SCHOOL OF LEGAL STUDIES, COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
School of Legal Studies was established in the year 1962 as a part of Kerala University, offering post graduate courses and research in law. The Law School joined the folds of University of Cochin, in the year 1971, which was later reorganized and renamed as Cochin University of Science and Technology in 1986 for the promotion of graduate, post graduate studies and advanced research in various fields. Over the decades since its inception, the Law School has blossomed in to one of the top institutions among law schools engaged in teaching and research in India. Presently Dr. N. S. Soman, a senior faculty in the field of human rights is the Director of School of Legal Studies.
SLS, CUSAT provides the best teaching resources and it brings out the best students with the greatest sincere efforts. At CUSAT, it is through self learning that the students acquire knowledge and teacher is a facilitator who motivates the students and helps them to understand better. The versatility and quality of the skills of SLS graduates are evident from having its graduates at helm of Indian judiciary as Justices of various High Courts in India. The success that SLS students have met with over the past 49 years bears testimony to their caliber. Law department has been one of the oldest departments in CUSAT which was established under the leadership of Prof. A.T. Markose, a renowned Academician and Scholar and the department still stands upholding the ideologies and visions of Prof. A.T. Markose. Students of the department have taken the initiative to conduct a national level Moot court competition – The Dr. A. T. Markose Memorial Moot Court Competition 2012, in the fond memory of him. Since then, the competition is held successfully every year.
In today’s world, Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights have attained a predominant stand. In this context, the initiative taken by the School of Legal Studies to introduce the outgoing batches of LL.B. and LL.M. students to the new and highly attractive career opportunities and polishing their talents by providing them experience in practical arena is comment worthy. Recognizing the importance of rhetoric, research and drafting skills in the legal profession, the SLS curriculum requires each LL.M. student to undertake research papers and dissertations. The research papers and dissertations are supplemented by compulsory presentation and discussion session including viva voce. A new Inter University Center for IPR studies was recently established in CUSAT in the year 2013 by the Government of Kerala to encourage multidisciplinary teaching and research in the area of intellectual property rights. The Centre is also envisaged as a research hub and resource centre for interaction of researchers from different universities in Kerala and outside.
School of Legal Studies follows semester system which combines a rigorous academic schedule with ample opportunities for internships and training programmes. Each academic year consists of two semesters, one starting in July and other in December. The course structure facilitates an opportunity to explore various aspects of law.
Written by Anila Umesh, Student SLS, CUSAT.
* It is not an advice to the law students to go there. It is just a write up about SLS, CUSAT by a student, for those who want to know about SLS, may be some sort of help to them to know SLS better.