The University of Limerick (UL) School of Law has achieved recognition of its Law Plus and Law and Accounting Degrees by the Bar Council of India. This recognition will position graduates of these degrees to practice law in India.
The process to gain recognition began in January 2017 and involved the submission of a report and a five day visit from the Bar Council of India. “[The Bar Council] considered all aspects of legal education and university life at UL – including library resources, dedicated spaces in the library for law students, teaching facilities, campus accommodation, services for students and so on,” said Dr Shane Kilcommins, Head of the School of Law.
Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan, Director of International Education in the School of Law, coordinated the accreditation process and organised the visit from the Bar Council of India. “The visit saw the delegation meet with staff and students of the School of Law as well as with representatives of the wider University, from the President to senior staff within the Library, Language Centre, International Education Division, Writing Centre and many more,” Dr O’Sullivan told An Focal. During the visit, delegates also met with key stakeholders of the School of Law including members of the Irish judiciary, the Law Society of Ireland and members of An Garda Síochána.
Dr Kilcommins has welcomed the international endorsement of the School of Law. “[This recognition] confirms the university’s standing as a centre for international students, providing excellent research, scholarship and social and cultural experiences on a beautiful campus setting,” he commented. Dr O’Sullivan hopes that this accreditation will increase the international presence at the university. “I am delighted that we have received this recognition from the Bar Council of India. It is another great endorsement – at an international level – of the law programmes we deliver. We have seen strong growth in the number of international students we welcome every year onto our undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes and we hope with this recognition to welcome many more in the years to come.”
The University of Limerick is the second Irish university to gain this recognition, following the accreditation of law degrees from University College Dublin in early 2017.
Molly Cantwell 
Daragh De Klein