Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

The Faculty of Law was established in 1924 and was initially housed in the Prince's Pavilion in the Old Vice regal Lodge Grounds. In 1963, the faculty moved to its present location at the Chhatra Marg, University of Delhi, Delhi.

Law Faculty has the distinction of being one of the largest law school of Asia and the world. With over 4000 students and 100 full time faculty members anytime on its rolls, Faculty of Law is the largest law school of India. Law Faculty has been instrumental in providing leadership to legal education in the country since independence. It attracts students from every state of India and more than 20 countries of Asia, Europe, America and South Africa.

Alumni of this premier institutions have become Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Ministers of Union and State Governments and India's best lawyers in large numbers.

Degrees Offered

The Faculty of Law is currently offering the following courses: Bachlor of Laws(LL.B.), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Civil Law (MCL), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and Doctor of Civil Laws (DCL).

History

The Faculty of Law was established in 1924 and the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi,Dr.Hari Singh Gaur was its first Dean.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. Initially, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) Degree course was treated as part-time course and the teaching was conducted in the morning. The evening classes along with morning classes for LL.B. started in the year 1942. The teaching for one year Master of of Laws (LL.M.) Degree started in the year 1944. LL.M. was made a whole-time two year course in the year 1947. As a result of partition of the country in 1947, the rush to the Faculty increased. Two new courses,viz., Degree of Bachelor of Civil Laws (B.C.L.) and Certificate of Proficiency (Law), were made a whole-time course though classes were held both in the morning as well as in the evening. With the enactment of Advocates Act, 1961, the Certificate (Law) course was abolished. The B.C.L. Degree course was discontinued in the year 1966.

The Academic year 1966-67 was marked by two major developments :One, the duration of LL.B. Degree course was increased to three years and two, teaching through case method was introduced. Both these developments were pioneering and unique in the teaching of law for any Indian Law School at the time. Till 1970,both morning and evening classes were being held in the Faculty Building at Chhatra Marg. But to meet the presenting and long standing demand for more seats, an evening Law Centre was established at Mandir Marg, New Delhi in the year 1970, which is currently located at the Main Campus, Chhatra Marg, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007. The evening classes in the Faculty building were discontinued in a phased manner in the next two successive years. However, the demand for more seats led to the establishment of one more evening Law Centre in South Delhi known as Law Centre-II in the building of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam (ARSD) College, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi-110021 in the year 1971 where it is currently located. The Faculty originally known as The Campus Law Centre has now been divided into three Law Centres: Campus Law Centre at Chhatra Marg (North Campus), University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, Law Centre-I at Chhatra Marg (North Campus), University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 and Law Centre-II at Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi-110021.

The Faculty of Law of the University of Delhi was established in the year 1924. The then Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr. Hari Singh Gaur was its first Dean. It was housed in the Prince's Pavilion in the Viceregal Lodge (turned Anthropology Department). In 1963 the Faculty of law moved to its present location on Chhatra Marg, University North Campus, Delhi-110007.

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 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 made a three-year (six semester) course with an internal examination at the end of each semester. There were major innovations in the method of teaching: the discussion method of teaching (the Socratic method of teaching) was to be followed and not simply 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.

In 1970, to meet the increasing demand for more evening admissions, evening classes in the Faculty of Law were discontinued and two new evening centres were established: Law Centre-I at Mandir Marg (Currently in the Faculty of Law building) in 1970 and Law Centre-II at Dhaula Kuan in 1971. The Campus Law Centre became an exclusive day Centre. And the admission in these centres is as per merit in entrance exams.

Law Centers

The Faculty of Law now has three Law Centres: The Campus Law Centre (CLC) in the Faculty of Law building (University North Campus) on Chhatra marg, Delhi-110007, Law Centre-I (LC-I) in the Faculty of Law building (University North Campus) also on Chhatra marg, Delhi-110007 and Law Centre-II (LC-II) in the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College building at Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi-110021. Each Law Centre has its own teaching faculty and administrative staff (headed by a Professor-in-Charge). The three Law Centres conduct the LL.B. Programme. In addition, there is a fourth unit headed by the Dean, Faculty of Law, which administers Master of Laws (LL.M.) (Two-year full-time & Three year part-time courses), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) programme along with Master of Comparative Law (M.C.L.) for foreign students. The Faculty has been admitting students from many foreign countries such as Bhutan, Ethiopia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Ukraine and Vietnam, etc. to these programmes. The classes for the post graduate courses are conducted in the Faculty of Law building.

The Campus Law Centre classes are held during the day-time, starting from 8:30 a.m. The Law Centre-I has two sessions: the afternoon session from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and the evening session from 6:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. The students can opt for either session (allotment being subject to availability of seats according to merit in entrance exam). The Law Centre-II classes are currently held in the evening from 6:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. The total number students admitted to the first year of the LL.B. course is 1500 (CLC:500, LC-I:600 and LC-II:400). The admission is on the basis of an Entrance Test conducted by the Faculty of Law. The admission to the three centres is held once a year and the brightest students opt for the Campus Law Centre, then Law Cntre-I and then Law Centre-II. Teaching and examinations at the respective Centres are conducted under the control and supervision of the Professor-in-Charge of the concerned Law Centre. The Faculty currently has a total strength of 80 full time and 14 part time teachers.

The Campus Law Centre Library has a rich collection of books, journals and periodicals. This library caters to the needs of all the students, research scholars and teachers of the Faculty. In addition, the Law Centre-I and Law Centre-II have their own libraries which are used mainly by the students and teachers of the concerned Law Centre.

Journals

The Campus Law Centre has been publishing a journal titled "Delhi Law Review" since 1972 and law Centre-II a journal titled National Capital Law Journal since 1996.

Faculty Legal Services Programme

The Faculty has been running a Legal Services Programme since the early seventies. The programme is sustained by the voluntary participation of the law students, teachers and lawyers who are inspired by the legal aid ideals. The main objective of Legal Services Programme are to:(a) impart clinical legal education, (b) provide social service opportunities, and (c) impart socially relevant legal education. The Faculty's recent legal services programme includes legal services at the Beggar's Court, the Juvenile Justice Board and visit to the Tihar Jail. The Faculty has a comprehensive Programme for clinical legal education with a view to undertake activities such as moot courts, legal aid services, legal awareness and professional skills development for the students of all the three Law Centres, in addition to curricular course on clinical legal education and practical training.Achievements

Hostel Accommodation

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. However, hostel facilities will be available only to Campus Law Centre and LL.M. 2 year course students as per rules and procedure prescribed from time to time by the University and the hostel authorities about which information can be obtained directly from the provost of the concerned hostels.