A World-class LL.B. Programme for Engineering & Science Graduates

By SiliconIndia Education   |   Monday, 09 April, 2012
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Traditionally, humanities and social sciences were considered to be the apt pre-law options for those willing to study at top law schools. But, a recent study by a US law professor shows that it’s the Physics and Mathematics graduates who are the top scorers in LSAT Exam conducted for admission to top US, Canadian & Australian law schools. Engineering graduates were among the top five LSAT scorers and doubtlessly law is emerging as one of the finest higher education option for engineering and science graduates which was once considered to be the monopoly of Economics, Political Science, English & Philosophy graduates. The main reason for law being studied by engineers and scientists is of course the emergence of certain new and special areas of legal practice and industry which require strong scientific acumen. Areas like Intellectual Property Laws (particularly the patent law), Information Technology Law, Healthcare and Biotechnology Law are to name a few.

Information Technology Law

Legal aspects of computing are related to the over-lapping areas of law and computing. They include, mainly Information Technology Law or IT law and Cyber Law or Internet Law. IT Law is a set of legal enactments, currently in existence in several countries, which governs the digital dissemination of both (digitalized) information and software itself. IT Law covers mainly the digital information including information security and electronic commerce aspects. Cyber law or Internet law is a term that encapsulates the legal issues related to use of the Internet. It is less a distinct field of law than intellectual property or contract law, as it is a domain covering many areas of law and regulation. Some leading topics include internet access and usage, privacy, freedom of expression, and jurisdiction. Legal informatics is an area within information science which has emerged as a recent phenomenon. It pertains to the application of informatics within the context of the different legal environments. It may encompass several areas like information retrieval (both manual and automated systems such as artificial intelligence and law), law and policy (issues such as privacy, copyright, and security) and information access issues (such as making legal and government information more accessible to the public, both physically and intellectually). Only lawyers with strong background in technology can handle issues relating to IT and Cyber laws.

Biotechnology & Law

Increased interest in biotechnology, the pervasiveness of biotechnology products in daily life, and escalating numbers of patent filings and intellectual property infringement cases, has caused a high demand for lawyers with scientific/ technology backgrounds. Job opportunities, for individuals with both legal and scientific backgrounds, include work as a technical specialist or as a lawyer dealing in IP cases such as patent, copyright and trademark disputes. Many complications in establishing IP ownership can arise nowadays because of the sheer volume of patent claims being made and difficulty on the part of both researchers and regulating bodies, in keeping track of the specifics of, and ensuring the uniqueness of, each invention.An invention that has already been previously described in the literature, or something that has been on the market for years, cannot be patented, yet the filing party, or patent office, might not be aware of the pre-existing product. That's when the lawyers are called in; to examine the facts, decipher the legal jargon, establish precedence, and defend their cases in court. Law firms are having a hard time finding individuals with a solid understanding of the technology behind many of these high tech cases. Expanding commercialism and the need to recover biotechnology investments and research funding through profits, has led to the invasion of the scientific domain by legal issues surrounding IP, access to research data and conflicts of interest. Although science may have done without lawyers in the past, there are now many important bioethics issues that must be dealt with in areas of environmental science, biotechnology, genetics and medical research.

Patent Law

A patent attorney is a lawyer who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition. A patent lawyer must also have an adequate scientific and technical background or education to understand a client's invention. The educational requirement can be met by a bachelor's degree in a specifically enumerated major, such as biology, computer science chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, physics, and biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical or mechanical engineering.

Jindal Global Law School & its Three Year LL.B. Programme

Globalization has opened up new opportunities and challenges for India. In response, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) were founded to provide the country the world-class professionals, scholars, and public servants it needs to thrive.Located in the vibrant National Capital Region, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), part of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), imparts a rigorous and multi-disciplinary legal education with a view to producing world-class legal professionals, scholars, and public servants. JGLS empowers its students with knowledge, skills, and vision to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world. JGLS fosters curriculum, research, and collaborations of the highest standards, and with a global perspective, through a faculty drawn from and educated throughout the world.

The three-year LL.B. programme at JGLS has all the components for the making of a successful techno-lawyer. The Research Centres of JGLS like the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights Studies, the Centre for Health Law, Ethics & Technology, the Centre for Environment & Climate change among others provide ample opportunities of research on latest issues for an engineering or science background students.

Career Opportunities & Placements for JGLS Graduates

JGLS graduates can look forward to a wide variety of exciting career opportunities from positions in leading law firms to working for government, research organisations, or beyond. JGLS has established a Career Development and Placement Division to help provide career opportunities to students and graduates of JGLS. JGLS has signed Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) with a number of reputed Indian law firms, including Amarchand&Mangaldas& Suresh A Shroff& Co., AZB & Partners, FoxMandal Little, Luthra&Luthra Law Offices, and Nishith Desai Associates. JGLS is also developing collaborations with a number of other law firms including Economic Laws Practice, Khaitan& Co., and Trilegal. Abroad, the JGLS Committee of International Lawyers (J-CIL) is a New York based association of practising lawyers from leading law firms worldwide who are committed to helping JGLS provide advice and career counseling for students and graduates. All of these MoUs and collaborations facilitate internships and placements for JGLS students and graduates. JGLS also has extensive ties within government, businesses, and civil society, which are used to assist in placing our students and graduates.

For more information about JGLS, kindly log on to www.jgls.edu.in or www.jgu.edu.in
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