As well as training future and qualified barristers, the school extends its reach to a diverse community of people from legal and non-legal backgrounds offering a range of accessible part-time courses in specialist areas of the law.

The founders named their society in honour of King Henry VIII of England and his newly established Kingdom of Ireland.

In 1790, the Inns Quays site was acquired for the purposes of the Four Courts; the foundation stone at the present building at the top of Henrietta Street was laid on 1 August 1800, with James Gandon being commissioned as the architect.

[5] These sought more independence, and separatism was fuelled by King's Inns admitting in 1925 as a barrister Kevin O'Higgins, who had not sat the exams but was Minister for Justice in the Irish Free State.

[5] The society had generally kept a low profile in current affairs in Ireland, though it did come to prominence in 1972 when financial difficulties led to it selling a considerable stock of non-legal books it had in its library.

The library collection dates from the end of the 18th century (when it also adopted its motto 'Nolumus mutari'[8]), and was based in part on that of Christopher Robinson, senior puisne judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland), who died in 1787.

In 2006 the Inns' hurling team competed in and won the Fergal Maher Cup (3rd Level Division 3) in their inaugural year and subsequently reached the final and semi-final.

The Hungry Tree, a London Plane that encapsulates a park bench, lies in the grounds of the King's Inns, near the south gate.

[13] The King's Inns complex is notable for its use of Portland stone caryatids, which symbolise themes like Plenty, Bacchante, Security, and Law.