Gujarat National Law University BA+LLB Review By Jay Vardhan

Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) is one of the oldest National Law Universities (NLUs) established in India, and it has developed significantly over the years. It boasts in providing excellent academic and employment opportunities to the students, extending beyond corporate placements to include public sector jobs, research positions in leading think tanks, and opportunities to innovate provided through its Legal Incubation Cell. Additionally, GNLU offers monthly income assistance to litigants via its GLASS (GNLU Litigation Assistance and Support Scheme) initiative. The campus is strategically located at a trijunction of three emerging economies: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and GIFT City which offers students unparalleled access to job and internship opportunities. Commuting is facilitated by the newly opened Ahmedabad Metro Phase two, which connects all three cities. The university places a strong emphasis on academics and participation in the Moot Courts, supported by a large pool of professional faculty who deliver well-researched and articulated learning experiences with fair evaluations to us. GNLU hosts two major Moot Court competitions annually and is currently hosting the South Asian rounds of the Prestigious Manfred Lachs International Moot Court Competition along with various other events of great exposure such as the 24th IUCN Colloquium and its Annual Legal Aid Centre Conference. Overall, GNLU stands out as one of the best legal institutions in India, making it an excellent choice for zealous students who wish to craft a career in the legal field.

GNLU so far has the greatest number of Undergraduate Degrees offered among all Law universities in the country; it provides 5-year Integrated Undergraduate Degrees in B.A.LL.B, BBA.LL.B, B.Com.LL.B, B.Sc.LL.B and BSW. LL.B., which in all comprises of a batch of 200 students and has an excellent student-teacher ratio. The curriculum is mostly researched by the faculty on campus and evaluated in a holistic manner. The campus puts a lot of emphasis on students who have undertaken research projects and therefore, the mid-terms are usually substituted with evaluation of the comprehensive research papers and other academic undertakings. The University offers admissions through the Common Law Admission Test along with which the students must have secured at least 45% marks in the 12th standard. The university ranks 5th among all the law institutions in the country and has an excellent student output henceforth, is an obvious choice for the potential lawyers.

The faculty pool of the university is diverse; we have professors from across the country and beyond who have completed their respective Ph.Ds from various reputed universities. The faculty members are well qualified, and the curriculum researched and compiled by them speaks volumes about their ingenuity. Faculty members are generally very friendly and approachable and are there to resolve all our doubts.

GNLU has one of the best placement records in the country with nearly 100% of its students getting placed almost every academic year. The batch of 2024 saw a total of 117 out of 130 students being placed with the highest package of 20 LPA and the median package at 16 LPA. With 38 pre-placement offers GNLU had the highest pre-placement offers among all the law universities in the country. Major recruiters include Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Trilegal, Khaitan, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Induslaw, Argus, Sharaf, AZB, JSA, TTA, etc. with one notable placement at Linklaters UK. CAM has always recruited in double digits from the campus, most notably placing 46 (36 on campus + 10 PPO) in the year 2022.

GNLU provides housing to all of its students from the Undergraduate and the Post Graduate Programs. Hostel facilities are decent on campus however, it is the one place where the university infrastructure lacks as the rooms are mostly allotted on a double or triple sharing basis with a very few exceptions. The hostels are circular with central courtyards which ensure sufficient light and ventilation. Both hostels are provided with all the amenities required such as internet, laundry, etc. The campus provides ample recreational facilities which include sporting infrastructure, parks, music room, one of a kind legal history museum, a recreational room with a pool table, etc.

GNLU is blessed with one of the best campus infrastructures among all law schools. The campus is spread across 50 acres of land in the Koba village, near Sector 7 of Gandhinagar. It is located at the trijunction point between Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and the GIFT city which provides us unparalleled transportation connectivity. The campus houses an Admin Building known as the Preamble which comprises of Library and the Museum along with the entire university administration. Furthermore, the campus houses two Academic Blocks called Guru and Shishya Bhavans, respectively. Undergraduate Courses are conducted in the Shishya Bhavan and the Post Graduate LL.M courses are held along with the presence of another university in the Guru Bhavan. The campus has two student housing units, one for the girls and one for the boys which further accommodates a housing unit known as the Training Residency for the LLM graduates. Moreover, there's an on-campus facility for the faculty housing as well as there is an on-campus hotel called VIP Residency which provides lodging facilities to the visitors. There is a two-floor mess facility and an auditorium which is called the Aura. Sporting infrastructure includes a cricket stadium, a football ground, a basketball court, a tennis court and an in-house badminton court (which should be improved), all of which are well maintained and illuminated with flood lights. Lastly, some fun places such as the fountain and the gazebo in the Puneet Van, a newly built Nescafe, Snakes and Ladders; Rec Room, etc. are also available on campus.

The experience on campus can vary widely; honestly, it's very eventful which might be a bit overwhelming for some. For starters, our campus is one of the most diverse among law universities as we have students enrolled from 28 states and all of the Union Territories of our country. Diversity brings different sorts of culture which is well accommodated by the university and is blissfully presented in our campus fest known as Pentagram which is held during the odd semester. The crowd on campus is very studious, athletic and inclusive. There are many centres and clubs on campus which engage in various events such as the Annual Legal Aid Summit, Moot Courts such as the GIMC and the GMSIL, Sports Fest called the Justice League among many others. The campus is very liberal and there are no curfew timings, and the general atmosphere is mostly calm and not so restricted. Other than that, the metro connects to all places one might find worth visiting which enables a very balanced college life on campus. Ragging on campus is literally non-existent and senior-junior interaction is very positive.