Mumbai University to create new law teaching degree

The University of Mumbai has hit upon a novel idea to meet the shortage of teaching faculty. To help deal with the dire need for a law faculty, the university is creating a new degree to produce teachers of law.

The course for the Masters of Law (LLM) degree is being developed with the help of Prof NR Menon, the founder director of National Law School, Bangalore. This is the first time such a degree is being designed in India. This course and other aspects of legal education will be the core focus of a three-day workshop on legal education.

The workshop starts on Monday at the University of Mumbai premises in Fort. It is part of the golden jubilee celebration of the law department of the university.

“The workshop will focus on ways to revamp legal education. All the changes which will arise from the workshop, will come into effect from the next academic year,” said Suresh Mane, head of department of law.

Reforms in legal education and research have been a long pending national agenda and have been recommended by several policy makers, starting from the National Knowledge Commission right down to the Yashpal committee.

“We will also focus on improving research standards in the field of law because that is where Mumbai University is lagging,” added Mane.

At the workshop, legal educationists and members of the bar will guide and deliberate with a selected group of principals and teachers of law colleges and other academic boards of the university.