Moots, Mess Food & Midnight Crises: The JGLS Starter Pack

• To begin with Could you please briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your journey so far.

My name is Shaona Kundu, currently navigating my first year at Jindal Global Law School and gearing up for the second. Law School has been a dream for me since 8^th Standard, long before I knew about CLAT, LSAT, the whirlwind of preparations and all the existing shenanigans. It was definitely not easy to get through one but constant disciplined hard work and avoiding comparison with my peers has led me till here. Though not one of the brightest (in my opinion) I got through JGLS with substantial scholarship, a feat I owe entirely to my mentor and teachers at Do-Zen. It’s not been long since I joined JGLS, still, this journey has been nothing short of incredible so far. Be it the lengthy, eye-opening classes conforming one’s political stance to tolerating my unendurable classmates the first semester went sooner than one could realise, and as the 2^nd Sem began law school turned out to be a whole different world that one could barely fantasize. Navigating through hurdles and lazy days alike, I’ve made it this far—nearly 20% through my law school journey, being a little more legalized.

🧑‍🎓 Life at Law School

• How would you describe your daily life at law school? 

The 1^st Sem Shaona could never answer this, she was too enthusiastic for the realities of the law-school, dreaming out of reach, but this Shaona has finally stepped into the realities of the all-nighters and lazy days. Law School has been a totally different world than what I’ve imagined. The day starts with loud alarms to breakfast (which is rarely written in our fates) and then classes (if you haven’t overslept), next lunch and more classes. Classes start from as early as 9 and finishes as late as 5:30. In JGLS we have 2 classes each day, each lasting 2 hours. As the classes end, some of us opt for snacks while others focus of daily assignments or personal tasks. Dinner is from 7:30 to 10:30. As the semester progresses daily life become hectic due to constant assignments and tests but still all of us find time to enjoy amid the chaos and busy days.

🍽️ Food (Mess/Canteen)

• How is the food at your law school in terms of taste, variety, and hygiene?

Mess food is great when it comes to taste, variety and hygiene. Obviously, there are days when the food is better or worse than most days alike our homes but overall, no complaints. We have north Indian and south Indian varieties everyday along with Italian and Mexican varieties on selective days.

• Are there good alternatives to mess food nearby (cafes, delivery options)?

Alternatives to mess food are great too. We have affordable restaurants and cafés along with 2 food courts in the campus premises for students and faculty.

• How do students usually manage food when mess food isn’t good? How is the water availability? 

Mess food is usually great so one does not have to worry about managing alternate food options, but on days one wants to skip the usual mess food, there are plenty of options including both veg and non-veg with delivery options in the campus premises. Water is available throughout the campus be it mess, library or near classrooms and every floor in the hostels.

🏡 Hostel Life

• How strict are the hostel rules regarding timings and permissions?

Students can leave the campus from as early as 6 am to 10 pm, although in emergency situations it can be extended with permission of Chief Student Affairs Officer. We have a gate pass system which mandates parental approval to go out of the campus till the 4^th year; students are required to come back within 11pm.

• How are the hostel facilities overall (rooms, cleanliness, Wi-Fi, common areas)?

Hostel Rooms are clean, and each hostel room has 3 occupants which can be chosen from 2nd year onwards. There is 12 hrs room cleaning available from 8am to 8pm. Wi-Fi is available throughout the campus with designated passwords for each student.

• What’s the social life like in hostels — are there events, gatherings, study groups?

JGU has events going on almost throughout the semesters which can be a good distraction from the onerous daily schedules. Students are encouraged to participate as organising members according to their interests. Study groups are encouraged mostly within classmates as different classes have different professors demanding different things, but mixed study groups help to attain an in-depth knowledge of the subject.

• How is the hostel infrastructure? Are the rooms single, double or triple sharing?

Hostels have lifts and air conditioning in every room and along with common rooms to gather and play indoor sports like table tennis or carrom, also designated reading rooms to study. Rooms are triple sharing with chair, study table, cupboard and cabinets for each student. Heaters are also provided during winters.

• Is ac facility available?

The whole campus is air conditioned along with hostel rooms.

📜 Rules & Regulations

• What are the major academic rules and regulations — especially regarding attendance and exams?

The attendance requirement is 75% which might be adjusted to  65%-70% through medical leaves and on duties. Marks distribution is divided into 2 parts – firstly internals consisting of 50 marks which are conducted by the respective professor of individual classes and can be further divided into 2 or 3 parts (like written exams, viva, presentation, podcast, or drama) depending on the discretion of each professor, secondly externals or final exams consisting of 50 marks which is a written test for the whole batch and the rules and marks division of the question vary for different subjects.

• How strict is the administration regarding discipline and code of conduct?

The administration at the university takes discipline and adherence to the code of conduct very seriously. The Student Discipline Committee has the authority to recommend a range of penalties for violations, depending on the severity of the misconduct. These penalties include:

• • Warning or Reprimand for minor infractions.
  • Fines, within limits determined by the Vice Chancellor.
  • Disallowance of work, either by prohibiting its assessment or annulling previously assessed results. Students may be allowed to resubmit work within a specified period or have the disallowance count as a failure.
  • Withdrawal of privileges, such as access to certain university benefits, rights, or facilities, except for the right to attend classes and take exams.
  • Suspension from the university for a specified period.
  • Expulsion for serious offenses.
  • Payment of compensation to repair damage or defacement caused to university property.
• Are there specific dress codes for certain activities like moots or presentations?

For moot courts formal attire is followed which includes white shirt with black suit and formal trousers. For presentations, if any dress code is required it is generally specified by the respective professor.

📝 Academics: Internals, Assignments, Unit Tests

• How frequent are the internals, assignments, and UTs (Unit Tests)?

Internals begin from the 3^rd week of the semester and seldom go on till the last week. The frequency depends on the professors. Each subject can have 1-3 internals for a total of 50 marks.

• Are assessments heavily weighted towards exams, projects, or continuous evaluation?

📚 Classes and Timing

• What is the daily class timing like?

Classes start as early as 9 am and can go up to 7:30 pm. We have 2 classes each day, each lasting 2 hours in the 1st year.

• Are Saturdays working days at your law school?

No, they are not except when compensatory classes are held which occurs only in rare cases.

• How hectic is the weekly schedule?

The weekdays are quite hectic especially the last 3 months with continuous classes and assignments, especially for those who are also enrolled in various societies or sport activities.

🎉 Semester Breaks

• When are the semester breaks scheduled? And how long are these semester breaks?

We have 2 semester breaks, each lasting for 2 months. The duration of each semester if 4 months followed by a 2 months break which is in the month of June and July after the spring semester and December and January after the fall semester.

• Are breaks enough to take internships or refresh properly?

The semester breaks are enough to opt for internships and students often opt for more than 1 internships depending on the stage of law school. Some students also prefer to take a month gap and intern for only 1 month.

🌍 Diversity and National Representation

• How is the national representation at your law school — do students come from all over India?

JGU has a vibrant diversity of students with student from all over India as well as foreign countries. 

• How inclusive and diverse is the campus culture?

JGU’s campus culture is inclusive and diverse, with students from varied backgrounds and supportive seniors fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment.

🛎️ Day 1: Registration and Admission

• What was the Day 1 experience like during hostel registration and college admission?

It was a little chaotic given the number of students registering and entering the campus but as soon as everything got settled we had time to explore the campus and connect with other students.

• Are there any important tips for a smooth admission/hostel registration process?

Instead of being hesitant to ask for help, approach any staff available to assist.

⚖️ Moot Court Activities

• What is the culture around mooting at your college?

JGLS conducts moot court society inductions every semester for which any students from 2^nd semester to 10^th semester can enrol. Members of MCS (moot court society) are designated moots according to their induction ranks. For 1^st Sem students JGLS conducts freshers moot court competition.

• How early can a first-year student start participating in moots?

A 1^st year student can participate in freshers moot court competition and can participate in the moot court society inductions from 2^nd Sem competing with students from various years.

• Are there internal selections for moots?

Yes there are moot court society inductions conducted.

• Is there any special training or mentorship available for moots?

Seniors are approachable and available to help, with online meetings organized for doubt-clearing sessions and guidance on memorial formation.

🎯 Extracurriculars

• What extracurricular activities are available at your law school?

All kinds of activities are available including societies for dance, music, art etc., also JGU offers world class sport facilities.

• Which activities would you recommend to a 1st year student?

As a 1^st year student there will a substantial amount of time to dedicate in 1-2 sports activities or societies of interests apart from trying to settle into the law school life.

• How do extracurriculars help in career building or internships?

Participation in extra-curricular activities help to engage and connect with seniors and other students as well as professor which can help to get internships or Letter of Recommendations (LORs) for placement and internships.

• Are there any limitations of participating in extracurriculars?

Some extracurricular activities demand significant time which is not always feasible to dedicate, also some activities are not available to 1^st and 2^nd year students.

• How do you personally balance academics and extracurricular activities?

Balancing academics and extracurricular activities seemed an easy task before law school happened but it becomes increasingly difficult to manage both given the amount of work we get, one thing that always helps me, is knowing what to do at present and what can be done later. I am not one of those students who start preparing for an exam 2 weeks before, everyone has their own way of studying and I believe in pulling all-nighters and working till last minute, whereas others complete the syllabus days before, but just remember it does not matter how you do it, doing it is enough and one should never compare methods of studying. One thing that law school has taught me is that “You never have time, you always have to make time”. As the final exams arrive one has barely any time for extracurriculars, and all focus need to be devoted to academics. 1^st month of the semester is the time when you can dedicate most of your time to extracurriculars and as the semester progresses, schedule you day well and try following that, it always helps to use time in an efficient manner, carving out time for extracurriculars as well as academics.

👥 Committees

• What are the major committees and societies in your law school?

The major committees and societies for a 1^st Sem student is IPF (Indian Policy Forum), debate society and other extra-curricular societies for art, music, dance etc. For 2^nd Sem we are eligible for the Moot Court Society. ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) society is eligible 2^nd year onwards.

• Which committees should a first-year student definitely try to join?

Any one or two extra-curricular societies and debate society if one is interested.

• What is the process of getting into a committee? How competitive is the selection for these committees?

Some committees are generally more competitive than the other ones, usually societies for debate, mooting and ADR are very competitive. The selection is fair for every committee, which means if one is good at the particular activity, they can easily get selected.

🎊 Fests and Campus Life

• What are the major college fests?

There are 2 major college fests in JGU, one is Biswamil and the other is Magnus, which is a sports fest. There is Prom arranged every year along with few fests for freshers.

• How vibrant is the cultural and sports scene at your law school?

JGU give a lot of attention to celebrate diverse cultures and sports. We had cultural festivals organized for east Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha as well as North-East States which is also reflected in our mess food. Sports culture is incredible especially given the recent inauguration of the Sports Facility in JGU.

🏀 Sports Facilities

• What kind of sports facilities are available on campus?

JGU offers a wide range of sports facilities which includes indoor as well as outdoor sports such as basketball, squash, pickleball, swimming, shooting etc. especially given the inauguration of our new sports facility.

• Are there any sports teams or tournaments students can participate in?

Football and Cricket tournaments are regularly organized along with other sports, we also have a inter-college sports fest called MAGNUS where students can participate.

• How active is the sports culture at your college?

It is quite active as JGU offers World-Class Sports Facilities.

🎓 Class Representative (CR) Selection and Responsibilities

• How is the CR (Class Representative) selected?

Through direct election in each class by the respective classes’ students.

• What are the main responsibilities of a CR?

Major responsibilities include negotiation with professors regarding assignments and class policies and examination policies and extension along with minor works of class infrastructure problems and so on.

• How much influence or say does a CR have regarding student concerns?

CRs have a lot of influence not only regarding student concerns but also professors.

🏛️ Student Union

• Is there a Student Union at your college?

Yes, there is a very active Student Union at JGLS. 

• How active is the Student Union in addressing student issues or organizing events?

Student Union is quite active and listens to and acts upon concerns made by CRs and BRs through students.

• Can first-year students get involved with the Student Union?

It is quite difficult in the 1^st Sem but possible in the 2^nd Sem depending on the popularity of the student.

🧑‍💼 Key People in the Administration

• Who are the key people in the administration that students should know about? (Dean, Registrar, Warden, etc.)

Warden is one of the key administrators to know about other than that most issues can be addressed through class CRs.

• Whom should students’ approach for different issues like academic help, hostel problems, or disciplinary matters?

For academic help professors are highly approachable as well as peers and seniors. For hostel problems, warden. Lastly for disciplinary matters respective CRs or Office of Academic Affairs.

• “Is there any unwritten advice about how to approach professors or administration to get help more easily?”

The easiest way to go is mailing them and if not responded then meeting in person.

 Scholarships

• What scholarships are available for the students?

Except for the Savitri Jindal Scholarship, JGLS also offer a minor scholarship for top 3 batch rankers.

🛠️ Internship Guidance

• How does the college support students in finding internships?

JGLS has a Office of Career Services to offer internship to student which is generally useful. Major internships are offered 3^rd year onwards.

• What should a first-year law student do to land good internships?

Try to perform good in academics and have a good reputation with professors for LORs or recommendations.

• What types of internships are recommended during the first year?

As a 1^st year student NGO, Research Assistantship or district court/high court internships are recommended.

❤️ College Likes & Areas of Improvement

• What do you like the most about your college?

The number of opportunities provided by JGU is exceptional and absolutely incredible, starting from the quality of students as well as professors, also the curriculum is outstanding, the college does not rush to the LLB part of BALLB, it teaches you the BA part in depth and teaches how to think rather than simply focusing on the facts and when it does go to the LLB part it takes time to teach how to critically analyse everything rather than teaching only the “what”. According to me this is where it develops the students’ thought process.

• Where do you think the college can improve?

The college can help in forming connections with seniors through various activities as it is increasingly difficult to approach them if you are an introvert.

🏆 College Strengths

•  According to you, what are the three biggest strengths of your college?

The faculty, exposure to students from diverse backgrounds, the opportunities provided through various societies and committees.

🎯 Placements and Career Support

• How strong is the placement cell at your college?

A significant number of students are placed every year through the placement cell to major law firms and corporate houses.

• What kind of firms, companies, or organizations usually recruit from your campus?

All the major law firms recruit from JGLS. 0-day placements happen around late July or early august for the 5^th year students. Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) usually occur in the 4th year, though exceptional candidates may secure them in 3rd year, based on their exceptional academic and internship performance.