About David Clarke
David Clarke was a British lawyer.
David Clarke is deputy vice-chancellor and Professor of Law at Bristol University.
Biography Clark studied law at Queens' College Cambridge from 1968 to 1972, obtaining his BA degree in 1971 (MA 1974) and LLM in 1972. He became a Solicitor (Honours) of the Supreme Court in 1975, serving Articles of Clerkship with Andrew & Co, Solicitors of Lincoln and was an assistant solicitor to that firm until his appointment as lecturer in law at the University of Bristol in 1977.
Clark became a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in 1985. Promoted reader in 1990, he was subsequently promoted to Professor of Law in the University of Bristol in 1995. He served as head of the Department of Law for three years from 1997 to 2000 and was dean of the Faculty of Law from 2001 to 2003 and dean of law in 2003β2004 on the merger of the Faculties of Social Sciences and Law. He was appointed a pro vice-chancellor in 2005, with responsibility for personnel and took up the newly established role of deputy vice-chancellor in 2008.
Clark has specialised in commercial property law and written extensively in the law of Landlord and Tenant and Commonhold. He was responsible for the Boundaries and Commonhold titles in Halsbury's Laws of England. Clark was a member of the Department of Constitutional Affairs Commonhold Consultation Group. He was also part a group advising the Law Commission on the reform of the law of easements and covenants. He is a co-editor of the Common Law World Review.
Since 1996, Clark has been a legal chairman for the Residential Property Tribunal Service (Rent Assessment Committees and Leasehold Valuation Tribunals) and was a consultant solicitor with Osborne Clarke from 1988 - 2009.
Clark was a school governor of Westbury Park Primary School in Bristol for four years and a Governor at Cotham School in Cotham for seven years, including a period as Chair of Governors.
Curriculum Vitae
Education State Primary Schools and The Lincoln School, Lincoln 1961-1968 Queens' College Cambridge, 1968β1972 Bachelor of Arts, University of Cambridge, First Class, 1971. MA, 1975 Master of Laws, University of Cambridge, First Class Admitted a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature 1975, with Honours
Employment history Legal Practice Articles of Clerkship, then Assistant Solicitor, with Messrs Andrew & Co, Solicitors, Lincoln 1973-1977
University of Bristol Lecturer in Law, 1977β1990 Senior Lecturer in Law, 1990β1994 Reader in Law, 1995β1996 Professor of Law, 1995-continues Pro Vice-Chancellor, 2005β2008 Deputy Vice-Chancellor, 2008-
Appointments Visiting appointments 1985, Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Visiting Lecturer, SPACE, University of Hong Kong, 1986, and annually from 1995 to 2004, for 2 weeks a year 1988β2009. Commercial property law consultant, Osborne Clarke, Solicitors, Bristol 1997-continues. Legal Chairman Rent Assessment Committees and Leasehold Valuation Tribunals (Part-time) 2000β2006, member of the Department of Constitutional Affairs Commonhold Consultation Groups, assessing and then monitoring the implementation of the new law of Commonhold 2002β2010. One of two academic members of the advisory committee to the Law Commission on the reform of easements.
University appointments and contributions
Legal adviser - University of Bristol Union, 1980β1983 Tutor for Postgraduate Admissions, Faculty of Law 1988-1989 Non-professorial member of Senate1988-1993 Tutor for Undergraduate Admissions, Faculty of Law 1990-1993 Convenor of the Non Professorial Assembly, 1990β91 Chair, Overseas Committee, 1991β1992 Non-professorial representative of Senate on Council 1990-1993 Member of Senate 1995-continues Head of Department of Law, 1997β2000 Dean of the Faculty of Law, 2001β2003 Chair, Travel to Work Group (TWIG) 2001-2004 Dean of Law, 2003β2004 Member of Council 1995-continues
Research He has published extensively in the field of Property Law generally, and Commercial Property, Landlord and Tenant and Commonhold in particular
External examining Periods as external examiner for: the University of Cambridge; University of Durham; University of Hull; University of Sheffield; University of Keele; University College London; Queen's University, Belfast; Newcastle University and the University of Law.
Community activities Governor of Westbury Park Primary School, 1992β1996 Governor of Cotham Grammar School, 1992β2000, Vice Chair of Governors, 1994β1996, Chair of Governors, 1996β1997. Trustee of Redland Chapel Charitable Trust. Clarke purchased Bark at 'Ee, part of the Gromit Unleashed sculpture collection, for Β£20,000. The oversized stuffed dog is displayed at the Willis Memorial Building on the Bristol University campus.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was David Clarke?
British legal academic
What was David Clarke's occupation?
David Clarke was a lawyer.
What nationality was David Clarke?
David Clarke was British.
Sources & further reading
Β· DBpedia: David Clarke (professor)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Clarke. https://biography.guide/david-clarke-lawyer/
MLA: "David Clarke." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-clarke-lawyer/.
Chicago: "David Clarke." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-clarke-lawyer/.
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