Indian Institute of Law in Bhubaneswar to train law teachers and practising advocates

The foundation plaque of the Indian Institute of Law (IIL) was unveiled at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University in Bhubaneswar on February 20.         

The institute, set up by the Bar Council of India Trust (BCIT) will allow young law school teachers and advocates from the country to enhance their expertise, professional skills and acumen. It is the first-of-its-kind institute in India.

The plaque was unveiled by judges of the Supreme Court — Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Justice V. Ramasubramanian.

The foundation ceremony was attended by Manan Kumar Mishra, advocate and chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) and BCIT; Ashok Parija, advocate general, Odisha; Debi Prasad Dhal, advocate and executive chairman, BCIT; Achyuta Samanta, associate managing trustee, BCIT and founder, KIIT and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, and a host of legal luminaries.

IIL promises to be a model academy for law teachers that aims to promote continuous legal education and research along with skill development of law teachers and practising lawyers.

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit commended BCIT and KIIT Deemed to be University for setting up IIL.

“Change is the only constant in life. Continuing education is important in every profession; it is part of everybody’s life. Perhaps, this is the first step which will again imbibe the culture when we will have more and more such institutes, and more and more the idea of continuing education taking root in everybody’s mind,” Justice Lalit said.

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai also congratulated BCI and KIIT and expressed confidence that IIL would produce quality faculty who would encourage students to imbibe constitutional values.

National Law University set up by BCI in Bengaluru in 1988 brought a sea of transformations in legal education and the quality of lawyers.

Justice V. Ramasubramanian said that there are at present more than 1,000 law colleges in the country, producing about 2.5 lakh law graduates every year. IIL will the address disconnect between academicians  and professionals, he added.       

Bar Council chairman Mishra said there is at present no training institute in the country to cater to the skill development needs of law teachers and advocates. He expressed his gratitude towards Achyuta Samanta for his generous support to the initiative. “KIIT Deemed to be University is providing all necessary assistance such as land and infrastructure for this one-of-its-kind institute,” he said.

“Establishment of an institute of national importance like IIL in Bhubaneswar is a matter of pride for the state of Odisha,” Samanta said.

Thanking the BCI for partnering with KIIT Deemed to be University, Samanta said: “Though KIIT is a young university, it has been accorded the Institution of Eminence tag by the Government of India. Besides academics and research, it has made significant contributions to the field of sports and social outreach.”

Odisha advocate general Ashok Parija said legal education has changed a lot over the past three decades. “Today, along with engineering, medicine and management, law has become a preferred field of study for aspirational youths. IIL will go a long way in improving the quality of law faculty in the country”, he said.

Legal educationist N.L. Mitra said the institute will professionalise legal education in the country. It will be developed as an institute of national character with the motto “Unity, Capacity Building and Justice”.      

Advocate Manas Ranjan Mohapatra, member of Special Committee, Odisha State Bar Council, gave the vote of thanks.