Jindal Global Law School launches 3-year BA programme in Legal Studies

The OP Jindal Global University (JGU) has launched a 3-year BA Hons. programme in Legal Studies, which will be offered by the varsity’s law school, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). Admissions to the course will begin from the academic year 2020-21.

As per a press release issued by Jindal,

“The B.A. (Hons.) programme in Legal Studies strives to familiarise students with major legal and political discourses, while imparting skills essential for the performance of pre-legal and paralegal works as well as preparing them for careers in law, judiciary, academia, research and public service. Its holistic training seeks to develop, in students, a strong legal and social sciences research foundation. It enables them to express opinions on legal issues concisely and clearly, to identify, analyse and address legal problems and assess the social impact of law.”

The course was launched at an event held on Thursday at the Jindal campus in Sonipat, Haryana.

Speaking on the new course, Prof (Dr) C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU and Dean of JGLS highlighted that the UG degree programme is being launched with the objective of creating opportunities for students to pursue a degree in law, even if they may not choose to become a lawyer later on. He stated that the programme would be interdisciplinary in nature, with focus on the social, economic, and political context of law in society. 

Further, students of the BA Legal Studies programme at JGLS will also be given opportunities to experience short term study programmes in law at foreign institutions including Harvard University, University of Oxford, Fletcher School-Tufts University and the University of Arizona, said Prof Raj Kumar.

The launch of the the new programme on Thursday was preceded by a lecture on ‘Changing the World Through Law’ by Professor Stephen P Marks, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights, Harvard University.

During his lecture, Professor Marks commented that a three-year degree in legal studies at JGLS would be an excellent way to understand the role of law in society, for those who have an aptitude for legal reasoning and problem-solving with a vision of making a better world.

Deepu Krishna, Deputy Director Admissions and Outreach, also spoke at the event. He observed that law is one of the most preferred career options across all the academic streams in high school. Professor Anand Prakash Mishra, Director of Law Admissions, spoke on the need of a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies in India. He noted,

“Leading American Universities like UC Berkeley, Northwestern, St. Johns, Wisconsin Madison, Illinois, Tulane and Miami etc. run immensely popular B.A. programmes in Legal Studies in the USA.”

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