Nirma University holds symposium on 'Educating Future Lawyers for Just & Sustainable Society'

The Institute of Law, Nirma University in association with South Asia Network for Justice Education (SANJE) organised an international symposium on 'Educating future lawyers for just & sustainable Society', from 8th to 9th February 2021. The symposium focused on the need for social justice and 'Justice for All' - the 16th SDG. This event also focused on what can be done and how so that legal education does not restrict itself to legal service delivery to clients and dependence on judges and courts.

The Institute of Law, Nirma University in association with South Asia Network for Justice Education (SANJE) orgsed an international symposium on 'Educating future lawyers for just & sustainable Society', from 8th to 9th February 2021. The symposium focused on the need for social justice and 'Justice for All' - the 16th SDG. This event also focused on what can be done and how so that legal education does not restrict itself to legal service delivery to clients and dependence on judges and courts.

On the first day (8 February 2021), a panel including Prof (Dr) Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice-Chancellor, National Law University, Delhi. Prof (Dr) Lisa Radtke Bliss, Associate Dean, Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, Georgia State University, Georgia. Prof (Dr) Catherine F. Klein, Director, Columbus Community Legal Services Catholic University, Washington DC. Prof (Dr) M R K Prasad, Professor of Law, V M Salgaocar College of Law, University of Panaji, Goa presented their thoughts on "the role of performing arts for promoting social justice" based on their life and work experiences.

They linked several aspects of judicial education with arts such as how arts are able to connect lawyers with the community and understand community perspective, the importance of professionals engaging with the marginalized communities and their participation for access to justice, how arts can be seen as expressions of communities and could be used for peacebuilding, access to justice, healing of the victims, dealing with the perpetrators and so on. While reflecting on the law as a professional course and as a law teacher, the speakers elaborated on the importance of understanding the ground reality in a holistic manner, how interdisciplinary approaches help in building a network, alliances and collaborations for enhancing the process of justice and sustainable society.

On the second day (9 February 2021), a panel of speakers including Prof (Dr) Susan L. Brooks, Associate Dean, Experiential Learning & Clinical Professor, School of Law, Drexel University. Prof (Dr) Asha Bajpai, Former Professor and Visiting Faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Institute of Law, Nirma University. Prof (Dr) Sarasu Esther Thomas, Registrar and Professor of Law, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru. Prof Abhayraj Naik, Advisor, Consultant and Researcher based in Bengaluru; Visiting Faculty at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru presented their thoughts on 'Clinical Legal Education' (CLE) and its linkages with 'relational lawyering', New Education Policy (NEP), Education 4.0, and SDG 16 based on their life and work experiences.

They discussed the best practice standards and interdisciplinary model of CLE, quality assessment tools for CLE, and how NEP and Education 4.0, i.e., special needs of law education make for a just and sustainable society. In "relationship-centered Lawyering", every lawyer needs three broad areas of competency: (a) understanding theories about the person-in-context, (b) promoting procedural justice, and (c) appreciating interpersonal, cultural, and emotional issues. Education 4.0 stresses need for 'teaching law' with more relevant pedagogies, technological advancement, and the development of human capabilities, for example, digital gaming, simulating materials using digital technology.

The symposium was attended by more than 150 participants belonging to different faculties including Law, Education, Arts, Fine Arts, Management, Social Sciences and Humties, Social Work and others. Prof (Dr) Purvi Pokhariyal, Director and Dean of Institute of Law thanked all the guest speakers for their insightful thoughts on the theme. Prof Varsha Ganguly and Prof Arpit Sharma were the moderators for the event.

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( With inputs from ANI )