Half a century back the main purpose of university legal education in the country has been not the teaching of law as a branch of learning and as a science but simply to impart to students a knowledge of black letter law, that is, certain principles and provisions of law with a view to enabling them to enter the legal practice exclusively for local needs. Gradually the perception changed and the process of reform in law and so also in legal education was initiated. The real break came in 1990s. The new challenges posed by scientific and technological revolution and greater interaction between nations, trade in goods and services, information technology and free capital flow across international boundaries made the world a global village. Consequently the concept of “local practice” widened to that of “transnational practice” in the context of globalisation and opening up of most of the economies of the world. How should the legal profession and legal education respond to the new challenges? Never before in the history has the need of sound thinking and planning been felt so intensely on all issues as today. Unless the topics of universal application are integrated into the legal education of the developing countries, our lawyers and those of other countries would not be able to compete in the transnational market place. In the present day situation an innovative programme of integrated interdisciplinary legal learning and in the new areas like information technology, intellectual property, corporate governance, human rights, environment, trade, investment, commerce, transfer of technology, alternative dispute resolution and space is important. Legal education for professional excellence is needed on a global basis in these and other areas.
The world's problems require international co-operation and solutions, especially, after the initiation of the liberalization and globalization process. The recent trend is that most of the agreements are construed internationally and the member countries are obliged to implement them at the domestic level. It is necessary for lawyers to understand the political, cultural and social influences on the legal systems of other countries and, by using that knowledge, to forge strong relationships between parties. In developing countries, in particularly of Asia, Asia Pacific region, Africa and Latin America, the lack of human resources and expertise is a catastrophe. Our aim is to train and create highly competent lawyers and legal managers of developing countries including India to reach such a position to gear up for the challenges of cross border practice.
The Amity Institute of Global Legal Education and Research (AIGLER) is established for such a world by promoting an integrated approach to student, professional and community interaction. The Institute is intended as a centre for instruction and research in international issues, expand our knowledge and understanding of real world issues and prepare lawyers and business managers for professional challenges of the twenty-first century. To achieve these aims, the AIGLER draws on a vast pool of overseas and national expertise to promote continuous dialogue and exchange of views among students and faculties of various universities, professionals and business executives around the world. The Institute does endeavor to include global perspectives in its courses.
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