New-age law schools make their mark

Although very new, BITS, SHIV Nadar and IIULER have made significant strides in a short span of time; plan to change the landscape of legal education

- Aeshwarya Tiwari

Shalini Kottapalli graduated from a boarding school in Dehradun and chose to join a newly-established law school over other options.

She said, "I chose this institute not only for its strong academic legacy but also for the unique opportunity to be part of a new and dynamic culture in legal education. Despite being a relatively new establishment, the environment encourages innovation, and students are motivated to make their mark." Kottapalli is in second year of BA LLB at BITS School of Law, Mumbai, set up in 2023.

Lavanya Surender, too, picked a new law college. A first-year student at Shiv Nadar University Law School in Chennai, she said: "I was particularly attracted to the curriculum, which incorporates new and diverse perspectives, and my experience during the first semester confirmed this. Moreover, as a newer institution, the university is continuously refining its teaching methods and enhancing the student experience, creating an ideal environment for both academic and personal growth." Legal education in India is undergoing a transformative shift with the rise of new-age law schools, which combine traditional teaching with innovative methods.

According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2022-23 survey, over 1,00,000 students are currently enrolled in various integrated law programmes at the undergraduate level, indicating a surge in interest in the legal field. Established institutions like the National Law Schools and Symbiosis Law School, Pune, remain influential, but emerging schools such as BITS School of Law, India International University of Legal Education and Research (IIULER) Goa, and Shiv Nadar University School of Law are quickly gaining recognition.

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