Gear up for one-year LLM

ONE-YEAR LLM students will have to work harder as the course syllabus is research-oriented

RUKMINI Sinha aims to join the judiciary service in India, and feel that doing an LLM programme will equip her to give the judicial services exam with more confidence, than a Bachelor’s in Law. According to her, the one-year LLM programme has other benefits, too “You save a year, which you can use to pursue some other course. Also, the law profession is all about learning. The more you study intensely, the more benefits you can get,” she explains.

Varied opinions

Experts have varied opinions. “The introduction of this one-year LLM programme is actually related to the difficult situation faced by law schools in getting good faculty members for undergraduate courses,” says Prof. NN Mathur, Vice Chancellor of National Law University, Jodhpur. “We find that good quality students are not coming to pursue an LLM programme. So this one year programme will definitely attract students to the Master’s course,” he says.

Prof .Faizan Mustafa, VC of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabd, favours one-year LLM. The institute has been able to meet the minimum faculty requirement to teach the course. A few others, who did not wish to be named, think that the two-year LLM put those who want to take up a career in teaching Law at a disadvantage. The eligibility for becoming a teacher in Law is to have at least 20 years of education, whereas for Engineering it is 16 years and for most of the other courses it is 17 years (for instance UGC NET). So Law was handicapped by an extra three years.

Manan kumar mishra Chairman, Bar Council of India UGC has allowed selected colleges to start 1-year LLM programme. If you think that any institution is fit to impart 1-year LLM course, permission should be granted

Global acceptance

Many countries have the provision of one-year LLM programme. “Across the world except in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the one-year LLM programme is being taught,” says, Prof. Faizan of NALSAR. And because of that many Indian students go to other countries to pursue LLM. “With this kind of programme, students can choose to stay in India and pursue LLM, which can be completed in one year,” says Prof. C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, OP Jindal Global University.

Focus on research

Experts say the basic concept behind this programme is that most of what you study in Law is covered by the three- year LLB or five-year integrated LLB course. But beyond that if you want to pursue LLM, go for it if you are really looking to have a specialised approach towards studying or research of a particular area. “This programme is more research-oriented. You have to pick your specialization from the first semester itself,” says Prof. Faizan Mustafa.

Research orientation

The curriculum has been revised, completely. Experts share that in traditional institutes many modules taught in LLB, are reiterated in LLM including subjects like Constitutional Law, and Law of Contract. “So now we are offering more research oriented courses in this one year LLM programme. There would be far more in-depth specializations. It would be a time-saving course now. You don’t do the generalised courses rather you do more specialised courses,” says a professor from a law institute, on condition of anonymity.

KEY FEATURES OF ONE-YEAR LLM

Post-Graduate Legal Studies (CPGLS), which will have a dedicated team of senior teachers (not less than 10) competent to guide postgraduate students. Should be organised on a trimester basis ensuring at least 12 weeks of teaching/research/practical in each trimester. Should have 24 credits with three mandatory courses of three credits each (making a total of 9 credits), six optional courses of two credits each (making a total of 12 credits) and a dissertation of three credits (flexible, to a maximum of five). No student would be eligible for admission to one-year LLM unless he/she has passed the LLB exam. Admission should be based on merit decided by an All India Admission Test that assesses aptitude for teaching/research, legal reasoning, and comprehension/basic  legal knowledge (70 percent based on marks in the test and 30 percent equally distributed on the basis of work experience, publications, and statement of purpose) The six clusters of specialisation subjects could tentatively be: International & Comparative Law; Corporate & Commercial Law; Criminal & Security Law; Family & Social Security Law; Constitutional & Administrative Law; and Legal Pedagogy & Research Source: Adapted from www.ugc.ac.in

SELECT COLLEGES OFFERING ONE-YEAR LLM

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad Symbiosis International University, Pune National Law University, Jodhpur Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Be ready to work harder

Classes have already started for the one- year LLM programme. “We have a really hectic schedule because we have to complete the courses within eight to nine months. But I am enjoying the programme very much and learning many new things about the field,” says Rukmini, who joined the one-year LLM programme in National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.

“Now, students will have to work really hard because they will have classes, practical and research work from morning to evening. This will be a rigorous programme,” says another professor who did not wish to be named. “But I think, if students work really hard nothing is difficult. They will have to be more focused towards the programme. And even the faculty members will have to make the teaching-learning interesting so that the students might enjoy it during the programme,” he adds.

Phasing out 2-year LLM

The Bar Council of India is opposing the continuation of two-year LLM programme along with the one-year programme. “There is one objection from our side- still there are two types of courses and UGC has allowed select colleges to start one-year LLM programme. There should be uniformity. If you think that any institution is fit to impart one-year LLM course, permission should be granted to that institute,” says Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Bar Council of India. Others also vouch for uniformity. “Once the UGC has taken a position, it will suggest that you can’t have same type of two courses with different tenure,” says Prof. Faizan Mustafa.

Prof. C. Raj Kumar says that the institutions offering two-year programme need to have the capacity to offer a good quality one-year programme. When more and more colleges start one-year LLM course, it could erode the quality of teaching and research. As Prof. Raj Kumar says, there is a possibility of mediocrity setting in.

But it is true that the students who wish to go abroad for pursuing one year LLM, now have the option here also.