Graham Virgo

Graham John Virgo (born 8 June 1966) is an English legal academic, barrister and university administrator, who is Professor of English Private Law at the University of Cambridge and Master of Downing College, Cambridge.

He is frequently cited in the English courts and those of other common law jurisdictions, and known for his contributions to the law of restitution and the teaching of law.

He was previously Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cambridge and assumed the role of Master of Downing College, Cambridge, on 1 October 2023.

Virgo completed his secondary education at John Cleveland College (now The Hinckley School), a comprehensive school in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

In 1983, he applied to read law at Downing College, Cambridge, where he was interviewed by Charles Harpum, John Hopkins, and David Lloyd Jones.

Later, Hopkins suggested that Virgo consider Coward Chance (which in 1987 merged with Clifford Turner to form Clifford Chance) as a firm to work for.

Virgo graduated from Cambridge in 1987 with first-class honours.

The following year, he graduated at the top of his class from Christ Church, Oxford with a first-class honours BCL degree, and winning the Vinerian Scholarship.

Upon graduation, Virgo decided on a career at the Bar, but while at Bar school, he received a letter from Hopkins suggesting that he return to Downing College to teach, which he accepted.

In 2002, he was awarded the Pilkington Prize from the University of Cambridge in recognition of outstanding teaching in Law.

In 2003, Virgo was promoted to Reader in Law.

On 1 April 2003, he was appointed Senior Tutor of Downing College, a role which gave him responsibility over both educational matters and the overall well-being of the students at the College.

In 2004, he was appointed Director of Studies for Law at Downing College.

In 2007, he was appointed to a personal Professorship of English Private Law at the University of Cambridge.

In 2008, he was elected an Academic Bencher at Lincoln's Inn.

In 2009, he delivered a paper at the Law Society of England and Wales titled The Law of Unjust Enrichment in the House of Lords: Judging the Judges.

Virgo is credited with contributions to the growing law of restitution in the United Kingdom.

In 2012, he was appointed Deputy Chair of the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge.

He stayed in this role until 2013.

When he stepped down as Senior Tutor, he described the students of Downing College as having made his time as Senior Tutor "the happiest of [his] life".

In 2013, Virgo engaged in a debate with Lord Sumption at the University of Cambridge on the topic "Those Who Wish to Practise Law Should Not Study Law at University", arguing against the motion.

That year, Virgo was also a finalist for both the OUP Law Teacher of the Year and the LawCareers.net Law Teacher of the Year Award.

He stepped down from this role in 2014.

Virgo's research interests are in criminal law, restitution, the law of contract, equity and trusts.

He described the decision of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in Bank of Cyprus UK Ltd v Menelaou as "the worst decision in the history of the Supreme Court, betraying such ignorance of the law and legal principle and such confusion about the nature of judging", prompting Lord Neuberger, who had delivered the leading judgment, to lament the article as "over-the top" in his retirement lecture at Oxford.

In 2014, he was the Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Law Fellow at the University of Melbourne law school.

He stepped down as Director of Studies in 2014.

He was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Education in 2014, with responsibility for developing education policy and strategy for the University.

Virgo has addressed problems of sexual misconduct within the University of Cambridge and suggested that the University may phase out the traditional academic 1st/2.i/2.ii/3rd system with a US-style GPA system in an attempt to stem grade inflation.

Virgo was the New Zealand Law Foundation's Distinguished Visiting Fellow in 2016, during which he gave lectures at various universities including the University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, University of Otago and University of Waikato.

In 2017, he was appointed Queen's counsel (honoris causa) in recognition of his work in restitution.

In 2017, when he was appointed Queen's counsel (honoris causa), the announcement celebrated his "significant contribution to the teaching of law."

On 30 November 2022 Downing College announced that Virgo would succeed Alan Bookbinder as Master of the College on 1 October 2023.

In 2019, he was the Jones Day Visiting Professor in Commercial Law at Singapore Management University.

His work has been frequently cited in the English courts, including in the Supreme Court, and has shaped the direction of the law of unjust enrichment, mistake, and other related areas of restitution.

Virgo has described his teaching and pastoral style as being influenced by his former Tutor, John Hopkins.

In particular, he describes having learnt how to interview, supervise, and develop a genuine fondness for his students from him.

In 2019, Virgo was criticised after he was reported to have said that the Lack of Afro-Caribbean hairdressers in Cambridge led to fewer black students to apply to the University, although he later said his remarks had been misunderstood.

In 2021, Virgo was criticized by Professor David Abulafia, emeritus professor of Mediterranean history at the University of Cambridge, for his support of the "Report+Support" university reporting system, which allowed users to anonymously report members of the University for 'micro-aggressions' before it was withdrawn by the University.

He is keenly interested in drama and is the Vice-Chair of the dramatic society the Gamlingay Players.