Page 15 - ParentsWorld March 2020 flipbuilder

SPECIAL ESSAY
Evolution of legal education

in India

rom Mahatma Gandhi to culture, a Global Library and Legal jurisdictional. JGLS has played a
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Resource Centre, participation in significant role here. It is through the
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, many of conferences, seminars, and public contribution of academicians like Prof.
Fthe nation’s leaders pursued lectures, international student Raj Kumar who took legal education
law overseas. Historically, most legal exchange programmes and summer from the domestic setting to make it
education for Indians happened outside schools at the world’s top universities, truly international. In its true sense,
India. At the time of independence, the national and international placement JGLS is not just an Indian law school,
government’s investment in higher opportunities, and importantly, a but an international law school.
education was oriented towards multidisciplinary backdrop. This The multidisciplinary advantage
setting up institutions of agriculture, improving quality and standard of A major shortcoming of many
medicine, and engineering. Good legal higher education brought private traditional style law schools and
education institutions were few and universities like JGU, Symbiosis, universities in India has been their
far. The field neither received much Nirma University, Christ University or single-faculty orientation. A holistic
priority nor garnered much interest. Bennett University to the foreground legal education seems to be rare. Law
It was only after the first five-year of legal education in India. is in its very nature a multidisciplinary
law programme was introduced by The explosion of new areas of legal subject. Universities like JGU have
National Law School, Bangalore in practice sorely needed new kinds of a significant advantage by being
1987 that the legal education scenario professionals and educators with an multidisciplinary. Law students can
started to change. Come 1991 and updated perspective to come into the explore an array of courses across
the New Economic Policy boosting picture. JGLS has roped in 328 faculty schools on international relations,
liberalisation and globalisation, the members from over 21 nationalities, business, liberal arts, journalism and
study and practice of law started to with specialised experience and more—which tremendously enrich
catch the country’s attention. The research expertise. Programmes at their learning experience. A good
corporate sector opened up, making JGLS include a three-year B.A. (Hons.) multidisciplinary education has the
way for many new legal roles. After the in Legal Studies, a five-year B.A. LL.B. effect of bringing out the best in a
year 2000 and the budding of private (Hons.) and BBA LL.B. (Hons.), a student. Students have the opportunity
universities in the country, private law three-year LL.B. programme and a to discover more. Their learnings
schools gained prominence. one-year LL.M. programme. transcend disciplines. Their journey
Emergence of private law colleges Boom of legal professions carries them over into new and exciting
In 2009, Jindal Global Law School From the narrow framework of adventures—and they are prepared for
was set up as the first school of O.P. courtroom practice, limited judicial it. They gain giving an unparalleled
Jindal Global University in Sonipat, positions and legal roles, the range edge over their peers who might study
Haryana—a private, not-for-profit of legal professions has been on a law in isolation.
philanthropic initiative. It was the steady rise. There is the popular Future of legal roles
idea and endeavor of lawyer and pick of corporate law, in all its glory. The future of law and legal education
academician, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Transactional law, taxation law, looks bright. With each passing year
Kumar, and the philanthropic effort competition law, consumer law, cyber and more development in the society
of industrialist and Chancellor, Mr. law, and newer fields like sports law, and economy, the role of lawyers, which
Naveen Jindal, to establish a world- aviation law, or maritime law have has already come to the center-stage,
class university in India. developed as niche areas. Until the turn will become even more critical. Every
JGLS was a significant departure of the 21st century, there were merely business decision, every economic
from the traditional legal education four or five law firms dealing with decision in the country, every step in
system in the country. It aimed to intellectual property rights. Today, politics or society, will all require legal
put an Indian law school in the global there are over 200 dedicated firms. vetting. Lawyers have already assumed
league. Today, just 11 years later, it is In the modern world, law is no important roles, and this is only going
indeed living up to the expectations. longer a domestic study. Law is a to expand.
What made this possible? World- global study, a global practice and a
class faculty, academic freedom, a global profession. Good law schools Professor Arjya B. Majumdar
philanthropic approach, a global are shifting gears to nurture lawyers Director- Admissions & Outreach,
curriculum, a vibrant mooting who are highly trained to be multi- O.P. Jindal Global University

PARENTSWORLD MARCH 2020