VIRTUAL LAW SCHOOL

Brief Syllabus for 3 years/5 years- Integrated- Law Course

COVID-19 Lockdown Edition Syllabus for 20 Hours (4 weeks)

Pro Bono Teaching

Subject 1: Constitutional Law

Course Instructors:
1. Hon’ble Mr. Justice A. K. Sikri, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India &
2. Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Pratap Singh, Registrar, NLU Odisha

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution
Unit 1: Brief Overview of Week 1 Lecture based.
Constitution and
Constitutionalism (Rule of
Law and Separation of
Powers)
Unit 2: Constitutional Governance Week 1 & 2 Case Law reading based.
(Relationship between Students shall be expected
Legislature, Executive and to read case laws in
Judiciary including advance for discussion.
Judicial Independence)
Unit 3: Fundamental Rights and Week 3 Case Law reading based.
Directive Principles of Students shall be expected
State Policy to read case laws in
advance for discussion.
Unit 4: Federalism and Challenges Week 4 Case Law reading based.
Students shall be expected
to read case laws in
advance for discussion.

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Subject 2: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Course Instructor: Mr. Abhijeet Sinha- Arbitrator & Lawyer

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution
Unit 1: Negotiation & Mediation Week 1 Lecture based.
Unit 2: Arbitration & Conciliation Week 1- 3 Case Law reading based.
Act Students shall be expected to
 Appointment & read case laws in advance for
Substitution of discussion.
Arbitrator
 Independence of
Arbitrator
 Competence &
Competence Clause
Unit 3 & 4: Making of arbitral award Week 3 & 4 Case Law reading based.
Setting Aside of arbitral Students shall be expected to
award read case laws in advance for
Issues of public policy discussion.
Fast track arbitration
Amendments of 2015 &
2019

Subject 3: Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C)

Course Instructor: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Anand Pathak, High Court of Madhya Pradesh

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution of 20
hours
Unit 1: Brief Overview of Week 1 Lecture based.
Code of Criminal
Procedure
Unit 2: Law of Arrest and Week 1 & 2 Case Law reading based.
Investigation Students shall be expected to
read case laws in advance for
discussion.
Unit 3: Cognizance & Week 3 Case Law reading based.
Framing of Charge Students shall be expected to
read case laws in advance for
discussion.
Unit 4: Law of Bail Week 4 Case Law reading based.
Students shall be expected to
read case laws in advance for
discussion.

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Subject 4: Family Law

Course Instructor:
Dr. Kasturi Bhagat, Former Faculty, RGNUL Patiala & KIIT Law School,
Bhubaneswar

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution
Unit 1: Brief Overview of various Personal Week 1 Combination of Lecture
Laws vis a vis Uniform Civil Code and Case Law Reading.
Students shall be
expected to read case
laws in advance for
discussion.
Unit 2: (i) Concept and essentials of Week 2 Combination of Lecture
valid marriage under and Case Law Reading.
different personal laws Students shall be
(ii) Matrimonial Disputes and expected to read case
Remedies laws in advance for
(iii) Guardianship, discussion.
Adoption, Alimony and
Maintenance

Unit 3: (i) Survivorship, Devolution Week 3 Combination of Lecture

of interest in Coparcenary and Case Law Reading.
property Students shall be
(ii) Introduction to the Hindu expected to read case
Succession Act: Notional laws in advance for
Partition discussion.
(iii) Intestate Succession to a
male Hindu
(iv) Intestate Succession to a
female Hindu: Succession
Rights of Illegitimate
children
(v) Introduction to the Indian
Succession Act: Scope and
applicability
Unit 4: (i) Hanafi and Shia Law of Week 4 Combination of Lecture
Succession: entitlements of and Case Law Reading.
various family members Students shall be
(ii) Religious and Charitable expected to read case
endowments: Wakfs laws in advance for
(iii) Pre-emption in Muslim and discussion.
Hindu Law
(iv) Deathbed requests
(v) Rule against perpetuity:
law of gifts

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Subject 5: Intellectual Property Law (IPR)

Course Instructor:
Dr. Parikshet Sirohi, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution
Unit 1: Introduction to Intellectual Property, Week 1 Students shall be
Nature & Concept of IPR, Types of expected to read the
IP, Concepts of Minimum Standards, prescribed topics in
National Treatment & Most Favoured advance, in order to have
Nation (MFN), International a healthy discussion, in
Conventions class.
Unit 2: Trade Marks Act, 1999: Week 1 & 2 Case Law reading based.
Definitions, Well-known Trade Students shall be
Mark, Protection of Domain Names expected to read the
as Trade Marks, Absolute & Relative prescribed case law in
Grounds for refusal of registration, advance, in order to have
Deceptive Similarity, Passing Off & a healthy discussion in
Infringement class.
Unit 3: Geographical Indication of Goods Week 2 Students shall be
Act, 1999: expected to read the
Definitions, Indication of Source, prescribed topics in
Appellation of Origin, Geographical advance, in order to have
Indication as a Community Right, a healthy discussion in
Homonymous GI, Conflict between class.
GI and Trade Marks

Designs Act, 2000:

Need for protection, Subject matter of
protection, Eye appeal, “New” or
“original”, ‘Artistic Work’ u/s 2(c ) of
the Copyright Act, Piracy of Designs,
Interface between Design, Copyright
and Trade Marks
Unit 4: Copyright Act, 1957 (As amended): Week 3 & 4 Case Law reading based.
Subject matter of Copyright, Students shall be
Copyright only in expression & not in expected to read the
ideas, Sweat of the Brow & Minimal prescribed case law in
Creativity, Bundle of rights (S.14), advance, in order to have
Right to issue copies, Performers’ a healthy discussion in
rights, Adaptation & Abridgement, class.
Moral rights, First owner of
Copyright, Neighbouring Rights,
Infringement of Copyright, Acts not
amounting to infringement (S. 52)

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Unit 5 Patents Act, 1970 (As amended): Week 4 Case Law reading based.
Nature & purpose of Patent, Students shall be
Patentable & non-patentable expected to read the
inventions, Novelty, Inventive step & prescribed case law in
capable of industrial application, advance, in order to have
Problem of Evergreening Patent a healthy discussion in
filing procedure, Licensing of Patents class.
with special reference to public health
(S. 92A) & parallel imports (S.107A),
Compulsory & Voluntary Licensing

Subject 6: Interpretation of Statutes

Course Instructor:
Dr. Nachiketa Mittal, Founder & Director- Virtual Law School

Units for Subject Topics Week wise Instructor’s Remarks

Teaching distribution of
20 hours
Unit 1: Conceptual Week 1 Reading scholars and
understanding of discussion based
Interpretation of
Statutes
Unit 2: Canons of Week 1- 3 Case Law reading based.
Interpretation Students shall be expected
Literal Rule to read case laws in
Golden Rule advance for discussion.
Mischief Rule
Unit 3: Canons of Week 3 Case Law reading based.
Interpretation Students shall be expected
Harmonious Rule to read case laws in
Ejusdum Generis advance for discussion.
Noscitur a sociis
Unit 4: Internal & External Week 4 Case Law reading based.
Aids of Construction Students shall be expected
to read case laws in
advance for discussion.

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Subject 7: Jurisprudence – An Introduction to Legal and Political

Philosophy
Course Instructor:
Sidharth Chauhan (Assistant Professor, NALSAR Hyderabad)

Weekly Session Topics for Coverage Instructor's Remarks /

Unit Plan Reading from Textbook

Unit 1: Session 1 Approaches to Legal -Tom Campbell, 'Legal Studies' (pp.

Ideological Philosophy 226-253).
Framework Session 2 -Anthony Quinton & Anne Norton,
s Conservative Political 'Conservatism' (pp. 285-311).
Session 3 Thought -Alan Ryan, 'Liberalism' (pp. 360-
382).
Session 4 Strands of Liberalism -Barry Hindess, 'Marxism' (pp. 383-
402).
Session 5 Marxist Thought -Jane Mansbridge & Susan Moller
Okin, 'Feminism' (pp. 332-359).
Feminism in Law and
Politics
Unit 2: Session 6 Analyzing Political - Patrick Dunleavy, 'The State' (pp.
State, Civil Authority 793-803).
Society & Session 7 -Jean Hampton, 'Contract and
Rights What is the 'Social Contract'? Consent' (pp. 478-492).
Session 8 - Rainer Forst, 'Civil Society' (pp.
Conceptualizing Civil 452-462) & Richard Flathman,
Society 'Legitimacy' (pp. 678-684).
Session 9 - C.L. Ten, 'Constitutionalism and
the Rule of Law' (pp. 493-502).
Session 10 Constitutionalism and the - Jeremy Waldron, 'Rights' (pp.
Rule of Law 745-754) & Charles R. Beitz,
Concept of Rights 'Human Rights' (pp. 628-637).
Unit 3: Session 11 Theories of Equality -Richard Arneson, 'Equality' (pp.
Equality & 493-511).
Community Session 12 Distributive Justice -Peter Vallentyne, 'Distributive
Justice' (pp. 548-562) & Alan
Hamlin, 'Welfare' (pp. 852-864).
Session 13 Can There be Historical -Martha Minow, 'Historical Justice'
Justice? (pp. 621-627) & Phillipe V. Parijs,
'International Distributive Justice'
(pp. 638-652).
Session 14 - R. Scott Appleby,
Religious Toleration 'Fundamentalisms' (pp. 403-413) &
Stephen Macedo, 'Toleration' (pp.
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Session 15 813-820).
Multiculturalism -Will Kymlicka, 'Community and
Multiculturalism' (pp. 463-477).
Week 4: Session 16 Power -Frank Lovett, 'Power' (pp. 709-
Central Session 17 Ideas of Responsibility 718).
Concepts in -C.H. Wellman, 'Responsibility:
Legal Personal, Collective and Corporate'
Theory Session 18 Personhood (pp. 736-744).
-Timothy Mulgan, 'Personhood'
Session 19 Property (pp. 699-708).
-Andrew Reeve, 'Property' (pp. 719-
Session 20 Trust & Social Capital 728).
-Bo Rothstein, 'Trust and Social
Capital' (pp. 830-841).

The soft copy of the following textbook will be circulated among the VLS students in advance.
They are required to read the relevant chapters listed in the above table.

• Robert E. Goodin, Philip Pettit & Thomas Pogge (eds.), A Companion to Contemporary
Political Philosophy, 2nd edn. (Blackwell Publishing, 2007).

Apart from this textbook, soft copies of the following books are being circulated among the
VLS students for self-study and further reading:

• Austin Sarat (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to Law and Society (Blackwell
Publishing, 2004).
• Suri Ratnapala, Jurisprudence, 2nd edn. (Cambridge University Press, 2013).

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