Legal Career in India – A Complete Guide

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Legal Career in India – A Complete Guide

23 ,April 2020

A profession that requires grit and hard work needs no introduction. Law as a career is chosen by many, delivered with utmost honesty, few. A career in Law is indeed, a dream for many. Lawyers and advocates are held with high regard in societyas they work through all segments of the civil society by making people aware of their legal/constitutional rights and duties.  

One of the fastest-growing professions, a career in law, in times of globalization, has been in much demand. In today’s integrated world, the notion of a lawyer, confined to the four walls of a court, or his work station is being challenged. Even a learner of Law, particularly with the varied interdisciplinary aspects, is the need of the hour. Hence, the legal career as a concept is transforming, and it is time to embrace it. 

In this article, we are going to talk about pursuing a legal career in India explicitly. The article will briefly take you through the channels adopted to pursue the legal career, the best colleges from where it can be pursued, as well as what to expect after the completion of the course. 

Pursuing a degree

In India, pursuing a degree in Law can be through two channels: 
A 5 year integrated program which can be sought right after class 12th, an LLB degree, which can be pursued after graduation. Both courses have their pros and cons. A 5 year integrated course in India gives a holistic approach towards driven and ambitious aspirants who want to work their way up in the discipline, still if any candidate feels they have made a wrong choice for their career, they might feel trapped or struggling through the program. Presently, the students are too ambitious, yet they know the difference between a 5-year integrated program and a 3-year program that can be sought after graduation. A 5-year integrated program can be pursued right after class 12th (Check Law Entrance Exam After 12th), after giving an entrance test. The program aims to target students who have an interest in pursuing legal education with an inclination towards societal benefit. During the course, a holistic understanding which gives in-depth exposure to the students to choose their sides and build their career.On this basis it can be comprehended, pursued and looked after. Colleges and Universities like the National Law Universities, Aligarh Muslim University, Symbiosis University, are well sought after, where aspirants should be on the lookout of the notification of the various entrance tests.Greater Noida is becoming the hub of educational institutions, a place whose proximity to Delhi, gives it an edge over the others. Lloyd Law College, in Knowledge Park II, offers B.A L.L.B and L.L.B courses to aspirants who wish to pursue a career in Law. Through the Lloyd Entrance Test (LET) the students are just one step away from their dream profession. 

A 3 Year L.L.B courseprimarily, can be pursued after graduation. As graduation provides in-depth knowledge of any discipline to the students, after graduation belonging to any field of study can pursue a course in Law, which will help them further their pursuits of an amalgamated, inter-disciplinary aspect of their career. Nurturing the deep knowledge with a legal framework for a better career in Law is what Lloyd Law College stands for. 

Deciding on the Entrance Tests:
The primary decision resides in which course to pursue. Once the candidate has made their choice, they should soon plan and start studying for entrance tests. Primarily, there are entrance tests like Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) which is a standardized Law School entrance that tests a student’s logical reasoning, analytical skills as well as an aptitude for Law. Apart from that, reading comprehension is also taken care. The test comprises multiple-choice questions, which need an adequate amount of preparation from the aspirants. 

Lloyd Entrance Test (LET), is outlined to test comprehension, analytical skills as well as the aptitude to endure the challenges of the discipline. The entrance tests are designed to meet the needs of changing times, select the students accordingly, the ones who sincerely work towards pursuing a legal career.

As the entrance tests are nearing, the aspirants should focus on spending their day, judiciously. As is advised to themthey, should follow a time-table for thoroughly preparing for the various entrance tests.

Choosing a Law School
A candidate with a good percentile score, and aspirations in his eyes, always reaches the stars. A good percentile makes a lot of difference, as a plethora of opportunities lay ahead of him. A candidate who is preparing to give the entrance tests should focus on getting a good percentile score. Generally, most National Law Universities demand an excellent percentile score, which helps them sift through the best of the lot. 

There are many options for Law Schools. Depending upon their score, they can choose between National Law Universities, Aligarh Muslim University, Symbiosis University, Amity University, for a Five-Year integrated course. Apart from these, Lloyd Law College, offers a Five- Year integrated B.A L.L.B course to aspirants, still, admission to the course happens through their tailor-made entrance test, Lloyd Entrance Test, which each aspirant should take if they want admission into the college. The test is conducted primarily in two phases: Written-test and an Interview. Once both the phases a candidate passes, only then admission is sought into the college. The aspirants should thoroughly prepare for these tests. 
Once a list of Law Schools are made by the aspirant they, should make sure, they attend the classes regularly, they should take part in the seminars and conferences conducted in the college/university from time to time, as well as be on a lookout for various internship programs. As lawyers, the value of internships and participation in competitions help the students build their CV’s, as they have work experience even during their course progression.

Choosing a Career after Law School:
After course completion, as the young aspirants of Law are ready to take off into a challenging world, one of the apparent options that any law aspirant has is to become a Lawyer. To become a law practitioner, a Bar Council exam needs to be passed by the aspirant, a certificate, and a license, which gives them the right to practice law in India. There are many specializations which can be considered by the aspirant: 

Criminal Law, Corporate Law, Civil Law, Taxation Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law, Administration Law, Labour Law, etc. An aspirant can choose from these fields of study and practice, either under a senior Lawyer, or join a corporate Law Firm. 

In India, some of the most sought after Law firms are Amarchand and Mangaldas, Khaitan and Co. who hire lawyers to work for them. Apart from these, there are numerous MNC’s who hire people from legal backgrounds for their assistance. The aspirant should also take the placements and opportunities drive in their Universities seriously if they have a law firm, in mind. 

Further, apart from law firms, the aspirants also have the option of giving government exams like State PCS (Judicial), Higher Judicial Exam etc., if they want to go for Judicial services. 

Choosing the right career, sincerity and perseverance and dedication will help you reach your goal. The clock is ticking, as the entrances are round the corner, the aspirants should have a clear mind regarding the preparations and list colleges. What to do, why are they pursuing a particular career and how to go about it. It is time for all the aspirants to put their best foot forward. 

 

Author
Rittuporna Chatterjee
Assistant Professor