Arnold Duncan McNair, 1st Baron McNair (4 March 1885 – 22 May 1975) was a British jurist and judge of the International Court of Justice and later the first president of the European Court of Human Rights.
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Early life and education
McNair was born in Highbury Fields, London. The eldest son of John McNair and Jeannie Ballantyne; his mother was a teacher and his father a member of Lloyd's. McNair was educated at Aldenham School. He left school at 17 to join his sick uncle who was a solicitor; he took his solicitor exams and qualified as a solicitor in 1906. After four years, his uncle's health improved and McNair applied to the University of Cambridge. He was accepted and won a classical scholarship for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; he took the law tripos in 1907 and 1908. While at Cambridge, he developed a close relationship with W. W. Buckland. He achieved a double first in both parts of the law tripos. From Cambridge, he took an LLB in 1909, an LLM in 1913, an MA in 1919 and an LLD in 1925. From 1907 to 1908 he was Secretary of Cambridge University Liberal Club, and in 1909 he was President of the Cambridge Union.