| National University of Advanced Legal Studies | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2005 |
| Type | National University |
| Chancellor | Chief Justice of High Court of Kerala |
| Vice-Chancellor | Dr. N. K. Jayakumar |
| Students | 312 |
| Undergraduates | 300 |
| Postgraduates | 12 |
| Location | Cochin, Kerala, India |
| Campus | Urban, 9.97 acres |
| Website | www.nuals.ac.in |
National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) (earlier National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies) is a uni-disciplinary university located at Kochi, India for under-graduate, graduate and post-graduate legal education. The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (hereinafter ‘NUALS’) was established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala Legislative Assembly to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal processes, to develop scholarship and a sense of responsibility towards society and to promote legal and judicial reforms to strengthen the administration of justice in India. The Chief Justice of India is the Visitor, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala is the Chancellor, and the Minister for Education, Kerala state is the Pro-Chancellor of the University.
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) was established by the National University of Advanced Legal Studies Act, 2005 which merged the erstwhile National Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), earlier established and managed by the Bar Council of Kerala and Bar Council of Kerala Trust. Dr. K. G. Balakrishnan, then Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India and Visitor, NUALS, dedicated it to the nation on January 7, 2006.[1] Cochin, locally known as Kochi, was found to be the ideal location to set up the first national law school in Kerala since it is the seat of the High Court of Kerala and Lakshadweep.[2]
Initially the University functioned from Kaloor, Cochin. It now functions from its permanent campus in KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, at Kalamassery. The campus is on 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land taken on lease for 90 years from KINFRA and is nearer to Nedumbassery where the civilian airport is situated in Kochi.
The Government of Kerala constituted this University and merged with it the erstwhile National Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), which was established and managed by the Bar Council of Kerala and Bar Council of Kerala Trust. NIALS was then affiliated to the Cochin University of Science & Technology. Though the University shifted to its permanent campus at Kalamassery in August 2011, the construction of the academic and administrative blocks and the library is still on. At present the Kalamassery Campus of NUALS consists of: (Details from advertisement by NUALS in May 2011 for services to be provided for at its campus and after on-site verification)
New Campus at Kinfra Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery
The standard and quality of any educational institution mainly depends upon the facilities and services provided in the Library. It is considered as the heart and soul of an institution imparting quality education. The Law School Library has been an integral part of its academic endeavor. The curriculum and teaching methods at NUALS require both intensive and extensive use of the materials in the library. Acquisition of latest books and journals helps the NUALS library to keep pace with changing times. Photo-copy facilities are provided adjacent to the library.
IT Infrastructure: NUALS is WiFi enabled and has a computer wing that offers unlimited Internet access to students. Facilities available in computer wing for the students include online search of legal databases and printing. The subject of Information Technology for Lawyers taught for BA, LL.B. (Hons.) programme enables the students to be proficient in the use of computer as well as Internet surfing and essential computer usage.
A canteen functions in the campus during college days. Apart from the regular local fare, Arabic, Chineese, North Indian and South Indian dishes are also available (please note that there may be a local flavour to all these dishes).
Moot Court Society, Legal Aid Clinic, Law and Economic Forum, Debate and Seminar Forum, and Law and Society Forum are functioning under the guidance of Teachers.
The Bar Council of India has recommended 38 subjects (including 4 training courses) for the 5 year LLB course. NUALS has developed an innovative style of imparting legal education, in keeping with the changing times and attitudes towards the study of law. The University implements the Socrates method of teaching, where the students and teachers engage in an interactive mode of conducting the classes. Students are encouraged to raise questions and voice opinions, and the teacher facilitates a healthy discussion by chipping in with his/her expertise. The academic structure is intended to provide a wholesome learning experience for the students. The students are either allotted project topics or are allowed to choose a topic of their interest. In either case, the research work and subsequent collating of information is done by the students themselves. The project work is evaluated by conducting internal examinations, seminars, paper presentations etc., which ensure that the student not only appraises his area of research thoroughly, but also articulates the same before a set audience. Besides, the students are also required to conduct Legal Aid camps and Legal Aid clinics in selected villages in Kerala. This provides practical, grass-root insights.
Evaluation of students is based on the division of 100 marks per subject into internal and external evaluation (50 marks each for five subjects every semester). Internal evaluation consists of test papers, project presentations/viva vocé/seminars, interaction in class, attendance etc. The semester-end examinations (written paper of 3-hrs duration each) form the external evaluation. A student who secures an aggregate of 60% or more in all the ten semesters in the first attempt shall be placed in First Class. A student who secures an aggregate of 70% or more in all the ten semesters in the first attempt obtains a Distinction. A student who averages below 60%, subject to the pass mark of 50 in each subject, secures a Second Class.
Society, Science and Law, Medical Jurisprudence, Law and Medicine, Law and Forensic Science are some of the specialised subjects offered and taught by the experts in the field, so as to make the graduates of this University professionally competent. The students are also given full exposure to some of the socially relevant subjects like, Cyber law and E-Governance, Energy Law, Media and the Law, Environment and Law etc. Thus study in this University is made intellectually challenging and professionally rewarding.
Examination system followed at NUALS has been revamped; unitisation has been adopted, and the syllabus has been restructured in such a way that all the subjects have been divided into five units, such that a student has to study all the five units in detail, with a view to be thorough in the subject.
The teaching methods at NUALS are varied. The discussion method, a combination of the case law method and Socratic method are employed in teaching the subjects. Extensive discussions are an integral part of each lecture. Seminars, Moot Courts, Workshops, Field visits etc. are used as a tool to activate the students and to give them intellectual exercise with an idea of developing in them an urge for learning the law in the context of practice.
The project work is structured in such a manner that the students are encouraged to do research and write on subjects of current importance. O.H.P and Slide projectors are available in the classrooms to enable lively presentations of the projects. The project work carries 25 out of 100 marks and the students are encouraged to publish these in the leading law journals.
The syllabus of NUALS was drafted under the able leadership of former Director of NUALS (then NIALS), Prof Dr. K.N.Chandrasekharan Pillai, who the former Director of the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. The syllabus introduces subjects relevant to the study of law, but never incorporated hitherto in the syllabi of Indian law schools. The work group drafted the syllabus bearing in mind the shifting trends in the legal fraternity in India and abroad
The faculty members of NUALS constitute a highly qualified and professional team with a missionary zeal, who have what it takes to equip the students with a deep-rooted understanding of the law. Faculty members have, time and again, published books on subjects of their specialization, which include Electronic Signatures, Indian history, legal language etc. Besides, they also have a number of paper publications to their credit in leading law journals in the country. The fact that a majority of the faculty belong to the Bar, and are reputed advocates in the High Court and lower courts, adds to their practical knowledge, which is of great help during classroom discussions. Guest lecturers and visiting faculty are part of the extended family of NUALS. The University constantly solicits the wisdom of experts and specialists who have carved a niché for themselves in their respective fields. They include, inter alia, Supreme Court lawyers, scientists, medical professionals, Heads of Departments of other Universities, Professors from foreign Universities etc.
Honourable Justice K.T. Sankaran, Judge, High Court of Kerala teaches Civil Procedure Code.
The members of the Faculty are:
Professor (Dr.) M.C. Valson, Dr. Balakrishnan K., S. Sudheesh Kumar, D. Raveendrakumar, Jacob Joseph, Hari S. Nayar, Dr. Anil R. Nair, K.L. Namitha, Sheeba S. Dhar, Liji Samuel, Abhayachandran K., Adv. Syamkumar V.M., Adv. Shanmughan D Jayan, Adv. S.M. Prasanth, Adv. Benoy K. Kadavan.
Visiting Faculty includes:
Eminent Visitors to the University are
• Winners at the 2nd Surana & Surana Trial Moot Court Competition, 2006 • NUJS Moot Court 2007[10] • Winners at the 18th Kerala Law Academy Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Winners at the 17th Kerala Law Academy Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Winners at the ULC Bangalore National Moot Court Competition, 2006[11] • Winners at the 2nd Indian Institute Arbitration and Mediation (IIAM) Hamline Arbitration Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Winners at the 1st Surana & Surana Trial Moot Court Competition, 2005 • Runners-up at Henry Dunant Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Runners up at Calicut National Moot Court Competition, 2005
Have also won several prizes in the following competitions: • M.M. Singhvi Moot Court Competition, 2004 • A.K. Khan Memorial Minority Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Philip.C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, 2006 • Stetsons International Moot Court Competition, 2006
Students have attended and presented papers at various national and international Conferences. They are as follows: • International Conference on Business, Law and Technology (IBLT) Copenhagen, Denmark, December 2006. • International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), XVI th Conference, Paris -2005 • VIIth Human Rights Summer School organised by Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP), Dhaka, December 2006. • Seminar on Treasuring the Future – Children’s Rights and Realities, organised by the Legal Assistance Forum, Indian Society of International Law (ISIL), New Delhi, November 2006. • South Asia-level Roundtable on Law and (Im)Possibilities of Democratic Social Transformation, conducted by the Law and Society Committee, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore, May 2006.
NUALS runs an LL.M. Programme from 2009 July onwards in (1) International Trade Law and 2)Constitutional and Administrative Law. From academic year 2011-12, the admission is through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) conducted by the consortium of National Law Universities.
NUALS runs a Ph.D. Programme from 2007 onwards the structure of which is in accordance with the Guidelines set by the University Grants Commission.
NUALS is proud to state that Campus Recruitments started from its very first batch of students.[12] A Standing Committee consisting of students is constituted for contacting the law firms and other industries to find appropriate placements for the students.
NUALS has successfully placed most its corporate law aspiring students from its first five batches of B.A. LL.B. (Hons) programme. The recruiters include Inter alia
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