Law School Darshan: Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Vishakapatnam

“If your Lordships are conversant with the facts, may I proceed to the issues?” she says and for a split second I am wondering whom on earth is the question directed to. Thankfully, my “brother judge”, an experienced hand, nods and the “counsel” moves onto the issues. Over the next eight hours, I will hear similar arguments being made over and over again, most of which will be made with great zeal. By the end of the day, I will be sick and truly tired of the particular facts and circumstances of “the instant case”. That awkwardness at being addressed as “Lordship” though, remains..More than a year after the last Law School Darshan at NLIU Bhopal, I find myself judging a few rounds of a moot court competition at the Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law School at Vishakapatnam (DSNLU). About to complete five years this year, DSNLU is one of the newer National Law Universities (NLUs) in the country, and the second such NLU in Andhra Pradesh. Initially called the Andhra Pradesh University of Law, its name was changed to DSNLU a few years ago. The change in nomenclature is an interesting development, and one whose significance should not be undermined as more and more such NLUs are set up all over the country. But more on that later..As far as initial impressions go, DSNLU does not make a good one. The entire university is essentially one building located in a residential area of Vishakapatnam. The library, the classrooms, and the administrative offices are all housed in this one building. Having said that though, the classrooms themselves are fairly well equipped as is the library and the limited space available is intelligently utilized..The lack of a campus however does mean that students are either renting out flats or staying as paying guests. A new campus is currently under construction, with a planned completion date of December 2015. The next two batches then, at the very least, will have to make do with the current university building. As far as existing infrastructure is concerned, things could certainly be a lot better..I am walking up the university building to the room where the qualifying rounds will be held. I am made aware of what a lecturer or professor must go through as the students either stop talking completely as I pass by or suddenly switch to hushed tones. The unbelievably enthusiastic student leading me occasionally says “moot judge, moot judge” to make way through the crowd and you can feel the excitement and eagerness to impress. This is the first such competition that DSNLU has organized and the desire to make a good impression is all too clear. Over the next two days, students will ferry the other judges and me to and fro, always polite and always more than happy to answer any questions..I am sitting in the hotel coffee shop and having a conversation with the two student volunteers who are the day’s liaison officers. They are telling me what their likes and dislikes and sharing their dreams. It is always interesting to hear why students choose a particular institute and for both of them, a major reason for joining DSNLU was the “NLU”-tag. It is this tag that presupposes some kind of common standard across the different law schools, even though one could argue that the only truly common factor is the entrance examination. Or perhaps not..We discuss the usual questions on faculty, administration and the like and their answers are strikingly similar to what I have heard in other schools. When it comes to faculty, they say that there are a few good teachers but that is about it. When it comes to administration, students long for a greater level of involvement, be it student-run committees or an elected student body. As things stand, students chosen by faculty head committees and there are no direct elections for the student association. Students seeking greater freedom and control over organizing events are left disappointed and after speaking to the Vice-Chancellor, I would say this is unlikely to change..I am sitting in the office of Dr. Bhagavath Kumar, the Vice Chancellor of DSNLU, having what can be safely described as a frank conversation. At DSNLU since November 2011, he certainly has some ambitious plans for the university. A former student of Professor SK Agarwal at Pune University, Dr. Kumar is someone who has seen both sides of Indian education – the academic rigor that was once characteristic of some universities as well as the callous indifference that plagues most law institutes today. He admits that he needs to rope in good faculty and is well aware that DSNLU is not the first choice for many. At the same time he is making an effort to raise the public profile of the institute. Changing the name of the institute to include an “NLU” was one such move; another is becoming one of the “CLAT schools” so that admissions can be directly routed through the CLAT committee. So far, he has met with little success..Some of the initiatives that have successfully been introduced during his time include introducing greater discipline (both with respect to the students and the faculty), roping in faculty and administrative members from other universities as well as placing a nation-wide advertisement for new faculty. How successful this advertisement will prove to be though, is something that only time will tell. One aspect that I find interesting is his awareness about the difference between a good administrator and a good academician. This is combined with a very conscious choice to focus on the administrative side at DSNLU. Having said that, his tenure expires in eight months and if he is not given an extension, a lot of his initiatives may not be taken to their end..Our judging rounds are complete and my brother (and sister) judges are sitting on the sand and watching the night waves crash towards us. We are discussing which team said what and some are talking about their student days as mooters. About crazy, judges who would throw books at you and those who would simply fall asleep. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that Vishakapatnam may not be too bad a city to study in. Students coming from outside Andhra will have to make peace with a cultural difference (language, food etc) though and the lack of a campus means students will have to stay on their own or as paying guests. Without any restrictions in terms of having vehicles or deadlines (subject to the landlord’s policies), students should be able to enjoy the benefits of mid-sized town located by the sea..Looking ahead, on the infrastructure front at least, things are going to improve. The construction of a residential campus, newer faculty and recognition as a CLAT school will widen DSNLU’s reach as far as admissions are concerned. With particular reference to seeking new teaching staff, I know for a fact that faculty from other institutes are considering joining DSNLU. The creation of a separate state also means that it will no longer be referred to as the “other” national law school in Andhra Pradesh, perhaps making it easier to gain access to State funds..The negatives? Well, Dr. Kumar’s tenure ends in another eight or nine months and re-appointment or replacement is unlikely to be a priority for the new state administration. There are other, smaller niggles as well. One of the peculiarities of DSNLU is that its Chancellor is not the Chief Justice of India but the current Vice Chancellor of CNLU, Patna, Dr. Lakshminath. Hence DSNLU does not have the benefit of a CJI expediting the flow of funds from the government and this is a factor that Dr. Kumar believes has worked against the institute..Travelling to one’s home and back could also be a time-consuming process and potential students should keep this in mind while making their applications. The lack of official residential quarters (for both students and faculty) could result in some students opting out of joining DSNLU..But perhaps the biggest hurdle going forward is the 80% reservation policy that DSNLU currently follows. That would mean that for an intake of 130-odd students, more than a 100 seats would be reserved for students from Andhra Pradesh. As things stand though, these reserved seats rarely get filled by students from Andhra Pradesh so students from other States can still make it here. However, in the years that follow, this may not be the case. Then there is the location itself; internships in locations such as Bombay or Delhi are going to be difficult to come by and traditional employers such as law firms are unlikely to visit the institute in the near future..In other words, DSNLU is likely to face the same problems that several law schools (young and old) are facing today – lack of quality faculty, unsure employment opportunities and the lack of alumni support. The annual fees (as per the 2013 application form) are about a lakh and a half, more or less the median fees charged by the CLAT law schools..So what do I think about DSNLU? Well, it is a young institute led by an individual who has managed to rope in competent administrative staff from other law schools. The small-city nature of Vishakapatnam may not suit everyone and the 80% reservation policy will certainly work against fostering a truly “national” composition in the student body..I don’t see DSNLU becoming a preferred choice for law students anytime in the near future but competitions such as this moot will certainly help in attracting some attention. It is also a clever strategy in terms of building employment opportunities; the judges for final rounds included two, sitting High Court judges, and a Partner from a pan-Indian law firm. If DSNLU is to attract students in the increasingly crowded legal education field, it will certainly have to do a lot more. It does look like it is off to a good start. .Next stop: Salgaocar College of Law, Goa..(This report is based on a visit that took place between February 14-17, 2014. Bar & Bench would like to thank the DSNLU administration and students for their hospitality)