The Institute of Government and Law Reform (IGLR), formerly the Division of Research and Law Reform (DRLR), was one of the four original divisions of the UP Law Center which was created on 12 June 1964 through Republic Act No. 3870 to be the think tank or brain trust of the government on matters of law and policy. The other divisions were the Division of Continuing Legal Education, Division of Publications, and the Administrative Division. 

During the 1021st meeting of the UP Board of Regents on 29 May 1989, it approved the Resolution Reorganizing the UP Law Complex consisting of the UP College of Law and the UP Law Center. As a result, the DRLR became the IGLR. Its first Director was Dr. Melquiades Gamboa, while its first Assistant Director was Prof. Jose Laureta. Its first two Research Associates were Attys. Merlin Magallona and Haydee Yorac.

In the 1960-1970s, the IGLR spearheaded the UP Law Constitutional Revision Project. After one and a half years, the Project resulted in a draft constitution for the consideration of the 1971 Constitutional Convention. The same draft was used by the 1986 Constitutional Commission for the 1987 Philippine Constitution. 

Over the last few years, the IGLR has partnered, among others, with the House of Representatives, Philippine Judicial Academy, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, Food and Drug Administration, Land Registration Authority, Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police, Judge Advocate General Service Reserve, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, and the International and Iberico-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies in order to help bring about a better world.