by White as the “father of the law school” (82) (and was also a founder of the law firm now known as Thorntons). His ambition and support ultimately led to continuous law teaching in University College Dundee commencing in...
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