Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

Dr. Hari Singh Gour, first Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

The Faculty of Law was established in 1924. The then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi, and himself a great lawyer, jurist, and educationist, Dr. Hari Singh Gour was the first Dean of the Faculty of Law. The Faculty was initially housed in the Prince's Pavilion in the Old Viceregal Lodge Grounds. It was only in 1963 that the faculty moved to its present location at the Chhatra Marg, University of Delhi, Delhi.

The Bachelor of laws (LL.B.) degree course was, initially, started as a two-year part-time course, teaching being conducted in the morning with ten teachers. In 1942, along with the morning, evening classes were also started. In 1944, the one-year Master of laws (LL.M.) degree course was introduced. In 1947, after Independence and partition of the country, the demand for the study of law increased. It was also time to look beyond the entrenched British model and restructure legal education to meet the demands of a now Independent India clamouring for equality in access to power, respect and knowledge. Lawyers played a major role in the struggle for freedom. They now had to be trained to create & use law as an instrument of social change and, as Nehru put it, to wipe a tear from every eye. In 1947, LL.B. was made a full-time course (classes being held both in the morning and evening) and new courses were added. LL.M. was made a whole time two-year course. Two new courses, namely, Certificate of Proficiency (Law) and Bachelor of Civil Laws (B.C.L.) were introduced (later abolished in 1961 and 1966, respectively).

The year 1966 was a turning point in the history of the Faculty of Law and legal education in the country. Dean Professor P.K. Tripathi and his team of dedicated teachers adopted and implemented almost all the recommendations, in the 1964 Report, of the Gajendragadkar Committee on Legal Education (appointed by Vice-Chancellor Dr. C.D. Deshmukh).

The two-year LL.B. course was transitioned into the three-year (six semester) course with an internal examination at the end of each semester.

Delhi University Law School made major innovations in the method of teaching. Professor P.K. Tripathi introduced the discussion method of teaching (the Socratic method of teaching) and moved away from the lecture method where students were merely passive recipients of information. Towards this end, the case method of teaching, with decided cases and other study materials being given to the students in advance, was introduced, which enabled the Delhi Law School to achieve the goal of making students active participants in the learning process, thereby also ensuring an in-depth study of law. Teacher participation in the management of the Law School was ensured through appointment of various committee with elected members.[4]

As the number of students grew, the department established its first Centre as Law Centre – I at Mandir Marg in 1970 and the second as Law Centre – II at Dhaula Kuan in 1971. The LL.B day classes of the Faculty of Law were rechristened and shifted to newly established Campus Law Centre in 1975.[5] Today, all centers of the department operate from the Faculty of Law campus in North Campus.

Delhi University conducts DU LLB Entrance Exam in order to shortlist aspirants for admission in the LL.B. programme. For admission in the LL.M. programme offered by the varsity, candidates need to appear for DU LLM entrance exam. Each year, the DU LL.B. and LL.M. Entrance Exam is conducted in June.[6]

Candidates need to score the minimum required marks in DU LLB Entrance Exam to be eligible to take part in the first counselling round for the LL.B. programme admissions.

Aspirants need to meet DU LLB entrance exam eligibility criteria as mentioned by Faculty of Law, Delhi University. Eligible candidates need to have at least completed their graduation from a recognised Indian University/Foreign University/Equivalent institution from any stream with minimum 50% marks. Also, candidates in the final year of their graduation/post-graduation are eligible to apply for DU LLB Entrance Exam. However, such candidates will be offered admission on a provisional basis (which will be subject to their clearing their degree examinations).[6]

The Campus Law Centre (CLC) of the Faculty of Law offers a full-time three-year LL.B. programme. It has consistently been ranked among the top law schools in India and has been ranked second in the country by the India Today-Nielson survey of 2016.

Quality teaching, moot-court competitions, campus placements, legal-aid services and regular talks and discussions by experts from academia and industry are some of the features which have established CLC as a Centre of Excellence. To facilitate a ‘case study’ teaching methodology, each student is provided with an updated study material with relevant court judgments and reading material pertinent to each subject. This ensures an in-depth study of law and allows for active student participation in the classroom. The CLC offers many co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and students are encouraged to take part in these activities in order to enhance their teaching-learning experience. The international KK Luthra moot court competition Is an yearly event. This campus is also known for funding its students for international internships on yearly basis[8]

Law Centre – I has established itself as one of the leading institutions for pursuing a legal education. The motto of our Centre is ‘Educate, Evolve, and Excel’ and we try our best to ensure that every student here achieves these three goals through quality teaching, and by creating a wholesome learning environment. Law Centre – I of the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi has always been an egalitarian educational institution. It caters to the students from all the segments of the society and takes the pains to maintain that stature. Law Centre – I do not tolerate any form of discrimination, including ragging. Law Centre – I has the North East Student’s Welfare Cell and the SC-ST Grievance Redressal Committee to ensure that no one is harassed on grounds of religion, caste ethnicity and gender or any other issue. We strongly stand for the equality of women and strive to inculcate the culture of respect for women inside as well as outside the classrooms. The Disciplinary Committee, Committee Against Sexual Harassment, and Gender Sensitization Committee work throughout the academic year to create an environment which ensures equality and safety of women.

On the academic front, the focus of Law Centre – I is not only on the classroom teaching but also on imparting the students, practical legal skills so as to prepare them in advance for their careers in law. For instance, moot courts, trial advocacy, client counselling, mediation and negotiation competitions provide the students with an understanding of the legal processes inside, as well as outside the court. Besides, Law Centre – I, strives towards developing critical thinking, and research skills among its students. To that end, we have the Journal of Law Teachers of India in which papers and articles are invited from students as well as teachers. Self-discipline is an essential trait in the field of law, students are hence encouraged and advised to remain particular with their classes and attendance. [9]

Law Centre-II is a premier institution and is known for its qualitative teaching, research and other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. It is one of the best institutions in the country which imparts a three-year LL.B. program. To promote student activities at the Centre, a number of committees have been constituted. These committees include Moot Court and Debate Committee, Seminars, Conferences and Extension Lectures, Journal Committee, Legal Aid Committee, Placement Committee and Alumni Committee. There is the active participation of students in these committees. The teacher members and students volunteers organize several activities on a regular basis throughout the year. The S.K. Puri Memorial Moot Court Competition of Law Centre-II "JUSTIFIED" is an annual activity in which teams from all parts of the country participate. The Seminars and Lectures Committee apart from organizing seminars, conferences, and workshops organizes lectures of legal scholars from all over India and abroad.[10]

The teaching and learning methods in the Faculty of Law are participatory in nature. Delhi University Law School follows the Case Method as the primary mode of teaching and learning.[11] Introduced in the 1960s by Professor P.K. Tripathi, the Case Method, a distinctive Delhi version of the Langdellian Casebook Method of teaching law in law schools in the United States, entails a questioning mindset among teachers and students.[12] The method is based on the principle that the best way to study the Indian legal system and relevant laws is from precedent, i.e. a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts.[13]

Each semester, the Faculty of Law selects illustrative and landmark cases as decided by the Supreme Court of India or High Courts to be included in a special text-book called the Case Material for each course. The Case Materials may also contain some important articles and commentaries on the relevant area of law. The Case Materials are supplemented by the "Bare Acts" or statutes and prescribed books in each course.

Typically, the teacher assigns reading of selected cases from the Case Material for the subsequent class. Students are expected to come to the class after reading the prescribed cases. A class in the Faculty of Law commences with a discussion based on the assigned case between students and the teacher, followed by a quick reading of the issue and ratio decidendi of the judgement.

Delhi Law review is a peer reviewed and refereed journal published by the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi since the year 1978. DLR provides an intellectual platform to legal fraternity to express their opinions in the form of articles, case comments, book reviews, etc.[14]

Journal of the Campus Law Centre is a refereed journal published by Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, Delhi since the year 2013. It seeks to provide a platform to the legal fraternity for expressing their views, ideas and research undertaken by them. It invites original and previously unpublished articles, notes and comments from academician, judges, lawyers, research scholars on any contemporary legal and socio-legal issue.[15][16]

National Capital Law Journal is published by Law Centre-II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, Delhi since the year 1996. It invites articles, papers, case notes, book reviews and essays every year from academicians, independent researchers, practitioners and students.

Journal of Law Teachers of India is the flagship journal of Law Centre-I, Faculty of Law, Delhi. The first volume of JOLT-I was brought out in association with Association of Law Teachers of India (ALT-I) in the year 2010. The main objective of JOLT-I is to encourage good legal writing on all areas of law and research among students and teaching faculty alike. All the papers are reviewed before publication. The journal has an advisory board as well as editorial board comprising eminent Scholars.[17][18]

This is a student driven academic journal covering a diverse range of themes and topics of contemporary significance. The journal comprises articles from students within the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi and outside of it. The articles are selected on the basis of a double-blind peer-review system. Its first online edition was released in 2016-2017.

• Students run a Legal Services Clinic at the University premises
• Legal awareness programmes
• Legal outreaches in slum-clusters
• Prison visits
• Lok Adalat (Alternative Dispute Resolution)
• Nukkad Natak (Street Plays)
• Placement Assistance Council consisting of student bodies.

The campus is situated in the North Campus of Delhi University. The academic & administrative buildings consist of the classrooms, seminar halls, the libraries, the moot court hall, legal aid hall, pantry, underground parking, lawns and administrative offices of each Law Center. In the year 2016, the Faculty of Law inaugurated Umang Bhawan, a new building, spread over 90,000 sqft, which could accommodate the three Law Centers as per the norms laid down by the Bar Council of India (BCI).[25] The new building is situated next to the Arts Faculty campus.[25] It is at a distance of 400 meters from the old building of Faculty of Law. Currently both buildings are operational.

There are twelve hostels for male and female students who are pursuing full-time courses in the University. These are: Gwyer Hall, International Students House, Jubilee hall, Mansarovar Hostel, Post-Graduate Men's Hostel, University Hostel for Women, Meghdoot Hostel, D. S. Kothari, V. K. R. V. Rao Hostel, International Students House for Women, North East Students House and W.U.S. University Hostel.

Hostel facilities are available only to Campus Law Center, Law Center-1, and LL.M. 2-year course students as per rules and procedure prescribed by the University and the hostel authorities. Information can be obtained directly from the provost of the concerned hostels. An estimated 100 law students are provided with hostel accommodation based on their rank in the entrance exam. LL.M. students are given a priority.

The Delhi University Sports Complex (Delhi University Stadium) is an indoor and outdoor sports arena spread across 10,000 square metres within the North Campus of Delhi University. The complex includes coaching area for women’s wrestling, netball, athletics and boxing. Commonwealth Games of 2010 were conducted here, including the Rugby Sevens tournament.

• O. P. Verma - Former Governor of Punjab, Former Governor of Haryana, Former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.

• Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud[26]
• Sanjay Kishan Kaul[26]
• Navin Sinha[26]
• Rohinton Nariman, also a former Solicitor General of India[26]
• Indu Malhotra [27]

• Madan Mohan Puncchi - former Chief Justice of India[26]
• Vikramajit Sen[26]
• Lokeshwar Singh Panta[26]
• Madan B. Lokur[26]
• Ranjan Gogoi - former Chief Justice of India[26]
• Arjan Kumar Sikri[26]

• Tshering Wangchuk - Current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bhutan[28]
• Rinzin Penjor - Judge of the Supreme Court of Bhutan [29]

• T. Vaiphei - Former Chief Justice of Tripura High Court

• Pinky Anand - Additional Solicitor General of India [30]
• Bishwajit Bhattacharyya - Former Additional Solicitor General of India.[31]
• Gopal Subramaniam Former Solicitor General of India[32]
• Mohan Parasaran- Former Solicitor General of India[33]
• Siddharth Luthra - Former Additional Solicitor General of India.[34]

• Arun Jaitley - Former Finance Minister, Government of India.
• Ajit Jogi - Former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.
• Ashwani Kumar - Former Law Minister, Government of India
• Bhupinder Singh Hooda - Former chief minister of Haryana
• Jarbom Gamlin - Former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
• Kapil Sibal - Former Cabinet Minister of Human Resource Development, Communications and Information Technology and Ministry of Law.
• Kiren Rijiju - Deputy Minister, Home Affairs, Government of India
• Mayawati - Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
• Meira Kumar - Former Speaker of Lok Sabha.
• Pinaki Misra - Member of Parliament
• Rao Inderjit Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge), Statistics and Program Implementation.

• Kiran Bedi - Former Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development.[35]
• D.B. Singh - Secretary of Rajya Sabha
• S.C. Choudhary - Former Chief Secretary of Haryana