The Faculty of Law and Government of HELP University College has broken new ground in legal research amongst private university colleges in Malaysia by being the first to publish a legal journal.

P. Vasantha, the Editor-in-Chief says that The HELP Law Review is a specialist refereed legal journal. Among its notable contributors include The Rt Hon Lord Neuberger, a member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom and Baroness Elizabeth Butler Sloss, Chancellor of the University of the West of England, Bristol and former President of the Family Division of the High Court. Other distinguished academicians include Professor John Birds, Professor Clive Walker Russell Hewitson and Ms Anne Morris. The journal houses articles on a wide array of topics ranging from current issues in the law of evidence, war crimes, internet censorship, company law reform, prenatal screening, to issues of life and death in the treatment of infants.

P. Vasantha, Dean of the Faculty of Law & Governement says “We have in the last 20 years concentrated on our teaching skills and teaching pedagogy. We now move on to the next phase: Research and Publications. In one of my meetings with Dr Paul Chan, President and Co-Founder of HELP, when he spoke to me about the HELP Business Review and showed me a mock copy of this, it was then that the idea of a HELP Law Review was conceived.”

“The Law Department at HELP has been a trend setter for private legal education in Malaysia since its inception in 1986. Through our Teaching Quality Meetings our academics brainstorm cutting-edge teaching systems that stimulate the students’ appreciation and understanding of law. Our students are head hunted by prominent law firms in the country. We have internship programmes with prestigious law firms such as Shearn Delamore, Sharizat, Rashid and Lee, Lee Hishamuddin Allen & Gledhill, Azim, Tunku Farik & Wong, Chooi & Co, Lee Ong & Kandiah, Rajes Hisham Pillai & Gopal, Skrine, Haryati Deepak, Othman Hashim and Co, RamRais & Partners, Thomas Philip, Tommy Thomas, Zaid Ibrahim and Co and Zul Rafique & Partners. We believe great careers are built on firm foundations. Our approach is holistic. There are certain undeniable truths about a great law school,” the Head of Department, Vasantha says.

Today the Department of Law has some of the finest minds in private legal education. Many of its academics are leading researchers in their respective fields. Jaspal Kaur and Mark Goh are contributing editors to the Annotated Statutes of Malaysia. Jaspal Kaur is also the contributing editor to the Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia, a leading legal encyclopedia. Vilmah Balakrishnan is a regular speaker at conferences in the areas of contract and commercial laws.

Vasantha adds “our students are groomed to excel and become world leaders. This tradition of excellence is evident in the number of First Class Honours that the Faculty has produced through its UK Degree Transfer Programme (Law) from prestigious intellectual cathedrals of higher learning such as the University of Manchester, University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of the West of England, Bristol and Northumbria University. Law students at HELP are exposed to ‘Superior Learning and Thinking Pedagogy’ which incorporates problem-based learning, case studies and peer teaching.”

The mission of the Department of Law is to groom employable lawyers. To this end various initiatives have been taken. Among them include introducing skills based papers such as Legal Skills and Legal Practice which encompasses soft skills such as Legal Research, Client Interviewing and Counselling, Advocacy, Drafting, Negotiation, Case Management and Preparation, Managing a Law Firm, Criminal and Civil Litigation. The Department of Law also prides itself as being the only private university college with a Law Office and a Volunteer Programme. Students who undertake these summer programmes are exposed to Practical Lawyering Skills. There is also the Skrine Annual Moot Competition that acts as a platform to further enhance advocacy skills amongst students.