[The following announcement is posted on behalf of the course administrators. It may be of interest to some of our readers]
Law schools or colleges in India do not really focus on teaching practical skills – they rather try to inculcate skills of research, writing and analysis – which are essential, but do not give you all the skills you need to provide legal services to a client. Consider the following:
You read contract law in class. But can you draft a contract? How about a franchisee agreement or a simple non-disclosure agreement?
Would you like to learn how to incorporate companies and limited liability partnerships, and how to draft a partnership deed or memoranda of association?
A few things to think about: What difference will it make if you learn all these practical aspects of law? Do you want to learn about the business side of law? Do you wonder how all the law you are learning will be useful eventually when you start practising?
A one of a kind online diploma course developed to address these issues is now being offered by NUJS. The recommended target group includes entrepreneurs, business managers, working professionals and consultants. The course will also be useful for law students of all sorts, irrespective of their year of study. Law students and young lawyers can benefit immensely from the practical skills that will be taught in the course.
For corporate and tax law enthusiasts, the course has modules covering steps for incorporation of companies and LLPs, how promoters can be remunerated from their company, annual compliance, getting licenses for import-export, tax registrations and filings, negotiating venture capital term sheets and investment agreements.
Imagine learning how to register a trademark, drafting contracts such as employment agreements and non-disclosure agreements, negotiating investments, getting business licenses and learning how to supply to the government, for your clients – these are not even taught in the best law schools.
However, make do ensure before you take the course that it falls in your interest area. Read the syllabusand the course website http://startup.nujs.edu carefully.
Some pointers about the course
- If you are unsatisfied with how little practical legal skills are taught in you college, this would be of interest to you.
- Although the duration of the course is one year, the best thing about the course is that it will be taught over an online learning management system (LMS) – which means you can access it and learn at your own convenient time. There is no compulsory physical attendance requirement of any sort. This also means that you do not need to visit Kolkata to take the course.
- Qualification threshold (you need to submit your 12th pass certificate) has been kept low so that entrepreneurs can benefit from it – but that also means all law students can join the course.
- The assessment will be on the basis of periodic online tests. There will be a viva with NUJS faculty at the end, which can be taken online over Skype if you can’t personally visit NUJS.
- The course has been conceptualised and is being marketed by iPleaders, a venture started by two NUJS alumni who quit their law firm jobs to start this course.
Teaching Methodology and Faculty
The course will be taught online through a combination of study materials and video lectures, delivered on an online platform. The faculty will comprise experienced professionals from law firms, government and litigators.
For complete details, check the course website here.