Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

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The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is part of the School of Advanced Study of the University of London. It was founded in 1946 as a national academic institution to promote and advance legal research, implementing a proposal of 1934 report of the Legal Education Committee chaired by Lord Atkin. It became part of the University of London's School of Advanced Study in 1994. In addition to academic research, it caters for the postgraduate law students at London University who are studying for an LLM or PhD. It also arranges seminars and lectures, many of which are open to the public.

The Institute was originally housed at 25 Russell Square (after war damage was repaired), subsequently expanding into 26 Russell Square in 1954, and later into further temporary accommodation. It moved to Charles Clore House, a new purpose-built 9-floor building at 17 Russell Square in 1976. Charles Clore House forms the southern end of the Bedford Way building designed by Sir Denys Lasdun, the remainder of which is occupied by the Institute of Education and University College London.

The IALS library, part of the University of London Research Library Services, is considered the leading library for law research in the UK. It holds around 300,000 individual items and subscribes to about 3,000 legal journals. The library also houses an extensive archive of documents relating to legal education.

Its first Director was Professor (later Sir) David Hughes Parry, who retired in 1959. Professor (later Sir) Norman Anderson was then Director until his retirement in 1976. Professor Aubrey L. Diamond was the new director until 1986, then Sir Jack Jacob. Professor Barry Rider retired in April 2004, replaced by Professor Avrom Sherr.

As of 2006, it includes two professors, Professor Avrom Sherr (Director and Woolf Professor of Legal Education) and Professor Terence C. Daintith, (Professor of Law); Richard Nzerem is Director of the Sir William Dale Centre for Legislative Studies; and there are three Senior Research Fellows, Dr Mads Andenas (Company and Commercial Law), Professor Johan Henning (Comparative Company Law) and Dr Kern Alexander (Financial Services Law and Regulation). Dr Helen Xanthaki is a Senior Lecturer in Legislative Studies, and Academic Director of the Sir William Dale Centre for Legislative Studies.