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Career Prospects for Law Students in Recent Times

08 Jul 2020

For the law graduates, choosing the right career in law is an important task which they have to achieve in any manner. “If you are a law graduate and you don’t want to choose your career as a lawyer, then it’s not the time to get worried about this”. Litigation is a traditional option but not the only one. Due to this, it becomes a more critical situation for the student to choose either of becoming a lawyer or something else.

Law is globally a challenging career which is a system of rules and regulations. But as a profession, it encompasses various fields. Students could go through litigation. But this concept has changed now. They can also make their career in patent laws and corporate laws, etc. A law degree not only opens the career as a lawyer but also gives the option in various sectors such as corporate management, administration services, and legal services.

Market Watch

Talks are on to expand the scope for legal practice in India and open the gates for law firms from outside India. Law graduates can expect better job opportunities when foreign law firms start their operations in India. LPOs have started to recruit young law graduates for their processes dealing in US laws or UK laws. Legal education has been liberalized and for that reason, professionals from various other disciplines too are interested to do short term courses in law which ultimately will help to raise the standard of legal awareness.

International Focus

Legal education in India is similar to the one in Britain. Whereas several universities in the UK offer legal education to Indian students, Indian students quite enjoy working in the UK wherein they receive attractive salary packages. A recent trend has been that students from India study in law colleges in the USA and receive attractive jobs after completion of the course. Harvard Law School, Yale University, Australia National University, etc. are some attractive options for Indian law students these days.

Positives/Negatives

Lawyers like other professionals such as doctors and chartered accountants require experience to polish their skills and become valuable for their clients. Therefore, it is time that helps a lawyer become effective. Candidates determined to succeed in the profession have to be patient in the initial phase of their careers. However, there is no limit to success and money as well as power for a lawyer. Lawyers are not only respected but also help people in their battle for justice.

Step-by-Step

Students interested in making a career in law can either do a three-year law course after graduation in any discipline or a 5 years’ course after 12th class. In fact, the 3 years’ course is now giving way to the 5 years’ one which is seen as a better option. In most cases, colleges run the 3 years’ course only for those whose main discipline in graduation is something other than law, or working professionals who want to do an LLB as an additional qualification. The five-year course is meant for those who want to take up law as a career – be it as a litigator, or any other kind of legal professional.

The LLB course is regulated by the Bar Council of India which sets rules and regulations regarding legal practice in the country. Any specialization is done at masters, MPhil, or Ph.D. stage. A higher degree helps candidates get jobs in academics.

Start Early

A candidate can start preparing for a law entrance exam conducted at the national level for 5 years’ BA LLB at various National Law Schools soon after completing the senior secondary exam. The national law entrance exam, CLAT (Combined Law Admission Test) basically tests the student’s general English, legal aptitude, general awareness, logical skills, etc.

Some universities which offer the three years’ LLB conduct entrance exam which have a syllabus on the same lines.

Is It the Right Career for Me?

Law is a career that requires loads of patience and logical skills. It takes loads of hard work and dedication to become a successful lawyer. First-generation lawyers particularly face numerous problems in their profession as is true of every other profession. It becomes easier if one trains under a Senior Counsel at the beginning of their career. This is not to say that newbies cannot make it own their own. Anything is possible with determination and of course, hard work. Great communication skills and a faculty for critical analysis and articulation are pre-requisites for lawyers. Therefore, one should analyze these points before opting for the law as a career.

Pay Packet

Whereas a lawyer who wishes to start practicing in a court can get a stipend of Rs 5000 to Rs 40,000 depending upon the advocate he is associated with, a law graduate working with Legal Process Outsourcing receives can earn an attractive salary in the range of Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000. It is a very high paying profession but depends largely on the caliber, popularity, and success of the candidate. The college you graduate from is another factor.

What would it Cost Me?

Three years’ LLB course usually involves lesser expenses in the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 for three years. The 5 years’ BA LLB comparatively costs a little more in lieu of about Rs 3,00,000 for five years. Hostel expenses are exclusive of the tuition fees.

Funding and Scholarship

Not many law schools offer financial help on the basis of the entrance exam. The student must talk to the authorities and find out the specific policies on a scholarship from respective universities. Students can also opt to take a bank loan or apply for various scholarships that are offered from time to time.

Job Prospects

There are a plethora of opportunities for a law graduate. One can either practice as an advocate in a court of law or work with corporate firms. By clearing exams conducted by Public Service Commissions, a law graduate can become a judge. After gaining experience, a law graduate can hope to become Solicitor General, a Public Prosecutor, or offer services to government departments and ministries. One can also work as a legal adviser for various organizations. Teaching in colleges, working with NGOs, and working as a reporter for newspapers and television channels are other attractive options.

1. Practicing as an advocate in the court of law

2 . Practicing with Corporate firms.

3. Working as a legal adviser for various organizations

4. working as a Solicitor general or public Prosecutor or offer services to government departments and ministries.

5. Big Firms like, E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC hire lawyers for performing their tax divisions. They also offer a salary package ranging from 6-8 lakhs. Amongst all the course which lawyers choose after LLB is LLM. While some other popular courses are:

• Certificate Course in Infotech Law
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Certificate Course in Cyber Laws
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Diploma in Co-operative Law
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Diploma in Administrative Laws
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Diploma in Corporate Laws and Management
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Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution System
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Diploma in Human Rights
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Diploma in Environmental Laws
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Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights
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Diploma in Labor Laws (D.L.L)
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Diploma in Labor Law and Personnel Management
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Diploma in Labor Laws and Labor Welfare
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Diploma in International Laws
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Diploma in Taxation Laws
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Diploma in Labor Laws and Industrial Relations
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Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
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Integrated BA LLB
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M.A. Human Rights
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M.Phil. Law
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M.A. Human Rights and Duties Education
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Master of Comparative Laws (MCL)
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P.G Diploma in Women’s Rights and Human Rights
•  
Master of Law (LLM)
•  
Ph.D. Law

Demand and Supply

An acute shortage of qualified lawyers has been a major problem in India. The Bar Council of India has often expressed its concern that young lawyers do not join the Bar. There are nearly ten lakh lawyers in India but according to law experts, only 20 percent of them can be considered fit enough to practice law in courts. Several law schools like NLSU, NALSAR were established to increase the level of legal education and produce skilled lawyers to meet the requirement.

However, India is a country with one of the highest litigation rates among its population and Sir Ivor Jennings termed the Indian Constitution “a lawyer’s paradise.” Talented lawyers will never have to worry about their income.

Tips for Getting Hired

Candidates who do five years BA LLB from top law schools like NLSUI Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad get attractive job offers from law firms and ITES firms. Many also opt to start their own practice. All law graduates who wish to practice in the courts have to register themselves in the Bar Council of India (BCI) and practice in courts under senior lawyers.

Practical training in court can enhance your chances of getting hired by law firms and with senior lawyers. Though most of the law colleges impart practical legal education to final year law students, it is students who should take initiative and start visiting court proceedings in the final year to understand the day-to-day affair.

Rahul Singh
Assistant Professor(FJS)