The Bar Council of India (BCI) is in talks with government agency Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to automate BCI internal processes and design cost-effective or free anti-plagiarism software for law schools and other legal writers.

Graduating students can work as “trainee advocates” with advocates or law firms but will not be able to “practice” law until they pass the all-India bar exam, the Bar Council of India (BCI) said in a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) published today, noting also that seniority of practice would be unaffected.

The second part of Legally India’s first anniversary round-up focuses on what has happened in a year of legal education and incredible mooting performances across the board. Plus, we pick India’s best law school in India. Well, almost.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has announced that it will carry out its all-India bar exam in association with legal market services provider Rainmaker as a multiple choice test of 100 questions on 5 December 2010 that will require a “basic amount of preparation” to pass, although the BCI admitted that graduating students would probably not be able to practice in courts until 31 December.

Legal market services provider Rainmaker will run the proposed bar exam for the Bar Council of India (BCI) as the BCI is set to unveil its new website at 1pm today which was set up by the company.

The proposed bar exam will be an open book test exclusively giving litigating lawyers a “license to practice” but would not affect transactional lawyers, proposed solicitor general and Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Gopal Subramaniam on Saturday, noting that the exam could also apply retroactively to unenrolled graduates from past years.

Indian legal education finds itself at a pivotal time, with repercussions beyond just the student community. Yesterday, a number of NUJS Kolkata final year students led by professor Shamnad Basheer petitioned the Bar Council of India (BCI) to postpone the new bar exam until 2011, instead of holding it in August as originally envisaged.

Today, in a surprise U-turn, the BCI has agreed to push back the exam to December 2010.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has agreed to postpone the planned bar exam to December, BCI counsel KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court today in the case BCI v Bonnie FOI Law College & Ors, admitting the logistical challenge of holding the exam before September in a surprise U-turn.

The new bar exam for law graduates is understood to be held in late August with the Bar Council of India (BCI) set to announce the syllabus in a matter of days. Meanwhile, NUJS Kolkata final year students and Professor Shamnad Basheer have petitioned BCI chairman and solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam to postpone the exam until 2011 because they argue it prejudices students and is unconstitutional without amending the Advocates Act 1961.

National Law Institute University (NLIU) Bhopal students have launched the first issue of their law journal called NLIU Law Review with the objective of increasing the academic standards and enhancing skillsets of students.

Few things showcase the globalisation of India’s legal industry more than this week’s volcano eruption in Iceland, which kept at least three Indian managing partners best known by their first names out of India and stuck in New York.

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2010 will see a total of 17,300 aspirants taking the exam, which is an increase of 15 per cent as against last year.

The Union Government has announced a ‘National Consultation’ to radically overhaul Indian legal education, which will include the introduction of a common admission test for all Indian law schools, three new super-specialised LLBs focusing on transactional, litigation or public law as well as shortening LLM courses to one year.

Students may complain about the fees of some private law schools but in reality even national law schools are not the most socially representative places either.

The Common Law Admissions Test (CLAT) rewards cramming and paid preparation courses with a place in India’s legal ivy leagues. Those from less well-off backgrounds or rural areas often struggle to clear that hurdle.

Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) has launched its LLM programme a year ahead of schedule, hoping to attract professionals who want to gain the qualification in two years while working.

The Mumbai chapter of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) is starting on its drive to become an organisation relevant outside of Delhi, kicking off with a continuing legal education programme for associates.

Law minister Veerappa Moily has reiterated his stance on liberalisation and vowed to set up four super-charged “law schools of excellence” throughout India.

Last week a Legally India reader confessed heartbreak after reading Professor Madhava Menon’s views on the quality of Indian LLM degrees.

Now, as the LLM forum discussion nears 50 posts, we have asked Menon for his response on how domestic master’s degrees have not been up to scratch.

old_man-by_SukantoDebnath_th The Mumbai Mirror wrote about a gentleman this week who is “probably city’s oldest law student” at 80 years of age. If so, he is lucky to have slipped through the age-barrier net that has been woven by the Bar Council of India (BCI). Uddhav Alkari ( not pictured) is an e...

Law minister Veerappa Moily has weighed into the debate over who should regulate legal education, opposing Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal’s wide-ranging plans to take control of the sector. The Times of India reported yesterday that Moily said: “So far as introducing an acade...