VC Jindal Global University, India Speaks at the 200th Anniversary of Harvard Law School

SONIPAT, India, Oct. 27, 2017 /CNW/ - The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, was invited to speak at the Harvard Law School's World Bicentennial Summit on October 26-27, 2017 at Harvard University. Professor Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar is an alumnus of Harvard Law School and was the only lawyer and legal scholar from India to be invited to speak on this special occasion, which marks 200 years of outstanding contribution of Harvard Law School.

It is notable that JGU was the only Indian university, and Jindal Global Law School, the only Indian law school at the event which witnessed participation of over 250 speakers from around the world.

Speaking at the session on 'Educating Global Lawyers' Professor Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, said, "Legal education in India has transformed from its early origins as a professional practice of law in courts to an autonomous discipline of law that fulfils a broader set of social, economic and educational goals and aspirations. The evolution of legal education in India has raised the standards of the legal profession and has further accentuated the impact of economic globalisation in a range of legal services. This trend will continue as the new generation of law schools in India are raising academic standards, providing research opportunities to faculty and students and contributing to the knowledge creation and publications, while training the next generation of global lawyers. Legal education and legal profession in India need to drive the agenda for social, economic, and institutional reforms. The globalisation of legal profession has impacted the nature and context of legal practice in India but a vast number of law schools and lawyers are not prepared to effectively address this change."

Taking JGLS as a case study, Professor Kumar articulated the vision for global legal education and how developing countries in Asia and Africa need to play a leadership role in the establishment of standards and participation in providing high quality legal services. He said, "Unlike the law schools in the developed world, legal education in Asia and Africa will have a strong dimension of social engineering and seeking the role of law as an instrument of social change. It will need to address issues of systemic and institutionalized forms of injustices perpetrated due to corruption, discrimination and authoritarianism."

SOURCE O.P. Jindal Global University

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