The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences
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| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | |
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| Motto: | Yuktiheena Vicharetu Dharmahnih Prajayate (Judgement Devoid Of Logic Destroys Dharma) |
| Established: | 1999 |
| Type: | Public |
| Chancellor: | Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India |
| Vice-Chancellor: | Prof. (Dr.) Mahendra P Singh |
| Undergraduates: | 600 |
| Postgraduates: | 10 |
| Location: | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Campus: | Urban, 5 Acres |
| Affiliations: | UGC |
| Website: | www.nujs.edu |
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, abbreviated to NUJS is a law university meant to impart legal education at the undergraduate and post graduate levels. It is situated in Salt Lake City of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. NUJS is one of the few independent and autonomous national law schools built on the 5 year law degree model proposed and implemented by the Bar Council of India. It was established in 1999 by the Bar Council of India and the Government of West Bengal. Prof. N. R. Madhava Menon, formerly First-Director of the National Law School of India University, was appointed as its First-Vice Chancellor.
The five year integrated B.A./B.Sc. LL.B.(Hons) Degree programme is the undergraduate course offered. The post-graduate course offered at the university is the LL.M. degree. The University also offers M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees.
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[edit] Philosophy
The objectives of the University inter alia are to:
- Advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal processes and their role in national development
- To develop in the student and research scholar a sense of responsibility to serve society by developing skills in regard to advocacy, legal service, legislation, law reforms and the like.
- To promote inter-disciplinary study of law in relation to management, technology, inter national cooperation and development.
Legal Studies at NUJS aim at a comprehensive learning experience, not only in traditional fields of legal education, but in contemporary cutting edge disciplines as well. The course structure is in conformity with the rules prescribed by the Bar Council of India. Prof.Menon, started the NUJS with an aim to produce "social engineers". According to him, NUJS is a law school, which attempts to transform legal education into "justice education", a concept which emphasizes on legal ethics and social responsibility of the legal profession.
[edit] The Campus
The NUJS campus is located on a prime land in Salt Lake City, overseeing the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The Campus consists of an academic and three residential blocks — two seven storied halls of residence for girls and boys apiece and a double storied staff accommodation-cum-guest house. The university academic block 'Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan' is a four storied structure, comprising of 105 rooms in all with lift facility. It is an inward looking building octagonal in shape and rounded by widespread verandas that open up to the vast central courtyard with a fountain on one side. The building has host of Class rooms, a vast library with a sprawling reading room, medical facilities and an auditorium. There is a central library with each school of the University having its own specialized library. From its humble beginning on June 1,2000, the NUJS central library has taken great strides to cater to the academic needs of the undergraduate and postgraduate students and faculty, it now houses over 20,000 titles and subscribes around 109 journals. All authoritative titles are present on both Indian as well as international law. Books are acquired on not just the traditional fields of law. Emerging areas such as international trade, intellectual property, space law and admiralty & shipping law have been given special attention. Over a hundred journals and over twenty foreign publications are subscribed to covering all the traditional as well as emerging areas of law, social sciences, and allied disciplines.
These include besides law, a vast range of connected subjects such as environment studies, current affairs, science, economics, and politics just to name a few. The university has also acquired back issues of all the leading case reporters and journals. In addition to books and periodicals, keeping in stride with the digital age, the library has procured 30 computers with dedicated Broadband Internet connection for research purpose. The library has enhanced its resources and databases of CDROM, which now includes Law Commission of India, SCC finder, ISID, SEBI guidelines, WTO reports etc. with the objective of eventually establishing an e-library. Such titles include case report databases, law archives and even electronic books on law. It is a matter of pride for the university that such resources have encouraged students to research comprehensively from the start. The library also keeps copies of research papers and moot court submissions of students. In order to give students and faculty more complete access to material, the NUJS library holds institutional memberships with leading libraries in the cities such as the British Council Library and the American Information Resource Center. Besides this, law students from other universities are encouraged to use the library for research and study.
Admission to the hostels is done simultaneously with the admission to the University. Unless expelled for disciplinary or special reasons, students are expected to reside in the hostels for the entire duration of their course. The hostels provide reasonable amenities to the students and an atmosphere conductive to serious study, relaxation and all round development. The hostels have their own rules of discipline, which are primarily administered by the Wardens in association with students. Self-governance is encouraged for which powers are delegated to select student representatives. The hostel mess is managed by a Mess Committee formed from within the residents themselves, under the supervision of the warden. It provides hygienic food at affordable prices. Mess charges depend on actual expenses incurred per month and may vary.
There is a Doctor available for consultation, visiting the hostel regularly. This apart, the University organizes medical help whenever needed through tie-ups with hospitals located in the Salt Lake area. Guest Facilities There is provision for hostel residents to accommodate guests in situations of emergency for a maximum period of two nights on permission of the Warden and payment of a guest fee. Such guests may avail of the mess facilities. The Corporation Bank, a public sector undertaking, has opened a branch inside the campus and offers doorstep-banking facilities. An ATM facility is also available inside the campus.
[edit] Vice Chancellors of NUJS
| No. | Vice Chancellor | Took office | Left office | Career highlights at NUJS |
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| 01 | Dr. N.R. Madhava Menon | 2000 | 2003 | First-VC of NUJS • Founder of Legal Aid Society |
| 02 | B.S. Chimni | 2004 | 2006 | 100% recruitment record in 2005, 2006 • First NUJS National Moot competition |
| 03 | Mahendra P Singh | 2006 | Incumbent | Tieup with foreign universities |
[edit] Academic Schools & Research Centres
NUJS is organised into a number of Schools of study, each independent in conception and operation, yet integrated through programmes of teaching, research and extension activities. These schools of study include:
- The School of Criminal Justice and Administration
- The School of Economic and Business Laws
- The School of Legal Practice and Development
- The School of Private Laws and Comparative Jurisprudence
- The School of Public Law and Governance
- The School of Social Sciences
- The School of Technology, Law and Development
The Research Centres established at the University are:
- The Centre for Gender and Law.
- The Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Studies
- The Centre for WTO Law
The Schools and the Centres undertake regular projects which are funded by the Government of India, the Department of Economic Affairs, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Ministry of Home Affairs,the United Nations Development Programme and the Ford Foundation, among others.
The University publishes its own peer reviewed law journal, NUJS Law Review.
[edit] Courses on offer
The five year integrated B.A./B.Sc. LL.B.(Hons) Degree programme is the undergraduate course offered. While the post-graduate courses offered is the LL.M. degree. The University also offers doctoral degrees.
[edit] B.A./ B. Sc. LL. B (Hons.) Degree Programme
The admission shall be based exclusively on the performance in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). However, to qualify for admission, the candidate
- (a) must have passed the Higher Secondary School Examination (10+2) or an examination equivalent thereof, securing, in aggregate, not less than 50% in all the core subjects and English put together.
- (b) must not have completed 20 years of age as on day of admission.
This programme attracts school leaving bright young aspirants to the field of law. The five- year undergraduate course is divided into ten semesters and enrolls 120 students every year. The students represent almost all the States of India and a few join from foreign countries. This programme offers advanced legal education with an emphasis on critical thinking and self-enquiry on the one hand and acquisition of practical skills and knowledge on the other. The eventual goal being to train the next generation of leaders in the academia, bar, judiciary and non—governmental organizations worldwide.
[edit] LL.M programme
The LL.M degree course is a two-year post graduate course. This programme is interested in attracting students who either wish to join the academia or seek to acquire advanced research skills before joining the legal profession. The students therefore come from a wide variety of back grounds with divergent legal interests and career plans. The admission shall be based exclusively on the performance in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). However, to qualify for admission, the candidate should have secured LL.B. degree or its equivalent from a recognized University, having obtained not less than 50% marks in the aggregate.
The LL.M. programme comprises a range of compulsory and optional courses and a disserta tion to be completed within a time frame of four semesters. In the first semester, the students are expected to complete three compulsory courses. In each of the second and third semesters, they have to complete three optional courses respectively. These courses are identified by the Post Graduate Council (PGC) of the University in consultation with its Faculty Council. Students are allowed to make their suggestions regarding choices/preferences of any subject or subjects to the PGC which is given due consideration. A dissertation is to be written in the fourth semester on an approved topic. The students are expected to make presentations on their dissertation one month in advance to their submission and also take up independent teaching assignments on certain subjects.
[edit] M.PHIL programme
The M. Phil Degree Programme is specifically designed for aspiring legal academics i.e., students who wish to pursue sustained independent study and research and are planning careers in law teaching.
The Postgraduate Council (PGC) shall constitute an Advisory Committee of three members for each M.Phil student. Each student will be under the supervision of a Faculty member (Faculty Advisor) who will be identified according to his/her specialization in the field of law in consonance with the student’s topic for the dissertation. A work-plan is then to be chalked out l the Faculty Advisor, indicating the teaching, research, seminars and other assignments to be undertaken by the M. Phil student. This work-plan shall be executed by the student with prior approval from both the Faculty Council and the PGC. The candidate will be eligible for receipt of the degree only if he/she completes the prescribed requirements of the course within a maximum period of three years.
[edit] PHD and the LL.D programmes
The PhD and LL.D degrees are two of the most advanced law degrees. The candidates to these degrees are expected to produce a thesis that will constitute a substantial and valuable contribution to legal scholarship. The students would be expected to incorporate the insights of other disciplines into their work, drawing on the expertise and assistance not only available at NUJS but also from other leading universities of the world. The doctoral programme call for intense individual efforts requiring sustained discipline and self-direction. Since the doctoral programme are designed to train law teachers, having the opportunity to practice one’s teaching skills is critical. The candidate would therefore be given teaching assignments in addition to making presentations before the faculty community.
[edit] Legal Aid Society
Another innovative idea of Prof. Menon, the Legal Aid Society was set up in 2000 with the aim of providing basic legal education, awareness and counseling. This also provides students practical training and an opportunity to gain field experience in law. The Legal Aid Society has undertaken the following categories of activities:
- Legal Aid Clinic & Counseling - The Legal Aid Clinic has been set up as a permanent body to provide free legal advice and resolution of disputes without long drawn and expensive litigation. This is done by providing legal and para-legal assistance. The clinic is presided over by the Faculty Advisor, Shri N.Konar, a former judge. Assistance is also provided by other former Judges in the faculty. The Clinic has been functional since 9th November, 2002 and has tendered advise to several cases.
- Human Rights and Public Education - for empowering people through legal education and instilling in them consciousness about their rights and duties. This is done through field visits in semi-urban and rural areas as well as publicized seminars and workshops within the university itself.
- Youth for Social Justice - A social awareness program that targets young people with the objective of ingraining in impressionable minds a sense of social justice.
- Law Enforcement Assistance - This subcommittee works with law enforcement authorities such as the police, Government, pollution control board, for providing an interface to people in order to promote legal awareness and law-enforcement.
- Para Legal Services and Training - The purpose of this activity is to build relationships with other agencies that work in the field such as NGOs, to facilitate exchange of information. The Society seeks to provide training and services in the form of documental consultancy and research to these agencies.
- Public Interest Advocacy Support services - In the form of documentation, obtaining empirical data and other allied research are to be provided for public advocacy of popular concerns and Public interest Litigations.
- Lok Adalat and ADR assistance - As part of its goal to encourage alternate dispute resolution, the Legal Aid Society organizes Lok Adalats in association with the W.B. Legal Aid Authority. Till date one Lok Adalat, specially for women was held in November 2003.
[edit] Lectures
1. K.C. Basu Endowment Lecture
The K.C. Basu Endowment Lecture is an annual lecture instituted by Dr. Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics, Cornell University in his father's name. The recurring theme of this Annual Lecture is Law & Economics.
List of Speakers:
- 2003 - Professor Amartya Sen
- 2004 - Professor Pranab Bardhan
- 2006 - Professor N. R. Narayana Murthy
- 2007 - Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz
2. Durga Das Basu Memorial Lecture
The Inaugural Durga Das Basu Memorial Lecture has been instituted by the late Durga Das Basu's family in memory of the great Constitutional Law scholar.
List of Speakers:
- 2005 - Fali S. Nariman
3. Ford Foundation Lecture on Human Rights
List of Speakers:
- 2006 - Dr. Professor Upendra Baxi
[edit] Alumni
A large number of graduates of NUJS have been recruited by premier law firms of India and abroad by way of a student run campus recruitment process. Recruitment for the batch graduating in 2008 marked the advent of international law firms including Magic Circle firms who have picked up eight students for prestigious training contracts at Clifford Chance, LLP, Allen & Overy,LLP, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, LLP, Herbert Smith, LLP and SJ Berwin, LLP. The domestic law firms which have recruited students from NUJS include Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners, Trilegal, Economic Law Practice, Wadia Ghandy & Co. and many others. Among companies, ICICI Bank, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Sons, Infosys, Satyam, ITC and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and many more were the major names which have recruited from campus. The Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI), the capital markets regulator in India have also recruited students from NUJS. Some graduates, albeit a minuscule number, pursue careers in litigation by joining the chambers of Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court of India or various High Courts & Trial Courts. Some graduates have also embarked on a career in law teaching. NUJS graduates have been recruited by the School of Law, Singapore Management University, NLS and NUJS itself as assistant professors and lecturers.
However, some graduates prefer not to sit for the recruitment process. Instead, they decide to pursue higher education at the some of the premier universities abroad, such as Harvard Law School, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Stanford Law School, London School of Economics, New York University School of Law, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, UC Berkeley, Tulane University etc. Graduates have received some of the most prestigious scholarships at these premier universities abroad, including the Felix Scholarship to Oxford University, the Vanderbilt Scholarship (NYU), Shell Centenary Scholarship(Oxford), the J.N. Tata Endowment Scholarship, the Chevening scholarship, and even the uber prestigious Rhodes scholarship.
[edit] Achievements
Students NUJS has won numerous encomiums at national and international Moot Court competitions. In 2003, NUJS became the only Indian and second Asian college to win the Willem C. Vis Moot, i.e. the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held at Vienna.[1] In 2005, the University Moot team won the Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot, which is held each year in Hong Kong.[2] The university Moot teams have been regularly attaining the "finalist position" (ranking amongst the top 32 teams) in the competition, from its debut in 2003 till 2006. In 2005, NUJS also emerged as winners at the Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Stetson University Law School in Gulfport, Florida, USA[3]. Over the years, the NUJS team has also performed exceedingly well at the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot at Washington D.C. In fact in 2004-05, the NUJS team won the Jessup (North Zone) National Rounds and participated at the International Rounds at Washington D.C., where they proceeded to the advanced rounds.
Besides the above, the University moot team has been a semi-finalist at the Asia Pacific Round of the Manfred Lachs International Space Law Moot at Sydney, Australia. In the last two editions of the biennial Commonwealth Moot Court competition, NUJS has won the national rounds on both occasions, thereby, earning a chance to represent India at the International rounds. They have been finalists and semifinalists at the International Rounds. In 2006, NUJS was selected as one of the teams to represent India at the ELSA WTO Moot Court at Geneva, Switzerland and were semi-finalists in the oral rounds of the same.
Over the years, the University Team has also won the Bar Council of India Moot, M.M. Singhvi - Bar Council of India Moot at NLU Jodhpur[4], K.L.A. Moot, and several other national moot court competitions.
NUJS also participates in a number of parliamentary debates at the international level, including the World Universities Debating Championship (Worlds), All Asian Debating Championship (Asians), Oxford IV, Cambridge IV, etc. The University team has won a number of national debates, "made the break" at the Asians and at the Worlds (ESL category).
The students of NUJS also actively participate in a number of other extracurricular activities like sports & dramatics.
[edit] Student Juridical Association
The student body of the University is known as the Student Juridical Association (SJA). The SJA has an elected President and Vice President and two administrative office bearers, the Administrative Secretary and the Treasurer. The SJA has an Executive Council which is constituted by representatives from the various Student Committees of the SJA and an elected Class Representative from each of the five batches of students. The Student Committees of the SJA are committees for encouraging, organising and playing an administrative role in extracurricular activities within the student body. Such committees include the Moot Court Society, Cultural Committee, Literary and Debating Society, Sports Committee, etc.
The SJA publishes a student-run law journal, the Juridical Review, the Student Editors of which are guided by a Faculty Advisor and an Editorial Advisory Board.
[edit] References
- ^ Tenth Annual Willem C
- ^ http://www.cityu.edu.hk/slw/cisgmoot/awards2005.html
- ^ Stetson University College of Law
- ^ http://nlujodhpur.ac.in/mmsinghvi.html
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- OUTLAWED: The Annual NUJS Fest - Official Website
- "The Law School Experience", The Hindu
- "Quota at IIMs, IITs will not help disadvantaged: Narayanamurthy", The Hindu
- "The Society for Global Democracy",
- "Leading law schools of India"
