Since the foundation of LSE, the study of law has been an integral part of the School's mission. To fulfil this mission, the School has developed one of the UK's leading Law Departments. The Department is both one of the largest in the School and nationally one of the foremost departments for the teaching and research of law. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise carried out by the UK Higher Education Funding Councils it was one of only eight such departments to be given a top rating of 5* (meaning the Department's research was ranked as being 'of international excellence') and a score of five out of five in the similar evaluation of teaching.
Its interaction with the social sciences at the school gives the Law Department a distinctive, interdisciplinary character, leading it to play a major role in policy debates and policy-making and in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world. It enjoys a uniquely cosmopolitan student body, and has deeply influenced legal education in most common law countries.
Closely linked to this innovative approach has been the exploration of new fields of study. Many important subjects were first taught and examined systematically from an academic perspective at LSE. These include Banking Law, the Law of Taxation, Civil Litigation, Company Law, Labour Law, Family Law, Welfare Law, and studies of the legal system and the legal profession. These subjects, and many others, have since become central to the concerns of lawyers and researchers.
In the LSE tradition the Department practices 'research-led' teaching. The Department produces research of the highest standards of international excellence, and in so doing, it plays a leading role in the development of foundational legal scholarship. This research output makes a strong impact on national and international policymaking and on processes of decision-making within business, government and other agencies. Many of the department's graduates go on to play leading roles in the world of law, politics, government, business, media and administration, both in the UK and abroad.
