National Law School of India University
Encyclopedia
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is the leading institution for undergraduate and graduate legal education in India. By popular estimates, the school consistently ranks as the most prestigious law school in India. The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University (NALSAR), located in Hyderabad, is the school's closest competitor in this regard.
Located in Bangalore
, NLSIU was established by statute through the Legislative Assembly of the State of Karnataka
. The school was officially founded on August 29, 1987. By statute, the Chief Justice of India
ceremonially serves as the school's Chancellor
. The Vice-Chancellor, currently R. Venkata Rao, serves as the school's chief administrator.
. Since that time, the school has had four more Vice-Chancellors, including now incumbent R. Venkata Rao who took over this leadership role in 2009. Previously, N. R. Madhava Menon, N. L. Mitra, A. Jayagovind and G. Mohan Gopal have held the position of Vice-Chancellor.
The first batch of law students joined the school's undergraduate program on July 1, 1988. Interestingly, classes commenced before all the school's buildings had been fully constructed; thus, NLSIU actually began instruction at the premises of the Central College of Bangalore University and continued therein until November 1991. Then, the school formally moved to its present-day location in Nagarbhavi, a suburb of Bangalore.
The LL.B. is the standard undergraduate degree in law offered in most common law
countries. The United States is the only common law
nation that no longer offers the LL.B. degree. While the LL.B. was conferred by Yale University
until 1971, all U.S. law schools have since conferred the professional doctorate J.D.
The undergraduate B.A./LL.B. curriculum at NLSIU consists of a mix of social science and legal subjects. In the first two years, the law student attends courses on history, political science, sociology and economics alongside standard legal subjects, such as torts, contracts and constitutional law. In the latter three years, legal subjects dominate the curriculum.
degrees, all aim at producing leading research scholars in all forms of legal academic pursuit, from legal history
to jurisprudence
. Therefore, postgraduate students are designated Research Scholars by the school.
For LL.M. postgraduates, NLSIU presently offers two lines of specialization: Business Law and Human Rights Law. There are currently 25 seats for Human Rights Law and 25 seats for Business Law. Two seats are reserved for foreign nationals. Students are selected by merit through the nationally-administered Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). A detailed prospectus can be obtained from NLSIU on payment of the requisite fee.
In addition to the above full-time programs, NLSIU also offers several part-time distance learning programs, including a Masters Degree in Business Law and Postgraduate Diploma
programs in Human Rights Law, Medical Law, Environmental Law
and IP Law.
The Melgiri Library was inaugurated by Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti on August 27, 2005. The library was built through generous contributions from the University Grants Commission (India)
, New Delhi and Chairwoman Sudha Murthy of the Infosys Foundation.
worked on the refugee issue during his tenure UNHCR Chair.
NLSIU has a total of twelve ABCs which coordinate the activities of the Student Bar Association (SBA). These committees are re-constituted every year. The Co-ordination Council consists of the Convenors/Joint Convenors of the ABCs. This Council is responsible for ensuring that the various ABCs function coherently. A wide range of internal as well as inter-institutional activities throughout the academic year are organized by the ABCs and the Co-ordination Council.
in India. The school regularly participates in many international competitions and is currently the highest-ranking Indian team in the World rankings. NLSIU reached the ESL Finals in 2002 and in 2007 at the World Universities Debating Championship
. It also recently won the 15th All Asian Debating Championships held in Dhaka in 2008, with 3 out of the 4 semi-finalist teams, and 6 of the top 10 speakers, being from NLSIU. Another boost for the Parliamentary Debate movement in NLSIU came in the form of the Cambridge University Debate Competition 2009, where the NLSIU team became the first South Asian team to reach the second round of the competition. NLSIU has also performed extremely well in the inaugural Asians BP Tournament held in Chulalongkorn University, with all three of its teams reaching the semi finals of the tournament, and two out of the top ten speakers (and four in the top 20). Since then, NLS has reached the Semi-finals of the United Asian Debating Championships held at Assumption University, Bangkok, in 2010.
NLSIU also is host to South Asia's biggest Parliamentary Debate Competition, which was started in 2002] The competition sees participation from across South Asia. In 2011, the Literary and Debating Society of NLSIU has launched two new initiatives - the NLS Union Debate and the NLS Debate Junior.
competition, NLSIU is the only law school in South Asia to have won the Jessup Cup. NLSIU emerged as the 2009 World Champion of the Manfred Lachs Space Moot Court Competition, defeating Georgetown University School of Law in the final held at Daejeon, South Korea.
, a novel by Brajesh Rajak, is based on the protagonists's experiences in National Law School, Bangalore.
Located in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, NLSIU was established by statute through the Legislative Assembly of the State of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. The school was officially founded on August 29, 1987. By statute, the Chief Justice of India
Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
ceremonially serves as the school's Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
. The Vice-Chancellor, currently R. Venkata Rao, serves as the school's chief administrator.
History
In 1987, NLSIU was established under the stewardship of its founder, then Vice-Chancellor N. R. Madhava MenonN. R. Madhava Menon
N. R. Madhava Menon is a legal educator from India. He was instrumental in setting up the National Law School of India University in Bangalore, and was its founder-director. He was the founder and vice-chancellor of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in Calcutta, run on the...
. Since that time, the school has had four more Vice-Chancellors, including now incumbent R. Venkata Rao who took over this leadership role in 2009. Previously, N. R. Madhava Menon, N. L. Mitra, A. Jayagovind and G. Mohan Gopal have held the position of Vice-Chancellor.
The first batch of law students joined the school's undergraduate program on July 1, 1988. Interestingly, classes commenced before all the school's buildings had been fully constructed; thus, NLSIU actually began instruction at the premises of the Central College of Bangalore University and continued therein until November 1991. Then, the school formally moved to its present-day location in Nagarbhavi, a suburb of Bangalore.
Undergraduate
NLSIU offers undergraduates a five-year integrated B.A./LL.B. program which, upon completion, qualifies the student to sit for the bar to practice law in India.The LL.B. is the standard undergraduate degree in law offered in most common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
countries. The United States is the only common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
nation that no longer offers the LL.B. degree. While the LL.B. was conferred by Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
until 1971, all U.S. law schools have since conferred the professional doctorate J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
The undergraduate B.A./LL.B. curriculum at NLSIU consists of a mix of social science and legal subjects. In the first two years, the law student attends courses on history, political science, sociology and economics alongside standard legal subjects, such as torts, contracts and constitutional law. In the latter three years, legal subjects dominate the curriculum.
Postgraduate
NLSIU's various postgraduate programs, leading to the LL.M., M.Phil., LL.D. and/or Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees, all aim at producing leading research scholars in all forms of legal academic pursuit, from legal history
Legal history
Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilizations and is set in the wider context of social history...
to jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
. Therefore, postgraduate students are designated Research Scholars by the school.
For LL.M. postgraduates, NLSIU presently offers two lines of specialization: Business Law and Human Rights Law. There are currently 25 seats for Human Rights Law and 25 seats for Business Law. Two seats are reserved for foreign nationals. Students are selected by merit through the nationally-administered Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). A detailed prospectus can be obtained from NLSIU on payment of the requisite fee.
In addition to the above full-time programs, NLSIU also offers several part-time distance learning programs, including a Masters Degree in Business Law and Postgraduate Diploma
Postgraduate diploma
A postgraduate diploma is a postgraduate qualification awarded typically after a bachelor's degree. It can be contrasted with a graduate diploma...
programs in Human Rights Law, Medical Law, Environmental Law
Environmental law
Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity...
and IP Law.
Melgiri Memorial National Law Library
The Narayan Rao Melgiri Memorial National Law Library at NLSIU is the largest law library in the country, housing a collection of over 40,000 bound volumes in addition to periodical holdings.The Melgiri Library was inaugurated by Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti on August 27, 2005. The library was built through generous contributions from the University Grants Commission (India)
University Grants Commission (India)
The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
, New Delhi and Chairwoman Sudha Murthy of the Infosys Foundation.
UNHCR Chair for Refugee Law
In 1995, the first UNHCR Chair for Refugee Law was inaugurated at NLSIU. N. SubramanyaSubramanya Nagarajarao
Subramanya Nagarajarao , also known as N. Subramanya, is an Indian author, researcher specialised on refugees and translator. He is currently Director of Indian Research Institute, Mysore.- Biography :...
worked on the refugee issue during his tenure UNHCR Chair.
The Student Bar Association
The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the umbrella body that coordinates all student activities; all students are de facto members of the SBA. The SBA has created various Activity-Based Committees (ABCs) which are in charge of specific student activities.NLSIU has a total of twelve ABCs which coordinate the activities of the Student Bar Association (SBA). These committees are re-constituted every year. The Co-ordination Council consists of the Convenors/Joint Convenors of the ABCs. This Council is responsible for ensuring that the various ABCs function coherently. A wide range of internal as well as inter-institutional activities throughout the academic year are organized by the ABCs and the Co-ordination Council.
Competitive debate
NLSIU plays an active role in promoting Parliamentary DebateParliamentary Debate
Parliamentary Debate is an academic debate event. Many university level institutions in English speaking nations sponsor parliamentary debate teams, but the format is currently spreading to the high school level as well...
in India. The school regularly participates in many international competitions and is currently the highest-ranking Indian team in the World rankings. NLSIU reached the ESL Finals in 2002 and in 2007 at the World Universities Debating Championship
World Universities Debating Championship
The World Universities Debating Championship is the world's largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world. It is a parliamentary debating event, held using the British Parliamentary Debate format. Each year, the event is hosted by a university...
. It also recently won the 15th All Asian Debating Championships held in Dhaka in 2008, with 3 out of the 4 semi-finalist teams, and 6 of the top 10 speakers, being from NLSIU. Another boost for the Parliamentary Debate movement in NLSIU came in the form of the Cambridge University Debate Competition 2009, where the NLSIU team became the first South Asian team to reach the second round of the competition. NLSIU has also performed extremely well in the inaugural Asians BP Tournament held in Chulalongkorn University, with all three of its teams reaching the semi finals of the tournament, and two out of the top ten speakers (and four in the top 20). Since then, NLS has reached the Semi-finals of the United Asian Debating Championships held at Assumption University, Bangkok, in 2010.
NLSIU also is host to South Asia's biggest Parliamentary Debate Competition, which was started in 2002] The competition sees participation from across South Asia. In 2011, the Literary and Debating Society of NLSIU has launched two new initiatives - the NLS Union Debate and the NLS Debate Junior.
Moot Court competition
In Moot CourtMoot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competition, NLSIU is the only law school in South Asia to have won the Jessup Cup. NLSIU emerged as the 2009 World Champion of the Manfred Lachs Space Moot Court Competition, defeating Georgetown University School of Law in the final held at Daejeon, South Korea.
Journals published
- National Law School of India ReviewNational Law School of India ReviewThe National Law School of India Review is a peer-reviewed law review published by the Student Advocate Committee of the National Law School of India University.- History :...
, NLSIU's law review - Indian Journal of Law and TechnologyIndian Journal of Law and TechnologyThe Indian Journal of Law and Technology is an annual peer-reviewed law journal produced by students of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, India. It is managed and published by the Law and Technology Committee of the Student Bar Association at the National Law School.The...
- Socio-Legal ReviewSocio-Legal ReviewThe Socio-Legal Review is a student-edited and peer-reviewed interdisciplinary law journal, published annually by the Law and Society Committee, an activity based committee of the Student Bar Association, National Law School of India University, Bangalore....
In Popular Culture
Join the BarJoin the Bar
Join the Bar is a 2011 novel written by Brajesh Rajak, a final year student of National Law School of India University, Bangalore. It is a fictional account of the lives of 3 law students in a premier law institute in India.. This novel is considered to be the first novel based on legal education...
, a novel by Brajesh Rajak, is based on the protagonists's experiences in National Law School, Bangalore.