Thiruvananthapuram: Considered as the tallest figure in modern legal education N R Madhava Menon passed away early on Wednesday, here at a private hospital, said family sources. He was 84.

Menon was unwell and was hospitalised a few days back.

He was the founder director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) and the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, besides the founder vice chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS).

Beginning his legal career as an advocate at the Kerala High Court in 1956, Menon shifted his base to Delhi, after first joining the faculty of Aligarh Muslim University in 1960 and then to Delhi University in 1965, where he became professor and head of the Campus Law Centre.

In 1986, Menon moved to Bangalore at the invitation of Bar Council of India to set up the National Law School of India University and to initiate a new model of legal education, the Five Year Integrated LL.B. programme.

After his retirement, he settled in the capital city and served as the chairman of the prestigious Centre for Development Studies, here for two terms, before calling it a day, a few years back.

He is survived by his wife and son. His last rites would be conducted at the state owned crematorium later in the day.