"Law school taught me one thing: how to take two situations that are exactly the same and show how they are different" |
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>>Common Admission Test for LAW on May 11 |
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New Delhi, Fri, 11 Jan 2008 NI Wire |
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To rationalise legal education in India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to conduct a common entrance test for the seven national law universities from this year onwards. UGC reached to the consensus after a series of discussion with the Union Ministry of Human source and Development driven by Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Supreme Court the meeting with the Vice Chancellors of seven law institutes was able to give this Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) a structure to fit into the students' demand of a common test. The decision came on Thursday by the core and the implementation committees of seven National Law Universities under the Chairmanship of UGC Vice Chairperson, Prof. Mool Chand Sharma. CLAT will be held on May 11 at 19 centres across the country. The two-hour CLAT will consist of objective-type questions on English Language, General Knowledge, Basic Mathematics, Legal and Logical reasoning. There will be rotation basis for holding the exam every year depending on the seniority, this time National Law Institute, Bangalore will get to hold exam and the Vice Chancellor of NLS will be convenor of this year’s CLAT. The brochure containing all the information of the seven universities, courses, and eligibility criteria will be published and more details will be available on www.clat.ac.in from January 25. The advertisement of the exam is slated to be released by the end of January. Vice Chairman of UGC on Thursday said, The Combined Admission Test and the IIT Joint Entrance Exam are models we wanted to study. Officials from the institutes were involved in the discussions preceding this decision. There is likely to be a meeting with the Bar Council of India to insist on the change of curriculum, which has remained stagnant for over a period of time. The test centres for CLAT would also be set up in Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Shillong, Jammu, Guwahati, Patna , Jaipur, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar including the seven National Law Schools at Bangalore , Hyderabad , Kolkata, Raipur , Bhopal , Gandhinagar, and Jodhpur . Thus, CLAT has not only simplified the students’ dilemma because of the clash of the date of the tests and hectic period of travelling but is also treading on the same path to set an example with the likes of India's premier institutes of technology and management IITs and IIMs. |
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>>Other universities accept CLAT scores |
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Chanakya National Law University, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University will also accept the scores of CLAT for admission though they are not a part of CLAT this year. |
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>>30 percent reservation for women at national law colleges |
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Though the parliament is still in dilemma over the issue of one- third reservations for women, country's top national level law colleges are all unanimous to introduce 30% reservation for women candidates from the next academic year. |
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The major judgment taken by the seven premier law colleges in the country comes in the backdrop of their decision to conduct a Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admission to their LLB and LLM courses on May 11, 2008. Prior to this, all national law colleges used to conduct their own entrance tests to for short-listing aspirants for their respective courses. Women candidates will not be able to get seats if their qualifying marks are less than 50%, irrespective of their performance in Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). |
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>>'National Law School of Delhi University Bill 2007' gets >>approval |
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In a significant move aimed at setting up a full-fledged institute for legal education in the capital, the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday passed the National Law School of Delhi University Bill 2007. The new law school would be set up on the lines of National Law School of Bangalore.
The National Law School of Delhi will be located in an integrated complex at Dwarka along with the National Institute of Mediation and Conciliation and the Delhi Judicial Academy, which are also proposed to be set up there.
During the approval of the bill, chief minister Sheila Dikshit said, "A legal educational facility on the lines of the national law schools like the one at Bangalore is much required in Delhi."
"Legal education in India has witnessed significant developments in the past two decades owing primarily to the national law schools that have been established in some of the state capitals. The first national law school in Bangalore was set-up in 1986," the CM added in the House.
Another bill pertaining to Dr B R Ambedkar University was also introduced in the House yesterday. Its final nod might take the next two days of the session. |
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>>Top corporate law firms increase salaries for fresh graduates |
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New Delhi: Taking cue from their foreign counterparts, top corporate law firms in the country have begun offering fresh law graduates 30-50% higher salaries than last year. They could go up to as much as Rs12 lakh a year, two-thirds more than what is expected to be paid to the top talent graduating from the Indian Institutes of Technology ( IITs), but around Rs14-19 lakh less than the graduates from the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), in 2008.
Like other professional services, such as engineers and doctors, the legal profession in India is too witnessing a shortage of personnel. The competition for talent has become more acute in the last two years, with international law firms also joining the recruitment drive.
 Getting their due: With Indian companies loosening their purse strings, young lawyers such as these at a law firm in New Delhi, are being tempted to stay back in the country and not seek greener pastures abroad. (Photo: Madhu Kapparath/ Mint)
Foreign law firms are not allowed a direct presence in India. But the government is seeking to clear the way for foreign law firms to practice in the country.
“Our work is increasing by leaps and bounds and we need fresh intellectual output. But only few graduates, say two-three, who are exceptionally good and are from top law schools, are being offered these high salaries,” explains Anand Prasad, partner at law firm Trilegal.
Rajiv Luthra, founder and managing partner at law firm Luthra and Luthra, attributes the jump in offers to increasing competition between law firms in India. Confirming that his firm was offering higher salaries, Rs10.8-12 lakh, to fresh recruits this year, Luthra maintained that this was only an increase of 5-10% over what they had offered last year.
“It is what the market asks for,” he added.
There are around 700 law colleges, 400 universities, including those with deemed status, and 13 autonomous universities, such as Bangalore-based National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Kolkata-based West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences and Hyderabad-based National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (Nalsar). Around 250,000 students graduate from these law schools every year.
According to Roshan Gopalakrishna, a member of NLSIU’s recruitment co-ordination panel, an autonomous body of students that organizes placement drives, hiring by foreign firms from top law schools has been completed and that by their Indian counterparts will begin by April.
Neha Mishra, 23, a final year student at NLSIU, was made an offer by international law firm Herbert Smith Llp. “I’m still considering the Herbert Smith offer. Whether I choose to work in India or abroad, the quality of work will be good both ways,” she said. |
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Around 250,000 people pass from 700 law schools, 400 universities, 13 autonomous bodies a year |
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With Indian firms loosening their purse strings, students are being tempted to stay back here. If it does pan out, then this would reverse the trend in the last two years, when several young lawyers and fresh law graduates will choose to join law firms overseas.
Last year, a little more than one-quarter of students from top law schools such as NLSIU and Nalsar left to join foreign firms overseas after their graduation.
“Even young associates from law firms left to join foreign firms or pursue higher studies abroad,” said Ranbir Singh, vice-chancellor, Nalsar.
According to Singh, the increase in salaries by domestic law firms is a reaction to the loss of talent overseas. “The foreign firms are a forward looking people,” he added, drawing a parallel to the scenario when Indian engineers went to Silicon Valley in the 1990s and later relocated to new offices set up in Bangalore and Hyderabad once the markets opened up in India.
Arguing similarly, Prasad believes that Indian law firms are also gearing up to tackle the impact of the entry of foreign law firms. “When some foreign firms come in, they will merge with or acquire Indian firms. Indian firms could also be raising their pay scales to prepare for this,” he added.
Some believe that progressively, top talent from Indian educational institutions offering professional courses, and is considered equally employable as their counterparts from international schools.
”There should be a jump in salaries offered to our students since companies consider them at par with graduates from the best business schools of the world,” said P.K. Sinha, chairman (placement committee), IIM Ahmedabad.
According to Vishal Chhiber, head (human resources), Kelly Services India Pvt. Ltd, a global staffing firm, starting salaries for management graduates from leading B-schools in 2008 may range from Rs14-19 lakh a year. For IIT graduates in 2008, starting salaries are projected at Rs7-8 lakh per year, while students from regional engineering colleges can expect Rs3-5 lakh a year.
Nalsar’s Singh, too, believes that like students from IITs and IIMs, students from top law schools are considered as brilliant as the best legal talent abroad. Corporate lawyers reckon that this increase in salaries for fresh graduates will lead to a revision of fees across the firms and as a ripple effect increase salaries of associates at law firms. |
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>>Hyderabad team bags prize at moot court competition |
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The Hindu.Monday, Jan 21, 2008. Staff Reporter
A glimpse into simulated court proceedings |
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 Madras High Court judge M. Jaichandren giving away the award to the team from Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, winners of the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition for India South, at the University of Madras on Sunday. |
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CHENNAI: The team from the Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, was declared the winner at the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition for India South at the Madras University here on Sunday. This international law mooting competition is organised by the International Law Students Association. Winning teams from various countries would participate at the International rounds at Washington D.C. in April 2008. David Ambrose, lecturer, Department of Legal Studies, said teams had argued about issues around a moot problem in international law. Madras University Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandran recalled that the Legal Studies Department in the University has been granted permission to re-start courses suspended following the setting up of law universities. Moot court competitions were an opportunity for law students to take part in simulated court proceedings, he said. Alan Tan Khee Jin, Vice Dean, National University of Singapore, said his university would offer scholarships to the best speakers in the India South and North finals. M. Jaichandren, judge, Madras High Court, said the moot court competition is significant for its role in shaping future lawyers. |
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>>Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGIU) Common Entrance Test (CET – 2008) |
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BA, LLB (Hons) - 29 May, 2008 (Thursday) from 2.00 – 4.30 p.m. |
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L-School listing |
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L-School admissions |
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L-School notification |
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