At the moment judicial service exams are based on the narrow TLC teaching model, i.e. mechanically mugging up statues and sections. They do not test candidates on the holistic NLU teaching model. This involves critical reasoning and analytical skills through the Harvard case law method, knowledge of legal philosophy, Western case law, emerging areas of law etc. As a result, NLU grads either do not attempt judicial service exams thinking them to be "downmarket", or lose out to TLC grads. Thus, the quality of the judiciary suffers and the country suffers. We have ridiculous misogynistic judgements in criminal law and family law cases, while commercial law cases show complete judicial ignorance.

It's high time that the NLU community lobbies with the government to transfer paper setting of judicial service exams to NLUs and based on the NLU teaching model. This will not only ensure more jobs for NLU grads during the difficult economic climate, but also help the nation as more judges of good quality will be appointed.

Based on your premise, if NLU grads can't even crack a simple TLC exam, are they really worthy officers? Why should someone lobby to secure jobs for such people? Moreover, There is no "NLU teaching mode" - you'll have teachers across all universities using different methods to each.

Sidenote: The amount of cribbing by NLU students because they aren't being handed things on a silver platter is nauseating. You are really not that special. Work hard and let your efforts lead you somewhere worthwhile.

This is potentially an interesting and important point - how to make careers in the judiciary more attractive to law school grads - but is the exam the main issue here? If a bright LLB grad wants to be a judge, surely it's not the exam stopping them but it would be the comparatively lack of an attractive career path, compared to even litigation, corporate law or civil services, for instance?

The pay in the judiciary is not great and the job is often thankless and whether you rise to the apex of the profession, in the high courts or Supreme Court, can be as much about playing politics and networking and luck as about talent.

The vast majority of people in law schools come from metropolitan cities, have an education from 'posh' schools, etc. It is not surprising that such a demographic does not find the lower judiciary to be appealing. In the lower judiciary, you work in smaller cities, often in vernacular languages. Moreover, you shift every 3 years and your kids' education will also suffer as a result - not to mention the lack of social life due to the constraints of the profession. The culture is also completely different and someone from Delhi or Bangalore will not like living in a small city in say Haryana or UP. You can't change this basic truth. Sure, the pay could be better but a govt job can never compete with the private sector on wages. Other factors listed above will always ensure that the lower judiciary remains unappealing to law graduates from law schools who mostly come from a similar urban background.

The basic issue with judicial services is that most of the judges in the SC and HC are successful lawyers and do not go through the exam route. The is unlike the IAS where once you clear the exam when you were in your 20s, you will have very high chances of being empanelled as a secretary to GOI after 30 years. Everyone without exception who is a secretary level officer to the GOI has taken the exam when they were young.There is a clear and certain career path once you clear the exam. Unlike the SC judges, who have mostly been elevated from the bar.

Some good points by 1.1.1. But note that the Delhi Judicial Service exam attracts a decent no of NLU grads, because your posting is assured in a big city. In past years, grads from NALSAR, NLUD and even JGLS have topped it. So the way to get good NLU grads into the judicial services is to do one of the following:

1. Create separate judicial services only in major cities (maybe 1 for each state capital).

2. Create an All-India Judicial Service like the IAS (unfortunately, pending for many years and unlikely to through while clown RS Prasad is law minister).

I think this would be the most biased thing as judges are elevated in high court and supreme court and through judicial service exam we just get into entry level and it is chaos already created the one who studies at nlu is the one who deserves better while the one is studying in central govt university or private university they are equally knowledgeable and deserve the chance so yes biasness is there and no changes in exam process can remove either it should be equivalent for all the courts so that it could get much more importance

"this will not only ensure more jobs for NLU grads during the difficult economic climate...." but what about those who did not:
i. make it to the NLUs for any reason' or
ii. did not want to go there;
iii. could not afford to go there?

As someone pointed out - it is mostly people from 'posh' backgrounds with good 'English' education who make it to the NLUs. What about those who do not come from such privileged backgrounds?

If NLU grads are so good - why at all need a lobby for jobs? Do it yourself. No? Isn't the Alumni already helping (which happens with all the IITs, IIMs, et al) and what do you mean by 'jobs during the difficult economic climate'. Once the situation is better - go back to running after corporate jobs? Those who want to be a judge they prepare. Those who look at it just as another career option, they find discrepancies of such nature. Of course there are issues but this for sure not.

"but also help the nation as more judges of good quality will be appointed" - what is the data to show that people from NLUs will make better or 'good quality' judges? Is it only education in a premium school/ college that makes people better? While delivering a judgment on any matter - do you think it is only the black letter of law which is important or also how different strata have different requirements and how to write a literature which is beneficial for all? Do you think justice can only be done by the NLUs? Is this not being supremacist?

"They do not test candidates on the holistic NLU teaching model. This involves critical reasoning........" people still struggle in completing basic job that is required in practical life of a lawyer. Where does all these critical analysis go then? In a law firm on a deal (except corporate advisory) - what critical analysis do these lawyers do? If you really want to do the 'critical analysis' part why not join litigation and slog there and then make a judge? All our seniors from various NLUs who made it to the judiciary did this. No? Do you read and follow?

On the 'western case law' point - do you not think a judgment comprises of a lot of things other than just the law (since you mentioned criminal and family law matters)? on "legal philosophy" Have you read all our judgements from a philosophical or sociological or political or historical or economical, etc. perspective?

"As a result, NLU grads either do not attempt judicial service exams thinking them to be "downmarket", or lose out to TLC grads" Most do not because they are in the race for high paying fancy corporate jobs. I am sure you follow all the threads on retainer fee (as most lawyers call it 'salary - which is wrong') and bonuses.

Take up litigation. Tell me you went to a law school for just taking up a job? You evaluated other options and thought this will be more paying. No?

"We have ridiculous misogynistic judgements in criminal law and family law cases, while commercial law cases show complete judicial ignorance." Trust me most NLU or non-NLU lawyers who are not into corporate practice do not have competence on commercial laws. Law, by its very nature, is about practice and learn and not learn and pass. That is why lawyers are said to be in a profession of 'always and forever reading and learning and mastering practice areas'. Every senior is a master in a or couple of practice areas. Think of any name. Go as early as 1947. Mulla, Palkhivala, etc.

On misogyny - yes, this is a problem but do you think it is a law school that can make a change? Do you not think there should be reforms at individual level? Are you suggesting all people not from NLUs are misogynist?

Dude, you need to read more and not just law; you need holistic education as you rightly mentioned but do not practice yourself.

Lastly, in my humble opinion, judges should never be directly appointed. There ought to be some practical experience which would make anyone a better judge than people straight out of college.

Hate me but I just said what I think is correct.

I think you are frustrated from not being selected in judiciary.. tht is why you are delivering this kinda things.. how come NLU models will help in giving good quality Judges or Judgmnt? Is there any guarantee for tht? Or you having any example?

Most of the NLU grads aftr being selected in DJS had resign frm there offices, so tht they can join corporate sectors.. also, as per you DJS involves NLU models and is not restricted to TLC.. whts your opinion on this?

See my friend i would like to suggest you, tht go and prepare if you are preparing for judiciary or whatsoever you are doing.

In delivering Judgmnt a judge must know how to interpret laws, and this does not comes from being in any NLU

No offence but people having a thinking like you should never be selected into judiciary bcz you guys will always going to discriminate things in your way..

Do good in ur life but never opt for judiciary or u did but i think u didn’t succeed 🤭 god bless

Focusing on grammar, spelling, and sentence construction are not really elitist tendencies. As a law student, one might be forgiven for lack of such ability, assuming one did not have access to such facilities or training earlier. By the time one graduates and becomes a lawyer, and has to express their arguments in English, one should at least learn to write and speak accurately, though fancy usage of the language is not really necessary. It would put you in good stead, and make your arguments more comprehensible and hence more acceptable. I overall agree with what you said about there being no need for the judiciary entrance examinations to be focused on NLUs. However, there is definitely scope for improvement in the current examination pattern that is way too much focused on rote learning.

Agreed! A good judge is the one who.is in complete union with the society (socially, economically, politically) but not one who speaks or writes good English or is a so called NLU grad! How does that anyway affect the people seeking relief from the judge in any way! Making an examination pattern suit to a certain number of Law graduates who.inturn may not become good judges is a vain!

NLUs teaching models are in only NLUs. There have been prestigious judges in India at that time when no single NLU was there. And we people respect them by heart. Those Non-NLUians prestigious judges had great thinking power. Judicial service exams are based on broad model. They look each and every perspective. The pattern is for all not only for pure Englishlites. Article 14 of Constitution establishes the right to equality. No discrimination should be made between NLUs Vs Non Nlus l. So many students can't afford to study in Nlus just because they do not have proper financial resources. They cannot avail scholarship even because they do not belong to lower caste. Where we find it wrong to discriminate on basis of gender, caste or religion there should be no discrimination between Nluians vs Non Nluians. If Nlu glads think judicial exams downmarket how can they respect judiciary. We respect God without showing any kind of disrespect to entrance of worship place. Both are prestigious for us. NON NLUians are humans. They need food and shelter and so the money. Government consider all youth equal. Government does its best to provide equality of opportunity. And this is appreciable . So many students got seats in Nlus under different quota.
Nlus are respectable but everybody has a equal right to opportunity. Prestigious lawyer Ram Jeth Malani was from a government college.
Everybody has a right to top at particular stages.
Discrimination of any kind must be avoided.

Dear Author,
Please just get over the fact that NLUs are better than other law colleges in the country. Every states judiciary is not mugging up, kindly do your research properly on that part. Bihar judiciary involves practical application of the statutes inorder to clear judicial exams. There are so many law colleges that have practical based approach to their teachings. Reputed historic colleges of our country have aided students to clear judiciary and UPSC exams by their teaching methods.

All I find from your article is a desperate NLU student who wants easy way into judiciary because the current exam pattern is too deviant and difficult for the poor NLU student to crack judiciary exams. The desperate NLU student also understands he/she can't get through judiciary exams but a "TLC method" student would which is why the exams are "down-market". (Alternatively read as "the grapes are sour")

NLU students focus on corporate jobs because corporate jobs yeild fat cheques (fast money) at the end of the month compared to litigation or judiciary, given the huge amount of fees they need to invest to study law.

If you really have to talk about the quality of judgement I have list of great judgements by reputed judges who, I assure you, haven't learnt laws by "Harvard method of case laws". And if you really think that it is a good idea that the third pillar of the country, the judiciary, should tie up with NLU committee and set paper of judiciary, I'm really doubting the "teaching methods of NLU". The whole purpose of justice is to have lower judiciary in remote area operating in a language that people understand there, i.e the vernacular language. But ofcourse NLUs
only focus on fancy foreign based system and skip through the basic elements of Indian law and order.

It is not just difficult for NLU students in these unprecedented times but all students. Studying in a NLU doesn't make you smarter than others mate. Your parents just happen to be rich.

Yours truly,
The girl who rejected a top NLU to embrace a top law college with "TLC method" of learning.

Why have all the tweets made by NLUJ students on the university's insensitivity disappeared?

https://twitter.com/HamsadhwaniA/status/1386763133323120640

Slightly away from the thrust of the discussion here:

I'm not sure what world the OP and commenters live in. If you think that all or even the majority of the exams in NLUs are based on anything other than mugging up statutes, caselaw and other material, then you're plain wrong. Sure, there are some teachers who focus on reasoning-based answers, but questions like "What does s. 9 of the Income Tax Act provide?" still abound in most question papers.

This is heights now! I didn't know there was a NLU model of examinations?!? I'm sure the post is written by some NLU grad only since the post is so biased towards the NLU Grads (quite apparently). I'm happy that a person like this post's author is not sitting in power, else jobs would have only been made available for the top colleges' graduates. Even Non-NLU grads are doing so well in different spheres. So next time, kindly do some research and try to put in some stats and figures while making your point when you come up with a post like this.

That's really up to the point, but aren't we forgetting something? The fact that there are non-nlu grads and unlike NLU grads, they have literally studied and prepared themselves for judiciary only. If one wants to change the pattern of exams like this, then it needs to be from the core basic: which is Non- NLUs. Just like NLU grads may think that judiciary is down market or may lose to TLCs, the non- nlu grads may feel the same about the corporate world, except for the down market part.
Things need to be changed from the bottom, not from the top, and that's how strong foundations are laid.