Confused About Career? (+91) 9135800500 /9473332444
Confused About Career? (+91) 9135800500 /9473332444
Law is a career stream that candidates pursue at undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) or doctorate (PhD) level to practice legal profession in India. Law as a career is very popular among students in India. The popularity of this stream can be judged from the fact that famous people like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela as well as the former US President Barack Obama were lawyers.
Scope of law as a career is immense in India. These days, law graduates do not just opt to get dressed in black and white apparels and head to court but also make their presence feel in corporate houses, law firms, law agencies, administrative services and the likes.
A career in law requires one to put in a lot of hardwork and long working hours. The preferred specialisations in law are either criminal or civil. However, these days other branches are also gaining popularity such as cyber law, patent law as well as corporate law.
To make a career in law at the UG level, aspirants can pursue five year duration integrated LLB courses such as BA LLB, BBA LLB, BSc LLB or BCom LLB. Candidates can also opt to pursue a three year LLB course after completing their graduation. Apart from this, candidates who wish to study further can obtain a master’s degree (LLM) followed by a doctoral degree (PhD).
Law colleges across India have different selection process and eligibility criteria for admissions at UG and PG levels. However, given below is the basic eligibility criteria that candidates need to fulfill to secure admission in law courses offered at UG and PG levels:
Eligibility for UG Law Courses: Candidates are eligible to secure admission in UG law courses if they have cleared Higher Secondary School/Intermediate (10+2) or its equivalent exam from a recognised board with not less than 45% marks in aggregate.
Eligibility for PG Law Courses: For admission in LLB (3 years) course, aspirants need to be graduates from a recognised university. Also, for admission in LLM course candidates need to possess an LLB or equivalent degree from a recognised university.
Other than the educational qualification mentioned above, candidates should possess some skills mentioned below in order to be successful in the field of law.
| Good intellect |
Good judgement of situation/people |
| Persuasion skills |
Convincing skills |
| Ability to argue on a topic |
Strong command over language |
| Interest in detail |
Ability to assimilate as well as analyse facts |
| Fluency and clarity of speech |
Good presentation skills |
| Confidence |
Unbiased |
| Mental and physical stamina |
Interest in research |
Law admissions at a majority of colleges and universities in India are done on the basis of entrance exams. Most of the law entrance exams conducted for admission in UG level law courses evaluate candidates on the basis of their aptitude/ knowledge on subjects such as General Knowledge, English, Mathematics (Numerical Ability), Logical Reasoning and Legal Aptitude. On the other hand, popular law exams for PG level law courses comprise questions from subject areas such as Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence and other law subjects (Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, International Law, Environment Law and Human Rights Law, etc).
Some popular law entrance exams that aspirants should consider appearing for in order to secure admission in the best law colleges in the country are mentioned below:
| Popular Law Entrance Exams |
|
|---|---|
| Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) |
All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) |
| Law School Admission Test – India (LSAT India) |
Delhi University LLB Entrance Exam (DU LLB Entrance Exam) |
Becoming a lawyer is not the only job profile one can pursue after completing their law courses. Aspirants can also make their law careers in the job profiles mentioned below:
| Law Job Profile | Description |
|---|---|
| Lawyer |
In this job profile aspirants are also sometimes referred to as advocates. A lawyer mostly represents one of the parties/ clients in a trial at court. As part of this job profile, one needs to cross examine witnesses and then list reasons/ facts around why the court should give the judgement in favour of their clients. |
| Legal Advisors |
In this job profile, one is expected to counsel clients on legal rights and obligations. Legal advisors mostly research laws applicable to a particular case and thereafter go through previous judgements passed in cases similar to the one their client is currently facing and thereafter help them in listing out how they can defend themselves. |
| Judges |
As a Judge one has to ensure that justice is administered and legal rights of all the involved parties are safeguarded. A Judge presides over trials/hearings wherein s/he has to listen to the case presented by lawyers. |
| Solicitors |
Solicitors give legal advice and represent their client in legal matters. Solicitors mostly work for firms which take up cases related to their area of work. |
| Legal Executives |
People opting to work for such a job profile typically advise their employers on legal matters. They also work on litigation cases for their firm. They also perform administrative functions along with handling in-house legal problems such as checking deeds, issuing writs, collecting information for affidavits as well as draft legal documents. Legal executives also represent their business house when they discuss legal issues with other firms. |
| Notary Public
|
Notaries are appointed by the central government for the whole or specific part of the country. The various State governments also appoint notaries who work for the whole or a specific part of the state. Any person who has been practicing Law (as a lawyer) for minimum ten years is eligible to apply for a notary post. As per the Notaries Act 1952, the function of a Notary is as follows:
|
| Oath Commissioners |
Anyone who works under this job profile is authorised to verify affidavits. An Oath Commissioner is appointed by the Chief Justice and is usually (though not always) a solicitor. The functions of an Oath Commissioner are as follows:
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Salaries earned by law graduates typically vary on the law specialisation they choose along with the company they join. After completing a law course aspirants can work as an understudy with lawyers or even join a corporate company. Know the top law companies here.
The top law companies that are known to hire law graduates are listed below:
