Paralegal Training

Course Type	Course Code	No. Of Credits
Discipline Elective	NSLG1LP118	4

Semester and Year Offered : Winter Semester

Course Coordinator and Team :

Email of the coarse coordinator :

Pre-requisites: None

In the context of the National Education Policy with multiple entry and exit possibilities, students now have the ability to exit the course at the end of their first year with a certificate, at the end of the second year with a diploma, at the end of the third year with a degree, and finally at the end of a fourth-year with an honours degree or a degree in research.

This particular course is designed keeping in mind a first-year student with relatively little knowledge of the legal system, or of how courts work, and how law offices are managed. Unlike theoretical courses, this course will focus on equipping students with particular skills and aim at increasing the potential of employability, both for the student who leads at the end of the first year as well as students who complete their second or third year.

The focus of the course will therefore, be on introducing students to the institutional and structural aspects of the legal system, providing them with specific research skills, training them to use legal databases, and helping them understand the typical workings of a case in the court.

The course will be designed with a strong element of field visits to different courts and other institutions to introduce the student to the diverse to institutional sites of legal practice

Course Objectives:

The course will equip students to:

Understanding of the Indian Legal System
Introduction to Structure of Courts in India
Basic Legal Research and Writing Skills
Familiarizing students with Legal Databases and Softwares
Understanding case life cycle and knowledge management

Expected Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of the course, students would demonstrate:

An understanding of the workings of the legal system as well as a law office
A basic understanding of nature and history of legal profession and courts
A basic understanding of fundamental concepts of law
A basic understanding of legal research and writing
Familiarity with execution of paralegal work like execution of bail bonds, filing in registry, attestation and notarization, etc.
Familiarity with Legal Profession, Court Procedure, Advocate-Client Counselling, Case Management etc.

Assessment Structure

Short One Page Essay on a Topic of Law: 10 Marks: 10%
Case Comment: Commentary on a Decided Case of Supreme Court: 10 Marks: 10%
Case Law Research Brief: Preparing a case law research brief: 10 Marks: 10%
Field Visit Report: Field Visit Report of Visit to Court: 20 Marks: 10%
End-Term Examination: Written examination at the end of semester: 50 marks: 50%

Paralegal Training Course Module

Module 1: Fundamentals of Legal System and Structure

Introduction to Indian Legal System
Introduction to Legal Profession and Ethics
Introduction to Court Structure, Powers, and Jurisdiction
Court Registry and Administrative Setup
Bar Council and Bar Associations, Disciplinary Authority of Advocates

Readings:

Raj Kumari Agarwala, ‘History of Courts and Legislatures’, in S. N. Jain (ed.) The Indian Legal System 103 (1978)
V. S. Deshpande, ‘Nature of Indian Legal System’, in S N Jain (ed.) The Indian Legal System 1 (1978)
S. N. Jain, ‘Judicial System and Legal Remedies’, in S N Jain (ed.) The Indian Legal System 139 (1978)
S Dayal, ‘Legal Profession and Legal Education’, in S N Jain (ed.) The Indian Legal System 154 (1978)

Module 2: Fundamental Concepts of Law and Legislative Drafting

Basic concepts of law:

Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, DPSP, Separation of Powers, etc.
audi alteram partem, Rule Against Double-Jeopardy, Rule Against Bias, Presumption of Innocence, Rule Against Self-Incrimination

Module 3: Legal Profession and Courts in India

Writ Jurisdiction, Original and Appellate Jurisdiction of Constitutional Courts
Structure of District and Sessions Court, Court Registry, Jurisdiction, and Powers of a District and Sessions Court
Appointment of Judges at District and Sessions Court and All India Judicial Services
Role and Skills of Judges, Advocate, Public Prosecutors, Legal Aid Counsels, and Paralegals

Readings:

Constitution of India, 1950, Advocates Act, 1961, Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (as adopted by the Supreme Court in Full Court Meeting on 07.05.1997) https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/Notice/02112020_090821.pdf
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, Civil Procedure Code, 1908, Supreme Court Rules 2013
NALSA and DLSA
Rules of Civil and Criminal Practice Delhi High Court
Common Defects and Curing of Defects in Filing
Overview of Legal Practice in India and the Indian Legal Profession (https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/2793/1/Gupta%20et%20al,%20Chap%202,%20Overview-of-legal-practice-in-india-and-the-indian-legal-profess.pdf )
Ipshita Sengupta, ‘Nurturing Caring Lawyers: Rethinking Professional Ethics and Responsibility in India’, Journal of Indian Law and Society 13 (Vol. 5 Winter), published on Manupatra ( https://docs.manupatra.in/newsline/articles/Upload/E45CDC05-BF94-46F6-A9A3-81424EE2DABD.pdf )
Scheme for Paralegal Volunteers (Revised) NALSA( https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/sites/default/files/Scheme%20for%20Para-Legal%20Volunteers%20_Revised_.pdf )