Way back in 1989, the locos Sur Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed SP Res. No. 180 s. 1989 requesting the University through the Board of Regents (BOR) to establish the College of Law and College of Health Sciences. The UNP BOR approved the resolution in November 1989, provided, a feasibility study be prepared. So, a feasibility study was prepared by the UNP Center for Research. However, in the summer of 1990, Senators Mercado and Sotto, and then DOH Secretary Flavier decided that the CHS was more urgent. Thus, the plan to put up the College of Law was shelved.

In 1999, President Lauro Tacbas instructed the Office of the Vice President for Planning, Research and Extension to update the feasibility study. Thus, a survey was conducted among UNP graduates and employees of the government offices in Metro Vigan. The results showed an overwhelming desire to establish a College of Law.

On June 8, 2001, the executive summary of the feasibility study to establish the College of Law was presented and approved by the Academic Council. Two weeks after, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Ilocos Sur prepared a resolution endorsing the establishment of the College of Law and stipulating its unconditional support to make available its resources, such as lawyers who would become professors and its library. It prepared the curriculum including the syllabi and provided the list of faculty.

On July 30, 2001, President Tacbas submitted the proposal to the UNP BOR for deliberation. Two recommendations were made. The first was the need for an assessment of the readiness of the proposed program by the Technical Panel for Legal Education (TPLE). The second was the need to secure the financial commitment of the Provincial Government to support the program.

On September 23, 2001, the TPLE came to assess the proposed program. On February 1 2002, the TPLE gave its favorable endorsement of the proposed program to the UNP BOR. At almost the same time, the Governor of locos Sur magnanimously granted the request of President Tacbas for financial assistance in the amount of 1 million annually.

On May 2002, Retired Justice Amante O. Alconcel donated his law books, including his Supreme Court Report Annotated (SCRA) to serve as fountain of wisdom to the future lawyers of the province. With the two requirements adequately secured, President Tacbas requested the Board to finally approve the proposal to establish the College of Law.

On March 5, 2002, through Board Resolution No. 13 s. 2002, the UNP BOR approved the establishment of the College of Law. In the second week of May of the same year, President Tacbas constituted the Admission Committee. The Committee recommended to the University President that the Center for Educational Measurement be tapped in the conduct of the admission test.