FIRST

NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE

CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru
DETAILED PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

INAUGURAL SESSION

9.30 AM 10.30 AM
Welcome Address

Prof.(Dr.) R. Venkata Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLSIU, Bengaluru

Introducing the Conference

Ms. Sundari R Pisupati, Advocate, Hyderabad & Class of 1993

Inaugural Address

Honble Justice M N Venkatachaliah (Retd), Former Chief

Justice of India

Presidential Address

Honble Justice Rajendra Babu (Retd), Former Chief Justice of

India & Honorary Professor, NLSIU

Guests of Honour

Honble Justice V Gopala Gowda, Supreme Court of India

Honble Justice Kumar, Karnataka High Court

Special Address

Honble Shri. D N Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Law

& Justice

Keynote Address: Legal

Services 2020: A Snapshot

Prof. Umakanth, National University of Singapore & Class of

1995

Vote of Thanks

Ms. Menaka Guruswamy, Advocate, Delhi & Class of 1997

10.30 AM to 10.45 AM

TEA BREAK

10.45 AM to 12.45 PM

SESSION I: STATE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION TODAY

AND OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW

Key

Issues:
State of the Legal Profession today; where it is headed;
Challenges ahead of the legal profession in 2020;
Law reform and legal development- areas for focus
Legal Profession in India and the Need to Embrace Technology and other practices to revamp legal profession and
delivery of justice
Access to justice in rural and tribal areas and the alternatives
Role of Legal Aid Services and NGOs in Dispensation of Justice

10.45 AM to 11:45 AM
Chairman

SESSION I A: STATE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION

TODAY AND OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW
Prof. V.S. Mallar, Chair Professor of V.R. Krishna Iyer Chair
on Public Law and Policy Choice, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Honble Justice Kumar, Karnataka High Court

Dr Ranbir Singh,Vice-Chancellor, NLU Delhi
Nandan Nelvigi, Partner White & Case & Class of 1993
Murali Neelakantan, Class of 1996

11.45 AM to 12:45 PM

SESSION I B: STATE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION

TODAY AND OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW
Prof (Dr.) VS Elizabeth, NLSIU

Chairman

FIRST
NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE
CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru

Keynote Speakers

Menaka Guruswamy, Advocate & Class of 1997

Ekta Bahl, Tatva Legal & Class of 1997
Promod Nair, Arista Chambers & Class of 2001
Ritvik Lukose, Co-founder & CEO Vahura, & Class of 2004
Satyajit Sarna, Advocate & Class of 2008

12.45 PM to 1.30 PM

LUNCH BREAK

1.30 PM to 3.30 PM

SESSION II: CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION AND

THE ROLE OF THE BAR COUNCIL AND BAR
ASSOCIATIONS

Key

Issues:
Role of Bar Council of India and State Bar Councils Regulating Unethical Practices
Need for Practical Training and Mentoring of Lawyers, Continuing Legal Education and upgrading skills
Regulation of legal services by unqualified legal persons/entities
Should company counsel be made mandatory for businesses similar to requirement of company secretary/auditors?
New Laws or Effective Implementation of Existing Laws? Ethical Dispensation of Justice (commercialization of
profession, economic benefits, etc.) -the realities of practice of law in India
Pro bono legal services

1.30 PM to 2.30 PM

SESSION II A: CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION

AND THE ROLE OF THE BAR COUNCIL AND BAR
ASSOCIATIONS

Chairman

Honble Justice V Gopala Gowda, Supreme Court of India

Keynote Speakers

Prof (Dr.) NR Madhav Menon, MILAT, & Former Director

NLSIU
Vipul Kundalia, Partner Kundalia Associates & Class of 1994
Prof. Umakanth, National University of Singapore & Class of
1995
Manoj Kumar, Partner Hammurabi & Solomon & Class of
1995

2.30 PM to 3.30 PM

SESSION II B: CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION

AND THE ROLE OF THE BAR COUNCIL AND BAR
ASSOCIATIONS

Chairman

SV Joga Rao, LegalExcel

Keynote Speakers

Roopa Doraswamy, Class of 1994

Elizabeth Thomas Seshadri, Advocate & Class of 1996
Abhishek Malhotra, TMT Law, Class of 1999
Nandan Kamath, The Law Offices of Nandan Kamath & Class
of 2000

3.30 PM to 5.30 PM

SESSION III: THE ROLE OF JUDICIARY AND ACCESS

TO JUSTICE

Key Issues:

Lack of infrastructure and inadequate allocation of funds by governments resulting in shortage of judicial officers and
support staff

Use of Technology in Courts to overcome procedural bottlenecks (use of electronic communication for notices,
examination of witnesses, Case management and use of management techniques to expedite disposal of cases)

FIRST
NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE
CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru

Appointment of Judges and Judicial Officers An Effective Mechanism

Need for Better Institutional Framework for Judicial Training; Continuing Legal Education for Judiciary.
An Efficient Lower Judiciary Key to address multiplicity/duplicity of cases
Countering Corruption in Judicial Administration

3.30 PM to 4.30 PM

SESSION III A: THE ROLE OF JUDICIARY AND

ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Chairman

Prof Babu Mathew, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Honble Justice Dr S Murlidhar, Delhi High Court

Sundari R Pisupati, Advocate, Hyderabad & Class of 1993
Sajan Poovayya, Senior Advocate & Class of 1996
Pramod Rao, Citi India General Counsel, Class of 1996
Gowthaman Ranganathan, Alternative Law Forum & Class of
2010

4.30 PM to 5.30 PM

SESSION III B: THE ROLE OF JUDICIARY AND

ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Chairman

Prof Gigimon VS, IBA-CLE CENTRE, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Ramapriya Gopalakrishnan, Advocate & Class of 1993

TK Bhaskar, HSB Partners & Class of 1995
Harish Narsappa, Samvad Partners & Co-founder Daksh &
Class of 1996
Sumeet Malik, Associate Editor, Supreme Court Cases &
Director Eastern Book Co, EBC Publishing & Class of 1999

5.30 PM to 5.45 PM

TEA BREAK

5.45 PM to 7.45 PM

SESSION

Key

IV: ALTERNATE/APPROPRIATE DISPUTE

RESOLUTION METHODS

Issues:
Reducing Burden on Courts through Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Creating Public Awareness of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Appeals against ADR awards A Norm or an Exception?
Measures to clear the Backlog of Cases

5.45 PM to 6.45 PM

SESSION IV A: ALTERNATE/APPROPRIATE DISPUTE

RESOLUTION METHODS
Chairman

Prof (Dr) V.Vijaykumar, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Ms Laila Ollapallly, Founder, Center for Advanced Mediation

Practice (CAMP) Bengaluru
Sriram Panchu, Senior Advocate & Mediator
Srinivas Raghavan, Partner IndusLaw & Class of 1996
Dr Aditya Sondhi, Senior Advocate & Class of 1998

6.45 PM to 7.45 PM

SESSION IV B: ALTERNATE/APPROPRIATE DISPUTE

RESOLUTION METHODS
Chairman

Prof (Dr.) Nagaraj, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Veena Gowda, Advocate & Class of 1995

FIRST
NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE
CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru
Shreyas Jayasimha, Aarna Law & Class of 2000
Poornima Hatti, Samvad Partners & Class of 2003

8.00 PM to 9.00 PM

CULTURAL PROGRAMME BY NLSIU STUDENTS & ALUMNI

9.00 PM onwards

GALA DINNER @ NLSIU

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

9:00 AM to 10:45 AM

SESSION V : LAW SCHOOLS & LAWYERS

Key Issues:

Traditional Legal Education Framework vis--vis the Emerging Trends in Legal Education (need for revamping
curriculum, emphasis on legal drafting, student exchange programs, quality of faculty, growing expense of legal
education, etc.)

How to revamp the curriculum in Law Schools in India to synch with contemporary developments in the legal
profession

Make technology, business and management part of legal curriculum

Learnings from foreign law schools, if any;

Trial Court Practice A mandate for every law graduate

Legislative Drafting As a Specialized Course The need of the hour for effective laws?

9:00 AM to 9:45 AM
Chairman

SESSION V A: LAW SCHOOLS & LAWYERS

Prof Nandimath, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Prof (Dr.) Nagaraj, NLSIU

Dr. Sashikala Gurpur, Director Symbiosis Law School
Indranil Choudhury, CEO Lexplosion Solutions & Class of
1994
Prof (Dr.) Prabha Kotiswaran, Kings College London & Class
of 1995
Prof Shamnad Basheer, & Class of 1998

9:45 AM to 10:30 AM
Chairman

SESSION V B: LAW SCHOOLS & LAWYERS

Prof Ramesh, NLSIU

Keynote Speakers

Dr. A Lakshminath, Vice Chancellor, Chanakya National Law

University, Patna
Dr. Arun Thiruvengadam, National University of Singapore
& Class of 1995
Siddharth Raja, Samvad Partners & Class of 1997
Alex Antony, CEO Rainmaker & Class of 1998
Faiz Tajuddin, Jindal Global Law School & Class of 2005

10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

SESSION VI: OVERVIEW OF THE RULE OF LAW PROJECT

BY DAKSH
Harish Narsappa, Samvad Partners & Co-founder Daksh &
Class of 1996

11.00 AM to 11.15 AM

TEA BREAK

FIRST
NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE
CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru
11.15 AM to 1.30 PM
Chairman
Co Chairman
Presentation of Reports

VALEDICTORY SESSION
Prof (Dr.) NR Madhav Menon, MILAT, & Former Director
NLSIU
Prof.(Dr.) R. Venkata Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLSIU
Inaugural Session and Session I
Session II
Session III
Session IV
Session V
Session VI
Open House Discussion on reports
Resolutions & Recommendations
Follow-up actions

Vote of Thanks

Manoj Kumar, Partner Hammurabi & Solomon & Class of

1995

FIRST
NLSIU ALUMNI WORLDWIDE
CONFERENCE 2015
ON
LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL EDUCATION AND
THE STATE OF THE PROFESSION: EMERGING CHALLENGES
Date & Venue: APRIL 25-26 2015 AT NLSIU, Bengaluru
ABRIDGED PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

INAUGURAL SESSION

9.30 AM 10.30 AM
Welcome Address

Prof.(Dr.) R. Venkata Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLSIU, Bengaluru

Introducing the Conference

Ms. Sundari R Pisupati, Advocate, Hyderabad & Class of 1993

Inaugural Address

Honble Justice M N Venkatachaliah (Retd), Former Chief

Justice of India

Presidential Address

Honble Justice Rajendra Babu (Retd), Former Chief Justice of

India & Honorary Professor, NLSIU

Guests of Honour

Honble Justice V Gopala Gowda, Supreme Court of India

Honble Justice Kumar, Karnataka High Court

Special Address

Honble Shri. D N Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Law

& Justice

Keynote Address: Legal

Services 2020: A Snapshot

Prof. Umakanth, National University of Singapore & Class of

1995

Vote of Thanks

Ms. Menaka Guruswamy, Advocate, Delhi & Class of 1997

SESSIONS I-VI APRIL 25-26 see detailed PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015
11.15 AM to 1.30 PM
Chairman
Co Chairman
Presentation of Reports

Vote of Thanks

VALEDICTORY SESSION

Prof (Dr.) NR Madhav Menon, MILAT, & Former Director

NLSIU
Prof.(Dr.) R. Venkata Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLSIU
Inaugural Session and Session I
Session II
Session III
Session IV
Session V
Session VI
Open House Discussion on reports
Resolutions & Recommendations
Follow-up actions
Manoj Kumar, Partner Hammurabi & Solomon & Class of
1995