In a meeting held on 4 July 1908, the Senate recommended the proposal to establish University Law College in Kolkata.

Sir Surendranath Banerjee was also present at the meeting, which was presided by Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser, the Rector of the University.

Finally the University Law College, started functioning under the management of a government body consisting of 16 members with the Vice-Chancellor as President from July, 1909.

Eminent scholar and jurist Dr. S.C. Bagchi, LL.D became the first principal and Birajmohan Majumdar was appointed the first vice-principal of this College.

The Department of Law has been, during the course of its existence for over a century, a nursery of leaders of the State, Bar and the Judiciary.