Clare College elects next Master

Clare College has elected Lord Grabiner QC to succeed Professor Tony Badger as its next Master. 

Lord Grabiner will take up his role as Master in October 2014 with the start of next academic year.

Lord Grabiner, who became a life peer in 1999, was educated at the Central Foundation Boys’ School, Hackney, then at the London School of Economics (LSE) and also completed his LLM there in 1967. 

He has had a distinguished career as a barrister since first being called to the Bar in 1969 where he has practised continuously as a member of One Essex Court and is Head of Chambers.  He has represented, amongst others, HM Treasury, Apple, and Liverpool FC.

Lord Grabiner became a QC in 1981.  He is a Deputy High Court judge in the Chancery division and Commercial Court, and is also currently the Treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn.  He was Chairman of the LSE’s Court of Governors from 1998 to 2007, having been a governor at the school since the early 1990s.  He also lectured in Law at LSE and Queen Mary College, University of London, in the late sixties and early seventies.

Commenting on his election, Lord Grabiner said: ‘It is an honour to have been elected as the next Master of the lively academic community that is Clare College.  I aim to continue the excellent work carried out under Professor Tony Badger’s leadership in meeting the numerous challenges facing the College in the future, especially in ensuring that the college remains accessible to students of all social backgrounds.’

Clare College is the second oldest College of the University of Cambridge.  It was founded as University Hall in 1326 by Richard de Badew, then given an endowment and renamed by Lady Elizabeth de Clare, a granddaughter of Edward I, in 1338. 

It is now a community of nearly 1000 students, academics and staff.  Alumni include naturalist Sir David Attenborough, novelist Peter Ackroyd CBE, writer Allison Pearson, musicians Dr John Rutter CBE, Sir Roger Norrington and Sir Richard Stilgoe, and Nobel Prize winners Sir James Watson and Sir Tim Hunt.