Legal Education in India

1855

Government Law College, Mumbai

The oldest law school in Asia

Founded in 1855 as the Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence, Government Law College, Mumbai, is generally described as the oldest law school in Asia. Dr B.R. Ambedkar was its principal, and its alumni include several Chief Justices of India, Presidents and a long list of eminent lawyers.

• Founded 1855.
• Dr Ambedkar served as its principal.

1870 onwards

The Tagore Law Lectures

The oldest law lecture series in India

Under the will of Prasanna Coomar Tagore, the University of Calcutta established the Tagore Law Professorship. Each year since 1870 an eminent jurist has delivered a series of Tagore Law Lectures, many of which became classic books on Indian law.

• Endowed by Prasanna Coomar Tagore.

Historic Law Colleges

Before the NLUs

Before the national law universities, the leading centres of legal education were university law faculties and old colleges: the Madras Law College (1891, now Dr Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai), the Faculty of Law of the University of Delhi (1924) with its Campus Law Centre, ILS Law College, Pune (founded by the Indian Law Society in 1924), and the law faculties of the Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Calcutta.

• ILS Law College, Pune: 1924.
• Faculty of Law, DU: 1924.

1986–1988

National Law School of India University, Bengaluru

The first national law school

NLSIU was established by a Karnataka Act in 1986, at the initiative of the Bar Council of India, and admitted its first batch in 1988 under its founding Director, N.R. Madhava Menon. It introduced the five-year integrated B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) degree, which transformed legal education and became the model for the national law universities. Its motto is "Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah". It has topped the national (NIRF) rankings for law in most years since they began.

• Established 1986; first batch 1988.
• Pioneered the five-year integrated law degree.
• Motto: Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah.

1997–2003

The Early National Law Universities

The second wave

After NLSIU, the next national law universities were NLIU Bhopal (1997), NALSAR Hyderabad (1998), WBNUJS Kolkata (1999), NLU Jodhpur (1999), and, in 2003, HNLU Raipur and GNLU Gandhinagar. NALSAR, NUJS and NLSIU are often described as the "top three" NLUs.

• NALSAR: 1998. NUJS: 1999.

The National Law Universities Today

Across the country

There are now more than two dozen national law universities, each created by a state law (NLU Delhi also by a state law). They include institutions at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Raipur, Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Patiala, Patna, Kochi, Cuttack, Ranchi, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Tiruchirappalli, Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Shimla, Jabalpur, Sonipat, Agartala and Prayagraj. Most admit students through CLAT; NLU Delhi uses its own test, AILET.

• NLU Delhi admits through AILET, not CLAT.

2008 onwards

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)

One test for many NLUs

CLAT was first held in 2008, after a Supreme Court petition by a student, Varun Bhagat, sought a common admission test to spare candidates from writing separate exams. From 2008 to 2018 it was conducted by participating NLUs in rotation. In 2019 the Consortium of National Law Universities, a permanent body, took over its conduct. The 2018 test, the only one conducted online, was marred by technical glitches. Since 2020 CLAT has been built around reading comprehension passages.

• First held in 2008.
• Conducted by the Consortium of NLUs since 2019.
• Comprehension-based pattern since 2020.

2017

The Consortium of National Law Universities

The CLAT body

The Consortium of National Law Universities was formed in 2017 and registered as a society with its office at NLSIU Bengaluru. It conducts CLAT and the centralised counselling for admission to its member universities.

• Office at NLSIU Bengaluru.

Three-Year and Five-Year LL.B.

Two routes into law

In India one can study law through a three-year LL.B. after any bachelor's degree, or a five-year integrated programme (such as the B.A. LL.B.) straight after school. The Bar Council of India regulates both under its Rules of Legal Education, and recognises law colleges whose graduates may enrol as advocates.

• The BCI regulates legal education under the Advocates Act.

2013

The One-Year LL.M.

Postgraduate law reformed

In 2012–13 the University Grants Commission allowed a one-year LL.M. programme in place of the traditional two-year degree, to bring Indian legal education in line with international practice. Many NLUs now offer the one-year LL.M.

1956

The Indian Law Institute

Research in the shadow of the Supreme Court

Set up in 1956 and located opposite the Supreme Court in New Delhi, the Indian Law Institute promotes advanced legal research and publishes the Journal of the Indian Law Institute. It was declared a deemed university in 2004. The Chief Justice of India is its ex officio President.

• Chief Justice of India is ex officio President.

2002

The National Judicial Academy

Training the judges

The National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, set up by the Supreme Court and the Government of India, trains judicial officers and High Court judges. N.R. Madhava Menon was its first Director. State Judicial Academies train judges in each state.

• First Director: N.R. Madhava Menon.

1977 onwards

Private Law Schools

A growing sector

Private law schools have grown rapidly, from Symbiosis Law School, Pune (1977) to Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat (2009) and many more. With hundreds of institutions approved by the Bar Council, India produces a very large number of law graduates every year.

• Symbiosis Law School: 1977.
• Jindal Global Law School: 2009.

Specialised Law Institutes

Beyond the general LL.B.

Several institutions offer specialised legal education, among them the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law at IIT Kharagpur, the National Law Institute University's cyber law programmes, the Indian Society of International Law in New Delhi, and the Gujarat National Law University's programmes in corporate and international law.

Who Regulates Legal Education?

The Bar Council of India

Under Section 7 of the Advocates Act 1961, the Bar Council of India promotes legal education and lays down standards in consultation with universities, and recognises universities whose law degrees qualify graduates for enrolment as advocates. Its Legal Education Rules 2008 govern course structure, duration and minimum standards. The University Grants Commission regulates universities more generally.

• BCI powers under Section 7 of the Advocates Act.

1997

NLIU Bhopal

National Law Institute University

One of the earliest national law schools after NLSIU, set up by a Madhya Pradesh Act; its first batch was admitted in 1998.

1998

NALSAR Hyderabad

NALSAR University of Law

One of the earliest NLUs, with Ranbir Singh as its founding Vice-Chancellor; its campus is at Shamirpet near Hyderabad.

1999

WBNUJS Kolkata

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences

N.R. Madhava Menon, who had founded NLSIU, was also its founding Vice-Chancellor.

1999

NLU Jodhpur

National Law University, Jodhpur

Founded under a Rajasthan Act, with N.L. Mitra as its first Vice-Chancellor.

2003

HNLU Raipur

Hidayatullah National Law University

Named after Justice M. Hidayatullah, former Chief Justice and Vice-President.

2003

GNLU Gandhinagar

Gujarat National Law University

Established by a Gujarat Act; it runs specialised centres including in law and technology.

2005

NUALS Kochi

National University of Advanced Legal Studies

Kerala's national law university, located at Kalamassery.

2005

RMLNLU Lucknow

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University

Uttar Pradesh's first national law university, named after the socialist leader.

2006

RGNUL Patiala

Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law

Punjab's NLU, housed in part in the historic Mohindra Kothi before moving to its campus.

2006

CNLU Patna

Chanakya National Law University

Bihar's NLU, named after the author traditionally associated with the Arthashastra.

2008

NLU Delhi

National Law University, Delhi

Admits undergraduates through its own test, AILET, rather than CLAT; Ranbir Singh was its founding Vice-Chancellor.

2008

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University

Andhra Pradesh's NLU, named after the state's first Dalit Chief Minister.

2009

NLUO Cuttack

National Law University Odisha

Odisha's NLU, located at Cuttack, the seat of the Orissa High Court.

2009

NLUJA Assam

National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam

Combines a law university with a judicial academy, in Guwahati.

2010

NUSRL Ranchi

National University of Study and Research in Law

Jharkhand's national law university, established by a state Act and located in Ranchi.

2012

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli

Tamil Nadu National Law University

Tamil Nadu's NLU, located in Tiruchirappalli.

2012

DBRANLU Sonipat

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University

Haryana's national law university, named after Dr B.R. Ambedkar and located in Sonipat near Delhi.

2014

MNLU Mumbai

Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai

The first of Maharashtra's three national law universities.

2016

MNLU Nagpur

Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur

Maharashtra's second NLU, with a campus at Waranga near Nagpur.

2016

HPNLU Shimla

Himachal Pradesh National Law University

Himachal Pradesh's national law university, established by a state Act and located in Shimla.

2017

MNLU Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad

Maharashtra's third NLU; the city was renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023.

2018

DNLU Jabalpur

Dharmashastra National Law University

Madhya Pradesh's second NLU, in Jabalpur, the seat of the state's High Court.

1891

Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai

One of the oldest law colleges in the country

Formerly Madras Law College, located next to the Madras High Court, it has produced many judges and political leaders.

1924

Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

One of India's largest law faculties

Its Campus Law Centre and Law Centres I and II have produced many judges, senior advocates and politicians.

1924

ILS Law College, Pune

Founded by the Indian Law Society

One of the oldest law colleges in Maharashtra, whose alumni include Chief Justices P.B. Gajendragadkar and Y.V. Chandrachud.

1977

Symbiosis Law School

A leading private law school

Part of Symbiosis International University in Pune.

2009

Jindal Global Law School

A private law school with a global faculty

Part of O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana.