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LEGAL STUDIES

MAKE A CAREER IN THE FIELD OF LAW

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Legal Education Legal EducationCourse Review Course Review

CONTENTS1. Introduction 03

2. How to Enter the Profession 04

3. Law Schools in India 05

4. Getting Admission 06

5. Learning Process 07

6. Law as a Profession 08

7. Success Mantras 09

8. Higher Studies 10

9. Best Law Schools in India 11

10. Top Global Law Schools 12

11. 25 Law Entrance Exams 13

INTRODUCTION

What is common to Mahatma Gandhi and Madan Mohan Malviya? Or Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Sardar Patel?

Besides being in the forefront of India’s freedom struggle, a common thread binds them. All of them were lawyers by profession. Even six dec-ades after Independence, Law continues to be an attractive profession for many youngsters.

What makes the study of Law interesting? In simple terms Law means the whole system of rules that everyone in a country or society must obey. Legal Studies look at how law shapes a country’s economic, political and cultural forces and its international ramifications. So, you will have a chance to understand and make a positive impact on a range of matters, including indi-vidual liberty, public policies, wealth distribu-tion, relationship between the individual and the state, political and social equality etc. In a nutshell you will come to know everything that concerns an individual and the society.

Programme: LLB Duration: 5 years Eligibility: 10+2 Entrance Exams: CLAT, LSAT-India, SET, institute-specific exams Course Fee: @Rs.6-8 lakhs Best Institutes For Bachelor’s: NLSIU (Bangalore), NUJS (Kolkata), NALSAR (Hyderabad), Symbiosis Society’s Law College (Pune), The Government Law College (Mumbai) Best Institutes For Master’s/Research: NLSIU (Bangalore) NALSAR (Hyderabad), Delhi University, Madras University, Calcutta University, Bombay University, Nagpur University, National Law School Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur Career Roles: Lawyers, legal expert; teaching, public service, international practice Earning Potential: Depends on expertise and domain Top Recruiters: Legal firms: like Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith, Simmons, Luthra and Luthra, Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB Partners; Companies like TATA, Reliance, Infosys, Wipro, TCS

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HOW TO ENTER THE PROFESSION

You can become a professional after get-ting a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, com-monly known as LLB. You have three

types of institutions to choose from. They are: l Public university departments/colleges l National Law Schoolsl Private institutions

The course can be a 3-year LLB or a 5-year integrated Degree. Both these are Bachelor’s degrees. But a 3-year degree is only for those who already have an undergraduate degree. If you are in 10+2, you can apply for a 5-yer integrated degree. In the 5-year pattern, after completing some specified courses, you will be awarded a BA or BSc Degree at the end of 3 years. You will get an LLB Degree only after completing all the five years of the course.

YOU CAN EITHER GO FOR A 3-YEAR OR A 5-YEAR LLB. FOR THOSE WITH JUST 10+2 QUALIFICATION, 5-YEAR LLB IS THE ONLY OPTION.

Law Schools in IndiaThere are at least 900 Law colleges across the country. The establishment of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bangalore made a huge qualitative impact on legal studies in the country. Now there are 15 such Law Schools across India. Besides, there are a number of public and private-funded institutions that impart quality education leading to a bright career in this field.

Going by the perception of students, recruiters and the law fraternity, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bangalore can be rated as the best in India. It has tie ups with many of the premier Law Schools abroad, including University of California, San Francisco, Duke Law School, York University Canada, National University of Singapore, Georgetown University etc.

Other top National Law schools are NUJS Kolkata, NALSAR Hyderabad and NLU Delhi. Hyderabad-based NALSAR has established academic exchange programmes with some of the leading law schools in the world including University of New South Wales, Kings College London etc. NUJS Kolkata is very strong when it comes to faculty and research. Along with them NLU Delhi has already made its mark with its state-of-the-art infrastructure, excellent faculty and a very vibrant and experienced leadership.

There are many similar Law Schools established by state governments at Jodhpur, Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur, Lucknow, Kochi which also enjoy a good reputation. Then there are many law colleges, which have a good name like ILS and Symbiosis, Pune, Amity Law School, New Delhi among others. Another private institution of repute is the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) under the O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonepat, Haryana. (See Box for list of select colleges)



Getting Admission If you want admission to National Law Schools, you will have to appear for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Other law colleges give you admission through Law School Admission Test – India (LSAT-India).

To apply for CLAT, you should have a 10+2 or equivalent qualification from a recognised Board. Minimum cut-off is 45% marks in aggregate. There is a 5% relaxation in marks for eligible categories. You can also apply if you are awaiting results. But at the time of admission, you must submit proof that you have passed the qualifying examination with necessary marks.

You should not be more than 20 years of age as on July 1 of the year of admis-sion to LLB. There is a relaxation of two years in age for eligible categories.

LSAT-India doesn’t have any minimum eligibility but the candidates must check the eligibility requirements of the participating Law Schools and fill the admission form accordingly.

There are also institute-specific entrance tests like the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) for admission to National Law University, Delhi and Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) for admission to Symbiosis Law School. For details on Law entrances download E-Book on ‘Law Entrances’.

Selecting the Right CollegeAsk these questions while you go about choosing the college.l Does the college have a very good faculty?l Does it have good library?l Does it have a strong alumni network?l Will you get a good placement?l What is the moot court record of the college?l Is it famous for research and legal writing?

LEARNING PROCESS

The National Law Schools across the country generally follow the semester system except NLSIU, Bangalore that

follows a unique trimester system.

Under the semester system a student under-goes 10 semesters of study. Each semester will have five subjects each. In the last two semesters the candidates may be allowed to take some elec-tives of their choice. Some of the most popular electives include Advanced Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Finance Law, and Capital Mar-ket Regulation etc. Thus by the time the course is over you would have covered roughly 50 subjects and in each subject there is a project, which the student has to do and present in the class.

Internships and moot trials go a long way in helping you blend theoretical knowledge with practical challenges. In the first two years you

YOU LEARN ALMOST ALL THE ARES OF LAW AND THE EXPERIENCE IS ENRICHED WITH PRACTICAL PROJECTS AND MOOT COURTS


Legal Education Course Review

will spend time on conducting mock trial courts. From the third year the scene shifts to working with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Supreme Court and High Court Judges, companies, law firms, both national and international. A legally-oriented activity, mooting gives you the opportu-nity for real-life application of classroom knowledge. Shayan Dasgupta from Symbiosis Law School, Pune says, “I use a little sarcasm while I am mooting, and while speaking, I maintain a calm and composed manner which resounds well with the judges who appreciate politeness.”

Law as a Profession Earlier, the profession of Law was limited to criminal and civil litigation in the courts. But now, the opportunities available for graduates from any of the top Law Schools are phenomenal. After the liberalization of India’s economy there is a huge demand for highly skilled lawyers in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, infrastructure contracts, private equity deals, WTO law etc.

International and domestic law firms regularly recruit legal professionals in large numbers. Same is the case with big companies like TATA, Reliance, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, ICICI Bank, Dr. Reddy’s Labs etc.

If you do not like the field of business law, you can still find greener pastures in environment or human rights law in reputed organisations like CSE, ICRC etc.

Most of the international law firms like Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith, Simmons etc make campus recruitment from India for their offices across the globe. Almost all the Indian law firms like Luthra and Luthra, Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB Partners, Nishith Desai Associates also recruit in large numbers from the Law Schools.

Success MantrasLaw is a demanding profession. If litigation is your core interest, you must be able to think quickly and logically, should have tremendous perseverance. Barring exceptions, most of the budding lawyers invariably work for a few years under a senior advocate to learn the ropes.

Skill sets of a Good Lawyer:Knowledge: A good lawyer reads the law, but the truth is that good lawyers do more. They comprehend the laws and know the law inside and out.

Memory: Law is not cast in stone and is open to multiple interpretations. Remembering the various interpretations of the law, in previous judgments is always an asset. An elephantine memory is a big asset to any lawyer.

Drafting skills: Every case requires a brief, and lawyers often take on many cases at the same time. Consequently, they need to be able to convey their ideas quickly and concisely so that anyone reading the brief can quickly understand the lawyer’s argument. Excellent drafting ability is what segre-gates the best from the rest. Precision and brevity is a good lawyer’s hallmark.

Team player: As society gets complex, the issues coming up to the court also invariably straddle different aspects of law and sometimes draw upon diverse fields to arrive at a solution. It is the lawyer who effectively must weave their contribution together to assist the court. So being a team player is very crucial.

Qualifications Needed to Practice LawBesides a valid degree, lawyers in India must clear the all India Bar Examina-tion to practice in courts. This examination is conducted by the Bar Council of India.



Higher studies- Postgraduation Law Schools as well as traditional universities like Delhi University offer 2-year Master’s programme (LLM). This is open to candidates who have passed their Bachelor’s Degree in Law. It enables you to specialize in an area of choice like Constitutional Law, Labour Law, Human Rights Law, Interna-tional Law, Intellectual Property Law and Corporate Law. In most universi-ties this is a 2-year full-time programme divided into 4 semesters. The last semester is devoted to writing a dissertation under the supervision of a pro-fessor. NLS Bangalore offers LLM with specialization in Business Laws and Human Rights, while NALSAR University of Law Hyderabad is known for its LLM with specialization in Intellectual Property Law and Corporate Law.

There are many reputed law schools abroad like Yale, Harvard, Cornell, University of California-Berkeley, George Washington University, New York University, Oxford, Cambridge, University of London and National Univer-sity of Singapore etc (See Box). Many Indian students go to US for doing their Master’s programme in Law. Good law schools abroad cost around Rs. 25-35 lakhs for a 9-month LLM course. Many of the graduatess from the top law schools go abroad to do their LLM with full scholarship or partial scholarships, which may be in the form of fee waiver

Research ProgrammesVery few universities in India offer MPhil degree in Law. However, NALSAR Hyderabad has a one-year MPhil programme with special focus on teaching and research. PhD programme in Law is being offered in many universities including Delhi University, Madras University, Calcutta University, Bombay University, Nagpur University, National Law School Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata and NLU Jodhpur. The minimum qualification is LLM with 55% marks. Generally this calls for 3-5 years of original research by the candidate under one or more supervisors on an unexplored area in law.

ConclusionLegal education in India is slowly coming of age. Though at one stage it was in a completely neglected state the establishment of the National Law Schools has changed the system for the better. The plethora of opportunities avail-able to a bright lawyer in India is amazing. It is high time that more and more students seriously start thinking of Law as an attractive and satisfying career option. Even abroad, Indian lawyers are making their mark in government and corporate domains. So, wake up to the realities and prepare well to get a head start in this challenging profession.

Best LAW Schools in India*Name Location Website

Amity Law School Delhi www.amity.edu/als

Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies Bangalore www.bhshes.org

Department of Legal Studies, Madras University Chennai www.unom.ac.in/legal.html

Dr. Ambedkar Law University Chennai www.tndalu.org

Faculty of Law, Allahabad University Allahabad www.allduniv.ac.in/

Faculty of Law, Delhi University Delhi www.du.ac.in

ILS Law College Pune www.ilslaw.edu

Indian Law Institute Delhi www.ilidelhi.org

NALSAR University of Law Hyderabad www.nalsarlawuniv.ac.in

National Law Institute University Bhopal www.nliu.com

National Law University Jodhpur www.nlujodhpur.ac.in

NLSIU Bangalore www.nls.ac.in

NUJS Kolkata www.nujs.edu

Symbiosis Society's Law College Pune www.symlaw.ac.in

The Government Law College Mumbai www.glcmumbai.com

* Based on perception of students, recruiters and the law fraternity



Best LAW Schools in THE WORLDName of institution Location Website

Cambridge University Cambridge www.law.cam.ac.uk

Columbia University New York www.law.columbia.edu/

Harvard University Massachusetts www.law.harvard.edu/

London School of Economics London www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/

New York University New York www.law.nyu.edu/

Oxford University Oxford www.law.ox.ac.uk

Peking University Beijing www.law.pku.edu.cn/llmp

Stanford University California www.law.stanford.edu/

Tsinghua University Beijing www.tsinghua.edu.cn/eng

University of Aberdeen Aberdeen www.abdn.ac.uk/law

Yale University New Haven www.law.yale.edu/

NLSIU Bangalore www.nls.ac.in

NUJS Calcutta www.nujs.edu

Symbiosis Society's Law College Pune www.symlaw.ac.in

The Government Law College Mumbai www.glc.edu

TOP GLOBAL LAW SCHOOLSFour Indian institutions are among the top 15 law Schools across the world

LIST OF 25 LAW ENTRANCES Besides national level Entrances there are many institute-specific tests

Law Entrance TestsName of institution Website

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) www.amucontrollerexams.com/

All India Law Entrance Test www.nludelhi.ac.in

Banaras Hindu University www.bhu.ac.in

Bharati Vidyapeeth University Law Entrance Test www.bharatividyapeeth.edu

Christ College of Law Entrance Test www.christcollege.edu

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) www.clat.ac.in/

Cochin Univ of Science and Technology (CUSAT) www.cusat.nic.in

Delhi University www.du.ac.in/

DES Pune www.despune.org/

Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya Sagar MP www.sagaruniversity.nic.in

GLC Mumbai www.glcmumbai.com

ICFAI Law Admission Test www.iudehradun.edu.in

ILS Law College http://www.ilslaw.edu/

Indian Law Institute Common Admission Test www.ilidelhi.org

IPUCET http://ipu.ac.in

KLSAT (KIIT Law School) www.kls.ac.in

LAWCET www.aplawcet.org/

LSAT www.pearsonvueindia.com/lsatindia

Nirma University Test www.nirmauni.ac.in/

Panjab University Entrance Test (PUCET) http://laws.puchd.ac.in/

Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law www. iitkgp.ac.in/topfiles/law.php

RULET (Rajasthan University Law Entrance Test) www.uniraj.ac.in/

SOA National Institute of Law http://snil.ac.in/

Symbiosis Law School Entrance Exam www.symlaw.ac.in, www.set-test.org

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies http://www.upes.ac.in

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