Meet the notable alumni of The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London. From prime ministers to leading international lawyers, our graduates have shaped the global legal landscape.
With its global reputation for innovative legal education and cutting-edge research, The Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London is one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. It is ranked 15th globally for Law and Legal Studies in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.
Founded in 1831, we have been educating some of the world’s brightest legal minds for almost two centuries. Recognised for excellence internationally, our postgraduate portfolio covers key legal disciplines, including international corporate and financial law.
Teaching is informed and delivered by our world-class researchers and leading practitioner academic staff, to equip you with practical, first-hand knowledge of the law. Our graduates excel in their fields: you can find them serving as solicitors, barristers, judges, policymakers, consultants, and leaders in organisations across the public, private and not-for-profit sector.
Our most well-known alumni include internationally renowned legal experts, leaders of the world’s largest bodies of lawyers, university heads, senior politicians and even Prime Ministers.
Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz (Law Studies, 1928), was appointed the Prime Minister of Iraq for three days in 1966 after serving as Deputy PM in 1965. Prior to this, he held roles as ambassador to the United Arab Republic and England. He was also the Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Having graduated from the Baghdad Law College in 1934, he went on to become its Dean. He was also Dean at the Institute of Arab Studies in Egypt. A pan-Arab nationalist, his beliefs led to imprisonment during World War II after the failed Iraqi coup d'état. During his academic career, he published over a dozen books about law, Iraq's history, Arab nationalism and Islam.
Anne McLellan (LLM, 1975) served as the ninth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The Canadian lawyer, professor and politician was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019 and received the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2023. After graduating from King's College, she returned to Canada to teach law, first at the University of New Brunswick, then the University of Alberta, where she was Acting Dean 1991-92. She was elected to the House of Commons in 1993, acting as minister of natural resources, before being appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General from 1997 to 2002. In 2017, she was named in The Top 25 Most Influential by Canadian Lawyer, in particular recognising her role as chairwoman of the Task Force on the Legalization and Regulation of Cannabis. In 2018, Canada became the second country to legalise cannabis for adults 18 and over.
Barry Griffin (LLB, 2012) helps to lead legislative change for the Bahamian Government in the Upper Chamber of Parliament. Barry started his career as the Director of Private Wealth Business for a London-based multi-media platform and consultancy. After graduating from his LLB, he continued his legal training and completed the Bar Exam in 2016 before returning to The Bahamas. He has since gone on to work for some of the country’s top firms. Barry continues to practice as a Corporate and Commercial Attorney with Sovereign Advisors, while also acting as Vice President of The Senate in The Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Karim AA Khan KC (LLB) was elected as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2021. The ICC is a court of last resort for the prosecution of serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Karim is a barrister and King’s Counsel with over 30 years of professional experience as an international criminal law and human rights lawyer. He has previously served as an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and as the first Special Adviser and Head of the UN Investigative Team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh/ISIL in Iraq. Karim was elected as the second President of the ICC Bar Association in July 2017 and is a worldwide Ambassador of the African Bar Association. He was named Criminal Lawyer of the Year 2017 (UK) by the Society of Asian Lawyers.
Dr Mark Ellis (PhD Law, 2010) is one of the most widely consulted international criminal law experts in the world. He is currently the Executive Director of the International Bar Association, the world’s foremost organisation of lawyers. Prestigious former roles include: Executive Director of the American Bar Association; President of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), an international non-governmental organisation; Chair of the Management Board of the Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) Institute; and Chair of the UN-created Advisory Panel on Matters Relating to Defence Counsel of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals. He has advised the World Bank on its investment policies, and the Independent International Commission on Kosovo, the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal. He was also involved with the trial of Saddam Hussein.
Stephanie Boyce (LLM Public Law and Global Governance, 2010) has been repeatedly named on the Power List 100 Most Influential Black People in the UK. A British solicitor of Caribbean descent, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Women and Diversity in Law Awards. Stephanie, our King’s Alumna of the Year 2022, was elected Deputy Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales in 2019. In 2021, she became its 177th President and the first black person and person of colour to ever hold that office. In 2020, Stephanie was voted on to the Governance Hot 100 Board Influencer and has featured on the Power List 100 Most Influential Black People in the UK in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The list of more recent alumni, below, shows the sheer variety of their occupations and is evidence that their professions take them all over the world.
The King’s online International Corporate & Commercial Law LLM and International Financial & Commercial Law LLM are underpinned by commercial realism and insight. Led by our team of distinguished academics and practitioners, they cover actual corporate cases, the latest legal concepts and research at the forefront of practice. Teaching and learning, including discussion forums with your peers around the world, is designed to equip you with the critical analytical skills much valued by employers.
The Dickson Poon School of Law benefits from a dedicated team within the University’s Careers and Employability Department. Our advisors are on hand to support you both during and after your studies. They offer everything from 1:1 careers consultations and practice interviews to online resources and employer networking events. You’ll also have access to King’s CareerConnect, our online careers portal, which includes a vacancy board with opportunities from the many employers who target our graduates.
Are you ready to follow in the footsteps of the thousands of graduates from The Dickson Poon School of Law who’ve gone before you? Study with one of the oldest and most highly regarded Law Schools in England: