Ode to better legal education

Recently the Honourable High Court Division has passed a judgement where it has laid down certain guidelines for law students of private universities who want to join the prestigious legal profession. Bangladesh Bar Council pursuant to the same has also published some guidelines which is being criticised by some and welcomed by the rest.

As a practitioner in the court, one thing which I have personally felt is that the standard of the lawyers are in decline. One of the common reasons indicated by our seniors is that the quantity of new intakes has compromised the quality. To a certain extent although I tend to agree to that, but I have always felt that, being a good lawyer is rather dependant on the inner qualities and the hard work put in by that individual person.

As per the Bar Council guidelines and the High Court judgement, the students who will get admission in LL.B. (Honours) course in private universities, will have to have a certain GPA and must obtain a minimum mark in English. What I find a bit irregular in this directive is that, it is not clear if the same would be applicable to the students of public universities and law colleges. We take it for granted that the students studying in the public universities are more meritorious; but if this condition is not applicable to them then that would be discriminatory and the private university students would have all the reasons to feel aggrieved.

As for the limited number of admission of students, I support the idea. In public universities there have always been limited seats so why the private universities shall not be subject to the same. Hopefully the law colleges will also be brought under similar rule. There has long been a complaint that the private universities have admitted students right, left and centre for profit making purpose and chased out graduates at no end.

The other criticism directed in the bar of 'two years' graduation degrees are actually something which was needed a long time ago. Law being an academic subject has numerous branches, and it is absolutely impossible for anyone to grasp even the slightest idea in two years. I remember Mr. Rafique-ul Huq, my senior saying, after he completed his 50 years of practice that he still did not know ABCs of law. The depth and maturity required for someone to appreciate law can never be achieved with a two year graduation degree.

Legal studies are a professional degree to most extent. It requires lifelong dedication, a sense of responsibility, and last but not the least utmost effort. It is not a profession for those seeking a shortcut to success; one has to show willingness and tendency to work hard for less than minimum wage at the beginning. The expression survival of the fittest is probably most manifestly seen in the legal profession. So at the end of the day no matter whether there is judicial pronouncement or Bar Council guideline, it all boils down that individual student who would become a lawyer to make a name for him/herself. As Mr. Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury had recently said, 'Life of a lawyer is never a bed of roses. If successful, all rose but no bed. If unsuccessful then all bed but no rose'.

The writer is an advocate of The Supreme Court of Bangladesh.