Law schools: Allowing foreign law firms to practice in India a step in right direction – Times of India

New Delhi: Permitting foreign lawyers and law firms to practice in areas such as foreign law, international legal issues, and arbitration matters is a step in the right direction, said law schools. Various heads and former vice-chancellors of National Law Universities said that it’s a “good development for legal education” on Wednesday.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) notified the Bar Council of India Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022 whereby “law practice in India will be opened for “foreign lawyers in the field of practice of foreign law; diverse international legal issues in non-litigious matters and in international arbitration cases would go a long way in helping legal profession/domain grow in India to the benefit of lawyers in India too.”
According to professor Sudhir Krishnaswamy, vice chancellor, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, “As universities such as ours teach arbitration and dispute resolution very rigorously and our graduates are occupying good positions in India and globally. We are well prepared and generally, our students will be befitted from this decision. It’s a good development for legal education.”
Others feel the move is a response to the global demand for legal education. Professor G S Bajpai, VC, NLU, Delhi said: “This step is in response to the global demand for expansion of the legal profession. Already foreign lawyers are doing work with Indian partners without a legal framework. Now with the legal framework, it will benefit expansion and internationalisation of the legal profession as the foreign lawyers will work in consultation and collaboration with Indian counterparts.”
Stating that already a number of legal firms from foreign countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, among others are offering services, professor Ranbir Singh, founding VC of Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, and NLU, Delhi said: “The current move of the BCI is in the right direction. The foreign firms will hire Indian lawyers as it would not be feasible to bring their lawyers and pay hefty salaries. Indian lawyers will be benefitted.”