Foreign law schools eyeing Indian turf

A number of international law schools are exploring options to either set up centres in India or tie up with Indian law schools. While some like George Washington Law School University have already set base in India in 2004, prominent names are in the process of establishing the 'India connection'.

For instance, deans from two international law schools "� Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago and Deakin School of Business and Law, Australia "� recently visited India to forge ties with Indian law schools and law firms.

Said David Van Zandt, dean, Northwestern University School of Law, "In the rapidly changing world scenario, lawyers need to have multiple skills, as they often spearhead global alliances and mergers and aquisitions. The emergence of common international model for transactions and dispute resolution, common language and new aggressiveness are some factors that have given us the impetus to increase our drive to enroll students for India."

There are around 95 law colleges in India, including private and government colleges. The subjects these law schools are keen on teaching in India include intellectual property rights, international business practices, foreign direct investments in India, mergers and acquisitions and competition laws.

It is the huge investment flow in India that is driving these international law schools to India.

Professor Philip Clarke, dean, Deakin School of Business and Law, says: "We are interested in studying India, which is an emerging world power, and we think it is important for our students to have a working knowledge of Indian Law and business practices."

The school already has tie-ups with St Xaviers' College and KC College. Deakin is keen on tying up for twining programmes with other law schools and has already approached the Delhi Law School, National Law School of India, Bangalore and other private institutes as well.

Is this approach good enough? Says Ravneet Pahwa, Director (India), Deakin University, "We have been in talks with various law schools. While the private schools are enthusiastic about the approach, government law schools say they would need time to decide."

Explains Harvard-educated international lawyer, Surat Singh who is currently practicing at the Supreme Court of India: "If the basic assumption of the world is going global, legal scholarship and skills to meet the global challenge should also be global.

If India aspires to be the intellectual super power in the near future, then it has to equip itself by the laws that are user friendly. We need to make the Indian law user friendly.

At present, India and China are the hottest destinations in terms of investment and the lawyers and legal educators follow the path of wealth and India stands to gain a lot from this."