The Honorable Society of King's Inns

What The Honorable Society of King's Inns does

The Honorable Society of King's Inns is Ireland's only Inn of Court and its oldest school of law, operating continuously since 1541. It is a private non-profit educational institution headquartered in a landmark Georgian building on Henrietta Street, Dublin, designed by James Gandon and completed in 1806. Its principal function is the training and admission of barristers: King's Inns is the sole awarding body for the Degree of Barrister-at-Law, which is the prerequisite for call to the Bar by the Chief Justice of Ireland and entry onto the Roll of Practising Barristers maintained by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA). It also delivers the Diploma in Legal Studies (a two-year foundation programme) and over 15 Advanced Diplomas in specialist legal areas such as Data Protection, Employment Law, Medical Law, Public Procurement, Planning and Environmental Law, and Judicial Decision-Making.

Programmes are delivered through a hybrid model combining in-person instruction at the Henrietta Street campus with online live-streamed and recorded lectures via a Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment. Course management, applications, and fee payments are handled through an online Application Portal. Tuition is the primary revenue stream: the Barrister-at-Law full-time programme costs €14,500, the modular two-year version €16,000 total, the Diploma €5,995 per year, and Advanced Diplomas range from €800 to €5,550. Revenue is supplemented by membership subscriptions and dining (€60 per member, €40 per student guest), venue hire of the historic building, and administrative fees (application, entrance examination, repeat exam). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: prospective students apply through the portal, with marketing conducted via the website, open days, email newsletters, and social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky).

The institution serves a primarily individual-buyer customer base across five persona segments: aspiring barristers, legal studies students (including mature applicants and non-law graduates), professionals seeking specialized legal knowledge, internationally qualified lawyers seeking to transfer to the Irish Bar, and employed barristers. Key partnerships include The Bar of Ireland (admissions, Denham Fellowship), QQI (quality assurance), SUSI (postgraduate funding eligibility), and Gael-Linn (cultural programming). The teaching team draws from practicing barristers and solicitors with qualifications from Harvard, Oxbridge, LSE, and leading PhD programmes. Notable differentiators include the 110,000+ volume library, the 6 Taoiseach alumni, and the continuous dining tradition that anchors a lifelong membership community.

Name

The Honorable Society of King's Inns

Legal name

The Honorable Society of King's Inns

Website

https://kingsinns.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

King's Inns is Ireland's only Inn of Court and oldest school of law (founded 1541), offering the Degree of Barrister-at-Law, Diploma in Legal Studies, and 15+ Advanced Diplomas via hybrid in-person and online delivery from its Dublin headquarters, serving aspiring barristers, legal professionals, and internationally qualified lawyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education and Barrister Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAE

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAH

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAF

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

Keywords

• Legal education services
• Barrister training programs
• Professional law diplomas
• Continuing legal education
• Inn of court education

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees for the Degree of Barrister-at-Law (full-time €14,500, modular €16,000), Diploma in Legal Studies (€5,995 per year), and Advanced Diplomas (ranging from €800 to €5,550). Fees may be paid in full or through part-payment options.
2. Membership Dining: Revenue from dining services - €60 per person for members for four-course menus, €40 per person for student guests.
3. Membership Subscriptions: Revenue from subscribing barrister members who pay for annual membership benefits including dining access and professional networking.
4. Examination and Application Fees: Application fees (€200-€300 for Diploma), entrance examination fees (€600-€1,000 for Barrister-at-Law), repeat exam fees (€350), and other administrative charges.
5. Venue Hire: Revenue from hiring out King's Inns facilities for events and functions in the historic Georgian building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Honorable Society of King's Inns is Ireland's only Inn of Court and oldest school of law, delivering the professional qualification needed to practise as a barrister in Ireland. It offers the Degree of Barrister-at-Law (full-time one-year or modular two-year), the Diploma in Legal Studies (two-year foundation programme), and over 15 Advanced Diplomas in specialist legal areas such as Data Protection, Employment Law, Medical Law, and Immigration Law. Programs are delivered through a hybrid model combining in-person teaching at the historic Henrietta Street campus with online learning via the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment.

Product overview

King's Inns is Ireland's only Inn of Court and oldest school of law (established 1541), offering a portfolio of professional legal education programs. The core offerings include the Degree of Barrister-at-Law (a 1-2 year professional qualification leading to eligibility to practise as a barrister) and the Diploma in Legal Studies (a 2-year foundation program). These are supplemented by over 15 Advanced Diploma professional development courses in specialized legal areas such as Data Protection, Employment Law, Medical Law, Planning and Environmental Law, Immigration Law, and others. The programs are delivered through a hybrid model combining in-person and online learning, with live sessions and recorded lectures via a Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• King's Inns School of Law: The educational division of King's Inns offering legal courses and professional development programs.

Products and services

• Degree of Barrister-at-Law A professional qualification for practice as a barrister in Ireland, offered as a full-time one-year or modular two-year programme. Graduates become eligible to be called to the Bar and to practise before all courts in the State. Targeted at individuals with an approved law degree or King's Inns' Diploma in Legal Studies.
• Diploma in Legal Studies A two-year law course leading to a qualification in law and eligibility to sit the Entrance Examination for the Degree of Barrister-at-Law. Covers core law subjects including Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law and Family Law. Designed for graduate applicants with non-law degrees or mature applicants (23+) with no formal entry requirements.
• Advanced Diploma Courses (15+ specialist programmes) Over 15 professional development advanced diploma courses in specialist legal areas, delivered online or in-person on a flexible part-time basis (typically 4–22 weeks) with classes in mornings, evenings and weekends. Targeted at working professionals seeking specialist legal knowledge and CPD; many courses have no formal entry requirements.
• Barrister Membership Subscriptions Annual membership subscription for barristers providing access to the historic dining tradition, networking with the Bench and Bar, alumni community events, and a 10% Member Discount on courses. Targeted at barristers, including those employed outside private practice.
• Member Dining Services Multi-course dining nights offered in the historic Dining Hall at Henrietta Street, priced at €60 per person for members and €40 for student guests, including pre-dinner drink, coffee and tea. Provides full-time students with 10 complimentary dining nights and modular students with 5 nights.
• Venue Hire at Henrietta Street Event and function venue hire at the landmark Georgian building on Henrietta Street, Dublin, including the Dining Hall, Library, and lecture rooms. Targeted at organisers of corporate events, weddings, and private functions.
• Specially Qualified Applicant Pathways Specially qualified applicant routes that allow barristers from Northern Ireland, England & Wales, EU member states, and solicitors on the Roll of Solicitors to transfer to the Irish Bar through supplementary education and assessment at King's Inns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 483 years of continuous legal education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Bar of Ireland (Law Library)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bar of Ireland is the professional body for barristers in Ireland. King's Inns works with The Bar of Ireland for admission ceremonies, pupillage information, and the Denham Fellowship programme. Graduates often join The Bar of Ireland and practice at the Law Library.
• Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA)coreOthersLSRA maintains the Roll of Practising Barristers. King's Inns graduates are eligible for entry on this Roll upon completion of the Barrister-at-Law degree.
• SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland)minorOthersSUSI is Ireland's single national awarding authority for higher education grants. King's Inns' Degree of Barrister-at-Law is eligible for SUSI postgraduate funding.
• Claire Hanley CateringminorOthersFood and events partner for King's Inns dining services. Manages dinner menus, drinks service, and dietary requirements for dining nights.
• Gael-LinnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGael-Linn sponsors the Bonn an Phiarsaigh (Pearse Medal) Irish language debate competition at King's Inns, held during Irish Language Dining nights.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inner Temple: One of the four Inns of Court in London. Directly comparable as a peer Inn of Court training barristers with a strong library, dining tradition, and student-call pathway.
• Lincoln's Inn: One of the four Inns of Court in London. Comparable as a chartered Inn of Court providing barrister education, benchers governance, and member dining/library services in the Common Law tradition.
• Gray's Inn: One of the four Inns of Court in London (England & Wales). Directly comparable as a historic Inn of Court responsible for calling barristers, operating a member dining tradition, and providing barrister education — the closest functional peer to King's Inns across the Irish Sea.
• Middle Temple: One of the four Inns of Court in London. Comparable peer institution training and calling barristers, with member dining and historic library collections.

Broad incumbents

• King's College London — The Dickson Poon School of Law: International law school in London offering LLB, LLM and research programmes with strong global brand. Comparable as a top-tier global law school targeting international postgraduate students, including those interested in Common Law practice.
• Trinity College Dublin — School of Law: Ireland's leading university law school offering undergraduate and postgraduate law degrees. Comparable as an Irish legal education provider, but offers academic law degrees rather than the Barrister-at-Law professional qualification.
• University College Dublin — Sutherland School of Law: Major Irish university law faculty delivering LLB, LLM, and PhD programmes. Comparable domestic peer for legal education but does not confer the Barrister-at-Law professional degree.

Emerging players

• BPP University Law School: U.K. for-profit law school with extensive online and in-person provision across legal and professional subjects. Comparable as a hybrid delivery competitor in CPD and professional legal education.
• University of Law: Large U.K. for-profit provider of law courses (LLB, LPC, SQE prep) with strong online/distance infrastructure. Comparable as a competing modern legal education platform targeting Irish and international students via hybrid delivery.

Others

• Law Society of Ireland — Law School: Professional body training solicitors in Ireland. Comparable as the other arm of the Irish legal profession education system — the natural counterpart to King's Inns on the barrister side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kingsinns
• LinkedInie.linkedin.com/school/kingsinns
• Instagraminstagram.com/kingsinns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Honorable Society of King's Inns