LAW UNIVERSITY VICE CHANCELLORS’ COLLOQUIUM on The Future of Legal Education During & After COVID-19

Introduction

As we enter one of the most unprecedented crisis of our times, the largest price paid is human lives. Beyond the human cost, this pandemic has resulted in greater demand for justice. In these times Legal Education is perhaps one of the best public policy tools available to produce knowledge, create awareness of rights and freedoms, impart skills and inspire minds which can contribute to the establishment of a society based on the rule of law, contribute to social change and promote access to justice.

However, with nations going into lockdowns, Law Schools amongst others have had to temporarily suspend campus learning for the safety of their students, staff and faculty. Many law schools in India and around the world have been faced with a considerable challenge to very quickly evolve into e-classrooms to ensure academic continuity. However, as the comforting conceit that the state of emergency declared is time-bound begins to fade away, virtual classrooms may become more than just a temporary response.

Keeping that in mind, a lot of questions about the future of legal educations during and after COVID-19 need to be addressed - right from required evolution of curriculum and faculty, to building student engagement within the constraints of e-learning. Internships, Moot Courts, Legal Aid Clinics, Bar Exams, future of law entrance exams such as CLAT, AILET and LSAT – are some very important pillars of legal education which will need innovation.

The colloquium brought together Vice-Chancellor's of the leading law institutions in the country to deliberate and try and address questions surrounding the future of legal education in times of this unprecedented crisis.

The webinar session on the theme, 'The Future of Legal Education, During & After COVID-19' was was moderated by Prof. (Dr.) C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU).

The distinguished panellists at the session included;

Professor (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy
Vice-Chancellor, National Law School of India
University, Bengaluru

Professor (Dr.) V. Vijayakumar
Vice-Chancellor
National Law Institute University
Bhopal

Professor (Dr.) Kamala Sankaran
Former Vice-Chancellor
Tamil Nadu National Law University, Tiruchi

Professor (Dr.) Poonam Saxena
Vice-Chancellor
National Law University, Jodhpur

Professor (Dr.) Ranbir Singh
Vice-Chancellor
National Law University, Delhi

[sampathkumar]

Sudhir Krishnaswamy comes out fresh in thought, unfettered with past fixations. Example are replete- tech displacing social and work types. In recent times the theatre gave way to cinema halls which is again being displaced to TV. Much earlier the romance of castles and forts ended with the development of gunpowder. Shibboleths such as a physical campus will similarly erode. Obsolescence of Physical Campuses, adaptability to e learning are mere trifles of adjustments and are inevitable. As far as Law is considered this is more experiential - more of thought than physicality. Teaching without campuses becomes difficult only for tech / science subjects which require laboratories and Physical workshops. For law what matters is the teachings and its dynamic. Reflecting on the times and in keeping with the social society that tech etc creates. The recent public uproar at Courts not being able to send a rape convict to the hangman for more than 7 years of conviction must evoke thought of how we should make law processes efficient. Even Civil law judgements should come faster if our nation has to be a credible super power.