Rehan Khan
Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) has announced a significant shift in its admission process for the academic year 2025-26. The school will now require prospective students to take the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT-UK) for entry into its law programmes, moving away from the previously used LSAT India scores. This strategic change aims to align JGLS with global standards in legal education, ensuring that incoming students possess the critical thinking and reasoning abilities necessary for success in the rigorous study of law.
The LNAT-UK, widely recognized by leading law schools in the United Kingdom, including Oxford and Cambridge, is designed to evaluate candidates’ aptitude for legal reasoning rather than their knowledge of specific legal subjects. The test consists of a multiple-choice section and an essay component, both aimed at assessing candidates’ critical thinking, comprehension, and reasoning abilities.
JGLS admission process will comprise two phases. The first phase, i.e., an early admission process, will begin from September 1, 2024, and will run until December 31, 2024. During this period, students will register and take the LNAT-UK. The successful candidates shall start receiving admission offers from January 2025. Then in the second phase, which will take place between January 1 – May 31, 2025, with admissions for remaining seats offered in June 2025.
Professor Dr. C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University and Founding Dean of the Law School, expressed his excitement about JGLS joining the LNAT-UK consortium. He highlighted that JGLS is the only law school from India to base its admissions on the LNAT-UK test, a move that underscores the institution’s commitment to global standards.
Dr. Kumar outlined several advantages of the LNAT-UK, including its global recognition, focus on verbal reasoning skills, and the convenience it offers students in terms of test scheduling and location. He also noted that students taking the LNAT-UK can apply for scholarships at JGLS, with awards ranging from 10% to 75% of tuition fees based on merit and financial need. Additionally, the two admission cycles allow applicants to take the test twice, with the higher score being considered for admission and scholarship purposes.
Professor Anand Prakash Mishra, Vice Dean of Jindal Global Law School and Director of Law Admissions, also welcomed the adoption of the LNAT-UK, emphasizing its potential to attract a more diverse international student body. He noted that the previous entrance exam was largely restricted to Indian students, and the new test would make the admission process more accessible to candidates from around the world.
JGLS has consistently been recognized as a leading law school in India and South Asia. It is the only Indian law school to be ranked among the top 100 law schools globally by the QS World University Ranking by Subject Law for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024. The school offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including the 5-year B.Com LLB, BA LLB, and BBA LLB (Hons.) programmes, as well as a 3-year LLB, a 1-year LLM, and unique 3-year BA programmes in Legal Studies and Criminology and Criminal Justice.
For more details on the LNAT-UK and the admission process, prospective students can visit the official LNAT website and the JGLS admissions page.