Clinical legal education involves learning by doing. This is a very critical mode of law-teaching. A camp was held in Amity Law School, Noida to train the students in practical mode of registration, succession and family law, practice of notaries and succession planning. This can be followed by other law schools in India and beyond.

1. CAMP ON EXECUTION AND
REGISTRATION OF WILLS

3. AN EXERCISE IN CLINICAL LEGAL
EDUCATION
FOR LAW STUDENTS

4. Presentation
by
Maj. Gen. Nilendra Kumar
Director,
Amity Law School, Noida

5. The object of the camp was to undertake an
exercise in professional skills training as well
as
public service.

6. The elderly and aged often harbour a sense
of
uncertainty, apprehension and not having
completed their responsibilities due to non
execution of their Wills.

7. They have not framed their Wills due to
ignorance and lack of proper help and
service.

8. To that extent such persons are devoid of
access
to justice.

9. An effort was made by students of Amity Law
School, Noida to rectify this situation. The
students were all volunteers.

10. A SESSION IN PROGRESS

11. Participatory students
Those of third year and above

12. A faculty of law and one of management were
associated.

13. WITH ADVOCATE P.P.S. NAGAR

14. ASSISTANCE OF EXTERNAL AGENCIES
1. Advocates well versed with registration
process
2. Sub Registrar of the District
3. Media

15. The Sub Registrar had willingly extended full
co-operation
as the effort fell within the legal
awareness and legal aid roles covered under
the
Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.

16. PARTICIPANTS AND STUDENTS

17. PRELIMINARY WORK
1. Through preparation and study of laws
involved.
2. Draft and issue of background material.
3. E-mail a draft Will to registered clients.

18. STEP ONE
Clients were advised to come for the camp
prepared with :
(a)List of their moveable and immoveable
assets.
(b)Decision to distribute and bequeath their
assets.

19. Students cautioned to maintain total
confidentiality and exercise
professionalism.

20. APPLICABLE LAWS
1. Family Law
2. Law of Succession
3. Registration Law
4. Property Law
5. Notary’s Law
6. Conveyancing

21. This was not merely an exercise in deed
writing

22. Additional study
of
succession planning

23. Prepare FAQs

24. IDENTIFICATION OF CLIENTS
1. Through verbal publicity
2. Social media
3. Letters to Resident Welfare Societies
4. Personal contacts
5. Invite faculty and staff of the
University

25. SAMPLE FAQS
1. Why draw up a Will?
2. Is registration of Wills mandatory?
3. Do the attesting witness need to be
beneficiaries?
4. Can a Will executed earlier be charged?
5. Can husband and wife do a joint Will?
6. Can the husband include in his Will a
property that he holds jointly with his
wife?
7. Does it need to be drawn up on stamp
paper?

26. The participants were explained that
registration
of Wills is not mandatory.

27. Hence, the clients who wanted their Wills
to
be executed but did not want it to be
registered were afforded an opportunity to
do so.

28. VARIATIONS
1. Religions denomination
2. Individual status
3. Types of property
4. Manner of bequeath

29. INDIVIDUAL STATUS
1. Bachelor/spinster
2. Married
3. Widower
4. Minor
5. Handicapped
6. Non resident Indians

30. ILLUSTRATIVE
Types of Property
1. Residential
2. Plot of land
3. Orchards
4. Moveable
5. Royalty income

31. ILLUSTRATIVE
Types of Bequeath
1. Full and complete
2. Partial
3. Under guardianship
4. Trust

32. VARIATIONS
1. Handicapped children needing
caretaker guardians
2. Beneficiaries abroad
3. Widows/divorced clients
4. Christian/Parsi/Muslim denominations

33. PROCESS FOLLOWED
STEP TWO
1. Small law chambers set up
2. Students used their own laptops
3. Printer arranged from law school

34. A classroom in the Law School was utilized
for
the purpose.

35. Hence, there was negligible expense.

36. The problem of infrastructure or funds was not
applicable.

37. STAGES
1. Lecture
2. Clarifications
3. Interviewing
4. Counselling
5. First draft
6. Validation
7. Final draft
8. Execution
9. Registration

38. After the stage consisting of registration and
mailing of a specimen draft of a Will, a week
later the actual camp was held.

39. Nominal amount had been charged to cover
the
expenses.

40. The entire exercise was carried out on a no
profit
no loss basis.

41. SIZE OF GROUP
1. 40 persons
2. Encourage couples to attend

42. 1. After the initial talk, the clients were
advised to approach individually to one of
the tables assigned to them.
2. They were given a print out draft of their
Wills.
3. They were allowed a week time to
consider and finalize the text.
4. Thereafter the Wills were executed and
handed over to them.

43. STEP THREE
Staggered time allotted for registration

44. This was done to cut down waiting period and
avoid overcrowding in the counsel’s chambers
at
the Sub Registrar premises.

45. Majority of those registered, were senior
citizens. There were amongst them also
widows. A few were physically
challenged.

46. The registered copy of Wills were collected
from
the Sub Registrar office after three days and
handed over to the participants.

47. INGENUITY
1. Law student themselves used as
witnesses.
2. Ingenuity to cover those not residing in
Noida.
3. Liaison with the Sub Registrar to hold
the camp on Saturday.

48. ADVANTAGES
ATTRIBUTES INCULCATED
1. Professionalism
2. Enthusiasm
3. Interest
4. Punctuality and time management

49. MOTIVATION
The camp was covered by print and
electronic
media.

50. Requests continue to pour in for such camps
to be held again. This coupled with thank
you
notes received is reflective of its success.

51. FURTHER EXTENSION
1. Registration of marriages
2. Security of educational loans
3. Grant of maintenance
4. Drafting of complaints for consumer
grievances

53. CONCLUSION
Innovation and ingenuity in clinical legal
education would serve the needs of society
on one side while also imparting
professional
skills and competence of law students.