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Role Of Information Technology In Legal Education: A Paradigm Shift

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Dr. M. Prasada Rao (General Counsel & Head of Legal Department), Akika Gogoi (Executive -Legal Affairs) & Shiv Sang Thakur (Legal Intern), ITM Group of InstitutionsDr. M.P Rao has 27 years of experience in teaching, research and academic. He is equipped with double Phd in Finance and Law from Padmashree Dr. D.Y Patil University, Mumbai and Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut respectively.

An alumnus of Dr. D.Y Patil College of Law, Akika has several experience of internship during college time. Prior to this, she was associated with Lex Firmus, Advocates and Solicitor.

An alumnus of Dr. D.Y Patil College of Law, Shiv is currently working with ITM Group of Institutions as a legal intern.He has experience of different internship in civil and other NGO organization, he is keen to pursue for better and comprehensive learning.

Legal education is essentially a multi-disciplined, multipurpose education which can develop the human resources and idealism needed to strengthen the legal system," asserts S.P Sathe. Objective is to identify and determine significant role of information technology in legal education with respect to intellectual property education and practices.

Prevalent Technologies & Legal Education Teaching
One factor that determines the growth in an education system is `Better Practices' for an individual and as a practitioner. In India, only three percent of the GDP is invested in education, which is considerably too less than the required. Pertaining to technological advancement, a drastic change came in the legal profession after introduction of Indian Advocates Act, 1960 and bar council with uniform standard and system of election, and opening of educational institutions after 1980, licensed by bar council. Different research and training led to emergence of new technologies, especially in communications. This brought the advent of corporate culture in legal practice, particularly in intellectual property rights matters.

A report by Deloitte in 2016 stated that, legal industry is anticipating profound reforms in coming years, which secondly might result in 39 percent loss in legal sector jobs. This is because of the introduction of data analytics legal technology, architecting and designs, risk mitigation, and other yet to be identified fields. So, separating legal education or legal practice from technological advancement is regressive. According to National Judicial Data Grid Reports, 3.8 crore cases are pending in courts across India. With the emergence of IT Act, 2000 electronic evidence such as email chats, WhatsApp conversation printed in CD/DVD/ pendrive has been included as secondary evidence as per Section 65B of Evidence Act, 1872. In court orders given in Abdul Rahaman Kunji vs. The State of West Bengal and Bombay High Court order on Friday 15 June, 2018 in a case filed by SBI bank, the court accepted printed email and WhatsApp chat as proper evidence respectively. These introductions have reduced the burden on courts by speedy trials of matters and maintaining a balanced and moving judicial process.

IT Interventions & Benefits of IT gadgets
Decades ago manual work made the work lengthier and stressful. IT interventions are the brand ambassadors of the new age
advanced information and communication technology. Electronic legal education involves the use of information, communication, and instructional technologies to enhance students learning of law and to provide law teachers with environments and tools for teaching law. Considering legal education, different apps like IBAP, LexisNexis, Quizlet, ABA Journal and others have shifted paperwork into digital work. Techniques like video conferences helping in organising and connecting multiple meetings with different people at once, and classrooms techniques like webinar or live discussions as of Facebook Live, Livestorm, Skype can be done by a student sitting in one country gathering knowledge just by one virtual worldwide click. These modifications make work brief, saving time and energy. Programs like The HYPATIA Research Program for principled and structured design of e-content for legal education is described.

Change in aspects of IT from small to bigger enterprises is the need of the hour because of its importance in innovation, stimulating creativity, generating revenue, creating investment and nurturing economic growth


Online courses and domains like Rostrum Legal, Manupatra, Allindiareporter, and Amnesty save time & help middle and low economy section students and simplifies R&D process respectively. Online journals and libraries provide students and researchers a platform to share their works and skills globally. Even in foreign countries, with the introduction of Electronic Learning Environments (ELOs) at the law faculties like in the Netherlands, started around 1996, there is a growing demand for electronic materials for learning the law. There are new opportunities for(re)using existing applications and designing new electronic materials. This makes even finer work easier fun to use, and to extract its electronic knowledge benefits. These ways are flexible, cost effective, and give more fields to select and aim at timetable availability at user's choice. What else an individual can ask for in changing and fast moving generation?

Change in IPR Practices
Intellectual Property Right is the main branch in dealing with invention, implementation, protection and uninterrupted use of said technological associated rights. After Paris and Berne in 1883 and 1886, respectively, Intellectual Property Right (IPR) has seen a major shift after the establishment of The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 1967 and the occurrence of The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement in 1990. The benchmark agreement of TRIPS 1995 collaborating with World Trade Organisation(WTO) brought a 'third generation' change along with economic liberalisation. The establishment of such organizations & agreements were made after the realisation of the rapid change in technological sector in the world and need to protect such interest. This development further boosted establishment of large scale industries, growth of cities, and others which led to feel an urge for change and hence, different countries based on their own needs, framed their own IP rights.

Electronic discoveries & Artificial Intelligence advanced law everywhere to keep pace with changing demands in litigation. This was because the change in the past three decades brought various inventions, which gave various people ownership rights and benefits in rewards & credits. This production and protection of innovation is seen as a major reason and scope for the further growth of every nation.

In India, various Government initiative like 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' paved way for innovation.This aims to frame a global technological and innovation hub with arts and R&D facility. Startups too are considered the most rooted medium for new inventions not only in India, but worldwide. Thus, change in aspects of IT from small to bigger enterprises is the need of the hour because of its importance in innovation, stimulating creativity, generating revenue, creating investment and nurturing economic growth.

Guidelines to Colleges & Academicians
The pertinent question is that Whether the universities & colleges are well equipped to meet the growing needs of students to provide intellectually professional services? This is because, there is a growing need of change to bring a fundamental shift in every aspect of education and teaching professionals. Involving IT in the curriculum to students in various operations and workings should be considered by professionals. Recently, The American Bar Association has advised law school to develop courses on technology and include handson experience to improve their curriculum. Thus, they need to understand how the legal, scientific and technical approaches especially IPR contribute to and work together. Moreover, getting taught by skilled and professional teachers leads to the development and nurturing of professionals to share in invention and protection of such interest in future.