by Ashwini Kumar Singh
Director - DREDS
(District Rural Education Development Society)
Gopalganj, Bihar.
dredsgopalganj@hotmail.com
May. 8, 2004

Legal education should aim at promoting 'Justice' rather than just resolve disputes & improve relationship. The study of law in order to be meaningful has to be context of social realities.

In the era of specialization it is fruitful to concentrate on a career right after twelfth and the five-year course provides ample time to build a sound background in the subject and develop professionalism. The period of five year is sufficient for a law school to equip their students with professional-skills as per the market (social) demands.

The five-year law course was introduced in 1984 to attract brilliant students into the stream of legal studies. Bar Council of India, with the support of Govt. of Karnataka, started the National Law School Of India University, at Bangalore in 1987 as center of excellence. The idea of Bar Council of India was to make the study of law as prestigious and attractive as technological and management studies in the IITs & IIMs, which are India's premier institutes.

Originally Bar Council of India thought of having one National Law University for the whole country as a model, later the idea got greater acceptance among educationists & administrators to have at least one such National Law University in every state.

The admission process to these law schools/universities is almost same and based on a national level entrance test comprising of the following subjects:

(a) General Knowledge, (b) General English, (c) Legal Aptitude, (d) Reasoning, and (e) Essay (f) Elementary science

1. Significant legal events and developments
2. Current events of national and international importance
3. General Science
4. History of India
5. Geography
6. Indian Polity and Economy. Most Questions will be of multiple-choice answers. A few may be of subjective type and short notes on legal terms. (See with the admission notification)

THE NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITIES:

(a) National Law School Of India University: Established under the National Law School of India Act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986) on Aug., 29,1987. The first academic session commenced from 1988. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course.

Contact address. -National Law School Of India University
P.O. Bag 7201, Nagarbhavi
Bangalore - 560 072
India.

(b) National Academy of Legal studies and Research, Andhra Pradesh Act 34 of 1998. The first academic session commenced from 1998. It offers B.A., B.L. (Hons.) course.

Contact address. - Deputy Registrar
NALSAR University of Law
3-4-761, Barkatpura, Hyderabad - 500 027 A.P., India.
Email: admissions@nalsarlawuniv.org

(c) W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences. Established under the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences Act, 1999 (Act IX of 1999) by West Bengal Legislature in July 1999. The first academic session commenced from 1999. It offers B.A./B.Sc., LL.B (Hons.) courses.

Contact address - Salt Lake City, Kolkata, W.B.

(d) National Law Institute University, established under the Act No. 41 of 1997 of the Madhya Pradesh Legislature. The first academic session commenced from 1998. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course.

Contact address: Professional Examination Board, Chayan Bhawan, Main Road No.-1, Chinar Park (East); Bhopal.
E-mail: vyapam@mp.nic.in

(e) National Law University, established under the Act 22 of Rajasthan in Nov. 1999. The first academic session commenced from 2001. It offers B.A./B.Sc./B.B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) courses. It also offers B.Sc. (Hons), Environmental Science/ Bio-Technology/ Information Technology &Computer Application), LL.B. (Hons.)

Contact Add. - The Registrar
National Law University
NH-65, Nagour Road,
Mandore, Jodhpur - 342304 (Raj.) - India
Phone No. - 0291-2572530
Email: nlu-jod@raj.nic.in

(f) Hidayatullah National Law University, established under the Hidayatullah National University of Law, Chhattisgarh Act 2003. The first academic session commenced from 2003. It offers B.A./B.Sc., LL.B. (Hons.) courses.

Contact address - Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
Civil Line, Next to Raj Bhavan, Raipur (C.G.) 492 001
Phone No. 0771-5080114, 5080117, Fax - 771-5080118
Mobile: 98261 58910
Email : vc@hnluraipur.com , registrar@hnluraipur.com

(g) National Institute For Advanced Legal Studies, established by Bar Council of Kerala & Bar Council of Kerala Trust in 2002. It is presently affiliated to Cochin University Of Science & Technology. It is aimed to be transformed into a National Law University/ Deemed University very soon. The first academic session commenced from 2002. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course.

Contact Address - National Institute For Advanced Legal Studies,
Kaloor, Kochi - 682 017, Kerala
Tel: 0484 - 2337363
Email: nials@asianetindia.com

(h) Tamilnadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, established in October 1997 pursuant to the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University Act 1996. It is not a residential university like other law schools/universities. But since 2002,The School of Excellence In Law was established so as to develop it as a Premiere institution in the country for teaching law. The first academic session of the school commenced from 2002. It offers B.A.,B.L. (Hons.) course.

Contact address - The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
"Poompozhil" 5, Greenways Road,
Chennai-600 028.
Telephone: (044) 494 1212/494 1919
Fax: (044) 495 7414
E-mail: tandralu@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in

(i) Gujarat National Law University, established under Gujarat National Law University Act 2003, on 12 Mar. 2003. The first academic session commences from 2004. It offers B.A./B.Sc./B.Com., LL.B.(Hons.) courses.

Contact address - Gujarat National Law University
Old NIFT Building,
E-4 GIDC, Electronic Zone,
Gandhinagar - 382 028,
Gujarat, India

Besides these national level law universities/schools, there are various other universities offering five year integrated law course. Some of them are as follows:

Govt.Law College, (University of Bombay), Mumbai.
ILS Law College, ( Univ.of Pune), Pune.
Symbiosis Society's Law College, (SIEC-DU/ Univ.of Pune), Pune.
ICFAI Law College, ( ICFAI University), throughout India.
Amity Law School, (GGS Indraprastha Univ.), Delhi.
Army Institute of Law, (Punjabi University), Patiala.
Bishop Cotton Women's Christian Law College, (Univ. of B'lore),Banglore.
Dayanand Law College, (Shivaji University), Solapur, M.S.
Faculty of Law , (Goa University), Goa.
School of Law & Legal Studies, (G.G.S. Indraprastha University), Delhi-6.
IAMR College, (C.C.S University, Meerut), Gaziabad., U.P.
J.S.S Law College, (Mysore University), Mysore
University College of Law, ( Karnatak University), Dharwad
B.V.Bellad Law College, (Karnataka University), Belgaum.
Faculty of Law, (Aligarh Muslim University), Aligarh, U.P.
Faculty of Law, (Jamia Millia Islamia), Delhi-25.
National College of Law, ( Kovempu University), Simoga, KAR.
National Law College, (M.D.University,Rohtak), Sec-42 Gurgaon, HR.
Faculty of Law, (Mohan Lal Sukhadia University), Udaipur,Raj.
Faculty of Law, (Rani Durgawati Vishwavidhyalaya), Jabalpur, M.P.
University of Calcutta, Senate House, Kolkata- 73.
University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, W.B.
University Law College/ Madhusudan Law College, (Utkal University), Bhubaneswar-4.

Many affiliated college to above mentioned universities offer five year integrated law course. For details check with the respective universities.

So, the school leavers should not frustrate/confuse and opt for a career in law. The future is very bright in law. It is a very challenging and respectable job.