About the Department

The Department of Legal Studies, a heritage Department of the University of Madras was established in the year 1951. Prof.C.H.ALEXANDROWICZ was the Head of the Department from 1951 to 1961. He started M.L. Degree in International Law & Constitutional Law, the first of its kind in India. Prof.T.S.Rama Rao another great international jurist succeeded him and was Head of the Department till 1988. After his retirement Prof.N.Radhakrishnan became the Head of the Department and from 1995. He was succeeded by Prof.Dr.N.Balu, who is the first Ph.D in Law from University of Madras. After Dr.N.Balu becoming the Vice-Chancellor of National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Cochin, Prof. (Dr.).A.David Ambrose assumed office and continuing as Head of the Department of Legal Studies from April 2013

Courses Offered

The Department has since its inception been a centre for excellence for advance studies in International Law and Constitutional Law. At present apart from Ph.Dprogramme, two M.L.Courses are offered under CBCS pattern viz.

1.      International Law and Organisation

2.      Constitutional Law and Legal Order

Seven branches of ML viz International Law & Constitutional Law, Business Law, Criminal Law, Property Law, Intellectual Property Law, Human Rights & Environmental Law and Labour & Administrative Law are also offered by the Department under Private Study Scheme.

The Department has an enviable distinction of producing celebrated Scholars and well known International and National Jurists. The Department of Legal Studies accounts for the bulk of scholarly legal writing in the South. Alumni of the Department are either scaled or in the process of scaling newer heights in Judiciary, Ministry or Teaching.

Activities

IPR Chair

The IPR Chair has been established in the Department of Legal Studies by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The IPR Chair is actively involved in policy making and research activities with regard to intellectual property rights.

Moot Court

The Department of Legal Studies is pioneer in conducting International Moot Court Competitions such as Philip C.Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition and Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competition.

Conferences / Seminars and Workshops

The Department of Legal Studies is regularly conducting Conferences/Seminars and Workshops in various fields such as International Law, Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Environmental Law and Media and Information Law.

Endowment Lectures

The Department of Legal Studies is annually conducting various endowment Lectures namely Dr.Ambedkar Endowment Lecture, Sri Alladi Krishnasamy Aiyar Shashtiabdapoorthi Lecture, The Sundaram Aiyar Krishnasamy Aiyar Endowment Lecture and T.V.Muthukrishna Aiyar Endowment Lecture