Faculty of Law Jamia Millia Islamia University LL.M Review By Nihal Mohammed

My overall experience at Faculty of Law Jamia Millia Islamia University has been pretty good. The faculty here is quite experienced and while listening to their lectures, you can conclude that you are learning from one of the best. Apart from that, the syllabus for LLM is also nicely polished with a revision of what you have already learnt in your bachelors and also a deep dive into the subjects you are dealing with. If you are someone who is looking for a traditional academic setup, where you can deal in detail on the basics of Law, this university would be a perfect option.

I am currently enrolled in the LLM course of JMI University. My specialisation is in Criminal Law. The university offers LLM in three different specialisations i.e. Corporate Law, Personal Law And Criminal Law. 60 seats are offered every year, of which 30 seats are regular and 30 seats are self-financed. The university conducts its own entrance exams in the month of May for which the forms are normally available in the month of March to April. I have done my Bachelors in Law from Aligarh Muslim University’s Malappuram centre and wanted to be enrolled in an LLM course right after my graduation, as I wanted to strengthen my basics and also stay in New Delhi and explore the possibilities of building a career in litigation. The curriculum is well planned and not much of a burden. As students, we are supposed to submit 4 assignments in a semester along with a viva/presentation of the same for 25 marks. Apart from that, we have a written test of 75 marks at the end of each semester. A well-researched academic paper work is expected from the students in the form of assignments. However, just to pass out of the course, a minimal work would also suffice. Assignments are generally advised to be prepared in such a way, that they can be published elsewhere too. But, if you are someone who is looking for just a degree and preparing for competitive exams side by side, that can also be done and you will easily pass your exams with no efforts. In Criminal Law, we have basics like General Principles of Criminal Law, Criminology, Comparative Criminal Procedure, and Comparative Constitutional law in our first semester. In the second semester subjects include Penology, Forensic Science, Criminal Justice System and Comparative Jurisprudence. In the third semester Research Methodology, Socio-economic offences, Juvenile Justice and Cyber crimes are the subjects. Semester IV has been devoted towards practical-oriented understanding of Law in general, giving the students an opportunity to practice one’s teaching skills. The fourth semester is more of a LLM activities oriented semester wherein we have to submit our dissertation as well as teaching assignments. Every student has to prepare a dissertation, selecting any topic from subjects taught in the last three semesters, applying Legal Research Methodology. Judicial Process is again a compulsory theory paper in the 4th semester. In the first and second semester, there is a lot of repetition of what you have learnt in bachelors but the teachers’ teaching pattern ensures that it is a completely new learning experience. The third semester introduces us to new aspects of law and it is actually the phase, which deals with specialisation and the semester which ensures that we specialize in aspects of Criminal Law and are not just limited to General Law. The overall academic experience is good and it does enrich you with legal knowledge.

I was looking for a traditional university where I can complete my studies at a minimal expense. I would say this university has been a very good choice for me on that line. Fees for regular LLM are Rs. 17,850. Fees for Self Finance LLM are Rs. 64,900. Different scholarships are available, including government and private scholarships.

The faculty members are highly experienced, with many being members of interview panels for judiciary exams, UPSC etc. There are teachers who are one of the best in their subjects in the whole country. There are certain teachers who follow traditional methods of teaching but are very impactful with their lectures. At the same time, there are teachers who prefer PPTs also. In LLM, there are 30 students in 1 batch and 10 students in 1 stream. So, the ratio is normally 1:10. The faculty members are highly approachable and for someone who is interested in academics, you can find guidance from the teachers related to research activities.

The placements are not very good. Certain companies do visit for recruitment, but students do mostly not prefer it. However, JMI University has a very strong alumni network and a good name in the market, which makes it easy for students to land jobs.

The university has its hostels. The monthly fee comes around Rs. 4,500 a month. There are seperate hostels for girls and boys. Hostel experience is good and decent food is provided. There are seperate reading rooms with enough space for studies. Hostel campuses are very spacious. The hostels, comprising separate accommodations for both male and female students, have a combined capacity to house 2,220 boys and 1,900 girls. The whole University strength is around 30,000. So getting hostel is not very easy.

Infrastructure is pretty decent. Being a traditional and old university the infrastructure is not very new but it is good. Law Faculty has a separate air-conditioned library. Apart from that, the University also has a library, which would be one of the best University libraries in the country. There are many canteens spread across the 250-acre campus. Students also have free Wi-Fi across the campus and access to many online resources. JMI University has its own health centre where students can get basic treatment free of charge. There are security guards at all the entrances and various locations. Many lawns are there in the university, to rest and feel the nature. Overall, the infrastructure is an 8/10.

Campus life in JMI University would be the way in which you want it to be. If you want to be active in extracurricular activities there are enough opportunities for that. The university organises many events on a timely basis. Apart from that, various departments have their annual fests, which are open to all students. There are also regional fests conducted by students from different states. The campus is also in the Okhla area, famous for the busy streets of Batla House, Zakir Nagar, Abul Fazal Enclave and Shaheen Bagh. The campus life is good and enjoyable.