All about Law

Today Law is one of the best career options after grade XII, if we consider the emergence of
National Law Schools, their world-class education, infrastructure, and campus placements.

Students can go for Law courses with any stream (Science stream/ Commerce stream / Arts
stream) in grade XII. From 2008 onwards, the ten premier National Law Schools admit
students into their 5-year BA LL. B programs through the Common Law Admission Test
(CLAT).

B.A.LL.B vs LL.B

Law is one of the career-oriented courses after grade XII. In India, students can pursue a
legal degree after the completion of graduation in any discipline. There are the following
degrees of legal education in India.

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) – 3 years

LL. B is the most common degree of law education. The LL. B degree takes 3 years.

Integrated undergraduate degrees – B.A. LL.B., B.Sc. LL.B., BBA LL.B, B. Com LL.B – 5 years

One can apply for the integrated course & take admission in a 5-year program after the
completion of grade XII exams.

Other Law Programs

Master of Laws (LL.M.) – one/two years

LL.M is a master's degree in legal education having one or two-year duration.

Master of Business Law

The MBL is a master's degree in legal education with a specialization in business law
having one or two-year duration.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

There is a good prospect for Ph.D. after legal education. Most of the highly reputed
autonomous institutions provide Ph.D. programs.
Integrated MBL-LL.M/ MBA-LL.M – 3 years

One who wishes to do the integrated course with business specialization can go for the
MBL-LL.M or MBA-LL.M. It is a 3-year degree program after the completion of the LL.B.

Jobs / Careers in Law

Law is a very reputed field to choose as a career. India has great demand for skilled lawyers
While the traditional options of joining legal practice or the judiciary as solicitors and
advocates remain open, options like joining civil services, academics, and working as law
officers in the government, public and private sector undertakings are also available to law
graduates.

However most impressive are the options thrown open by the emerging global economy
to a graduate from a top law school. These are as follows:

• International Law firms

• Indian Law firms
• Consulting & Advisory companies
• MNCs and corporate legal departments
• Legal Process Outsourcing
• NGO and Global organizations
• Big Firms like, E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC hire lawyers for performing their
tax divisions.

Starting Salaries

There is no limit to salaries if you are a good lawyer and practice individually.

After the completion of the course, while working under the experts, one can earn stipends
ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month.

By working individually in court one can earn Rs.20,000 to Rs.50,000 per month.

Opportunities Abroad

The last decade saw many Indian lawyers leave India to pursue careers with foreign law
firms and this trend has snowballed into a situation where foreign law firms are now hiring
the best of Indian law school graduates. One of the reasons that foreign firms prefer to
hire Indian law school graduates is that India has a Common Law system, under which the
law is created and/ or refined by judges, and a decision in the case currently pending
depends on decisions in previous cases and affects the law to be applied in future cases.

This system is followed by lot of countries that trace their legal heritage to Britain, including
the United Kingdom and the United States. Another reason is that Indian students are
proficient in English and their legal skills are on par with their counterparts in the west.
Also, growing international trade and WTO regulations will lead to the opening of legal
systems across the world, and law firms are preparing for it.

Indians are considered an asset to law firms whose clients have business interests in India.
An Indian lawyer is considered valuable on any team that is involved in a cross-border deal.

For an Indian to work as a solicitor in the UK, he/she must pass the Qualified Lawyers
Transfer Test (QLTT) which is conducted by the Law Society. To do so, they must have two
years of training/ experience. Work done in India or any other Common Law jurisdiction
counts. It is necessary to first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Law Society before
sitting for the exam.

Of course, an aspiring lawyer must beware of several obstacles on the way. While getting
a working permit isn't very hard, it isn't a cakewalk either. The trick is to find a law firm that
will sponsor you.

The Next Step

Amongst all the courses which lawyers choose after LL. B is LL.M. While some other popular
courses are:

• Certificate Course in Infotech Law

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

A degree in Law offers vast opportunities. If you are planning to appear for Law Entrance
exams conducted in India by the Central/State government or Universities, there are many
Colleges that conduct their internal entrance exam for a limited number of seats.

The Bar Council of India manages all the Legal Education in India. The Bar Council manages
the syllabus, practical sessions, and Live Court Proceedings for the students. For any Law
Pass out a student must have a license from the Bar Council of India to practice as an
advocate in India.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should have passed Higher Secondary School/Intermediate Examination (10+2)

or its equivalent examination with not less than 50% marks in aggregate (45% in case of
SC/ST/OBC and persons with Disability).

Exam Pattern

Most exams structure the test into the following 5 sections:

• English (including comprehension)

• Elementary Mathematics
• General Knowledge/Current Affairs
• Logical Reasoning
• Legal Reasoning

Counselling/Interview

Short-listed candidates will be called for Interview/Counselling at which time they may be
required to carry educational documents/residential proof/photographs/ SC/ST certificates
(if applicable) for verification.

Exam Syllabus

Most Law entrance tests comprised of questions from these topics: English language,
General knowledge, Basic mathematics, and Legal and logical reasoning.

Runashree Saikia, LL.B., who got her Law Degree from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University
says," The entrance exam question paper generally consists of the following sections

1) Numerical reasoning/math

2)Logical reasoning

3) English (grammar/passage reading etc.)

4) Current affairs.

Logical reasoning & English cover around 60% of the test, current affairs cover around 30%,
and math covers around 10% of the test. For logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, there
are many books in the market one can buy and practice. For English sections, one should try
to improve upon grammar. Also, passage reading should be practiced to save time in the
exam hall. For the current affairs section, one can buy the yearbooks or monthly magazines.
But don't forget to read the newspaper daily and make note of every important news. For
the current affairs section, I took up the Manorama yearbook. But my old habit of reading
the newspaper daily and making note of important news every day helped me the most."

How to Become a Supreme Court Lawyer

Lately, we have come across the query - "How does one become a Supreme Court Lawyer?".

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has come out with a new Certificate of Practice and Renewal
Rules, 2014 that prohibit an advocate from starting to practice in the Supreme Court unless
they have practiced for

1. at least two years in a trial court and

2. three years in a high court in India.

Considering these new rules from now, the certificate of practice needs to be renewed
every five years. This is to be done by filing an application with the relevant state bar council
six months in advance from the date of expiry of the certificate.

According to a recent report in the Economic Times, the reasons for the new certificate of
practice rules state "There is an urgent need for laying down some conditions for practicing
law in different courts to give due weightage and credence to experience. Before an
advocate could practice law in higher courts, there is a need that he is exposed to real court
experience in lower courts/trial courts. This will help in integrating the whole judicial system
from the perspective of the bar".

Currently, all categories of advocates are allowed to appear before the Supreme Court.
However, only Supreme Court Advocates On Record (AOR) are eligible to appear, act and
plead for a litigant before this court. An AOR is an advocate who has cleared the Supreme
Court AOR exam. Note that to be eligible to attempt AOR, an advocate needs to have
practiced in the chambers of a Supreme Court AOR for at least five years.

In 2013, the Supreme Court had banned the advocates enrolled for less than one year from
appearing before the Supreme Court.

The newly issued rule will help fresher advocates in learning the ropes from the lower and
high court and will make them understand courts functioning.