On September 22, 2022, Dean Anthony Varona, Seattle University School of Law, and Vice-Chancellor Prof. C. Raj Kumar, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), signed two key agreements creating new opportunities for law students in India and the United States to pursue a global education. The beneficiary of the collaborations would be Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), which has been ranked 70th globally and 1st in India by the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Pacific Northwest, and its legal writing program ranks #6 in the U.S. News and World Report and clinical program in the top 30.
As per the MoU signed between the universities, students of JGLS will have opportunities to pursue an LLM degree at Seattle University School of Law while they finish their final year at JGLS with concentrations in American Legal Studies or in Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. As part of the academic credit system, the program also offers opportunities to work with Seattle-based employers, including multi-national corporations (including Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing), international tribunals, and government agencies. Students from India will have the opportunity to study with world-class professors and gain real work experience to become globally trained lawyers.
Reciprocally, students at Seattle University School of Law will have the opportunity to participate in an India Immersion Program in March 2023, which includes lectures, workshops, study tours to legal and other public institutions, and cultural visits. Institutional leaders from Seattle University School of Law and JGU welcomed the partnership as an advancement towards building a legal community with global imaginations and spirit.
Emphasizing the need for garnering global imagination in an increasingly integrated world, Anthony E. Varona, Dean, Seattle University School of Law, observed, “As more legal work transcends national borders, lawyers with significant global knowledge and experience will be in high demand. Students of both JGU and Seattle University School of Law will benefit from these programs, which in turn will provide meaningful ways to learn about foreign legal systems, norms, and traditions.”
In the same vein, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU and Founding Dean of JGLS, remarked that, “This partnership will help students build a strong foundation in academic fundamentals and at the same time provide the required skills and knowledge necessary to compete in a global marketplace. I am certain that partnerships like this one will help build young professionals who are ready to take up global challenges. JGU has always been driven by global ambitions, aiming to partake in India’s progress to the centre-stage of global happenings. I am delighted that we have taken yet another step in that direction”
Seattle University School of Law has strong connections to India and the study of its legal system. Associate Professor of Law Sital Kalantry, whose scholarship focuses on India, founded the India Center for Law and Justice, which works with law schools in India to promote legal education and mentor emerging law scholars. It also promotes engagement with India among the students at Seattle University School of Law. In her additional role as Associate Dean for International and Graduate Programs, she has been working to develop legal education programs specifically for international students. Prof. Kalantry has been associated with JGU since its inception in 2009.
Drawing on her association with JGU for more than a decade, Prof. Kalantry observed that “JGU is now the number one private university in India, and our law school is thrilled to work with such an exceptional institution. We look forward to providing an exciting learning experience to the students from India in one of the most exciting and innovative cities in the world, significantly adding to their skills and positively shaping their law careers.”
On this special occasions, Prof. (Dr.) Sreejith S.G., Professor and Executive Dean, JGLS, reiterated the global ambitions of JGU. “For a law school like JGLS, which is deeply committed to impart global legal education, international collaborations are part of its evolution and expansion. Through international collaborations, the school creates spaces of ‘interculturality’ for providing global experience to its students.”
About Seattle University School of Law
Seattle University School of Law offers an innovative approach to legal education for the highly driven and civically engaged. From its campus in the heart of Seattle’s dynamic urban core, the school delivers a leading-edge legal education, including top-ranked legal writing and experiential programs, providing foundational knowledge applicable to all forms of legal practice. The demanding values-based curriculum – led by supportive and dedicated faculty and practicing legal professionals – integrates classroom instruction with real-world learning opportunities complemented by deep ties to the legal, business, and nonprofit community of nationally and in the Seattle region, a global hub of technology and innovation. For 50 years, Seattle U Law has developed sought-after graduates known for their talent and tenacity, cultivating a dynamic community of alumni renowned throughout the nation and beyond as passionate practitioners committed to justice, excellence, and service.
About O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU)
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is a multi-disciplinary and research-oriented university founded in 2009. JGU is a non-profit global and research focused university. JGU maintains a 1:9 faculty-student ratio and appoints faculty members from India and different parts of the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. With over 10,000 students and 1000+ full time faculty members, JGU’s twelve schools focus on Law, Business & Management, International Affairs, Public Policy, Liberal Arts & Humanities, Journalism, Art & Architecture, Banking & Finance, Environment & Sustainability, Psychology & Counselling, Languages & Literature and Public Health & Human Development. Over the last decade, JGU has grown into an institution that attracts full-time faculty from over 46 countries in the world, students from over 40 countries and has collaborated with over 360+ leading institutions in 67+ countries to bring international learning experiences to the Indian higher education system.
JGU has been ranked as India’s Number 1 Private University for three years in a row by the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2023, and is ranked among top 700 universities of the world in QS World University Rankings 2023. JGU has been recognised among the Top 150 universities globally under the age of 50 years by the QS Young University Rankings. JGU has also been recognised in the Top 500 Universities as per the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. The Jindal Global Law School has been ranked as India’s Number 1 Law School for three years in a row and is also ranked as the world’s 70th best Law School by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. In 2020, JGU was recognised as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
For information about LLM scholarships, including the Remala Family Scholarship, see LLM Scholarships.