Before the establishment of the Nigerian Law School in 1962, Nigerian lawyers were trained in the United Kingdom. To become a legal practitioner, one had to be called to the English or Irish Bar or enrolled as a solicitor in those countries. However, there were significant lapses in this training, including a lack of consideration for the Nigerian legal system and no requirement for a university degree. In 1959, the Federal Government established the Unsworth Committee to address these inadequacies. The committee recommended the establishment of a Nigerian law school to provide practical training in the work of a barrister and solicitor. This recommendation led to the establishment of the Nigerian Law School in 1962. The Nigerian Law School was established to meet the needs of the country and provide a more relevant legal education. The school started with a 3-month course in January 1963 and later expanded to a one-year course in October of the same year. The school has since undergone several relocations and expansions to accommodate increasing student intake. The school's growth was impacted by the closure of universities between 1993 and 1996, resulting in a backlog of students. To address this, the Council of Legal Education established additional campuses in Lagos, Enugu, and Kano in 1999. Two more campuses were later approved in Bayelsa and Adamawa States.

Today, the Nigerian Law School has graduated around 100,000 lawyers. The school's establishment has played a crucial role in shaping the legal profession in Nigeria and providing more relevant and practical legal education. The Nigerian Law School's history highlights the importance of adapting legal education to the specific needs of a country. The school's growth and expansion demonstrate the commitment to improving legal education and meeting the demands of the legal profession. Overall, the Nigerian Law School has come a long way since its establishment in 1962. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a premier legal education institution, the school continues to play a vital role in shaping the legal landscape of Nigeria.