inns of court

plural noun

1. the four voluntary legal societies in England (Lincoln’s Inn, the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple, and Gray’s Inn) that have the exclusive privilege of calling candidates to the English bar after they have received such instruction and taken such examinations as the Inns provide.
2. the buildings owned and used by the Inns.

pl n

1. (in England) the four private unincorporated societies in London that function as a law school and have the exclusive privilege of calling candidates to the English barSee Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Gray’s Inn