The proverbial “best” law college may not be the best for you. There are myriad factors to be considered as you embark on the journey of choosing the right law college…
In India, over the past few decades, perception towards legal education has undergone a paradigm shift as increasing number of students are seeking law as a serious career option. Today, we can boast of some of the best law colleges. However, it should be borne in mind that simply selecting the “best” college may not always be advisable; rather choosing the college that is right for you, is the key. The process of applying to colleges begins and ends with critical decisions about which law college to attend. Since most law colleges in India now offer a unique combination of subjects and features, a prospective law student needs to spend time gathering reliable information in order to successfully identify the college(s) best suited to the individual goals/requirements. Selecting the right law college with ‘good faculty and infrastructure’ is the first step towards giving an edge to a career in law.
Quality or standard of education is a crucial consideration in choosing a law college. Broadly speaking, quality can be assessed from the importance given to academic excellence in the college. Law is a dynamic subject which requires practical application. Thus, a good law college must look beyond the “class-room study” approach. It should also be able to offer to its students clinical programs like moot-court competitions, legal aid camps, internship programmes etc. A well-balanced student/teacher ratio is another indicator of the quality of education being imparted. In this connection, it will be pertinent to mention that the law school/college rankings published in various reputed publications are often relied upon for ascertaining the academic standing of a college. These ranking exercises, conducted on a regular basis, are based on certain established criteria, but are not free from controversies! Hence, although rankings should be considered, they should not be the only mode of ‘judging’.
It is often seen that the subjects offered in one law college are in essence identical to those taught in any other. The important aspect to be considered is that each law college/institute has a different reputation for its particular curriculum and the manner in which it is structured. A prospective law student should think in advance about what courses are most important to him/her and then decide on the law college. In the past, curriculum of most law colleges was largely focussed on Indian law and issues relating to the country’s legal system, with limited emphasis on the study of international and comparative law. But the new and emerging law colleges no longer limit their focus on Indian laws, since, the demand for understanding international laws has significantly increased over the years. It is, therefore, not surprising that some law colleges now offer a “global curriculum”. In other words, a balance is struck between the understanding of domestic legal mechanisms and the international legal systems. This trend is only going to consolidate in the future as the law schools of the country prepare themselves to face the challenges posed by globalization and India’s increased involvement in world trade and commerce. It is upto the students to make an informed decision of the kind of curriculum they would want to follow, which in turn would depend on the choice of law college.
A lot depends on the quality of the Faculty and the teaching methodology adopted by the members of the Faculty. As a natural corollary, the educational qualifications as well as the experience of the Faculty members is a critical indicator of the quality of education imparted in a law college. The teaching method and the extent of exposure to research will determine what you will learn in the law college. Consequently, stress should be laid on the “research activities and publications” of members of the Faculty. In fact, colleges having practicing lawyers, or legal professionals or retired judges as members of the Faculty, are better equipped in giving varied and rich exposure to the students. Now-a-days, Faculties with a global focus are considered ideal, but in India this trend is confined to a handful of private law colleges.
Cost of education is another critical deciding factor. However, choosing a college only because it costs less, is not wise. The fees of various colleges should not be considered in isolation. One must take into consideration the brand value of the college and the degree. Nonetheless, it is advisable that you plan your finances in advance for the entire tenure of the course, whether through family funds or student loans. Since now-a-days many colleges provide scholarships, you can focus on those colleges which offer scholarship programs. Having said that, spending beyond your budget to get admitted to a law college is neither advisable nor feasible, considering the long duration of the law degree programs. In the end, it is all about looking for the “best you can get for what you can afford”.
The selection process or the entrance procedure of the law colleges is another factor to be kept in mind while deciding upon which institution to attend. For instance, all National Law Schools, with the exception of Delhi National Law School, now jointly conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). In addition, several other well-established law colleges and Universities, public and private, across the country conduct their independent examinations and encourage all-India admissions.
One will be well advised to consider these factors as well when deciding upon which law college to attend.
The debate between public and private education is not new. Both sides have positives and negatives, and students need to weigh all the arguments. Educationists claim that public colleges are more accountable (since they are obligated to operate under strict guidelines) and cater to all sections of the society. The fee in public colleges is subsidized and hence, their reach extends to a wider section of the society. However, Public Universities have been plagued by plenty of problems. Limited seats, redundant courses, slow adaptability, internal politics and strikes, lack of accountability amongst teachers, to name a few. Capitalising on the vacuum created by fewer seats in Public Universities, private players have entered the arena. Private Universities and colleges boast of better infrastructure, facilities which meet global standards, up-to-date curriculum, innovative techniques of teaching, scholarships, etc. The number of students studying at Private Universities is staggering! But the question which arises is of the quality of students and the education. India has witnessed mushrooming of many Private Universities and colleges, and some of them have doubtful credentials. It is alleged that these Universities attract few meritorious students, the majority being those who are unable to secure an admission in “regular colleges”. Further, the fees in private institutions are often excessive and unaffordable for the masses. Needless to add, students need to be careful while choosing the right Private University/College.
In a first of its kind crackdown in September this year, the Bar Council of India (BCI) de-recognised as many as 30 law colleges and issued show-cause notices to 20 others across the country for failing to meet “minimum academic standards”. The Legal Education Committee of the BCI took this decision on the basis of reports submitted by its inspection teams. These teams looked at certain basic benchmarks, i.e., whether all posts of teaching faculty were filled up; whether all the teachers have basic qualifications; whether a proper college building and adequate library facilities existed. This long-awaited move goes to prove that there are law colleges out there which fail to maintain basic standards thereby misleading the students.
Since, as a student of law, you will have to spend the next five or three years in the law college, you owe it to yourself to ensure that you are comfortable, challenged and enthusiastic in the new environment. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that you make the “right pick”. In effect, there is only one way to decide whether a law college is right for you, and that is by investigating and researching! But how does one start? You could begin with visiting the campus, interacting with students about their experience, and more importantly speaking with Faculty members. In a nut-shell, investigating and researching is the key to making an informed choice!
In my view, the most important factor to be kept in mind is the educational qualifications and professional experience of the Faculty. In particular, the research and publications of faculty members should be the core factor for deciding the quality of the law school. The knowledge, skills and experience that a law student will gain in a law college will significantly depend upon the teaching pedagogy and exposure to research that a student will receive at the law school. Increasingly, law students need to be aware that globalisation of legal education and legal profession has become a reality and will have profound implications for the future of lawyering. The future of legal education and legal profession is inextricably connected to the ability of lawyers to navigate across law and practice of multiple jurisdictions. Hence, another aspect that a law student ought to consider is the ability and resources of a law school to be engaged in “global legal education” that will provide them with the knowledge and understanding of domestic as well as international law.
There are a number of factors by which a student can assess the quality of the college. It is important to examine the collaborations that a school has established with global law schools around the world. These collaborations help the students to participate in exchange programmes which has given them exposure to the international law schools. Increasingly, it has become important for law students to be able to get internships with law firms, lawyers, corporations, NGOs, government bodies, inter-governmental organisations and civil society organisations. It will be useful to assess whether the law school has been able to establish collaborations with a wide array of institutions. I also believe that, once all academic aspects of the law school are assessed, it is useful to examine whether the law school has good infrastructure facilities, including modern classrooms, sports infrastructure, multimedia facilities etc. Some of the more important factors that a student should consider are the quality of library facilities, mooting programmes, clinical programmes, research centres, and indeed the type of intellectually engaging initiatives that a law school is involved in.
I believe that rankings do have some role to play in assessing the reputation of a school/college. But for rankings to be legitimate and credible, it is important that rankings are done on the basis of objective criteria and sound methodology. Many rankings tend to focus on internships and placements as the single most important factor for determining the quality of the institutions. I believe that placements of students is only one important criteria and all major law schools will do a good job on this front, but there are a host of other important factors that need to be carefully considered. If you examine the methodology of some of the world’s most reputed rankings, a lot of emphasis is given on the quality of Faculty and research publications. But, I am a bit concerned by the fact that rankings by media agencies have the potential fear of being connected to the advertising which the institutions tend to do through the media. It has to be recognised that legitimacy and credibility of rankings so that the students may use it as a determining factor should be solely based on objective and verifiable variables. To sum it up, although rankings are important, there is a need to examine the quality of an institution from a variety of perspectives.
I strongly believe that the role of lawyers and legal institutions is central for the future of a country’s governance. Increasingly, the regulatory framework in India across all sectors of governance will build upon the legal and institutional mechanisms. One of the major challenges that continue to affect India is growing disparities in social and economic contexts and to what extent law and legal institutions can respond to these challenges. I would like our law students to reflect upon these issues.Another important issue is relating to corruption and lack of integrity that has undermined thepolity and society in India. I hope the students of law commit themselves to maintaining highest standards of honesty and integrity so that the independence of the legal profession is maintained. There is a need to develop incorruptible lawyers who will occupy positions of power and responsibility in the years to come, including positions within the judiciary. The future of this profession, which is expected to uphold justice, will depend upon the faith and trust that the citizenry who deal with the legal institutions and processes have in the ‘rule of law’. I hope current and future law students reflect upon these issues while they are engaged in legal studies.
We cannot say that law students should have some fixed targets. Some would like to join corporate bodies, some would choose to become litigation lawyers, and some may study law for the love of it. India, as you know, is a liberal democracy and it would not be wise if we restrict them by prescribing a particular law school. The prospective law students must be allowed to exercise that choice, and they should illuminate themselves by meeting with law students of various National Law Schools as well as other prestigious law colleges. At the same time, they have to emphasize on sharpening their research and analytical skills which form the hallmark of a lawyer.
We need to have more institutions imparting education which can empower law students to face global challenges. There is also the need for world-class infrastructure and manpower for the same. I would like to tell the prospective students of law that it is an important subject and it also shapes your personality in a big way. In fact, I would say that the legal fraternity is the lifeline of a nation and hence, to be a part of that, students need to be very serious while they start their journey by choosing a law school.
In my opinion, the primary factors for choosing a law college are:
If you are a bright scholarship student, then of cou rse, there is no problem (but see long term concerns addressed later), but if you are a student who is paying from your own resources, then finance is a big issue for you. The financial aspect will also affect whether you decide to go to the US, UK, Canada or Australia as the fee in all these countries varies.
If getting a good job is one of the main criteria for doing law, then the students should focus on what the potential employers will focus on. The whole education system is built on what I refer to as the ‘filtration system’. The students get into a particular University/law school based on its selection process. The employers then focus on hiring the students from a particular University/law school based on its reputation which has been built over time, assuming the effectiveness of the filtration process in place.
If you are interested in specializing in corporate law then there is no point in joining a program/law school which is focusing extensively on human rights and vice versa.
Already covered above, but I would especially pay attention to the job prospects that the particular law school assists with.
It is important to get in the “best” University/law school that you can get into based on your credentials. If you have a scholarship from a law school which is mediocre and on the other hand you have admission in one of the best law schools, you should choose the top school if you can afford it because that will secure your long term prospects.
The students can assess the quality of a law college by giving importance to ranking, faculty members, word of mouth, and the history of the law school. As far as rankings are concerned, they might not be 100% accurate, but they are generally not too far from the actual position. But, I would definitely not give credit to publications which are not independent.
Last but not the least, the message that I would like to send out to the law students, current and prospective, is:
Read, read and read. Not just law books, but a broad knowledge base is crucial for a student of law.
Don’t wait for life and opportunities to come to you. Start with what you have with a positive attitude.
Change is the only constant in life. Adopt it as a way of life and you will not be disappointed.
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