Other threads about decline of NALSAR and NUJS are in abundance. What exempts the NLS from this is nothing but probably the profs there and the fact that seniors at other places start your friendly interactions with a promise of a job and ask you to chill out. The idea of writing, something core to law has gone for a toss, rather an assembly line of corporate suckers is being crafted. What the law loses is itself. A sole remedy is enthusiast and highly qualified profs. That is so important for me that I would suggest one to not even opt for CLAT and study in institutions like SNU school of law, just have a look at the faculty there man.
With this, I just want to start a conversation on the decline, not of NLUs but law.
SNU is interesting. But anyone can put up fancy names on a website. Id be curious to know if those guys are actually teaching full time at the university. Id bet not.
Just because people in LI talk about nothing else, that doesn't mean there isn't research and publications happening at the NLUs. Why don't you check the author profiles of those faculty who are known to write?
Don't be concerned. NLUs are by character VC-centric institutions. If the VC changes for the worse, then they see exoduses or lack of better new recruitments. As such, these institutions boom and bust cycles.
NALSAR and NUJS are suffering through one now. For NALSAR it is more recent with FM only just out of the door, for NUJS it has been a while since they had a good VC.
Do not for a moment think that NLS is exempt for such cycles. The decade of Venkata Rao is well documented on LI itself. In fact, Sidharth Chatham, whose imminent departure is causing a lot of these reflections on faculty at NALSAR, had left NLS on concerns of academic future of the place under that leadership.
Also, do note that having a decade of poor leadership has not caused the recruitment outputs of NUJS to suffer. Similarly, NLS' recruitments did not suffer under Venkata Rao. Nor will NALSAR's with KDR.
All of these institutions (plus NLUJ, NLUD, and to a lesser extent NLIU and GNLU) have built enough of a brand for themselves with the legal industry. This brand was built on the backs of student recruits being able to churn out two/three years of back-breaking and soul-sucking work. It wasn't built on the outstanding academic literature being produced by the faculty members.
Therefore, my advice to all - current students in these places, and prospectives students who will pick one of them - would be to keep following the time tested rank order profile of NLS, NALSAR, NUJS, NLUD, NLUJ, GNLU, NLIU. You do this and you shall be fine.
GNLU troll spotted. GNLU is NOT at the same level as NLUD and it’s definitely a tier below NUJS as well. At best, it’s at par with NLUJ but NLUJ still has more pedigree.
Joke ranking and horrible advice, honestly, How can anyone seriously advice a young law aspirant to choose a 300-kid NLS batch, a faculty-exodus-ridden NALSAR or a terminally-ill NUJS over NLUD is baffling. NLUD is literally the only NLU with a national character and no domicile and with a decent batch size now. Sure, this can change in future too, but it will still any day be over NUJS by virtue of its location alone and GNLU isn't even in the same league as NLUD. Between NLS, NALSAR and NLUD, fine, there is a question of choice. But today, NLUD should ideally be preferred over these older two as well. And before the trolls who couldn't crack AILET start their verbal gagging, be honest to yourselves. If you had the choice of NLUD today, you'd any day choose it. I know even people who chose places like NUJS over NLUD 10 years back who regret doing so till today. Don't mislead when it comes to a question of merit.
Please name these people whom you know. Till you don't, they remain a figment of your imagination. It is funny how universities you keep berating end up beating you in placements every year, and equal you in all other grad outcomes. But keep the trolling up.
Buddy, no one at NLUD cares for NLS. You guys are just another regular state college that's starving for funds. That would be a shock to you, but it's true.
Give it a rest. If it weren't for the alumni legacy, NLUD would've been outright superior to NLS today. Whereas we've risen this far without any such support. So again, glad I didn't go to NLS.
Why would anyone at the only true NLU in the country be wishing to join some rando college in Karnataka with a massive domicile quota? Enlighten me. On a serious note, NLS might want to focus on setting its own house in order first. No one is jealous of you now.
I shall bite on this ad piece for SNU. Let's 'just have a look at the faculty there man.'
1. A Professor and Dean, Shiv Swaminathan, who will probably never teach (as he is Dean) or will probably not be able to build the faculty needed (as he is teaching). Most Deans the world over have very light work loads.
2. A Program Advisor and Visiting Professor. So, visiting. Enough said. Despite him being Umakanth.
3. Vinay Sitapati. Great profile. But, professor! PhD in 2017. That doesn't make him eligible to be professor per UGC norms. But, we need to look past those rules if people are competent. And, I know him. He is that. Political Science guy. With a law degree no doubt. Good acquisition.
4. Naama whoever. Law from Jerusalem. I am sure she is great. But, not an Indian law person. Not a law person in fact. Sanskrit and religion scholar. As an academic, I am sure she can have very fruitful discussions about law. But, this is the sort of person that law students will be dissing as a waste of money and space (because not corp. law).
5. Laskin guy. Token gora recruit. Seems to have made a career out of teaching non-substantive courses in the Global South. Will take top dollar. Will be a reason Indian legal academic recruits are frustrated in two years time as they don't get paid like him (because non-gori skin).
6, 7 & 8. Neha Tayshete, Rejitha Nair & Shubho Roy - as Indian law recruits. I am sure both will get great. Law of percentages doesn't support my confidence. But, whatever.
9. Aditi someone. Writing person. Matlab non substantive law walli.
...
Sum: Dean + visiting + 4 law people (out of which one is political science person now).
I am sure SNU will be stellar school. But let's not big them up just yet.
With this, I just want to start a conversation on the decline, not of NLUs but law.
NALSAR and NUJS are suffering through one now. For NALSAR it is more recent with FM only just out of the door, for NUJS it has been a while since they had a good VC.
Do not for a moment think that NLS is exempt for such cycles. The decade of Venkata Rao is well documented on LI itself. In fact, Sidharth Chatham, whose imminent departure is causing a lot of these reflections on faculty at NALSAR, had left NLS on concerns of academic future of the place under that leadership.
Also, do note that having a decade of poor leadership has not caused the recruitment outputs of NUJS to suffer. Similarly, NLS' recruitments did not suffer under Venkata Rao. Nor will NALSAR's with KDR.
All of these institutions (plus NLUJ, NLUD, and to a lesser extent NLIU and GNLU) have built enough of a brand for themselves with the legal industry. This brand was built on the backs of student recruits being able to churn out two/three years of back-breaking and soul-sucking work. It wasn't built on the outstanding academic literature being produced by the faculty members.
Therefore, my advice to all - current students in these places, and prospectives students who will pick one of them - would be to keep following the time tested rank order profile of NLS, NALSAR, NUJS, NLUD, NLUJ, GNLU, NLIU. You do this and you shall be fine.
NLSIU
NALSAR
GNLU/ NLUD
NUJS
NLUJ
1. NLUD
2. NLS
3. NALSAR
4. NUJS
5. NLUJ
6. GNLU
7. NLIU
8. JGLS
9. HNLU
10. SLSP
Cry about it
1. A Professor and Dean, Shiv Swaminathan, who will probably never teach (as he is Dean) or will probably not be able to build the faculty needed (as he is teaching). Most Deans the world over have very light work loads.
2. A Program Advisor and Visiting Professor. So, visiting. Enough said. Despite him being Umakanth.
3. Vinay Sitapati. Great profile. But, professor! PhD in 2017. That doesn't make him eligible to be professor per UGC norms. But, we need to look past those rules if people are competent. And, I know him. He is that. Political Science guy. With a law degree no doubt. Good acquisition.
4. Naama whoever. Law from Jerusalem. I am sure she is great. But, not an Indian law person. Not a law person in fact. Sanskrit and religion scholar. As an academic, I am sure she can have very fruitful discussions about law. But, this is the sort of person that law students will be dissing as a waste of money and space (because not corp. law).
5. Laskin guy. Token gora recruit. Seems to have made a career out of teaching non-substantive courses in the Global South. Will take top dollar. Will be a reason Indian legal academic recruits are frustrated in two years time as they don't get paid like him (because non-gori skin).
6, 7 & 8. Neha Tayshete, Rejitha Nair & Shubho Roy - as Indian law recruits. I am sure both will get great. Law of percentages doesn't support my confidence. But, whatever.
9. Aditi someone. Writing person. Matlab non substantive law walli.
...
Sum: Dean + visiting + 4 law people (out of which one is political science person now).
I am sure SNU will be stellar school. But let's not big them up just yet.