CHENNAI, October , 2024 – Shiv Nadar School of Law, the newest initiative of Shiv Nadar Foundation, has been inaugurated in Chennai at the campus of Shiv Nadar University. Hon’ble Mr. Justice MM Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India, was the Chief Guest at the grand inaugural function. Other notable figures present included Prof. (Dr.) S.K. Bhattacharyya, Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, Chennai; Mr. Shikhar Malhotra, Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation; Prof. (Dr.) Shiv Swaminathan, Dean, Shiv Nadar School of Law; and Prof. (Dr.) Vinay Sitapati, Associate Dean, Shiv Nadar School of Law.

The Shiv Nadar School of Law, approved by the Bar Council of India, offers a five-year BA.LLB program. Forty-five students have enrolled in the inaugural batch, while a batch size of 120 students is planned for next year. A generous scholarship scheme has been offered to many students, including full-tuition waivers.

Addressing the audiences, Hon’ble Mr. Justice MM Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India, said: “India has numerous law colleges but there is scarcity of quality legal education. Due to this, many law students go on to become lawyers but do not contribute positively to society. This needs to change as the legal field deals with issues of society much more than other professions. The focus of lawyers and courts has traditionally remained on procedural law, ignoring the substantivity. Those in legal profession must never forget the core principle, that they exist to serve the society and the litigant. The field of law, very traditional and conservative so far, is undergoing rapid changes, with social and economic issues taking centre stage. The nature of litigation is also changing, in tune with changes in the society. We will increasingly see more thrust on commercial litigation as well as law surrounding emerging technologies, pushing conventional litigation far behind. Amidst all this, a heartening change is the increasing representation of women among lawyers and judiciary. This trend is going to accelerate, and the day is not far when women will have a majority in this profession. So, stay hungry and stay focused. The future is yours.”

Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, Vice-Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University Chennai, said, “We are delighted to introduce the Shiv Nadar School of Law to Chennai to transform aspiring legal students into world-class lawyers. It combines a true-blue liberal arts program with legal studies, and the curriculum has been framed on global best practices. Professors and faculty members are drawn from the best Western universities such as Oxford, Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Moreover, one-fifth of our faculty is going to be active legal practitioners from India and abroad. We are fully committed to ensuring that every student gains an appropriate grounding in foundational, substantive, and procedural law for a successful career.”

Mr. Shikhar Malhotra, Trustee, of Shiv Nadar Foundation said, “With a legacy of three decades of excellence in education, the Shiv Nadar Foundation has invested over Rs 7,600 crore into education in India. It seeks to establish institutions that will endure, equip students with robust skills, and transform society. Shiv Nadar University Chennai is a hub for intellectual exploration and innovation, and with the inauguration of the law school, we now stand poised to cultivate India’s best legal professionals and scholars.”

Prof. Shivprasad Swaminathan, Dean & Professor of the Shiv Nadar School of Law, said, “I am honored to inaugurate the Shiv Nadar School of Law, a milestone in the Shiv Nadar Foundation’s remarkable journey. At a time when India needs skilled legal professionals with strong ethics, this school stands out, backed by the Foundation’s 30-year legacy of empowering communities through education. With state-of-the-art facilities, global faculty, and a student-centric approach, I am confident it will become a beacon of excellence, shaping the next generation of legal minds to impact society positively.”

Prof. Shivprasad Swaminathan added, “The faculty at Shiv Nadar School of Law have been hired for their proven track record in research. They create new knowledge which is then passed on to students in class. This is crucial in core areas of Indian law, for example, private law areas like contract, tort, property and unjust enrichment, which have been characterized by low levels of academic activity. We are poised to change all that. This will also have a direct bearing on what is taught to students as the cutting-edge research will make its way into the classroom.”