Several universities and institutions have been launching LL.M. programmes under names like “Executive LL.M.”, “LL.M.(Professional)”, “Online LL.M.”, or even “M.Sc in Law”.The growing trend of such unregulated legal education has caused consternation among members of the Bar Council Of India (BCI), prompting the body to caution the public and institutions against offering or enrolling in such Masters Of Law (LL.M) programmes conducted through online, distance, hybrid, or executive modes without its prior approval.

It has directed all such courses to be stopped immediately.

"All universities and law institutions are, therefore, advised not to advertise or conduct any LL.M. or equivalent programme through online, hybrid, blended, or part-time modes without express written approval from the BCI. Any such programme currently operational must be suspended immediately, and a compliance report must be submitted to the BCI," the Council said in a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellors of all Universities.

These programmes mislead students and bypass regulatory norms.The courses that are being offered are being undertaken without obtaining prior sanction or recognition from the BCI, which is a statutory requirement under the Advocates Act 1961. The BCI clarified that any such programme offered without its approval is in violation of the Legal Education Rules, 2008 and 2020.

The Bar Council further noted that LL.M. is a professional postgraduate qualification required for teaching law in India and is not a casual or general academic programme. The BCI underlined that unregulated LL.M. courses directly affect the standards of legal education and the legal profession.

As part of its enforcement measures, the BCI has issued show-cause notices to several reputed institutions including NLIU Bhopal, IIT Kharagpur, O.P. Jindal Global University and NLU Delhi for launching such programmes without approval. Additionally the BCI urged all universities and law colleges to immediately halt these courses and furnish compliance report.

Furthermore, Justice (Retd.) Rajendra Menon, Co-Chairman of the BCI Legal Education Committee, has written to the Supreme Court and all High Courts urging them not to recognise such unapproved qualifications for any judicial or academic appointments.

"All High Courts are respectfully requested to make judicial note of this regulatory position, and to ensure that no appointments, promotions, or academic decisions are made on the basis of qualifications that do not have the sanction of the Bar Council of India. The Courts may further be pleased to direct that any candidate seeking appointment or advancement on the basis of an LL.M. or related qualification must furnish confirmation from BCI that the programme was conducted in compliance with the Legal Education Rules, 2008 and 2020," Justice Menon said.

Justice Menon’s report dismissed the justification offered by certain universities that conduct these ‘Executive’ LL.M. programmes.

"These claims were found to be untenable, particularly where the protected nomenclature "LL.M." was prominently used in advertisements, brochures, and academic communications. The use of "LLM.", a term denoting the postgraduate Master of Laws degree, without parameter approval/recognition from the Bar Council of India constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead prospective students and misappropriate the statutory and academic status associated with this qualification."

In conclusion, the BCI has warned the general public, especially aspiring law students, to refrain from enrolling in any LL.M. or similar programmes unless they are explicitly approved by the BCI. It also hinted at the possibility of initiating legal or contempt proceedings against universities that continue to violate these norms.

BCI’s letter to VCs and the report of Justice Menon