Need for pragmatic changes in legal studies

Law transcended local and political limits and has become an economic necessity (Roscoe Pound). The primary objective of Legal Education is to create Legal professionals. Legal education should aim at furnishing skills, competence, basic philosophies and ideologies for the creation and maintenance of a just society. The curriculum of legal education should aim to ensure justice and create equality.

There is a need for systematic instructional design- performance analysis, task analysis, skill analysis, and writing performance analysis. Legal education should be able to meet the ever-growing demands of society and should be thoroughly equipped to cater to the complexities of different situations. (Manubhai Vashi Vs. The state of Maharashtra)

The omnipresent Law Schools in India need/ require physical infrastructure and financial resources. It also calls for enabling the PPP framework to ensure government-managed Law Schools become modernised. There has to be a sine qua non-partnership between bar, bench, and academia in the management of legal education.

Admissions to Law Schools should be made competitive and seats should not be only filled for money-making. Education cannot be allowed to be converted into commerce (Unni Krishnan, J.P. v. State of A.P.). Admission should be based on merit and not mere ability to pay. The country would have not got an Ambedkar if not for Gaekwad. Philanthropy from Industry, from academics like Vice-Chancellors, Deans, and Chancellors should be instituted without fail to make sure the legal talent of this country gets the best legal education.

It also needs the Office of Inclusivity to work alongside the office of admissions to ensure law schools promote diversity. This should work in tandem with organisations like IDIA & BNA amongst others. The Office of Incubation Centre for Entrepreneurship (IICE) should be entrusted with promoting startup cultures in Law Schools. A separate budget should be assigned by the Bar Council of India.

We should have an accelerated 2-year LLB Programme in India, a 2-year LLB programme will allow students to finish their degree at the same time as their 5 years integrated law degree peers, Law Schools can envisage an apprenticeship programme for 2 years LLB students wherein they utilize the saved 1 year. This 1 year can be further divided into 6 months (Practical skills training) and -6 months (to learn soft skills). There is no better way to exercise imagination than the study of the law (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

(The author is the Assistant Dean, Assistant Professor & Associate Director- Admissions & Outreach at IFIM Law School)