NEWS: BCI Scraps One-Year LLM Course

LITT Law for lawyers and teams

The Bar Council of India has decided to scrap the One-Year LLM course which was introduced in 2013.

Since 2013 the LLM course has been of One-Year now BCI decides LLM has to be of two years the newly notified BCI Legal Education (Post Graduate, Doctoral, Executive, Vocational, Clinical, and other Continuing Education) Rules, 2020 said.

“A Master Degree Program in Law of one year duration introduced in India in 2013(as per notification) by the University Grants Commission shall remain operative and valid until the Academic Session in which these Regulations are notified and implemented but not thereafter at any University throughout the country,” the Rules state.

Further three years LLB or five years LLB will be compulsory for admission into LLM.

The Rules will come into force from the date notified by the BCI.

The Rules further state that admission to LL.M will be through the Post Graduate Common Entrance Test in Law (PGCETL) which is conducted by the BCI. Until the PGCETL is introduced the present system followed by respective Universities shall be followed. Once the BCI introduces PGCETL it shall be mandatory to admit the students from the merit list of the Test.

In case of any foreign degree of LLM shall be equal to LLM obtained in India and LLB degree from foreign university shall be equivalent to recognized LLB degree in India.

The Rules stipulate “However, one-year LL.M. degree obtained after an equivalent LL.B. degree from any highly accredited foreign university may entitle the person concerned to be appointed as a visiting professor in an Indian University for at least one year so as to consider such one-year LL.M. degree with one year teaching experience as a Visiting Faculty/internee faculty/clinical faculty the Master degree obtained on one year term may be considered equivalent.”

Read Rules HERE