Course Details
One can either pursue a three-year law course (LLB) after graduation in any discipline or a five-year course after twelfth standard examinations, leading to a BA LLB (Hons). LLB course is sponsored by the Bar Council of India. Generally, eligibility for LLB is on the basis of marks scored at the graduation examinations. However, there are some Universities that conduct entrance tests too. Certain institutions like National Law School in Bangalore conduct an All India Entrance examination.
The BA LLB programme usually covers practical training including court attendance, hands on training at legal aid centres and research projects. To be able to practise, it is mandatory to put in a year’s internship. This may be done during the course of the final year. In addition to LL.B. degree, many universities and institutes also offer other diploma courses in several disciplines of law. P.G. Programmes in law (LLM) are of 2 years duration & eligibility is LLB degree. There are various branches of specialisation in law like civil law, criminal law, corporate law, income tax law, international law, labour law, constitutional law, and patent law etc.
Career Prospects
Lawyers can find employment opportunities in public and private sector organizations. Most Lawyers prefer to become an advocate and practice law as a profession. For that they have to enroll with the Local/State/Central Bar Council. Central/State Government jobs are also open to Lawyers. They can be appointed as Judges of various courts, as Attorney and Solicitor General, as Public Prosecutor and also in Defense, Tax and Labour departments. Moreover Lawyer can also work as legal counsel and legal advisers for firms, organizations and families. They also can be appointed as Company Secretaries in various firms.
They also can work with legal consultancy firms dealing with tax, excise, patent, labour and environmental laws. They also can work as trustees of various trusts, law reporters in media industries. Besides Lawyers have also ample career options in Law schools and collages as a teacher/professor. In addition to this Lawyers also can join politics because they have large public contacts. These non-profit organisations like NGOs are need the service of Lawyers. International agencies like UNO, ILO, and ICJ also employ Lawyers of good reputation and track records.
Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Here is a list of some of the top Law Colleges in India. They are National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore; Gujarat National Law University (GNLU); Symbiosis Society's Law College (SSLC), Pune; National Law University, Jodhpur; NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad; National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal; Faculty of Law, University of Delhi; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata; ILS Law College, Pune; Government Law College, Mumbai; Amity Law School , Delhi; Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh; Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur and Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai.
Remuneration
Salaries of experienced attorneys vary widely according to the type, size, and location of their employer. A qualified lawyer employed in government department has pay packages as per the terms and conditions of the government. Those appointed as judges have good remunerations and other perks offered by the government. Lawyers preferring private sector have more lucrative pay packages. The earnings of lawyers working privately as advocate or consultant depends upon the number and nature of their clients.
