Following a partnership agreement with Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai (MNLUM) last December, the General Counsels’ Association of India (GCAI) is seeking more collaborations with academia for its training and mentorship programmes.
The GCAI’s president, Manjaree Chowdhary, who is also an executive director and general counsel at Maruti Suzuki India, told Asia Business Law Journal that the association is seeking to conduct projects that would be of common interest with the student community.
“For example, when the universities want to do some research, and we also want to write some white paper on some policy, we can collaborate in that manner,” said Chowdhary. “On the other hand, the GCAI would also offer help to students to understand the challenges and pitfalls in the industry.”
Chowdhary said that students could learn much from sharing experiences with the GCAI members, especially on how in-house counsel navigate different stages in their careers.
Apart from the MNLUM, the GCAI has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Law University Delhi and Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, in September to build the capacity and competence of law graduates. This number is expected to increase in the upcoming months.
This collaboration with universities will focus on different trends in the legal market such as environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, blockchain technology, data privacy, etc.
The GCAI also wants to strengthen platforms for people of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds to voice themselves. Looking forward, the association is also driving recruitment to add to its 700 existing members across the country.
