NLIU Bhopal Stands Out Among Top Law Schools in India

National Law Institute University is one of the premiere law schools in India. It is also one of the earliest colleges to be established in India under the law school system that garnered attention after the establishment of National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Situated in the serene hillocks of Bhopal, the campus offers a holistic environment for legal education with a balance of academics, extra- curricular activities and natural beauty. However, like any institution, it has few areas of improvement when it comes to infrastructure and connectivity.

NLIU is certainly one of the most reputed law schools when it comes to academics as it has a rigorous academic curriculum, making the students well-versed with the nuances of law. Admission to the university is based on the all India rank secured in the CLAT exam. Although the B.A.LL.B (Hons.) course has been the flagship course of the institute over the years, newer courses have been introduced in recent times such as the B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.), to not only provide budding lawyers with more options but also to lend an interdisciplinary touch to legal education. NLIU Bhopal follows a semester system with mid-semester and end-semester exams, thus providing time to students to pursue extra-curricular activities like debating, mooting and quizzing. When it comes to mooting, NLIU has had a very strong tradition of winning various prestigious national and international competitions. The college also has various research centers, cells and clubs in the areas of international trade law, environment law, business law, intellectual property law, etc. to hone its students in legal research, and hence ensure holistic development of its student community.

NLIU faculty is a mixed bunch of old and young professors who bring a combination of experience and fresh perspective to the teaching of law. Professors are highly qualified with strong academic backgrounds. The faculty brings diverse expertise in fields like Constitutional law, law of contract, law of crimes, intellectual property law, corporate law etc., and often uses various interactive teaching methods such as case studies, discussions and presentations to enhance the learning experience of the students. With a relatively small batch size, the student-faculty ratio is manageable. This allows professors to provide individual attention to students, especially for research projects and career guidance. Guest lectures are also conducted from time to time, by inviting practicing lawyers, retired judges and academicians.

Since NLIU is one of the oldest premiere law schools in India, the placements here are quite good. The placement cell is highly active and prepares students well for campus placements and internships. It also provides assistance to students in securing internships in their 3rd and 4th years to help them gain necessary exposure to land a suitable job at the time of campus placements, or day zero as it is called here. All students who register themselves with the placement cell are placed with highly reputed law firms such as Cyril Amarchand, Shardul Amarchand, Trilegal, Khaitan, Luthra and Luthra, AZB etc., or in the in-house legal department of corporate behemoths such as Wipro, TCS, Infosys, Adani Power, Reliance industries, Vedanta, etc.

There are separate hostels for boys and girls, equipped with many facilities such as a common room, gym, mess, Wi-Fi, etc. The mess provides good quality food to students with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Initially, for one or two years, rooms are offered on a double occupancy basis, later on a single occupancy basis. All in all, hostels provide comfortable accommodation to students, however since the hostels are a bit old, the maintenance and upkeep could be improved.

NLIU has a great campus with well-equipped infrastructure and resources. There are two academic blocks with well-designed spacious classrooms equipped with modern teaching aids like projectors and audio-visual facilities. The library is certainly the heart of campus life at NLIU, with a modern design and an extensive collection of legal resources, journals and academic databases such as SCC Online, Manupatra, etc. Classrooms and the library are fully air-conditioned. While the moot court hall provides a dedicated space for moot court activities; the recently built auditorium provides the perfect environment to host seminars, guest lectures and cultural events. Various sports amenities including a basketball court, a football ground, an indoor badminton court, a gymnasium etc. are also present.

Located in the serene hillocks of Bhopal, NLIU has a beautiful, green and clean campus spread over roughly 50 acres. It is very close to the picturesque Kerwa Dam, lending the institute a refreshing and peaceful environment. The campus life is also great as various events and festive celebrations are organized by many committees and cells throughout the year. MP04 (the cultural fest) and Virudhaka (the sports fest) are organized with great enthusiasm and pomp every year, and offer fun-filled experiences to students. Palchhin, organized every year on the foundation day of the college is another event where students showcase their creative side through music, dance and instruments. Additionally, all festivals are celebrated within the campus premises where everyone from the students to the faculty to the non-teaching staff comes together as one big family.