Clinical Legal Education

The need for a clinical education handbook containing some basic material were felt at the training for legal trainers in the workshops under the UG sponsored academic staff college scheme.

This handbook provides an introduction containing some ground rules and guidelines on clinical education, born out of the experiences of several professors teaching in clinical programmes at different law schools across the world.

The book is divided into two parts, part one contains an overview of the goals, the need, and the concerns of clinical legal education. In the second part of the book, every chapter is written by an experienced clinical teacher in the context of the history and need of Indian legal education. Besides explaining the skills which go into interviewing and counseling techniques, negotiation strategies, case planning and preparation, trial advocacy and appellate lawyering, the essays give tips on how to organize the teaching of these skills both, in the class room setting as well as in real client clinics. The practical methods for designing, supervising and evaluating simulation-based clinical courses, role-play exercises for students, critiquing clinical performance, etc. are also suggested. Appendices consist of Bar Council of India Rules, for professional conduct and procedure.

The book is indeed indispensable to all those inclined to bring forth a clinical programme in their respective law schools.

The book has now been translated into several international languages.

Reviews

• "On the topic of clinical legal education this book is an unparalleled one. Certainly this work would remain as a loadstar in the pursuit of the legal education method." - The Academy Law Review
• "The book is a must for all law school libraries as a guide for clinical law teachers and law students. It is helpful even for practising lawyers." - Cochin University Law Review
• "The book under review is in response to the long felt need of the legal community in India to have a book on the basics of Clinical Legal Education." - Kurukshetra Law Journal