An Institute with the ability to change the trajectory of a student’s career in today’s competitive times by carving a pathway embracing the dynamism of Law studies and hence providing an edge to them is none other than ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad.

ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad, is one of the best-in-class law schools emphasizing and incorporating problem-solving abilities in the aspiring judiciary of the country. Moreover, it provides a student-centric and industry-friendly dynamic curriculum for students. Besides that, the school emphasizes becoming a Center of Excellence in legal education.

While catering to the Most Recognized Law Institutes of the Year, 2023, The Knowledge Review interviewed the school’s management while highlighting the institute’s success story since its beginning and enlightening us about its future perspectives.

The Beginning Story of ICFAI Law School

The Faculty of Law, commonly known as Icfai Law School, is a constituent of ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (a Deemed-to-be University) established under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, and the school is located in the lush green environment in the vicinity of the historical city of Hyderabad. The ICFAI Law School started its academic journey way back in the year, 2010.

The ICFAI Law School provides best-in-class legal education with an excellent and continuous teaching-learning process with a student-centric and industry-friendly dynamic curriculum. It also offers real-life exposure to the student and carves them into market-ready legal professionals, the ordinary student who desires to make the law their dream career.

The school is inspired by the diversified teaching methodologies, internships, industrial interface and networking with professionals, excellent placements and career-oriented training. State-of-the-art infrastructure and a centralized learning environment offer an open platform for students to acquire knowledge in law education and accomplish their goals.

Vision and Mission Statement

While stating the vision, the school management says, “The vision of the ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad is to be the Centre for Excellence in the field of Legal Education with high-quality student-centric teaching, learning and research approach and the dream destination for the next generations of Legal Professionals.”

While the mission of the Law School is to carve mediocre students joining and transform them into well-equipped and market-ready legal professionals by:

• Providing student-centric and participative learning opportunities
• Designing a dynamic, cutting-edge curriculum, the blend of theory and practice with a multidisciplinary approach embedded with technology, instilling problem-solving skills to address complex socio-economic, business and political challenges.

About Prof. (Dr) A.V. Narsimha Rao, Director, ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad

Leading the prestigious college to success, Dr A.V. Narsimha Rao guides the students to excellence thanks to his intensive experience in the education sector. Dr Rao brings 17 years of teaching experience in law education to the table as a professor.

Prior to serving the Law School, Dr Rao was the torch bearer for several other programs in ICFAI and other colleges. He was Dean of Law Programs (Coordination) at ICFAI Universities Group; Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law, The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education; Associate Dean, ‘Amicus Books’, of the legal research wing of the ICFAI University; and Head of the Department, Amicus IPR Consulting of the ICFAI; Principal at the ICFAI Law School; as well as a visiting professor, NALSAR Law University, Hyderabad for MBLA and ML (FS&CM) programs.

Prior to contributing to the education sector, Dr Rao served the Bank of India for 20+ years in different positions such as a Legal Ocer, Credit Manager, Dy Manager (Administration), etc. His total work experience is about 37 + years plus (industry experience of 20 years and 17+ years in teaching and research in law).

Dr Rao has exhibited his innate talent and skill in various projects by fulfilling the position of an apt leader, such as in ‘Administrative Reforms in AP High Court’. He examined the existing systems in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. He also handled a project for the Airports Authority of India and submitted ‘Due Diligence’ reports on contracts of some airports.

Working his way up for the betterment of his organization, Dr Rao conceptualized the model and pattern of Law Journals for ICFAI. He edited The ICFAI Journal of Alternative Dispute Resolutions, The ICFAI Journal of Cyber Law, and the ICFAI Journal of Intellectual Property Rights. And at present, he is editing the ICFAI Journal of Insurance Law.

Under Dr Rao’s undisputed leadership, more than fifty articles have been published in Andhra Law Times, AIR and other reputed Journals and magazines, along with four original books. He was also an editor for 20 books on various subjects of law.

Offering a Matrix of Flexible, Interlinked Concepts that Practitioners Can Choose

The ICFAL Law School, Hyderabad, offers flexible and interlinked concepts that help practitioners to choose various courses. Catering to the needs of law education, the school has introduced a list of courses under general electives like Business Law, International Trade Law, International Law, Law and Agriculture, Crimes & Criminology and Constitutional Law and Honours courses like Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property, Rights, Cyber & Data Protection Laws and Criminal Law.

The school also offers some self-study and seminar courses to its students. Every student can opt for one or two courses from the list during their semester, which is ‘Non-Letter Graded Courses.’

However, a faculty will be allocated for these courses; the student may consult the assigned faculty member for guidance to complete the course. The students have to give two seminar presentations for the course in front of the panel of experts for evaluation of the course study and for allotting the Non-Letter Grade to the students, which will be reflected on the Grade Sheet issued by the University.

The Self Study/Seminar course helps the students make better credits, augments their focused and specialized knowledge, and assists in self-learning. Students can also exercise independent thinking, which is very important in the study.

Self-study activity is more effective rather than attending lectures. Self-study and seminar courses enrich the student’s research skills, understanding and assimilating the subject matter and sharpening the presentation skills.

Below mentioned are the topics/courses for self-study:

• Sports Law
• Law relating to NGOs
• Law pertaining to Tribal Population
• Law relating to child abuse
• Registration and Stamp Duties
• Consumerism
• Climate Change
• Special Economic Zones
• Legal Services Authorities
• Non-performance assets in banks
• Law relating to the Cooperative banks
• Bankruptcy Law
• Public and Private Partnerships
• Green Field Airports

Learning for Pupil Holistic Development

ICFAI Law School provides a platform to its students for 360-degree learning, catering to 21st-century skillsets required for new-generation lawyers to take challenges of complicated or composite litigation cropping up in the current socio-legal and political environment.

The school prepare its students to organize and participate actively in conferences, seminars, webinars, moot court competitions (both intra and inter-colleges and universities), legal aid camps etc. Moreover, every student has to be a member of one of the student clubs and ‘Centres of Excellence’ to have comprehensive and holistic grooming with the changing dynamics of legal education in India.

The following are the student clubs:

• Vox Populi- the Debate Society
• GAIA- the Environmental Club
• ADR Club
• Mirakhi- The Cultural Club
• Legal Aid Society
• Knight Ranger- The Sports Club
• Bizlex
• Photography Club
• Moot Court Society

The following are the Centres for Excellence:

• Centre of Excellence in Commercial and Corporate Law
• Centre of Excellence in Environment and Forest Law
• Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Property Law
• Centre of Excellence in Criminal Law
• Centre of Excellence in Cyber Law and Data Protection Laws

Projects Honing the Law Pupil’s Ability and Competency

When we asked the school management about the unique project that hones the debating ability and competency among the students, stating their response, note, “At ICFAI Law School, we have four clinical courses and legal aid projects to hone the ability and competency of the students in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Drafting, Pleading and Conveyancing, Professional Ethics and Moot Court. These courses provide practical exposure to the students, and the five-internship programme conducted over five years helps them have hands-on experience in civil, criminal and corporate matters.”

The school also provide guest lectures to its students, and for that, the school invites eminent academicians and practising legal professionals. The students get an opportunity to understand the application of various laws and management concepts and ideas. Guest lectures are considered significant learning tools as the students note the experiences of legal professionals directly.

ICFAI also arranges a series of special lectures by eminent scholars for most courses. Besides that, the law school implements a mentoring process to help new students join the law programme. The students get divided into groups, and each group will be mentored by one faculty member from the Law School.

The process aimed to help the students overcome their academic and non-academic problems and streamline their inherent skills towards gearing up for the best career options.

Mending the Ways of Global Law

ICFAI Law School has introduced courses of international significance as electives, such as Intellectual Property Rights, including the international regime of IPR, Copy Right Law, Law of Patents, Law of Trade Marks and Service Marks, TK, GI and Farmer Rights, Intellectual Property and Industrial Designs IPR Valuation and Management, IPR Protection and Technology.

Cyber and Data Protection Laws include subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Law and Regulations, Cyber Crimes, e-Commerce and Law, Data Privacy and Protection Law, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency legal analytics, Cyber Security and Cyber forensics, e-Governance and Judicial Administration and Emerging Technologies related concepts and Law.

It has to its credit several certificate courses like Immigration Law, Cyber Law and Law of Financial Services.

ICFAI Law School has memberships and Networks with the following:

• Member of the International Association of Law Schools (USA).
• Member of Asian Law Institute, Singapore.

A Wave of the ICFAI Law School’s Future

IFHE is a premier deemed university, and it is accredited by NAAC with an ‘A++’ grade. The accreditation is dedicated to its teaching and research methodologies that meet global standards.

The ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad, would like to focus on maintaining a balance between academic, co-curricular, extra-curricular and social activities to enable the students to become good citizens with concern for society.

The school would like to focus on the following:

• Designing the curriculum periodically, which includes soft skills and internship programmes in synchronization with the industry requirement.
• Comprehensive Relationship with industry and academia.
• Student-centric academic delivery.
• Continuous evaluation and feedback.
• Focus on research and publication of articles in Scopus journals.
• Collaborations with industry and foreign education.
• Enhancing consultancy services.
• Intensive legal aid awareness programmes for reaching out to masses in rural and suburban areas.
• Signing MoUs with top-notch universities of the world for faculty and student exchange programmes.
• To facilitate placements in national and multinational companies.

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