Jindal Global Law School has launched India's First ‘Corporate Lawyering Advancement through Immersion & Mentoring’ (CLAIM) Programme by Appointing 12 Corporate Partners of Leading Law Firms.

The Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) of O.P. Jindal Global University has taken a pioneering initiative to appoint twelve Corporate Partners of leading corporate law firms in India and abroad as Honorary Adjunct Professors of Law & Professors of Corporate Legal Practice.

The 12 Honorary Adjunct Professors will associate with the, ‘Corporate Lawyering Advancement through Immersion & Mentoring’ (CLAIM) Programme of JGLS. The Programme aims to connect theory to practice in response to the problem of “disconnect” that many new entrants to the legal profession face. Through the broader framework of participative pedagogy, the CLAIM Programme creates the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge real-time, thereby enhancing their ingenuity and heuristic skills that are much needed in professional legal practice. The CLAIM Programme broadens the scope of legal education from knowledge oriented-curriculum to the tools and processes of legal practice with a view to empowering the graduates of JGLS to become knowledgeable  legal professionals as they enter the world of corporate legal practice.    

The vision of this pathbreaking initiative is to to identify some of the most outstanding corporate lawyers and partners of the leading corporate law firms to teach courses on relevant areas of corporate legal practice to the students of law, with a view to educating and inspiring them. The larger purpose of this effort is to instill in the minds of law students an imagination to become part of corporate legal practice and better equip them with knowledge, skills and perspectives to take up successful careers in law firms and corporations in the future. I am grateful to the 12 outstanding corporate partners of the most reputed law firms in India and abroad who have consented to teach these courses, including two inspiring leaders, who are also founders and Managing Partners of reputed Indian law firms, Mr. Lakshmikumaran and Mr. Suhail Nathani. 

Indian law schools need to reimagine legal education. The launch of India's First ‘Corporate Lawyering Advancement through Immersion and Mentoring’ (CLAIM) Programme by Jindal Gobal Law School will reimagine the institutional efforts and initiatives to impart world class legal education. It will also augment the capacity building efforts that will ultimately help and support the aspirations of law students and law graduates to seek meaningful opportunities in the corporate legal sector.

Each Honorary Adjunct Professors will teach a 1-credit course on an advanced area of corporate law and practice. These courses will span over a period of 8 weeks starting from 5th September 2020 (Teachers’ Day). The 10 leading corporate law firm partners have been appointed as Honorary Adjunct Professors & Professors of Corporate Legal Practice. In recognition of the special accomplishments and vast experience, including their contribution to institution building by founding two leading corporate law firms in India, Mr. Lakshmikumaran and Mr. Suhail Nathani have been appointed as Honorary Adjunct Professors & Distinguished Professors of Corporate Legal Practice. 

The CLAIM Programme of JGLS, aims to provide students a perspective to look at things as they happen in a law firm environment. It also aims to further the School’s commitment to provide its students the legal imagination which has the highest constitutive and professional potential.

The courses will be open to the III, IV and V year students of B.A. LL.B. (Hons) and B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons), the students of II and III year of LL.B. and the students of LL.M.  

Apart from the academic and intellectual outcomes, the association of the corporate partners with legal academia is also motivated by the need to recognize and honour their outstanding contributions to the field of corporate legal practice and for advancing the cause of legal profession in all its forms and manifestations, especially with regard to the interface of law with economic development, corporate governance, taxation, finance, environment, dispute resolution, private equity & venture capital, media & entertainment and technology. Their passion, commitment, and dedication to the corporate practice of law, especially their contribution to promoting excellence in legal education and legal profession will be truly inspiring for the students of JGLS.