Modernization of Legal Education in India: The Interdisciplinary Approach to Education
| Author | Arpita Sengupta,Devrupa Rakshit |
| DOI | 10.1177/2322005814552756 |
| Published date | 01 January 2015 |
| Date | 01 January 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Essays |
Military-Madrasa-Mullah Complex 57
India Quarterly, 66, 2 (2010): 133–149
A Global Threat 57
Essay
Modernization of Legal Education
in India: The Interdisciplinary
Approach to Education
Arpita Sengupta1
Devrupa Rakshit2
Abstract
This article endeavours to present a succinct analysis of the legal education system in India in the
context of changes inspired in it by globalization and the subsequent modernization of society.
The introduction reconnoitres the significance of legal education in any civilization. Encompassing
the evolution of legal education by tracing its emergence from the Vedic period to the twenty-first
century, the article reflects profoundly upon the rise of the national law universities across the country,
which not only revolutionized the system, but also changed the manner in which legal education was
perceived by the society. While scrutinizing their controversial aspects, the article acknowledges the
debates that have been spurred amongst legal luminaries since their inception. Addressing the core
issues in the deliberations surrounding the ongoing debate over the 5-year curriculum as opposed to
a 4-year curriculum coupled with a year of compulsory internship experience, the article proceeds
to analyze the feasibility of the model in the Indian context. While expounding the progressive and
regressive elements of the legal education system in India, the article intends to cast a cursory glance
upon the prevalent education system of the United States in an attempt to paint a clearer picture of
the state of affairs. Harping on the point of modernization of legal education, the article delves into
the concepts of legal aid clinics and clinical legal education that have materialized among the significant
aspects of modern legal education. This review of the legal education system is an attempt to ‘critically
appraise’ its facets, and in doing so, maintaining a neutral approach.
Keywords
Integrated Course, NLU, Apprenticeship, Legal Aid Clinic, Curriculum
Introduction
The education system in India has played an instrumental role in shaping the way society functions.
Legal education, on the contrary, was at a very primitive form till the past two decades. Legal education
in India had very little of rationale and scope for critical analysis. It was more of rote learning and
1 3rd Year Student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
2 3rd Year Student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
Asian Journal of Legal Education
2(1) 57–66
© 2015 The West Bengal National
University of Juridical Sciences
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/2322005814552756
http://ale.sagepub.com
Corresponding author:
Arpita Sengupta is 3rd Year Student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
E-mail: arpita.2408@gmail.com
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