BITS Law School, a new-age Law School under the aegis of BITS Pilani, an Institution of Eminence, announced Justice U.U. Lalit, Former Chief Justice of India, as Honorary Professor of Law. Justice Lalit will be teaching an advanced course on Affirmative Action under the Constitution of India and Other Jurisdictions. The course is included in the third-year curriculum and is currently in progress for the founding class. As a member of the Advisory Council at BITS Law School, Justice Lalit is also involved in academic collaborations, mentoring, teaching, research projects, and course development with the faculty.
Justice Lalit, the 49th Chief Justice of India, has a distinguished career spanning decades of significant contributions to Indian jurisprudence. His association with BITS Law School provides students with direct exposure to constitutional principles from one of the country’s foremost legal minds, helping them have a deeper understanding of complex legal issues and the analytical skills necessary for advanced legal study.
Justice Lalit’s course is part of the “Law and Public Good” series. It covers comparative perspectives on affirmative action and its implications for law and society. The course explored India’s framework alongside global approaches on affirmative action, drawing on cases from the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The topics are of great significance in constitutional law, focusing on the foundations of social justice, the legal basis for such interventions, and the evolving jurisprudence.
Justice U. U. Lalit said, “Engaging with students gives me the opportunity to reflect on important constitutional questions in dialogue with the next generation of lawyers. The course on affirmative action allows us to examine both India’s constitutional framework and comparative perspectives from other jurisdictions, encouraging critical discussions on issues of social justice and equality. I find these interactions with young minds deeply enriching, and I look forward to continuing this academic journey with them.”
Prof (Dr.) Ashish Bharadwaj, Founding Dean, BITS Law School, said, “We are glad to have Justice Lalit teach and inspire our students. His knowledge and experience strengthen our mission of combining academic excellence with practical insights to shape socially conscious legal professionals. Learning from such a luminary helps students connect complex aspects of legal theory with reality and prepares them to be better scholars and purpose driven lawyers.”
BITS Law School continues to bring together leading minds from academia, the judiciary, and the legal industry to provide students with transformative learning experiences. With distinguished faculty from top institutions in India and abroad, and partnerships with universities such as UCD Sutherland School of Law, Dublin; Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, New York; University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law; University of California; Irvine School of Law; and the USC Gould School of Law, students gain diverse and broader perspectives. Through initiatives like India’s first AI-powered Legal Innovation Centre (PALETTE), and the Centre for Research in Innovation Law for Shared Prosperity (CRISP), BITS Law School equips students with the knowledge, skills, and outlook needed to thrive as future legal professionals.
