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The Government Law College, also known as GLC and located in Mumbai, India, is one of the oldest and most distinguished law schools in India. The college celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2006.

History

Inception

Before 1855 there was no formal legal education for legal officers and lawyers in the country when Sir Erskine Perry, the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bombay used to lecture on law after court hours. These classes were on a very informal basis and were attended only by a select group of people. A conscious effort was made by a committee to collect funds in order to institute a chair in Jurisprudence at the Elphinstone Institute. This was to be called the Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence, which came to be in 1855.

In 1855, Dr. R. T. Reid, LL.B. (Bar-at-Law and the first Judge of the Small Causes Court, Bombay) was appointed the first Perry Professor and the Government Law School (GLS), as it was then called, was established at the Elphinstone Institution. The response to the first series of lectures conducted was overwhelming. The Government of India instituted two permanent professorships. The Government Law School has been affiliated with the University of Bombay since 1860: in fact, it is older than the University of Bombay and the Bombay High Court itself. From 1855 to 1895 the numerical strength of the GLS grew from 46 to 250 students. Seating space was so scarce in those days that the benches had to be brought in form the Elphinstone School Building nearby.

New premises

In 1891, the Government Law School was shifted to the Elphinstone College at Kala Ghoda. Classes were held in the evenings, after the regular Arts & Science students dispersed for the day. It wasn't till 1895 that the Government recognised the need for a Principal. The first Principal was L. J. Robertson. It was in this year, that three additional professors were added to the staff, bringing the number of staff members to five.

Gender bias removed

Until 1924, no lady students were admitted to the rolls of the Government Law School, as women were then disqualified from being enrolled as legal practitioners in India. However, the first lady to fight for her rights was Ms. Cornelia Sorabjee, who in 1897 acquired special permission from the University Senate to sit for the examination. This gender bias was ultimately removed by a resolution moved by Dr. Harisingh Gour in the legislative assembly on February 1, 1922.

Change of name and premises

The name Government Law School was changed to the Government Law College in the year 1925. It was only in 1938 that the college was converted into a full-time institution with classes being held from 10.30 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. It began work under the guidance of the then Principal and Full-Time Professor A. A. A. Fyzee. After this change of status, the Government of Bombay finally decided to allocate a plot in the Churchgate Reclamation scheme, west of Churchgate station, for the Government Law College Building.

Prominent alumni

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
M. C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court
L.K.Advani
Pratibha Patil, President of India
Mahadev Govind Ranade, the great social reformer and economist, who received his LL.B. in the college's first batch, in 1866
Motilal Setalvad, the first Attorney General of independent India
H.M. Seervai, Advocate-General of Maharashtra, 1975-79 and author of "Constitutional Law of India"
Nani Palkhivala

External links

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 The '''Government Law College''', also known as '''GLC''' and located in [[Mumbai]], [[India]], is one of the oldest and most distinguished [[law school]]s in [[India]].  The college celebrated its [[Sesquicentennial#Latin-derived_numerical_names|sesquicentennial]] in 2006.
+==History==
+===Inception===
+Before [[1855]] there was no formal [[legal education]] for [[legal officer]]s and [[lawyer]]s in the country when [[Erskine Perry|Sir Erskine Perry]], the then [[Chief Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of Bombay]] used to lecture on law after court hours.  These classes were on a very informal basis and were attended only by a select group of people.  A conscious effort was made by a committee to collect funds in order to institute a [[professorship|chair]] in [[Jurisprudence]] at the [[Elphinstone Institute]].  This was to be called the [[Perry Professorship of Jurisprudence]], which came to be in 1855.
+In [[1855]], [[R. T. Reid|Dr. R. T. Reid, LL.B.]] (Bar-at-Law and the first [[Judge]] of the [[Small Causes Court]], [[Mumbai|Bombay]]) was appointed the first Perry Professor and the Government Law School (GLS), as it was then called, was established at the Elphinstone Institution.  The response to the first series of lectures conducted was overwhelming.  The [[Government of India]] instituted two permanent professorships.  The Government Law School has been affiliated with the [[University of Mumbai|University of Bombay]] since [[1860]]: in fact, it is older than the University of Bombay and the [[Bombay High Court]] itself.  From 1855 to 1895 the numerical strength of the GLS grew from 46 to 250 students.  Seating space was so scarce in those days that the benches had to be brought in form the Elphinstone School Building nearby.
+===New premises===
+In 1891, the Government Law School was shifted to the Elphinstone College at [[Kala Ghoda]].  Classes were held in the evenings, after the regular [[Arts & Science]] students dispersed for the day.  It wasn't till [[1895]] that the Government recognised the need for a [[Principal (school)|Principal]].  The first Principal was [[L. J. Robertson]].  It was in this year, that three additional [[professor]]s were added to the staff, bringing the number of staff members to five.
+===Gender bias removed===
+Until 1924, no lady students were admitted to the rolls of the Government Law School, as women were then disqualified from being enrolled as legal practitioners in India.  However, the first lady to fight for her rights was [[Cornelia Sorabjee|Ms. Cornelia Sorabjee]], who in 1897 acquired special permission from the University Senate to sit for the examination.  This [[gender bias]] was ultimately removed by a resolution moved by [[Harisingh Gour|Dr. Harisingh Gour]] in the legislative assembly on February 1, 1922.
+===Change of name and premises===
+The name ''Government Law School'' was changed to the ''Government Law College'' in the year 1925.  It was only in 1938 that the college was converted into a full-time institution with classes being held from 10.30 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. It began work under the guidance of the then Principal and Full-Time Professor [[A. A. A. Fyzee]].  After this change of status, the Government of Bombay finally decided to allocate a plot in the [[Churchgate Reclamation]] scheme, west of [[Churchgate]] station, for the Government Law College Building.
 ==Prominent alumni==