Best Colleges 2014: NLSIU, Bangalore, reserves the top rank among Law colleges in India
Prestigious law schools break new ground and refashion courses to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving society. NLSIU spearheads the change.
Roopali Anand, 29, is no ordinary lawyer. A graduate from NUJS, Kolkata, Anand's clients include Dobermans, St. Bernards, Cocker Spaniels, Pomeranians and even the occasional Chihuahua. As an animal rights and law expert, her advice is frequently sought-after by distraught pet owners in Delhi who have been turned out by landlords for keeping pets, those fighting for custody of pets during a divorce case or simply cheated of valid pedigree certification.
"The concept of having people run to lawyers only in the case of criminal or corporate cases is fast changing. Today, one also enlists lawyers for medical, cyber, environmental, academic and social rights. Law schools need to adapt to meet this changing mindset by providing more specialised training," says R. Venkata Rao, vice-chancellor and professor of law at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore.
Keeping in mind the need for more specialised subjects, the last academic year saw a host of new programmes and diplomas introduced at all the top law schools in the country. Be it public policy at NLSIU, aviation law at NALSAR, entrepreneurship administration at NUJS or labour welfare laws at Symbiosis Society's Law College in Pune, law students have plenty to choose from today. And it doesn't end there. Law colleges are also actively promoting extracurricular activities such as moot court contests, field work, internships and journal writing.
Moot courts, a mock courtroom competition, in particular have captured the attention of law schools and last year saw NLSIU winning the coveted Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington. The college has laid special emphasis on promoting legal and social ethics. The NLSIU Legal Services Clinic won $5,000 from MacJannet Foundation for providing free legal services to the underprivileged in May. "This year we have also started a unique initiative. Every day a new thought is posted on the notice board. At the end of the year, all 365 thoughts are collated into a book and given to the graduating batch. This is because we want our lawyers to also retain their humane spirit. More than seeking a living, we teach them to seek a life here," adds Rao.
This year, the INDIA TODAY-Nielsen Best Colleges Survey's law rankings show nearly all colleges retaining their spot in the top 10. NLSIU has replaced NALSAR at number one and Faculty of Law at Banaras Hindu University has made it to the ninth spot from its number 11 position last year. University of Law at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, Bharti Vidyapeeth New Law College in Pune, Siddharth College of Law in Mumbai and BD Ambedkar Law College in Hyderabad are the four new entries in the top 25 list.