CNLU Patna’s on-campus recruitment activity is at its lowest in four years. The law school’s fourth batch, graduating this year, has zero confirmed jobs, two offers subject to internships, and has been visited by only one recruiter - Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) company Mindcrest.
Nine students who appeared in Mindcrest’s interview on 2 April are awaiting interview results, while Athena Law Associates in Delhi has made offers subject to an internship with Rs 15,000 as stipend to two other students.
An anonymous student writing to Legally India, and student sources at the law school whom Legally India contacted, blamed CNLU’s administration for the lack of recruitments from campus.
Initiative
According to the fifth-year student’s post on Legally India, students at CNLU were still without jobs because its administration had allegedly focused on “installing lifts and air conditioners in the faculty chambers rather than providing qualitative faculty members or books for that matter in the library” and had created rigorous attendance requirements which “rummage [their] chances to even secure a [pre-placement offer]” as they are not able to undertake longer internships.
A student close to the process said: “We have not made a placement brochure in the first place, the reason being that we know there is not going to be any effort from the side of the college. The administration has said they have nothing to do with the placements.”
“[The students] have adjusted to the situation,” he said.
The student commented that factors which have led to the current recruitment scenario at the law school include lack of good faculty on campus, failure of the administration to designate a faculty member to reach out to firms and companies for placement at the law school, and failure to organise moot court competitions, conferences and paper presentations which bring potential recruiters from the industry to the campus.
“They have money. They have installed a lift which goes to the vice-chancellor’s office in a two-storied building [15 days ago] but they are not inviting any company to campus,” commented the student.
“Mindcrest came to campus 20 days back. It was completely [students’] initiative of calling them. [Interested] students [pooled in] money and sponsored tickets [for Mindcrest hiring executives to come down to campus]. We gave presentations to tell them they should come to our university. It was a sole student initiative. I don’t think it happens like this [in other law schools],” the student added.
Blame game
CNLU vice chancellor Prof Dr A Lakshminath, who is former Nalsar Hyderabad Dean, said: “There is absolutely some communication gap [between administration and students]. You can’t go spoon feeding these people, right from the beginning they are expected to do something. The administration is doing its best. We call the recruitment office no one comes forward. There is no communication. They don’t turn up.”
Lakshminath said that the administration had designated “four to five faculty members and some students” to be in charge of campus recruitments. He declined to comment further, asking Legally India to contact CNLU assistant professor Ajay Kumar and assistant registrar BRN Sharma for further details on the law school’s placement activities.
Sharma said: “As of now from my knowledge there is no coordination [between students and the administration] or something like that. The administration will take initiative on the initiative of students. I am not having a clear cut idea and information as to what extent [placement efforts have been made]. It is the coordination between those students and the administration. They have to come out with their options.”
Kumar was not available for comment as he was travelling today.
Track record
The law school’s first batch, which graduated in 2011, was visited by two law firms and a law journal for campus recruitment, nine days after 11 students from that class sat on an indefinite hunger strike calling for Bihar’s chief minister to intervene in the dismal campus recruitment situation there.
The second batch secured 25 jobs, 80 per cent of which were in LPOs. It is understood that the third batch mustered up a similar number of jobs, mostly with LPOs too.
It is understood that none of those jobs came through any fourth year campus recruitment.
While class sizes up to the batch graduating from CNLU in 2014 were of 80 students, next year onwards 140 students will graduate from the law school annually.
Fourth year recruitment efforts this year for 2015 graduates at Nalsar Hyderabad have yielded 29 confirmed jobs, 27 job offers at NUJS Kolkata, 10 confirmed jobs at NLU Delhi, 12 offers at NLU Jodhpur, and 33 jobs at NLSIU Bangalore.
A law firm counterview
One lawyer responded on Twitter to the CNLU student’s open letter, writing under the @twitvention handle: “Dear @LegallyIndia I just read this and thought I'd relay a few comments considering i have a view being a partner of a leading law firm. The kid is clearly ranting - 2014 has been the slowest year so jobs are less. Not sure why NLU or any other college is to be blamed.
“Till 5 yrs or so back, there was hardly any concept of college recruitment, so most people got jobs by independently applying. So my 2 pennies worth - instead of blaming your college, try & up your skills so that you make a compelling case in your interview -- getting through a good college does not and should not promise a job - its what you bring to the table!”
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CNLU students and strudents from other newer N colleges can only prove their mettle if they are given a chance, i.e. internships. Without which no one can prove themselves and all that they can rely is a brand name.
Lakshminath is a big slob. I dont have a clue what he did in Nalsar and clearly if he is blaming students for not being communicative, it is just sheer fraud. Students having to fund travel for the recruiters is pathetic. For the college and event for those lousy recruiters who can stop to such levels to be able to ask or accept free tickets from students! Do they even have the balls to ask NLS/NALSAR/ NUJS for airfare? Bloody extorters!
This is clear abdication of responsibility. Administration cannot guarantee jobs but the lack of any effort should be grounds for impeachment.
Unfair for the kids.
oh come on ! Stop maligning luthra in each and every news article. We all know that Luthra has been one of the largest recruiters from top law schools over the last 15 years. Even this year they were a day zero firm in every top law school, and have recruited more than a dozen people.
Shuklaji, did you get rejected by Luthra??
Lesson to be learnt for CLAT aspirants is to stay away from these second rung colleges like CNLU, GNLU, HNLU, NLIU-B and NLUO.
Lesson to be learnt for CLAT aspirants is to stay away from these second rung colleges like CNLU, GNLU, HNLU, NLIU-B and NLUO.
Really? That is your brightest idea? So that we may continue to get these reports of bleak hiring in subsequent years too?
@Shuklaji
It is not only the brightest idea but also the only idea as far as advising CLAT aspirants is concerned. Surely they cant be expected to wait 4-5 years for the administration to be improved, neither can they be expected to join these colleges with the aim of turning things around.
@Dear Shucklaji, I am advising them against joining an "NLU" where after paying 6-8 lakhs fees over 5 years there may be no job at all. How is this objectionable?
Your solution of "revamp of the current administration and necessary measures" is like general policy gas which aspirants cannot help. Plus your solution is for the powers-that-be, my advise is for the poor aspirant.
Actually, what do you want to convey?
The issue is related to CNLU, Patna. Why to bring the names of other NLUs and generalise? Have you even been to any of these NLUs named by you? Have you checked the resources in NLUO, Cuttack? Surely you haven't. So, do not include NLUO's name in the list.
Their compliant is about faculty members and quality of library resources.
Come to NLUO's library once and then speak. Else, check our home page www.nluo.ac.in to know what resources we have in our library. You may also check the news section to know our achievements. NLUO cannot and should not be included the list you have given. Not that we have nothing more to achieve. While we are mindful of our long journey but then you stop generalising. Such generalisation is a disservice to the CLAT aspirants.
oh dude you gotta learn to interpret the facts correctly then.
On a serious note, have you really checked the info on website?
A generalisation is warranted only if the subject matter is similar. In this case all the law schools mentioned, like CNLU, GNLU, NLIU-Bhopal, NLU Orissa, HNLU are all struggling to draw students, have no faculty worth mentioning, are situated in some pathetic locations where law firms have no offices nor any business is conducted and leaving aside a large building on campus have no accomplishments to speak of. The placement scene is dismal and the quality of the alumni very suspect. Hence the generalisation
Every single faculty who was half-decent has left within a short time of joining. Parents of students get crass and insensitive "reminders" of the consequences of their wards staying out after 7 pm. Student discipline is the pits and teachers are being targeted time and again with no consequences. Those who fail in exams get magic pass marks from venkat uncle despite opposition from the prof. All kinds of frivolous exemptions and waivers are being granted with no transparency. Bizarre courses like an MPP are being introduced with no faculty even after the MBL became a joke. The only interest this twit has is his self-interest in falling over for the BCI bunch who gave him his precious second term.
Ya right, he's "pretty good" for NLS.
Ok. I think I know why the recruitment is slow there.
Very well said!!! Really feel for these students! This is not GLC where students can score on the basis of internships. These guys atleast deserve a fair interview. Shame on the VC...
LLM= 0
Yes, Alias?
(No, I do not type like disssss normmaaallllyy)
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