Over the last few months, I have seen numerous criticisms on this forum regarding the increase in batch size for the B.A LL.B program at NLSIU. As someone intimately aware of the reasons behind this decision, it pains me to witness such one-sided criticisms. In this short post, I will endeavour to explain the reasoning behind this batch size increase.
Firstly, let me clarify that comparable law schools abroad also admit a large number of students every year. For example, Harvard Law School accepts over 800 students, Stanford Law School accepts over 330 students, and Oxbridge accepts around 300 students per year in their various law programs (note that the UK’s population is 21 times smaller than ours). Even within India, if we compare the intake of comparable top institutions, NLSIU’s intake is relatively low. For instance, IIT Madras admits over 1000 students in total for both their UG programs, and similarly, IIM Ahmedabad admits over 800 students for its MBA program. Therefore, the claim that NLSIU’s 300-strong UG batch is unusually large is totally false.
Another argument is that the larger batch size lowers the “quality” of the student pool. This is also untrue. In fact, the larger batch size means that we attract more students who have performed exceptionally well in CLAT (at the expense of other NLUs), thus resulting in a more talented student pool. I am confident that these students will bring many laurels to the institute in the future. It's worth noting that out of the top 100 All India Rank students in CLAT 2024, only a small handful have chosen to join other NLUs. Note that since the inception of CLAT, there have been students who choose other NLUs mainly due to personal reasons.
I sincerely hope that you consider these points and understand the fallaciousness of the arguments made by those who oppose the batch size increase.
While I'm not as cynical about NLSIU's batch expansion as compared to other commenters on LI, you're comparing apples to oranges with regards to the comparisons you're making in order to support your point. Law is a far more lucrative and sought after profession in the US and UK, making the comparisons to Harvard, Stanford and Oxbridge disingenuous. Even the comparisons to be IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad don't hold much water due to both of the institutes being older and more established along with the entrance exams having far more applicants as compared to CLAT. Engineering in particular, and Management are much bigger than Law in India especially.
You have conveniently left out the fact that the size of the legal industry in India and competition from other NLUs means that you cannot possibly hope to place more than 20% of this large batch. Tell all your students the truth and then see how the talent keeps flocking to NLSIU. To the bulk of the CLAT aspirants, placement is still the primary factor. NLSIU had been lagging in placement even before the batch size increase, evident from the fact that it stopped publishing placement stats altogether.
@OP here. While the size of the legal industry in India and competition from other NLUs are certainly factors to consider, NLSIU's reputation and academic quality continue to attract top talent and, therefore, the top recruiters. With the batch expansion, we will attract better talent and achieve even better placements. By the way, in 2022, we placed over 90% of the batch.
PS: Please show me the official placement reports from NLUD or NALSAR. I'll wait.
Please show the official placement reports from NLSIU first before asking for others. Last I checked, NLSIU has stopped releasing those for the last 5 years at least. NALSAR, NUJS also have been placing 90% of their batches and have had better placement than NLSIU during this period based on unofficial accounts. You are merely giving your opinion and a future prediction that does not rely upon any objective fact and hence not much of a defence.
That's such a brochure like response. There is no reason why all of a sudden, recruiters will start offering more jobs to NLSIU students, unless they can prove that they are better than even the toppers of other universities, which there is no indication of whatsoever.
"entrance exams having far more applicants as compared to CLAT"? So what? More students applying for entrance exams just show that more students are aware of it, not that selected students are magically more intelligent.
Poor defense. Law is not like engineering or management (IIT or IIM) what you compare. Its a small field with very limited jobs. 300 students in BALLB and other 120 in LLB means more than 50% students won't get a job from campus. Many NLS Bangalore graduates have to compromise with T2 and T3/ T4 jobs like other law schools. The reputation of NLS is at stake.
@OP here. Of course, many NLS grads end up working for T2/T3/T4 law firms. However, the percentage of alumni who end up doing this is extremely low when compared to other NLUs. By the way, do you mean that all IIM-A alumni work for the Big 4 or that all IIT-M alumni work for Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, etc.?
I agree with you 200%. It absolutely makes sense for teaching institutes to take in more students. In fact, NLS should be increasing its intake even further (doubling in the next five years). In addition to the examples you provide - IIT Madras, and IIM Ahmedabad, why not look just across the town? IISc Bangalore has extremely small batch sizes, at the other end of the spectrum. Here you can have an entire M.Tech/MS program with an intake of merely 15 or 20. But the difference is that IISc is a research institution (it ranks No.1 in the world, yes in the world, not just in India).
@OP here, good you mentioned IISc. I have, in fact, worked there earlier in my career. The total intake of IISc for both undergraduate courses is 189. However, note that IISc is a research university where over 60% of the students are PhD scholars and most of the rest are postgraduates with a focus on research. The total PhD+Postgrad intake varies but is more than NLSIU's undergraduate intake. Thus, IISc's intake cannot be compared with NLSIU due to the vastly different course composition.
That's exactly my point. NLS being a teaching institute must expand its intake even further. Placements should not be the limiting factor for intake, as many in the discussion are making it out to be.
What is? Law is a professional degree. What exactly are the students paying 20 lakhs for? Are you saying that you are preparing better litigators? There still TLCs that produce more successful litigators than any NLU. Which parameters should be used to evaluate that the standard of education that you are offering is better and worth the extra money?
The intake has to increase so that state NLUs have the funds to run the place. Higher intake will moderate the fee hikes because the cost is spread over more students. Similarly, the intake of NRI seats also has to go up so that the fees for the rest of the non-NRI students can remain affordable. Before you talk about law as a profession, understand Economics 101.
NLS expanding its batch size may be in line with the future of the legal profession in India. India's economy is growing and developing exponentially and will continue to do so over the next few decades at the very least - the volume of transactional work (and other legal work) will reflect this. there is a reason foreign law firms desperately want to set up shop in India (but curtailed by lobbying by the so-called Lala firms). Demand for good lawyers (and hence law schools) across the board is going to increase, and NLS is moving early.
The number of coveted legal jobs hasn't increased in India for the last decade, nor has pay increased that much. This is just a rosy pic painted without any substance, just like achhe din. Which foreign law firm has set up shop yet? Even the ones having best friends relationship with Indian ones have mostly withdrawn.
Yes, feel free to compare. I already have. The number of well-paid legal jobs has not increased proportionately during the last decade as it should have.
Firstly, let me clarify that comparable law schools abroad also admit a large number of students every year. For example, Harvard Law School accepts over 800 students, Stanford Law School accepts over 330 students, and Oxbridge accepts around 300 students per year in their various law programs (note that the UK’s population is 21 times smaller than ours). Even within India, if we compare the intake of comparable top institutions, NLSIU’s intake is relatively low. For instance, IIT Madras admits over 1000 students in total for both their UG programs, and similarly, IIM Ahmedabad admits over 800 students for its MBA program. Therefore, the claim that NLSIU’s 300-strong UG batch is unusually large is totally false.
Another argument is that the larger batch size lowers the “quality” of the student pool. This is also untrue. In fact, the larger batch size means that we attract more students who have performed exceptionally well in CLAT (at the expense of other NLUs), thus resulting in a more talented student pool. I am confident that these students will bring many laurels to the institute in the future. It's worth noting that out of the top 100 All India Rank students in CLAT 2024, only a small handful have chosen to join other NLUs. Note that since the inception of CLAT, there have been students who choose other NLUs mainly due to personal reasons.
I sincerely hope that you consider these points and understand the fallaciousness of the arguments made by those who oppose the batch size increase.
PS: Please show me the official placement reports from NLUD or NALSAR. I'll wait.