UMLA yet to get Bar Council’s approval

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai Law Academy (UMLA), a constituent unit of the varsity established in the year 2015, is yet to get approval from the Bar Council of India (BCI). UMLA, which currently has its fourth batch this year, has only three permanent faculty members, no separate library facilities, no separate moot court, no full-time director or principal. Sources close to UMLA reveal that the BCI still hasn’t approved the academy, as it has not fulfilled the BCI’s guidelines and criteria.

A student of UMLA, on the condition of anonymity, told this newspaper that the condition of the academy has been this way since he joined three years ago. “When I first took admission, this was called University National Law School, which made me take admission because the word ‘national’ means it is linked with the BCI. However, there were rumours that something went wrong after which they changed the name to UMLA. Furthermore, the brochure, which was provided before admission, said there were four permanent faculty members with the rest are teaching on a temporary basis. After coming here, it was found that almost 70 per cent of professors comprises guest faculty,” said the student, who is currently doing BBA LLB (Hons.), a five-year course from UMLA.

UMLA’s annual fees is Rs 50,000 as per its 2018-19 brochure of which around Rs 1,000 is for library fees, Rs 32,500 tuition fees, Rs 500 for the moot court, Rs 640 for extracurricular activities. However, students claimed they have been asked to visit the Rajabai Tower and Library Building, which is MU’s library.

“Our academy does not have any separate library per se while they charge us Rs  1,000 every year,” another student said. Talking about the moot court, an artificial courtroom where law students debate imaginary cases to develop advocacy skills, he said, “On working days, University officials use the moot court for administrative work such as an admission hall. They have slotted a particular three-hour period for their work, which is supposed to be for us to practice.”

A senior UMLA official, who has now retired from the academy, said that until UMLA gets a full-time director and principal and all facilities, the BCI wouldn’t approve it.