The Legal Education - Law Commission of India

11512.12 As per the information furnished in the “Directory ofCommonwealth Law Schools, 2003/2004” published on behalf of the‘Commonwealth Legal Education Society, UK’, in most of the countrieslike Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia New Zealand,Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa and UK, some period of training orapprenticeship or pupilage and the passing of Bar examination, completionof course are mandatory before a student enters into the legal profession.Similar is the situation in other countries like Botswana, Cameron,Caribbean, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua NewGuiana and Zambia.In the recent conference in the National Law School, Bangalore on12.8.2002 of faculty from all over India, lawyers and judges expressed theirviews in regard to apprenticeship. Sri K.K. Venugopal, Senior Advocate,stated that having regard to the fact that 90% of students are likely to go tothe Bar in courts located in mofussil areas or district headquarters and asthese students have come from several colleges located in those areas,apprenticeship after law degree and before practice and Bar examinationmust be reintroduced for such students.12.13 No doubt, in recent times, some law schools are deputing theirstudents for ‘placement’ to the chambers of several senior lawyers or lawfirms in cities like Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Chennai, etc., for a few weekseach year. This method of ‘placement’ is good and must be encouraged.But, it must be noted that students from only a few of the top law schools –may be about 10 or 20 law schools in the counting – are now getting thisbenefit but the bulk of the students from the remaining over 400 lawschools are not getting the benefit. In fact, it is practically difficult for