In Conversation with Dr Mohd. Salim, Director, Lloyd Law College

Dr Salim, would you please tell us where did this illustrious journey begin and at what age did you decide to study law. Please walk us through your early years of education and the decision of becoming an educationist.   

It is always unintended and tough to talk about self but with a reason. I pursued B.Com. (in 1995) and LL.B. (in 2000) from Aligarh Muslim University. Then I pursued LL.M. (in 2003) and PhD (in 2009) from Jamia Millia Islamia. Since LL.B. 2nd year in 1998, I decided to become a teacher and pursue higher education for the academic profession. I began my teaching career after LL.M. as the founder faculty from Lloyd Law College and I have been working here for 12 years till now. I was the founder faculty at Symbiosis Law School, Noida and worked there from 2010 to 2016. My passion for teaching developed through reading and teaching various courses more specifically legal philosophy, trade and business, international and commercial laws. With a passion for teaching, I experimented innovative ways of learning laws, legal practice and profession. I have worked with freedom through the education process, decision making and implementation.  

What to your mind has helped you get to where you are and what advice would you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction? 

A constant passion for deep and daily reading with multidisciplinary studies. 

• Teaching through different modules with openness to critics and questions of students.  

• A teacher has a duty to make the learning process practical and profession centric.  

• Reading and teaching through case laws are the best ways to make learning understandable and applicable.  

Who have been your guiding North Stars and the biggest inspiration in this journey? 

All my professors from law school to the present time colleagues. Many of my students that I have taught over the past two decades of my academic life have surprised me with their intellect and hard work. I am extremely influenced by the life and works of Padma Bhushan Late Prof. (Dr.) N. R. Madhava Menon founder Vice-Chancellor NLSIU-Bangaluru, NUJS-Kolkata, Director NJA-Bhopal.  

Is the legal education in India with its current curricula and syllabi relevant in view of the new trend in the world order—to meet the ever-growing challenges. Is the standard of our Bar Examinations up to par?  

Legal education in India is by far the most ignored education system. It is based on 100 years old pedagogy and 20 years old curriculum. Be it the national law schools or traditional universities, all are suffering from irrelevance from the point of practice and profession. This regretful state of affairs is mainly due to turning the legal education institutions by the regulators and entrepreneurs as their funding wards. The bar exam is a necessity but, the current model and process of Indian Bar Examination are only a picture-perfect of mediocracy and a fund-raising spree of the BCI. BCI, UGC. Respective universities are least bothered when it comes to the issues of student’s career advancement, practical learning through curriculum up-gradation, personality–practice–profession perspectives of education, skilling and employability.  

What are some of the other roadblocks in the path of our education system and what would you say is the way forward? Is EdTech the answer? 

1. In India, education has become a game of fetching degree for employment however high or low it may be. This is by far the only one significance and relevance of education but not the only or first and last objective of education. So, the first roadblock is the mindset and approach towards education.  

2. We are a country trained with least reading habits, this is an immediate cause of suffering at each and every stage in the life of our citizens irrespective of education. So, this is the second roadblock or perpetual problem of our education system.  

3. Cost of quality education is getting higher and higher now, this is due to the sharp decline in the quality of education in the government institutions because of privatization and government withdrawal from a quality education system. This is the third roadblock in terms of price-quality – social goods - in-equality dynamics.  

4. With exceptions, mass privatization of higher education has created a sharp decline in the quality education modules, knowledge and skill-based learning, and sound employability quotient.

SOLUTIONS & SUGGESTIONS 

• I would only say that every disease or a problem requires its own specific medicine and cure. EdTech came largely as a career advancement scheme before the pandemic existed, now it became a new normal and most relevant. EdTech cannot provide a preventive, peaceful and permanent solution to all the above problems.  

• Sooner the better, later the loser. Our society is in the epidemic of ignorance and mediocracy. Government and society must understand and take it up as an immediate vaccine in the form of quality education at all levels as it is the only solution to all the problems in our society for now and forever. Mission education is a process of transmuting civilization. 

What in your opinion has been the biggest change or challenge looming over the legal landscape of India amid COVID-19?  

• Legal education, industry and justice system in its entirety in India is moving in its own direction and pace. Legal education and industry service providers have stood up and trying to battle it out of this pandemic well and good. This situation must have strengthened both.  

• All that is in the hands of the government, largely justice system is always moving on the wheels of complacency, compliance, casualty and cure. It moves least and at the last. This is an opportunity when our judicial system can be put into the online justice system completely. I am working on this project currently, you will learn this in the time to come.

What can lawyers do today to ensure they survive in an era of disruption?  

• Skilling, reading and delivering quality work is an all-time saviour for any person and profession to survive, sustain and surge.  

• Maximise time for the work and optimise time and opportunity in the work. 

• Keep lifestyle simple and be helpful to everyone without being exploited. 

• To meet advancement, upgrade every ten years. 

Other than work, what else keeps you busy? Would you please share your other interests and hobbies with our readers. 

• Reading law and philosophy, spending time with family, playing and watching any sports. 

Sir, what would be your message to our legal minds of the future, any golden piece of advice from the treasure trove of your experiences in the industry? 

• There is no substitute for hard work, make a habit of working 12 hrs a day, like combining together the work of your parents who made you live a privileged life, 

• Be a team man, when you are subordinate work more than a leader when you are a leader work more than a subordinate, 

• People are the most important asset, understand, train, trust and employ them for present and future perspectives,  

• Honesty is not a compulsion, it is our non-negotiable core value,  

• Stand for truth even if you are alone, soon you will be justified,  

• Excellence is the first pursuit of education. Knowledge and skill are your best treasures, keep achieving small goals. 

As a final note, would you please recommend to our readers your favourite book or movie/series that left a lasting impression on you. 

• Learning the law by Glanville Williams is essential reading because it takes you to skill learning.  

• Thinking like a lawyer by Frederic Shauer is a must-read again because it talks of legal skills and makes you a thinking lawyer. 

• Listening to Prof. Michel Sandel Harvard Justice lecture series is must be learning for every teacher, lawyer and law students. 

• Prof. Aakash Singh Rathore of Jawaharlal Nehru University impressed me by his simple way of explaining the legal concepts through E-Pathshala series. 

• All the movies of Christopher Nolan are my watchlist along with all Oscar best movies list.