Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayaram Jayalalithaa, laid its foundation stone on 13 February 2012 and the university began its academics in 2013.

[2] TNNLU has been established with the following objectives: (i) to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of the law and legal processes and their role in national development; (ii) to develop in the students and research scholars a sense of responsibility to serve society in the field of law by developing skills with regard to advocacy, legal services, legislation, law reforms and the like; (iii) to organize lectures, seminars, symposia and conferences to promote legal knowledge and to make law and legal processes efficient instruments of social development; (iv) to hold examinations and confer degrees and other academic distinctions and to do all such things as are incidental, necessary or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objectives of the university.

Extensive infrastructural facilities, with separate buildings for administration, academic activities, examination, a library and hall of residence for men and women, an auditorium, staff quarters and a guest house are available on the campus.

The Bar Council of India has granted recognition to TNNLU as a Center for Legal Education.

It is spread through ten semesters which encompasses wide range of activities including research projects, moot court exercises, inter-disciplinary lectures and compulsory internships besides the regular classes and exams.

(Honours) programme, commenced in 2012, is designed to train the students in law and other social sciences using an interdisciplinary approach, to enable them to become legal professionals with sound understanding of policy implications.

While the prime focus in the first two years is on the other social sciences, the students are required to complete a minimum number of law courses.

This further enriches the interdisciplinary approach as knowledge of other disciplines informs the understanding, inter alia, of the various law courses.

This programme is in pursuit of expanding the interdisciplinary study of law and fulfils the aspirations of students in widening the scope of the enquiry to commerce, accountancy and business disciplines through these courses.

Honours programme in the same spirit of interdisciplinary study of law like Legal History, Political Science, Economics and Sociology.

Curricula for these programmes are designed to deliver advance knowledge, critical thinking and enquiry suitable for candidates with interest in varied career paths such as the academia, research, roles in regulatory bodies, policy think tanks, and tribunals, joining the Bar, transactional lawyering etc.