Government Law College – Mumbai

By Praveen Dwivedi -
91
10133

During my second year, I had been to GLC, Mumbai for a moot. Right after the exchange of memorials, amidst all the cacophony and panic, I went on a hunt to find a quiescent place to do all the eleventh hour work. Such place was nowhere to be found until I stumbled upon a hall, full of books with a strong musty smell. It smelt as if a tang of acids has been mixed with a hint of vanilla. No, it wasn’t bad. It was good. So good that I pulled out121003094834_d73c17583309927dfa66bf3de95e_grande[1] a book with the worn spine and discoloured pages, stuck it to my nose and inhaled deeply. I could see the world lose its colours and transform into a black and white scene (Mughal-e-Azam types). They were such antique pieces that I’m sure all the other copies of those books have ceased to exist. I sat down with my laptop there and while it was warming up to boot Windows, I looked around the hall and there! I could see portraits and pictures of few of the studly people this country had in the past century. Ambedkar, Kania, Bharucha, Bhagwati, Palkhivala, Sorabjee, Kapadia, Nariman, Seervai, Chagla, to name a few. Guess why? Because that very college was their alma mater.

Yes, GLC Mumbai is the oldest of all the Law Schools and its charm is, in the wake of these corporate feeding National Law Universities, fading. But it needs to be said and I say it as a student of NALSAR that the NLUs are too young to even fit in the league of GLC. No matter how much we thump our chests with the huge campuses, funds and exposure at NLUs, we are foetuses in front of GLC. And yes, maybe in some hundred years from now, NLUs will match up with its legacy. But, it’s not going to happen in my lifetime, at least.

But hey! NLUs are where the cream goes and so do the heavily paying law firms, right? True. But, does it mean that there are only three hundred such kids who could clear the standard of being the cream? Obviously, no! In that case, where do the rest go? They do engineering. Well, not quite. They join a traditional law college. And what becomes of them? Everything they are and their potential has made them. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: NLUs have been hyped a bit too much. There’s nothing you cannot do from a traditional law college as long as you have good guidance. Really, CLAT is not the end of the world. You make it through and it’ll be good. You don’t and there’s very little to feel bad about. Getting into a NLU does not guarantee you huge pay cheques. There’s much more to it, which, can be attained at any other law college. Law School, at the most, provides you with a platform. The rest needs to be done by you for yourself.

GLC is, and has always been, a traditional law school. It could ace a century ago because it was the only one on the block. And Ambedkar and Seervai would have, maybe, gone to the NLUs if they had existed then. But, it’s not out of the scene yet. The strong alumni base that GLC has is invincible. The pressure-less environment that GLC provides gives you abundantly wide scope to do whatever you want to and make the foundations stronger even before you induct yourself in the legal fraternity. The entire point/conclusion of this article: Aiming for NLUs is all good. But if you don’t make it to one, hold your head high, raise your shoulders and head towards GLC.

Asad.

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91 COMMENTS

  1. Haha, except GLC’s Board Exam cut-off is around 90%, I think. You make it sound like seats in GLC are just waiting for those who don’t crack the CLAT.

  3. Great analogy……:)
    Btw, could you please tell me the criterion for cut-offs @GLC Mumbai?
    I mean, like DU considers the score of best 4 and doesn’t consider subjects like physical education, music, etc.
    Similarly, what are the criterions of GLC?

  4. article- superb. you made us feel that even if we anyhow fail to get through clat, other options are there.!
    BUT! to get into GLC you need a high, NO! higher percentage in 12th boards as well. and for people like ME, who didn’t take their 12th serioulsy in anyway, and ended up at a good to go 70, GLC gates are closed!!!
    so, we don’t have this option.:/

    • very true! Your 12th marks are the only criterion, they should be, at least, 92.5%. Otherwise there is no point of even thinking about it.

  6. i got your sentiments while reading this well drafted article but saying that student opting for glc when not getting into so called overrated NLU’S isnt getting digested i have seen many students who have left the option of nlu and have come to glc to gather the real practical life i myself have left nlu jodhpur to get into this prestigious institution.

    • Perhaps, if not NALSAR or NLSIU, then why will anyone prefer any other NLU over GLC? My friend was willing to leave NALSAR for this college, but his name didn’t appear in the highly inflated cut off list!

    • The cut off for admission was 95.00% for Commerce, 92.5% for Humanities (Arts) and 91.5% for Science (2013-14) for boards other than Maharashtra.

    • It depends on your stream. The cut off for admission was 95.00% for Commerce, 92.5% for Humanities (Arts) and 91.5% for Science (2013-14). Chances are strong if you are a Maharashtra board student, as they get 5% relaxation.

    • Not this year, because the cut off for admission was 95.00% for Commerce, 92.5% for Humanities (Arts) and 91.5% for Science (2013-14)

    • the cut off for admission was 95.00% for Commerce, 92.5% for Humanities (Arts) and 91.5% for Science (2013-14). Try next year!

  15. sir my nane ujjawal chaudhary.i get 90.8 score in 12 cbse board. i am outside mahrastra.but my name is not added in first merit list for bsl llb .plz tell me why does admission not possible. what does it mean percentage and percentage for admission in merit list.
    thans

    • You have 90.8% marks in CBSE Board. At GLC, 5% marks are reduced, in case you are not from Maharashtra Board, for admission. Thus, your marks for admission are 85.8%. The cut off for admission is 90%. Hence your name was not displayed in the first merit list.

    • because the cut off for admission was 95.00% for Commerce, 92.5% for Humanities (Arts) and 91.5% for Science (2013-14) for CBSE, ISC, IB, and other state boards. Only the students of Maharashtra board are given 5% relaxation.

  17. Hi everyone.. I am a first year student @GLC. To clarify all your doubts GLC expects a high cut off from you. I was a 95% and got through the 3rd list. They consider your aggregate score. A min of 92% is a must for admission to the college. Best of luck to you all!

  18. “But if you don’t make it to one (NLU), hold your head high, raise your shoulders and head towards GLC”

    Sounds like GLC is just waiting for those who can’t crack CLAT. The author is probably unaware about the cut off % of this college!

    Otherwise, I completely get the essence of this article 😉

  20. I have 97 % in my hsc examination but i am from outside maharastra.how good are my chances of getting into glc,hopefully in the first merit list???

  21. what about cbse
    ? by the 3rd or 4th list what is the cut off for science stream cbse ? what is d expectation for the year 2014-2015?

    • clat is not at all required for glc. they will come up with 2 separate lists for maharastra students and outside – maharastra students on the basis of 12th mark %.

  23. hello
    i have scored 94% in best of 4…in class 12 this year..
    93% according to my five main subjects…and 93.6% in five subjects including my additional one..and 93.1% according to all the 6 subjects including my additional subject PE..
    which % wud be taken into account in glc n ils..?
    do i have a chance of getting in? my stream is humanities.

  24. does the 5% reduction rule apply to three yr course as well??? what is the case for people from mumbai university bt not maharashtra residents ??

  26. i have scored 53% in b.com 2011 from ccs university merut uttarpradesh  which document i would have to deposit at the time of entrance/admission  and i belong to sc category

  27. sir I scored 90.8% in 12th cbse in commerce . Also I am outside Maharashtra. Do I have any chances of getting through glc????Also I want to know the expected closing percent this year???? Reply me soon

  30. i got 91.80% in aggregate in cbse.. pls tell me if i have chances to get through in 3rd merit list… i am also outside from maharashtra.

    • for which school – GLC or ILs ?
      Definitely no in ILS, last year’s cut off for outside- Maharastra was 94+ % for all streams.
      U may get into GLC, wait and all the best.

  31. Personally, I feel that the point of this article is defeated by the last line. First you say that NLUs don’t even come in the league of GLC and then you say that if you don’t make it into any good NLU there’s no shame in going to GLC. This is a feel-good article for all of us who haven’t cleared CLAT. But we all know that GLC cannot be compared to the top NLUs. GLC has a name and a strong alumni because, as you rightly said, a century back or even for that matter 2-3 decades back it was the only known college when 1 thought about law. But comparing it to NLUS would be like comparing an apple to an orange. By this I don’t mean that GLC isn’t a good college. It’s always been among the top law colleges in the country and getting into glc isn’t a joke either but it still cannot offer  the kind of exposure you would get in any NLU. And I think that even during placements or internships, the NLUs give you a head start. But no doubt, at the end of the day it’s what you make of yourself!

  32. Aabsolutely correct. CLAT is not the end of the world . A couple of friends ( seniors) had under 1000 A.I. rank but opted out of CLAT 2013 and went to ILS & Amity. This year too one of my friend under 1100 A.I. rank in CLAT 2014 is not keen in the counseling and has not filled up his choice. He won’t get into a NLU of his choice , not in the older six NLUs definitely, even he has given a pass to SLS-P and didn’t attend the WAT-PI. The most unfortunate is that domicile students with rank as low as 29000 get into good NLUs under state quota whereas AI candidates with 1000 or similar ranks are allotted to Ranchi and Guwahati NLUs. So, NLus can be given a pass in preference to schools like GLC-M, ILS , ALS, etc.

  36. i got 87% in aggregate in maharashtra board do i stand a chance? 

    p.s. – I have NO life savers. I’m an unfortunate Brahmin.

  40. Sir i got through clat and have been alloted assam. I have 92.3% in isc 12 board with science….do i stand a chance in glc ???? If yes then which one should i prefer..glc or NLUJAS

  42. This may sound really confused but I’m not sure if I want to study law. So I would just like to know if I could pursue the chartered accountany course while enrolled in 5 year law at glc? I meam if I’m not interning in a law firm then will I have enough time for articleship (required fot cas) along with college? 

  44. I got through the 4 merit list of glc but now it all depends on our 10 standard cgpa. I got 8.8. Do I have any chances.. There are 16 people for 5 seats.

  45. Can you please tell me cutoffs for glc ? And does it vary according to the faculty? Pls tell me the cutoff for arts 

  47. yr i want to know, hw much aggregate do i need, this year, i have appeared in cbse(commerce) from haryana, plz reply as soon as possible.. 

  48. Hi ! Very well written article !
    can anyone please tell me what was the cut off for 3 year llb in GLC Mumbai in 2014?
    what are the expected ones this year ?!

  49. can anyone tell me the cutoff marks for 3 year LLB course in Glc Mumbai in 2014?
    i got 82% marks in 12th and 49% marks in bcom.is there any chance to get admit at glc for llb course

  50. What is the admission criteria for graduates in GLC? And when is the admission conducted tentatively this year? Also is there any NLU in Mumbai? How is it compared to GLC? Kindly provide your valuable answers.

  54. pls tell me about cut off of 3 year llb course?…….n i am from raj univ …….are there is any relaxation to ex-servicemen children’s………i got 53% in b.com…….n belongs to gen. cat….pls tell
    thanks

  56. which clg should i opt among GLC, ILS. CNlU (Patna), NLUO(Cuttack), BHU (Varanasi).
    Please help me i m in a great confusion.

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