Come to think of it, can there ever be a best subject? True, there can be the most favourite subject of the students generally – but can there be a subject which is better as compared to the rest? Let us think!! Best is probably the most subjective term that was ever coined. What is best for one person, can be a terrible experience for the others. And so is the situation with best subjects. There is no subject that can be called an easy subject if you go in depth. Every subject taught in the law schools across India or even the world at large, has a lot of relevance. Still, if we take the liberty to call a few subjects as the most superior of all the subjects, these could be the constitutional law and the theories of jurisprudence.
If we recollect the words of the famous thinker Hans Kelsen, we may take note that he called certain norms as ‘Grundnorms’ or the norms which form the basis of all other norms in the society. The Constitution of India is the grundnorm for our nation and all other laws derive their authority from this constitution. Every law passed throughout the length and breadth of our country has to go through the test of the constitutional validity. Irrespective of the area of specialization one may choose, the law developed in their regime must also abide by the constitution. In India, even the most independent organ of the country – namely, the Judiciary – is bound by the Constitution. And this verily makes the constitution the most important subject for the students of law. The relevance of constitution can be measured from the fact that it is taught not only to law students but also to secondary school students. For being an informed citizen of the country, one must know their own constitution for sure.
The freedom to study law as a subject, the freedom to study in any law school (LLB admission, BA LLB admission) of your choice, the freedom to choose between litigation, corporate practice, in-house counsel, etc. is all your freedom guaranteed to you because you are a free citizen of our country who has freedom of expressing himself the way he wants as mentioned under the constitution. Whatever you may become, whatever you dream to do after becoming a lawyer is all because you have a right to life and personal liberty and which also includes right to education. All of these are secured under the Constitution of India. All the major international convention and treaties which provide for rights against exploitation, torture, and discrimination are all covered and secured under the constitution.
Thus for a complete making of a lawyer, one cannot do away with the constitutional law study. The career standpoint of constitutional law is also very wide – from becoming a knowledgeable judge, to a specialized writ lawyer, or for that matter for becoming a lawyer of the society, constitutional law will always be there to create a pathway. The growth of Non-Governmental Organizations is also noteworthy and they require a lawyer with in-depth knowledge of the constitution. Becoming Assistant to Members of the Parliament and the state legislative bodies, academician, research scholars, central government jobs, these are just to name a few opportunities that open up when a person specializes in constitutional law. Perhaps, it would not be wrong to say that there is a valid reason behind referring to the constitution as the law of the land.
The second subject that may also be called a very important subject taught in law schools, is the Jurisprudence of law and Legal Theory. To quote the famous jurist, Laski, “jurisprudence is the eye of law.” It is the way one must look through law; it is like the magnifying glass which expands the scope and purpose of law. This subject may not be the most favorite of the students, but it is very important for all the purposes. No matter which field of law a person chooses to go for, one cannot do away with the interpretation of statute which helps us understand the nature purpose and scope of a particular legislation. All such necessary skills are learned through the lessons in legal theory.
But then again these are the most important subjects taught in the law schools; however, the term ‘best’ still remains undefined!