Panaji, Aug 9 The proposed National Legal Academy for compulsory training of lawyers will be established at the India International University of Legal Education and Research (IIULER) campus in Goa, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said on Sunday.
Addressing the orientation programme for the 2026 batch of IIULER students at Dharbandora, Mishra said the decision to locate the academy at the BCI Trust-run university campus was taken following the Supreme Court’s recent direction to establish the NLA.
“Around two weeks back, a judgment of the honourable apex court came. The BCI was directed to establish a National Legal Academy on the lines of the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal. This Academy will be situated in your own campus at Goa,” Mishra said.
The Supreme Court last month directed the BCI to establish a full-time NLA for lawyers, stressing that the independence of the legal profession is as crucial to the rule of law as judicial independence.
Mishra said lawyers from across the country would undergo training at the proposed academy. “It will be compulsory training for all lawyers. It will be a 10-day or two-week course,” he said.
He said that IIULER students would get an opportunity to interact with judges, trainers, noted professors and senior advocates through the academy.
Mishra also said a decision was taken during a high-level meeting with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Advocate General Devidas Pangam and IIULER Chancellor Justice P S Narasimha on Saturday to complete construction of the main IIULER campus at Dharbandora, spread over more than 50 acres, within two years.
He said the vision was to develop IIULER into an institution of excellence in higher legal education and research.
The proposed NLA is intended to provide structured, lifelong post-enrolment legal education, strengthen ethical standards among lawyers and help members of the profession adapt to technological advancements, he said.
Justice Narasimha, who was also the chief guest at the event, said students should focus on developing their personalities during their course of study.
He advised them to pursue learning with dedication and adopt a multidisciplinary approach while studying law. “In times to come, the borders between subjects will be effaced. We need to have an understanding of various subjects,” he said.
Referring to artificial intelligence (AI), he said that while students and professionals should adopt the technology, they must remain cautious and ensure that it does not affect their ability to think independently.
Pangam and Dean of Leeds Law School, UK, Professor Deveral Capps, also addressed the students. IIULER Vice Chancellor Dr R Venkata Rao delivered the welcome address.
