In March 2007, Hai Wen, then Vice President of Peking University and Chancellor of PKU Shenzhen Graduate School, invited Jeffrey Lehman, the 11th President of Cornell University and professor of law, to China to jointly establish Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL).

In August 2007, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council approved the pilot program proposed by Peking University to cultivate the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, marking the initiation of China's first J.D. program. Peking University appointed Professor Jeffrey Lehman, former President of Cornell University and former Dean of the University of Michigan Law School, as the founding dean.

The following year, STL enrolled its first batch of 54 students.

Two months after the inaugural class commenced, on October 22, 2008, STL held its dedication ceremony. In addition to senior leaders from PKU and the city of Shenzhen, many dignitaries attended STL’s dedication ceremony, including:

•     Tung Chee Hwa, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former Chief Executive of Hong Kong;

•     Anthony Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States;

•     Zou Yu, former Minister of Justice of China ;

•     Andrew Li, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong;

•     Shi Shaoxia, President of the National Prosecutors College;

•     Jiang Ping, Emeritus Professor and former President of the China University of Politics and Law;

•     Robert Goldberg, Consul General of the United States;

•     Stewart Schwab, Dean of the School of Law of Cornell University;

•     Wang Chengguang, former Dean of the School of Law of Tsinghua University;

    and many other celebrities from communities of law and economy in both the U.S. and China.

In the spring of 2009, Stephen Yandle, the former Associate Dean of Yale Law School, joined STL as the Associate Dean, responsible for academic affairs. Together with Jeffrey Lehman, Yandle developed the curriculum for STL's J.D. program and assembled the initial teaching team. In 2010 and 2011, Francis Snyder, Ray Campbell, Douglas Levene, Mark Feldman, and Sang Yop Kang joined STL successively. These professors have significantly contributed to the growth and development of STL and have remained with the school ever since (with Douglas Levene retiring in 2022).

On September 21, 2011, the groundbreaking ceremony for STL New building took place.

In 2013, Professor Philip McConnaughay assumed the role of the second dean at STL. His dedication was instrumental in establishing a more robust and sustainable teaching framework. Making adjustments to the academic calendar, the yearly six teaching modules transitioned to four quarters. This restructuring also involved a commitment to assemble a team of resident educators, incorporating experts in Chinese law. 

The pivotal moment arrived in 2014 when Mao Shiaowei, a Ph.D. graduate from PKU Law School, joined STL. His arrival signified a transformative phase in Chinese law education within STL. Under his guidance, STL pioneered a groundbreaking Master's program in Chinese law, concentrating on fundamental sectoral legal principles. This program introduced specialized courses in case studies, legal research, and writing skills, prioritizing the development of both intellectual and practical abilities. 

Concurrently, STL revolutionized its approach to Chinese law education, introducing innovative case-based courses and methodologies. The emphasis was on bolstering practical legal skills essential for professional practice. With a curriculum encompassing Chinese law, American law, and transnational law, STL has successfully nurtured a multitude of exceptional cross-border legal practitioners. 

STL celebrated the opening of its new “STL Building” with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 20, 2017. The event marked a major milestone for the STL community and introduced a new landmark on Peking University’s Shenzhen Graduate Campus (PKUSZ).

STL Building was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), one of the world’s premier architectural firms, in cooperation with Shenzhen-based Huasen Architectural & Engineering Consultants Ltd.

Located immediately between the beautifully restored Dashahe River Parkway and the PKUSZ campus central plaza, the STL Building serves as the gateway for the PKUSZ campus. The centerpiece of the new building is a grand tiered atrium with spectacular outward views of the landscaped pathway running the length of the Dashahe River. Additional building features include one 100-person classroom that can be converted into a high-tech moot courtroom; three additional 100-person classrooms; an on-site law library equipped with the latest in digital research platforms; four 60-person classrooms; four 20-person classrooms; several intimate seminar rooms; legal clinic and student organizations suites; outdoor terraces and reading gardens; highly functional faculty and administrative offices; and abundant student study space. The building represents a place for intellectual discourse, friendships forged and memories made.

In August 2023, Professor Mark Feldman stepped into the role of Interim Dean after more than a decade of dedicated service at STL. This year, 2023, marked a momentous occasion as it celebrated the 15th anniversary of STL. Throughout these 15 years, STL has attained remarkable milestones, including the establishment of an esteemed international resident faculty, a relocation to a state-of-the-art teaching facility, the launch of LL.M. programs catering to international students as well as those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and a near tripling of enrollment in the J.D./J.M. dual-degree program. STL now has more than 1,000 alumni, many of whom are serving in leadership positions in global law firms, multinational enterprises, international organizations and government.