Why location of institute is so crucial when you pick law as career option
Five-Year Integrated Course Opens Up Opportunities, But Requires Legal Ecosystem
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:27.06.2019
The opportunities opened up by a law degree perhaps explain the rise in the number of candidates appearing for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the entrance exam for the 21 National Law Universities in India and 43 other law schools, and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Their expectations aren’t misplaced. A degree in law does put a young person at an advantage where career is concerned. However, it is key that aspirants choose the right law school and get the best out of a five-year integrated bachelor’s degree course in law.
While many universities across India, old and new, are offering a five-year integrated law degree, experts say that the location of the school, unlike for technical education, is crucial for a subject like legal education. For students of law, the ‘lab’ is outside the school and so the area counts. With internship compulsory, students need to be in an environment that provides legal events, seminars, conferences, and, of course, moot courts and internship outlets. These are essential for confidence building, networking and experiential learning.
Ved Kumari, former dean of law faculty, Delhi University, and a teacher of law since 1983, said, “When it comes to law education, it is better that the institute is in a place that is accessible and convenient for students because they have to travel a lot, even for internships. So the law institutes should be within a city and close to a court. Students are probably prepared to go anywhere for a good education, but for legal studies, they must choose some place accessible with all amenities.”
The quality of faculty is another key factor because the performance of teachers determines the students’ motivation to sustain five long years of studies. The School of Law at Bennett University offers two streams of five-year integrated courses. The BA LLB (Hons) has 14 papers for social sciences/ English and entrepreneurship for the BA degree component and 20 compulsory law papers, four clinical papers, six optional papers and eight honours specialisation papers for the LLB portion. Its counterpart, the BBA LLB programme has 14 non-law papers relating to business, the rest being the same as in the BA LLB (Hons) stream. The three-year LLB (Hons) introduced this year has a total of 40 law papers, including eight specialisations.
According to V C Vivekanandan, dean, School of Law, Bennett University, “Our faculty members are selected on the basis of their specialisations and are drawn from various national law schools and private institutions. Most of them are PhDs in law and many have published research papers. The school also invites legal experts who are academics, lawyers and policy researchers to deliver guest lectures.”
The dean also pointed out that the Bennett University law school was just 45 minutes away from Delhi and enjoyed year-round access to legal events in the capital. The presence of the Supreme Court and offices of reputed law firms in the city enhanced internship opportunities and participative learning outside the classroom. “The proximity to the legal ecosystem benefits the school because many legal luminaries are able to visit the school,” added Vivekanandan.
Another popular university offering five-year integrated courses in Delhi —BBA LLB and BA LLB — is Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Apart from the law department in the university, it also offers the law degree programme through its 12 affiliated colleges In addition, international collaboration and exchange tie-ups give the School of Law the edge in learning and in prospects for aspiring lawyers. Though a new law school, Bennett University enjoys a strong international collaboration. “The principal academic exchange programme is with Cornell School of Law, an Ivy League institution. This facilitates three faculties to visit the Bennett University law school every year for a short credit course. The agreement also has a provision for School of Law faculty to visit Cornell,” said Vivekanandan. The school is also in the process of tying up with around 25 other international law schools a semester-long student exchange from the fourth year of the degree courses.
DU also banks on similar global tie-ups in nations like Australia, Israel, South Africa and Malaysia. “Many of our students go abroad and exchange students come here,” said Kumari. “The problem is that we are yet to implement the choice-based credit system, so these international collaborations are not yet part of the course, but an extra.”
Five-Year Integrated Course Opens Up Opportunities, But Requires Legal Ecosystem
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:27.06.2019
The opportunities opened up by a law degree perhaps explain the rise in the number of candidates appearing for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), the entrance exam for the 21 National Law Universities in India and 43 other law schools, and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Their expectations aren’t misplaced. A degree in law does put a young person at an advantage where career is concerned. However, it is key that aspirants choose the right law school and get the best out of a five-year integrated bachelor’s degree course in law.
While many universities across India, old and new, are offering a five-year integrated law degree, experts say that the location of the school, unlike for technical education, is crucial for a subject like legal education. For students of law, the ‘lab’ is outside the school and so the area counts. With internship compulsory, students need to be in an environment that provides legal events, seminars, conferences, and, of course, moot courts and internship outlets. These are essential for confidence building, networking and experiential learning.
Ved Kumari, former dean of law faculty, Delhi University, and a teacher of law since 1983, said, “When it comes to law education, it is better that the institute is in a place that is accessible and convenient for students because they have to travel a lot, even for internships. So the law institutes should be within a city and close to a court. Students are probably prepared to go anywhere for a good education, but for legal studies, they must choose some place accessible with all amenities.”
The quality of faculty is another key factor because the performance of teachers determines the students’ motivation to sustain five long years of studies. The School of Law at Bennett University offers two streams of five-year integrated courses. The BA LLB (Hons) has 14 papers for social sciences/ English and entrepreneurship for the BA degree component and 20 compulsory law papers, four clinical papers, six optional papers and eight honours specialisation papers for the LLB portion. Its counterpart, the BBA LLB programme has 14 non-law papers relating to business, the rest being the same as in the BA LLB (Hons) stream. The three-year LLB (Hons) introduced this year has a total of 40 law papers, including eight specialisations.
According to V C Vivekanandan, dean, School of Law, Bennett University, “Our faculty members are selected on the basis of their specialisations and are drawn from various national law schools and private institutions. Most of them are PhDs in law and many have published research papers. The school also invites legal experts who are academics, lawyers and policy researchers to deliver guest lectures.”
The dean also pointed out that the Bennett University law school was just 45 minutes away from Delhi and enjoyed year-round access to legal events in the capital. The presence of the Supreme Court and offices of reputed law firms in the city enhanced internship opportunities and participative learning outside the classroom. “The proximity to the legal ecosystem benefits the school because many legal luminaries are able to visit the school,” added Vivekanandan.
Another popular university offering five-year integrated courses in Delhi —BBA LLB and BA LLB — is Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Apart from the law department in the university, it also offers the law degree programme through its 12 affiliated colleges In addition, international collaboration and exchange tie-ups give the School of Law the edge in learning and in prospects for aspiring lawyers. Though a new law school, Bennett University enjoys a strong international collaboration. “The principal academic exchange programme is with Cornell School of Law, an Ivy League institution. This facilitates three faculties to visit the Bennett University law school every year for a short credit course. The agreement also has a provision for School of Law faculty to visit Cornell,” said Vivekanandan. The school is also in the process of tying up with around 25 other international law schools a semester-long student exchange from the fourth year of the degree courses.
DU also banks on similar global tie-ups in nations like Australia, Israel, South Africa and Malaysia. “Many of our students go abroad and exchange students come here,” said Kumari. “The problem is that we are yet to implement the choice-based credit system, so these international collaborations are not yet part of the course, but an extra.”
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