BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA
Part –IV
Rules of Legal Education

Rules on standards of legal education and recognition of degrees in law for the purpose of enrolment
as advocateand inspection of Universities for recognizing its degree in law under
Sections 7(1)(h) and (i), 24(1)(c)(iii), and (iiia), 49(1)(af),(ag),and (d) of the
Advocates Act, 1961 made by the Bar Council of India in consultation with
Universities and State Bar Councils


CHAPTER II
Standards of Professional Legal Education

3. Recognized Universities

The State Bar Council shall enroll as Advocate only such candidates, who have passed from University, approved affiliated Centre of Legal Education/ Departments of the recognized University as approved by the Bar Council of India. The Bar Council of India shall notify a list of such Universities and the Centres of Legal Education prior to the commencement of each academic year in the prescribed manner and also put in website of Bar Council of India a list of universities and Centres of Legal Education as amended from time to time. Each State Bar Council shall ensure that applicants passing out from such a recognized Universities and of its approved affiliated law Centre of Legal Education are enrolled.

4. Law courses

There shall be two courses of law leading to Bachelors Degree in Law as hereunder,

(a) A three year degree course in law undertaken after obtaining a Bachelors’ Degree in any discipline of studies from a University or any other qualification considered equivalent by the Bar Council of India. Provided that admission to such a course of study for a degree in law is obtained from a University whose degree in law is recognized by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of enrolment.

(b) A double degree integrated course combining Bachelors’ Degree course as designed by the University concerned in any discipline of study together with the Bachelors’ degree course in law, which shall be of not less than five years’ duration leading to the integrated degree in the respective discipline of knowledge and Law together.

Provided that such an integrated degree program in law of the University is recognized by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of enrolment.

Provided further that in the case of integrated double degree course the entire double degree course can be completed in one year less than the total time for regularly completing the two courses one after the other in regular and immediate succession, meaning thereby, that if the degree course in the basic discipline, such as in Arts, Science, Social Science, Commerce, Management, Fine Arts, Engineering, Technology or medicine etc. is of three years’ duration of studies, integrated course in law with the basic degree in the discipline could be completed in five years’ time but where the degree course in basic discipline takes four or five years, the integrated degree in law with such degree course in the discipline would take one year less for completing in regular time than the total time taken for the two degrees taken separately if completed back to back.

Explanation 1: Double degree integrated course such as BA., LL.B. can be completed within (3+3 –1) i.e. 5 years. But if one intends to do B.Tech., LL.B. it can be done in (4+3-1) i.e., 6 years.

Explanation 2: Suppose in a University one can have a two years’ graduation in any social science leading to BA degree, in that case also the composite double degree integrated course leading to BA, LL.B. would be of five years duration because double degree integrated course cannot be of less than five years’ duration.

5. Eligibility for admission:

(a) Three Year Law Degree Course: An applicant who has graduated in any discipline of knowledge from a University established by an Act of Parliament or by a State legislature or an equivalent national institution recognized as a Deemed to be University or foreign University recognized as equivalent to the status of an Indian University by an authority competent to declare equivalence, may apply for a three years’ degree program in law leading to conferment of LL.B. degree on successful completion of the regular program conducted by a University whose degree in law is recognized by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of enrolment.

(b) Integrated Degree Program: An applicant who has successfully completed Senior Secondary School course (‘+2’) or equivalent (such as 11+1, ‘A’ level in Senior School Leaving certificate course) from a recognized University of India or outside or from a Senior Secondary Board or equivalent, constituted orrecognized by the Union or by a State Government or from any equivalent institution from a foreign country recognized by the government of that country for the purpose of issue of qualifying certificate on successful completion of the course, may apply for and be admitted into the program of the Centres of Legal Education to obtain the integrated degree in law with a degree in any other subject as the first degree from the University whose such a degree in law is recognized by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of enrolment.

Provided that applicants who have obtained + 2 Higher Secondary Pass Certificate or First Degree Certificate after prosecuting studies in distance or correspondence method shall also be considered as eligible for admission in the Integrated Five Years course or three years’ LL.B. course, as the case may be.

Explanation: The applicants who have obtained 10 + 2 or graduation / post graduation through open Universities system directly without having any basic qualification for prosecuting such studies are not eligible for admission in the law courses.

6. Prohibition to register for two regular courses of study

No student shall be allowed to simultaneously register for a law degree program with any other graduate or postgraduate or certificate course run by the same or any other University or an Institute for academic or professional learning excepting in the integrated degree program of the same institution.

Provided that any short period part time certificate course on language, computer science or computer application of an Institute or any course run by a Centre for Distance Learning of a University however, shall be excepted.

7. Minimum marks in qualifying examination for admission

Bar Council of India may from time to time, stipulate the minimum percentage of marks not below 45% of the total marks in case of general category applicants and 40% of the total marks in case of SC and ST applicants, to be obtained for the qualifying examination, such as +2 Examination in case of Integrated Five Years’ course or Degree course in any discipline for Three years’ LL.B. course, for the purpose of applying for and getting admitted into a Law Degree Program of any recognized University in either of the streams.

Provided that such a minimum qualifying marks shall not automatically entitle a person to get admission into an institution but only shall entitle the person concerned to fulfill other institutional criteria notified by the institution concerned or by the government concerned from time to time to apply for admission.

8. Standard of courses

Whereas all Universities and its constituent and affiliated Centres of Legal Education conducting either the three year law degree program or the integrated double degree program for not less than five years of study or both would follow the outline of the minimum number of law courses both theoretical and practical, compulsory and optional, as the case may be, prescribed by the Bar Council of India and specified in the Schedule II and ensuring that:-

(a) the minimum number of law courses are effectively conducted in the Centres of Legal Education with adequate infrastructural facilities as may be prescribed and in the manner stipulated by the University Regulations and Rules and that of the Bar Council of India Rules,

(b) the minimum standard of first degree course as designed and run by the University for the purpose of running integrated course in accordance with the standard prescribed by the University in view of the academic and other standards laid down, if any, taking into consideration by the standard-setting institutions like University Grants Commission or All India Council for Technical Education or any such body, as the case may be, and the program is effectively run with adequate number of faculty in respective subjects, with infrastructural facilities as may be prescribed by the University as well as the Bar Council of India, and

(c) there is a regular and proper evaluation system for the purpose of certification of the students graduating in law after completing the course as a regular student.

Provided that the University for the said purpose shall submit to the Bar Council of India, copies of the curriculum designed and developed in each course of study, rules of academic discipline and of examination and evaluation and also the amendments to those as and when so amended.

9. Process and manner of running integrated course

The University concerned shall ensure that -

(a) Faculties for running the entire course shall design the purpose, manner and the process of running the integrated courses semester-wise with clear objective criteria of integration.

(b) There are all infrastructural facilities available for the courses, such as faculty for teaching the subjects concerned, laboratories needed, and other class room fixtures and fittings including the computer support.

(c) The double degree courses may be planned by the University in order to suitably integrate the program meaningfully.

(d) The University shall cause documentary evidences and records of the above requirements in (a), (b) and (c) to be submitted to the Bar Council of India, whose inspection committee would review the program from time to time and provide suggestions to the University concerned, if any.

10. Semester system

The course leading to either degree in law, unitary or on integrated double degree, shall be conducted in semester system in not less than 15 weeks for unitary degree course or not less than 18 weeks in double degree integrated course with not less than 30 class-hours per week including tutorials, moot room exercise and seminars provided there shall be at least 24 lecture hours per
week.

Provided further that in case of specialized and/or honours law courses there shall be not less than 36 class-hours per week including seminar, moot court and tutorial classes and 30 minimum lecture hours per week.

Provided further that Universities are free to adopt trimester system with appropriate division of courses per trimester with each of the trimester not less than 12 weeks.

11. Minimum infrastructure

Any institution conducting legal education by running either of the law degree courses or both leading to conferment of graduate degree in law on successful completion of the course shall have minimum standard infrastructure facility stipulated by the Bar Council of India specified in Schedule III of these Rules.

The University shall ensure that all its Centres of Legal Education under the University maintain the standard infrastructure and other facilities for the students to suitably impart professional legal studies.

12. End Semester Test

No student of any of the degree program shall be allowed to take the end semester test in a subject if the student concerned has not attended minimum of 70% of the classes held in the subject concerned as also the moot court room exercises, tutorials and practical training conducted in the subject taken together.

Provided that if a student for any exceptional reasons fail to attend 70% of the classes held in any subject, the Dean of the University or the Principal of the Centre of Legal Education , as the case may be, may allow the student to take the test if the student concerned attended at least 65% of the classes held in the subject concerned and attended 70% of classes in all the subjects taken together. The similar power shall rest with the Vice Chancellor or Director of a National Law University, or his authorized representative in the absence of the Dean of Law.

Provided further that a list of such students allowed to take the test with reasons recorded be forwarded to the Bar Council of India.

13. Prohibition against lateral entry and exit

There shall be no lateral entry on the plea of graduation in any subject or exit by way of awarding a degree splitting the integrated double degree course, at any intermediary stage of integrated double degree course.

However, a University may permit any person to audit any subject or number of subjects by attending classes regularly and taking the test for obtaining a Certificate of participation from the University/ Faculty according to the rules prescribed by the University from time to time and give a Certificate therefore.