Director's Message

The Directorate of Legal Studies Studies is the Premier Legal Institution which brought vital changes in the set up of Legal Education in the State of Tamil Nadu. It was established in the year 1953 with the twin objectives of administration of Law Colleges and improving the standard of Legal Education in the state of Tamil Nadu by framing new policies and rules. The creation of this Department paved the way for getting an advance Legal Education to poor and downtrodden people of the State of Tamil Nadu. With the sustained support of the Government of Tamil Nadu, The Judiciary, The Bar council of India, University Grants Commission and the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu, the Department has been able to scale greater heights in terms of qualitative as well as quantitative legal Education in the state.

It has a vision of establishing new Law Colleges in different parts of the State of Tamil Nadu so as to cater to the needs of the Bar, Bench and the society.

The quasiqui centennial (125th year) old famous Madras Law College now renamed as Dr Ambedkar Government Law College, was the only Law College under its fold till 1974 when the Government Law College Madurai was started. Government Law College Thiruchirappali and Government Law College Coimbatore were established in the year 1979. Government Law College Thirunelveli was started during the year 1996. The Government of Tamil Nadu issued orders declaring the Law College Chengalpattu, run by the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University as Government Law College. (Vide G.O. Ms.No. 299, Law Department dated 5.12.06.) and the Government Law College Vellore was established during the year 2008. In the year 2017, 3 Government Law Colleges were established at Villupuram, Ramanathapuram and Dharmpuri. In the year 2020, 3 Government Law Colleges were established at Theni, Salem and Namakkal. In the year 2022, a Government Law College was established at Karaikudi. At present, there are 15 Government Law Colleges functioning under the administrative control of the Directorate of Legal Studies.

As an administrative body, its main aim is to equip the Legal institutions as per the requirements of Bar council of India. To that extent, all the Law Colleges in the state have obtained 12B Recognition from the University Grants Commission. All the colleges are equipped with basic infrastructures and tremendous improvement is going on in equipping the staff strength. The Libraries of the Government Law Colleges are equipped with large number of books and journals besides e-zone. E-Zone gives free access to get prominent Indian and International data bases thereby any material on law can be accessible through its Wi-Fi facility.

All the Government Law Colleges now strictly adhere to the norms of Clinical Legal Education wherein the students are attached to the court in a systematic manner with a special dress code which enhances their confidence level of discharging any work in the field of Law. They are undergoing training in the advocate Chamber for a period one month and to observe the advocate client dealing in a systematic manner besides their way of preparedness to present their case before the court of law. The final year students are being molded to act like an advocate during the course of their studies by participating in the Trial Court Moot Court. For this purpose all the Colleges have new typical Court Halls being declared as Moot Court Halls to encourage Mooting skills of a Students which in turn helps every student to mould himself as a good advocate. In addition to that as a part of their clinical Legal education the students are attending the alternative dispute resolution forums in an effective manner with the good object of tuning them to settle the disputes out of court legally and to minimize the docket explosion in the court of law.

Law students are always socially vigilant and they always strive for the betterment of the society. As part of it they often involves in strikes which may end in violence also but oflate they have realized their responsibility towards their home, to the society and to themselves and now they repose faith on peace and settle their issues through negotiations. So, at large, strikes are reduced and they started focusing on studies and the Department is also concentrating on the improvement of quality of Legal education in a large extent.

In order to encourage students to develop social awareness, and to deviate them from their monotonous studies, nowadays Government Law College campuses have started celebrating many kinds of functions like Pongal & other cultural functions, such as Women day etc., within the campus itself, besides other social awareness functions in the form of conferences, symposiums, workshops and rallies etc., which gives pleasant surprise to the society to know that Law College students are involved in such activities which becomes unbelievable to them.

Altogether, the scenario prevailing inside the Government Law College campus is entirely different from the olden days and we are in the mission of making good law students to suit any event of legal importance with assistance of dedicated teaching faculty members.

The Department take this opportunity to thank the Government, our respected Law Secretary, the Principals, and the teaching and non teaching staff members for giving their fullest co-operation to achieve our vision of maintaining peace and tranquility and to provide quality Legal Education to the students and to make them to be the best citizens of India.

Prof.(Dr) J Vijayalakshmi, LL.M., Ph.D.,
Director of Legal Studies.