NLSIU is still the best among legal education because of its tough examination procedure
Bred on greatness, NLSIU in Bengaluru is a blend of academically forthright and culturally diverse practices.
In less than two decades since its establishment in 1987, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) has risen to the top spot among premier institutions of legal education in the country. Only the best and the brightest make the cut here-just 55 of the 40,000 plus that apply to be admitted each year.
R. Venkata Rao, 62, professor and vice chancellor of the Bengaluru-based University doesn't believe in defining boundaries for his students. "They are free to pursue their interests on campus. We have an open culture that makes students want to put their talents to the test," Rao says it is this unique character at NLSIU that has helped its alumni shine academically as well as professionally.
And it is evidently working. NLSIU students are way ahead of the pack-winning awards, scoring easy victories at moot court contests, winning international scholarships and being coveted for the best legal partnerships (firms) and as judicial officers through placements.
It is mandatory for all students-undergraduate and graduate-to stay on campus, flung out over 23 resplendent acres. Rao and his colleagues say this helps inculcate study patterns that extend beyond ordinary school hours.
NLSIU's Student Bar Association enjoys a healthy autonomy and is responsible for the formation of 12 Activity Based Committees (ABCs) designed to give resident students exposure to the nitty-gritty of the profession alongside academics. The ABCs organise a wide range of on-campus and inter-institutional activities through the academic year. Over the years, each ABC has pioneered activities that are now almost legend in the legal fraternity. The activities have helped equip students plan their academic pursuits and align them with their individual career goals.
Afternoons on campus find young, driven, aspiring lawyers engaging furiously with a variety of sectoral experts-from rural development to politics and agriculture or even media. The idea, Rao says, is to give students varied exposure. "And they love it here," he says emphasising the continual endeavour to create a "homely atmosphere on campus." Imbibing the ease, comfort and individualistic vibe of the average American varsity campus, NLSIU prescribes no formal dress codes. Casuals, even shorts, are acceptable in classrooms and anywhere on campus.
NLSIU's course design allow law firms and corporate houses that participate in the annual placement process to scrutinise individual students' progress and academic growth from the first year. "It is important that the students demonstrate their capabilities beyond academics during their stay here. Each of them has won laurels for the institution," says Rao.
From the Class of 2016, all 47 law graduates who opted for placement this May were picked by ICICI, Deutsche Bank, KPMG, Monitor Deloitte, Khaitan & Co and some of the country's top law firms. While the average annual salary package offered this year was Rs. 14.5 lakh, Khaitan & Co hired one graduate at Rs 16.4 lakh.
Nineteen of the 66-man 2016 batch interestingly, chose to not sit for the campus placements, opting instead to pursue further study, a crack at the civil service examinations or setting up an independent practice. A few students also opted to be a part of the voluntary sector. Anil Pulickel, for instance, has accepted a fellowship from PRS Legislative Research, a non-profit group that sponsors young graduates and offers them opportunities to work as legislative assistants to Members of Parliament.
Vice chancellor Rao says he is heartened to see his students take independent and informed decisions in pursuit of their individual aspirations. "We encourage this and that is why you see our graduates becoming IAS officers or advocate generals," he says with just a touch of pride.
Over the 19 years that it's been around, NLSIU has curated what could be one of the finest law libraries in the country, set up with the support of Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. The Narayan Rao Melgiri Memorial National Law Library, open through the day right upto 3:00 am, predictably attracts its maximum users after dusk: "The day is for schoolwork? this is after-schoolwork."
At the end of the day, NLSIU is a great place to be. Here, students get to interact and engage with the finest minds in contemporary history, economics, politics, journalism, science-it is among the best places to be to for a wholesome campus experience culminating in a job or an independent practice.
Follow the writer on Twitter @ashimisra
EXPERT COMMENT
Justice doesn't just happen-it takes intelligence, grit, sometimes leaps of faith to help create it.
Justice and its imperfect expression in law is a necessary condition of human existence. Laws are passed often without regard to constitutional principles. There are imbalances in the system; with the number of judges, policemen and witness protection resources we have per capita of population, rule of law can be somewhat thin on the ground.
Bringing the two closer together is the reason for my being a lawyer.
Law can be a high-impact profession. Whether winning damages against Spice Jet for discriminating against a disabled person or a tax matter that has been incorrectly evaluated, you often see judgment delivered immediately and that is deeply rewarding in a world that's otherwise slow to change.
The litigation life itself takes persistence; cases take a while to decide, and an investment of six to ten years before it gets financially rewarding. The metaphorical buck stops with you as soon as you set up your own practise, though the upside is the joy of being the ultimate decision maker. It's something few litigators are able to leave behind once they have tasted it: working on cases that fit individual talents, interests and values, deciding how you work, when you work, the intellectual thrill of finding an argument that might be that hole-in-one.
For those who don't have the appetite for risk or the intellectual bent it takes to be a litigator, law firm practise provides a regular income, less pressure and the ability to support businesses as they are being built and before they run into trouble.
My heroes in the legal world are people of integrity, brilliance and the persistence to see things through: Justice Ruma Pal for her mastery of commercial issues, Justice Gabrielle Kirk McDonald for bringing redress for sexual assault survivors in war, legal researcher Usha Ramanathan for her incredible sharpness, Justice Uday Lalit for his compassion and dedication to the law and Fali Nariman for his commitment to free speech issues. Younger lawyers who are contributing to constitutional rights include Aparna Bhat, Rahul Narayan, Aneetha Abraham, Gautam Bhatia and Swati Sukumar.
As in any profession, marrying your public goals to your private values is vital. After 15 years as a lawyer, what is it you wanted to achieve? What are your values and how do you want to relate to the world? Do you enjoy reading, thinking and arguing or would you prefer to support the growth of an enterprise? How much uncertainty can you take, how much entrepreneurial drive do you have to build a practise?
Law school for five years is quite a large investment. Before he/she begins, I'd urge the aspirant to try and intern for at least for two days. Just sit at a lawyer's office, go to court and see some hearings and go to a law firm. Secondly, when in law school, he/she must learn the law and gain a critical appreciation of the power and political context within which the law operates.
Some of the best lawyers and judges know and apply the black letter law, also see the larger constitutional setting and power imbalances in which the law and facts operate. They are therefore able to do justice more closely in the case before them.
That's how you make beauty.