Over the past half decade or so, Bar & Bench has interviewed a number of legal academics across the country, and the world..On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, here is a compilation of twelve of the most-read interviews we have published..1. Dr. Ved Kumari, Delhi University.Interview published on: May 20, 2014.Post when interviewed: Professor of Law, Delhi University.Quote from the interview:.I think teachers can ignite young minds. You can’t change the world but you can change some lives, and teaching gives you that opportunity..(Read full interview here).2. Prof. G. Homer Pithawala (Government Law College, Mumbai).Interview published on: March 4, 2014.Post when interviewed: Professor at Government Law College, Mumbai.Quote from the interview:.I came across a very nice definition of the lecture method that said that it is a method whereby some matter passes from the mouth of the teacher into the books of the student without passing through the brains of either. I think that is very true!.(Read full interview here).3. Prof V Vijayakumar (National Law Institute University, Bhopal).Interview published on: February 24, 2020.Post when interviewed: Vice-Chancellor, NLIU Bhopal.Quote from the interview: "National law schools need to reorient themselves to think what they can do for the community. We need to contribute to research and literature that may not be available to other law colleges…Each NLU that is established could also extend a helping hand to other law colleges in the state.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..4. Prof. Krishnan Mahajan (National Law University, Odisha) .Interview published on: June 6, 2012.Post when interviewed: Dean, School of Law at NLU Odisha.Quote from the interview:.I feel that a law student should not immediately think about careers. It will take the student at least 2-3 years to arrive at what he is passionate about. Law school is a process of self-discovery..(Read full interview here).5. Prof. Amita Dhanda (NALSAR University, Hyderabad).Interview published on: January 17, 2013.Post when interviewed: Professor at NALSAR University, Hyderabad.Quote from the interview:.I suppose if you are passionate about teaching than you really have to love people, all kinds of people. Somebody else’s growth should give you a high. If those are the kinds of things that make you happy, then you will be happy teaching..(Read the full interview here).6. Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy (National Law School of India University, Bangalore).Interview published on: October 13, 2019.Post when interviewed: Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU.Quote from the interview:"What we are able to deliver might not match; we have to close the gap as much as possible...There is no way that an academic programme can satisfy everybody, all the time. It doesn’t happen here or in the best universities in the world. With that caveat, we should look to bridge the gap, and deliver approximate expectations.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..7. Prof. Sophie Sparrow .Interview published on: February 7, 2012.Post when interviewed: Visiting Fullbright scholar at NLU Jodhpur.Quote from the interview:.Lawyers have a lot of influence, they have a lot of credibility and [law schools] really should be open to a diverse perspective of people. I really believe that..(Read the full interview here).8. Nigam Nuggehalli (Azim Premji University, Bangalore).Interview published on: April 13. 2016.Post when interviewed: Professor at the School of Policy and Governance, Azim Premji University.Quote from the interview:.Law schools said that they would make lawyers social engineers, which meant that we would have lawyers coming out of law schools who are given an opportunity to engage on issues like social justice and development..(Read the full interview here).9. Dr. Armin Rosencranz (Jindal Global Law School, Sonepat).Interview published on: February 25, 2017.Post when interviewed: Professor of Public Law and Policy, JGLS.Quote from interview:"First of all, there are too many law students in India today. No one realises it but it is true. Eventually, there is going to be a contraction. Student bodies will contract, the lower level law schools will disband. The jobs available will reduce.The whole profession will change and this is going to happen in the next ten years. It has already happened in the US.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..10. Dr. Hemalatha Devi (ICFAI’s School of Law, Hyderabad).Interview published on: October 8, 2014.Post when interviewed: Dean, Faculty of Law at the ICFAI Hyderabad.Quote from the interview:.“My experience says that law helps in developing interpretational values and understanding complex problems.”.(Read full interview here).11. Dr. Jyoti Mozika (North Eastern Hill University).Interview published on: December 29, 2015.Post when interviewed: Assoc. Professor, the Department of Law, NEHU.Quote from the interview:.Teaching should also lay more emphasis on practical aspects of law. Giving lectures on concepts of law is only one part of it. .12. Asst. Prof. Ajay Gudavarthy (JNU).Interview published on: February 7, 2014.Post when interviewed: Asst. Prof. at Centre for Political Studies in JNU.Quote from the interview:.Elites in India define themselves by social separation – how different are they from the ordinary or how distinct they are. I think something somewhere went wrong with the law school experiment..(Lead image by Vivek Verma)
Over the past half decade or so, Bar & Bench has interviewed a number of legal academics across the country, and the world..On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, here is a compilation of twelve of the most-read interviews we have published..1. Dr. Ved Kumari, Delhi University.Interview published on: May 20, 2014.Post when interviewed: Professor of Law, Delhi University.Quote from the interview:.I think teachers can ignite young minds. You can’t change the world but you can change some lives, and teaching gives you that opportunity..(Read full interview here).2. Prof. G. Homer Pithawala (Government Law College, Mumbai).Interview published on: March 4, 2014.Post when interviewed: Professor at Government Law College, Mumbai.Quote from the interview:.I came across a very nice definition of the lecture method that said that it is a method whereby some matter passes from the mouth of the teacher into the books of the student without passing through the brains of either. I think that is very true!.(Read full interview here).3. Prof V Vijayakumar (National Law Institute University, Bhopal).Interview published on: February 24, 2020.Post when interviewed: Vice-Chancellor, NLIU Bhopal.Quote from the interview: "National law schools need to reorient themselves to think what they can do for the community. We need to contribute to research and literature that may not be available to other law colleges…Each NLU that is established could also extend a helping hand to other law colleges in the state.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..4. Prof. Krishnan Mahajan (National Law University, Odisha) .Interview published on: June 6, 2012.Post when interviewed: Dean, School of Law at NLU Odisha.Quote from the interview:.I feel that a law student should not immediately think about careers. It will take the student at least 2-3 years to arrive at what he is passionate about. Law school is a process of self-discovery..(Read full interview here).5. Prof. Amita Dhanda (NALSAR University, Hyderabad).Interview published on: January 17, 2013.Post when interviewed: Professor at NALSAR University, Hyderabad.Quote from the interview:.I suppose if you are passionate about teaching than you really have to love people, all kinds of people. Somebody else’s growth should give you a high. If those are the kinds of things that make you happy, then you will be happy teaching..(Read the full interview here).6. Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy (National Law School of India University, Bangalore).Interview published on: October 13, 2019.Post when interviewed: Vice-Chancellor, NLSIU.Quote from the interview:"What we are able to deliver might not match; we have to close the gap as much as possible...There is no way that an academic programme can satisfy everybody, all the time. It doesn’t happen here or in the best universities in the world. With that caveat, we should look to bridge the gap, and deliver approximate expectations.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..7. Prof. Sophie Sparrow .Interview published on: February 7, 2012.Post when interviewed: Visiting Fullbright scholar at NLU Jodhpur.Quote from the interview:.Lawyers have a lot of influence, they have a lot of credibility and [law schools] really should be open to a diverse perspective of people. I really believe that..(Read the full interview here).8. Nigam Nuggehalli (Azim Premji University, Bangalore).Interview published on: April 13. 2016.Post when interviewed: Professor at the School of Policy and Governance, Azim Premji University.Quote from the interview:.Law schools said that they would make lawyers social engineers, which meant that we would have lawyers coming out of law schools who are given an opportunity to engage on issues like social justice and development..(Read the full interview here).9. Dr. Armin Rosencranz (Jindal Global Law School, Sonepat).Interview published on: February 25, 2017.Post when interviewed: Professor of Public Law and Policy, JGLS.Quote from interview:"First of all, there are too many law students in India today. No one realises it but it is true. Eventually, there is going to be a contraction. Student bodies will contract, the lower level law schools will disband. The jobs available will reduce.The whole profession will change and this is going to happen in the next ten years. It has already happened in the US.".Read Part I of the interview here and Part II here..10. Dr. Hemalatha Devi (ICFAI’s School of Law, Hyderabad).Interview published on: October 8, 2014.Post when interviewed: Dean, Faculty of Law at the ICFAI Hyderabad.Quote from the interview:.“My experience says that law helps in developing interpretational values and understanding complex problems.”.(Read full interview here).11. Dr. Jyoti Mozika (North Eastern Hill University).Interview published on: December 29, 2015.Post when interviewed: Assoc. Professor, the Department of Law, NEHU.Quote from the interview:.Teaching should also lay more emphasis on practical aspects of law. Giving lectures on concepts of law is only one part of it. .12. Asst. Prof. Ajay Gudavarthy (JNU).Interview published on: February 7, 2014.Post when interviewed: Asst. Prof. at Centre for Political Studies in JNU.Quote from the interview:.Elites in India define themselves by social separation – how different are they from the ordinary or how distinct they are. I think something somewhere went wrong with the law school experiment..(Lead image by Vivek Verma)
