Legal Education for Engineers: Prospects and Career Opportunities

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Relevance Of Comparative Constitutional Law- Madhava  Menon

11 ,May 2020

Abstract
The Legal System provides the basis for activities and ensures a just and equitable framework under which these activities are performed. Law encompasses all aspects of society and economy and human activities and thus requires inputs from social sciences, technical sciences, businesses, etc 

Legal Education in India can be acquired through the three-year LLB course which requires a graduate degree from a recognised university in any subject. It is open to students of all fields to allow enrichment of the field from various sources and to allow Law to be immersed within the society and allow it to uphold the rights of the society in a much more efficient manner. While an engineering graduate can choose to pursue any field in law, certain courses are preferred by students from a technical background, namely: Cyber Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Patent Law.
Job opportunities for law graduates include Advocate, Legal Advisor, Entrepreneur, etc. Law is a multidisciplinary system and invites students from all fields of expertise to share their knowledge and to help provide justice in all aspects of life.

Introduction
The Legal System provides the basis for activities and ensures a just and equitable framework under which these activities are performed. Legal education builds the capacity of students to understand the legal provisions and develop the skill to advocate, arbitrate and adjudicate. In its scope, Law encompasses all aspects of society and economy and human activities and thus requires inputs from social sciences, technical sciences, businesses, etc. Hence, it is vital that the field of law should be open to students of all disciplines for exchange of knowledge and ideas.

Legal Education in India can be acquired through the five-year BALLB course which can be pursued after completing schoolor through the three-year LLB course which requires a graduate degree from a recognised university in any subject. It is open to students of all fields to allow enrichment of the field from various sources and to allow Law to be immersed within the society and allow it to uphold the rights of the society in a much more efficient manner.

Popular Courses
While an engineering graduate can choose to pursue any field in law, certain courses are preferred by students from a technical background.

a) Cyber Law - Engineering students, especially those with an IT background go in for Cyber Law as it is a technical subject with issues ranging from cyber terrorism to credit card forgery. Cyber Law essentially deals with legal issues relating to the World Wide Web. These include defamation on the internet, hacking, virus attacks, etc. Students who are interested in the field and already have an in-depth understanding of Information Technology have an advantage in this course.

b) Intellectual Property Rights - This is another course popular among students with a technical background. Intellectual Property Rights deal with safeguarding the creative and commercial ideas and works of the client. Some areas include Trademarks, Copyrights, etc. Engineering graduates will have the necessary skills and knowledge to understand the intricacies of the works especially if they are mechanical in nature, providing them a much better way of protecting their client’s interests.

c) Patent Law - While this is relatively upcoming in the field of law, it is already a favourite among engineering students. Patent Law helps working professionals to protect their marketable technology or research from being misused or being used by others for profit. Patent Agents are responsible for the drafting and filing of a patent and can only be done by a graduate from a technical field.

Top Colleges for LLB

I) Faculty of Law, Delhi University - Established in 1924, Delhi University remains one of the top choices for three-year LLB program. It offers courses in LLB, LLM and PhD. Applicants are required to have a graduate degree in any discipline from a recognised University. Cut off for the general category is 50%, 45% for OBCs and 40% for SCs and STs.

II) Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur - It is among one of the first institute to offer specialisation in Intellectual Property Rights under the tutelage of IIT. It offers Bachelor of Law (Hons) in Intellectual Property Law and is approved by the Bar Council of India. Applicants are required to have a first-class bachelor’s degree in a technical field and have to take an entrance test conducted by the Institute which include questions on english, legal reasoning, mathematics, and logical reasoning.

III) Symbiosis Law School, Pune - Established in 1970, it became a constituent of Symbiosis International University in 2002. It offers LLB, BALLB, and LLM degrees. The program has a total of 60 seats in the LLB program. Applicants must have at least 45% in their graduation. The admission is done in two parts, firstly a written test followed by a personal interview.

IV) Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida - Lloyd Law College Established in 2003, it is one of the premier private institutions for law students. It offers degrees in BALLB and LLB. It is affiliated to Chaudhary Charan Singh University. Applicants are required to have at least 45% in their graduation for general and 40% for SCs and STs. The admission test is done via the Law entrance exam that is conducted by the college as well as a personal interview.


Job Opportunities
a) Advocate - Advocacy remains one of the top choices for law graduates from all disciplines. They practice in courts after having cleared the examination conducted by the All India Bar Council.

b) Legal Advisor - This is another favourite among law graduates due to large salaries. This is a go -to career especially for those who choose to work in the field of Cyber Law or Intellectual Property Law. They can work as legal advisors in companies such as IT, Technology, etc. Lawyers who choose to work in the field of Intellectual Property Law can work as legal advisors for big industries such as Biotechnology, Entertainment and Media, Fashion, etc.

c) Entrepreneur - Engineers with a law degree can also choose to start their own companies as they have both the technical skills as well as the legal knowledge to run a company, many companies such as Godrej, IndiGo were founded and headed by law graduates.

Read more - Highest Paying Law jobs in India

Conclusion
Law is a multidisciplinary system and invites students from all fields of expertise to share their knowledge and to help provide justice in all aspects of life.

Author
Tiyasha Neogi