03,Oct 2023
The LLM (Master of Laws) curriculum is a specialised academic programme for individuals who already possess a law degree and wish to enhance their knowledge and abilities in a specific area of law. This postgraduate course provides in-depth research of legal concepts, principles, and practises, allowing students to concentrate on a specific area of law that corresponds to their professional objectives.
The LLM programme typically lasts between one and two years, divided into semesters or modules according to the institution and programme structure.
Eligibility Criteria for the LLM Program
- Potential contenders are qualified to apply for admission to an LLM program after successfully acquiring their law graduation, including an LLB, Bachelor of Law, or a Five-Year Integrated LLM course, from an accredited university or college.
- Specific institutions may specify a minimum percentage benchmark for admission in their LLM program.
- To meet the conditions for admission in such institutions, aspirants are needed to achieve a minimum total score of at least 55% at the graduation level.
Top LLM Entrance Exams
- CLAT LLM
- AILET LLM
- LSAT
- AP LANCET
- MHCET
LLM Specializations
Within the structure of the LLM program, students are required to select a legal specialization to chart their future attempts. The scope of available LLM specializations includes:
Tax Law
Tax law, also known as Taxation law, is relevant to a legal area that concentrates on the complexities of direct and indirect taxes applied on goods and services by the government. This includes a wide range of Acts, regulations, policies, and amendments created to maintain the fundamental rights of taxpayers and at the same time facilitate governmental control over taxation.
Criminal Law
Criminal Law arises as a notably sought-after legal specialization. Within its scope, Criminal Law involves a complete variety of rules, statutes, and regulations that demarcate actions restricted by the legal structure due to their probability to risk and compromise public safety and welfare.
Civil Law
The law can be characterized as a collection of regulations carefully developed to guide the behavior of individuals. Its genesis primarily originates from a nation or governmental organization to supervise the activity of its citizens.
In the context of the Indian Judicial System, the law is systematically categorized into four noticeable divisions:
- Criminal law
- Civil law
- Common law, and
- Statutory law
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Law
It is a branch of law that addresses legal rights associated with inventive work and advancement. Legal provisions for Intellectual Property enforcement can use innovations for instance new products, artistic creation as well and structures. The reason behind the property laws establishment was to permit people who produce/ create things to truly benefit from their innovation/ work.
Real Estate and Infrastructure Law
This specialization of law includes a thorough area of aspects including property ownership, transfer protocols, contractual matters, conveyance intricacies, lease arrangements, mortgage dealings, addressing breaches, governmental authorities and controls, escrow mechanisms, title insurance, zoning regulations, concerns involving landlords and tenants, as well as the overarching landscape of real estate brokerage, agency, and various agreements. All of these elements as a whole form the area of Real Estate and Infrastructure Law.
Administrative Law
Administrative Law explores the accurate analysis of the protocols, principles, and guidelines of various organizations. It involves the legal framework that governs the operations and regulations of these entities. Negligence of these regulations can even grow to the level of criminal activity. Therefore, the area of study concerned with these difficult legalities is properly termed Administrative Law.
Company law
Company law provides a guiding structure for businesses to follow different regulations in the corporate landscape. Its primary goal is to improve a company’s profitability through the accurate application of taxation procedures, facilitating the application of tax benefits, and encouraging the company’s integrity and reputation. In essence, corporate law exceeds beyond being a private legal circle and is considered a vital role within the field of public law.
Constitutional Law
This wall-to-wall legal area includes regulations that refer to both the government and the citizens it governs. It incorporates a complex legal structure defining a series of powers and roles. Within Constitutional Law, the focus extends to the intricate workings of governing bodies and their interrelationships. This covers the configuration of bodies such as the parliament and the executive arm within a state. Furthermore, Constitutional Law encircles the fundamental rights of citizens, constituting a crucial foundation of this legal domain.
Consumer Law
Consumer Law is the legal department committed to safeguarding consumers when they are involved in purchasing products or services. Its main objective is to protect against potential pitfalls such as fraud and mis-selling, assuring that individuals are shielded from any unfortunate practices. By enforcing the regulations stipulated by this law, the consumer market is held accountable, holding to the established rules and regulations that safeguard consumers’ rights.
Healthcare Law
Healthcare Law revolves around the intricate dynamics of individuals eligible to receive healthcare advantages and the related search for financial responsibility for healthcare services. This legal field incorporates the provisions governing the coverage criteria for individuals mandated to be covered by health insurance companies.
Energy Law
Energy Law is a specialized field of law that centers on regulating the utilization and taxation of both renewable and non-renewable energy resources. This legal branch involves a complete pattern of legal instruments involving case law, regulations, rules, statutes, and official directives, all of which are intricately intertwined with the complex landscape of energy-related matters.
Entertainment & Media Law
It envelops a range of sectors, including Intellectual Property Right Law, Corporate Law, Digital Technology, Broadcast industry, and Digital communication. The entertainment industry and media sector is a magnet for various challenges, ranging from copyright disputes and defamation issues to matters of censorship, freedom of speech, RTI (Right to Information), and privacy affairs.
Corporate Law
A Corporate Lawyer has the opportunity to work within big or medium-sized firms. Commonly, their role involves guiding clients and coordinating business transactions. These involve activities like negotiation, the creation of drafts, and the complete estimation of contracts and other agreements associated with the company’s or business’s operations. This scope extends to include facets such as mergers, acquisitions, divestments, and more.
Labor & Employment Law
Labor and Employment Law serves as a vital guide in comprehending the complexities of labor regulations, industrial operations, fundamental employment conditions, mechanisms for solving disputes both statutory and non-statutory, and the redressal of any reason of discrimination or inequity in the ground of employment.
Commercial Law
Commercial Law develops a legal branch focused on regulations relevant to trade, industry, and commerce. Within this circle, several common legal concerns are either regulated or resolved. These include issues such as breaches of contracts, disputes originating from advertising and marketing practices, matters of unfair competition, addressing consumer grievances, and the safeguarding of intellectual property rights.
Contract law
Contract law establishes a fundamental requirement in legal composition and is an integral component within every legal specialization in India, approaching disciplines such as IPR, Family law, Civil law, Criminal law, Commercial law, and corporate law, among others. Therefore, all law students begin a comprehensive study of Contract Law, enveloping its definition, underlying principles, and the array of contract types, as an integral part of their academic passage.
Cyber Law
With the rise in online criminal activities including identity theft, fraudulent schemes, trafficking, cyber bullying, harassment, and rule violations, the call for adherence to Cyber Laws by internet users become more pronounced. Cyber Laws comprise a framework of regulations planned to safeguard user rights and privacy. Imagining the role of a Cyber Law Practitioner involves advocating for the rights of individuals and dealing with a spectrum of legal issues including defamation, fraud, copyright infringements, trafficking, and countless related matters.
Education Law
For individuals fascinated by legal aspects dealing with fair educational opportunities, issues of gender or racial bias, financial matters within educational institutions, and specialized educational requirements, Education Law provides a promising path. Those prone to such matters can find education law to be a favorable choice. This field includes handling educational policies, safeguarding rights, and promoting fairness in the educational landscape.
Business Law
In the study of business law, the concepts of insolvency, agency, and contractual relationships are taught. In addition to these fundamentals, the course also covers also intellectual property, business ethics, etc.
Telecommunications Law
Telecommunications Law comprises the field of media and its interlinked fields, including elements like telephone networks, internet connectivity, advertising dynamics, and broadcasting mediums, among others. Within the Indian context, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) imagines the role of an independent supervisor, governing the wide telecommunications sector. TRAI’s primary objective is to improve the availability of media services for individuals covering diverse socioeconomic layers while at the same time managing the activities of private elements within this sector.
Environmental Law
Including a complete study of environmental regulations, an Environmental Law curriculum equips students with specialized knowledge relating to diverse administrative, socioeconomic, and ecological concerns essential to its practical execution. The course introduces students to a variety of local, domestic, and international environmental laws, explaining their usage, limitations, and other relevant aspects. Environmental Law has developed as an increasingly engaging specialization among students, motivated by the growing imperative to safeguard both the environment and the planet.
Family Law
Family law is a unique legal field focused on safeguarding the civil rights arising from marital commitments. Moreover, it deals with additional subjects associated with property and the custody of children. Given its incorporating scope, family law holds a significant position within the legal field, as it concerns critical matters including divorce, adoption, the legality of marriages, maintenance, and wills and testaments. Legislation such as the Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, and Muslim Marriage Act constitute examples of statutes that address aspects of family law.
Banking Law
Banking Law is a legal specialization that revolves around the functioning of banks and the services they provide. In a continuously developing world of finance and economy, the government frequently presents regulatory adjustments to shape practices and actions within the financial sector, directly affecting the realm of banking. Therefore, the presence of strong banking laws becomes important for a nation, as they play a vital role in supervising banking operations, assuring loyalty to regulations, and blocking any irregularities that may arise.
Crime and Trots
The primary areas of study for an LLM in Crimes and Torts are criminal law, tort law, and the resolution of civil disputes between private parties. Students learn about the origins of cybercrime and the measures implemented by businesses to make their products more secure.
Syllabus of LLM:
SEMESTER – I (Compulsory Papers): (Total: 400 Marks)
Indian Constitutional Law (Fundamental Rights) – I
Jurisprudence– I (Theories of Law)
Legislative Oughts, Interpretation and Judicial Process
Legal Education and Research Methodology
SEMESTER – II (Compulsory Papers): (Total: 400 Marks)
Indian Constitutional Law – II
Jurisprudence– II (Legal Concepts)
Law and Social Transformation in India
Human Rights
Note: SEMESTER – III & IV (Optional Groups)
There are three law group courses in semesters III & IV. The student must choose any one law group in LL.M. IIIrd and IV term. Once a group is selected by the scholar in the LL.M. III semester, the students are not permitted to change the group in the LL.M. IV semester i.e. they are obligated to stay in the same Group with them. The student has to appear in four theory papers in the LL.M. third semester.
LL.M. semester III & IV Law groups are as follows:
- Group (A): Constitutional and Administrative Law Group OR
- Group (B): Business Law Group OR
Group (C): Torts and Criminal Law Group
Semester – III [Group (A): Constitutional and Administrative Law Group]
Constitutionalism and Constitutional Development in India
Comparative and Cooperative Federalism (India, America, and Australia)
Civil and Political Rights: Comparative Study of Select Constitutions (India, USA and U.K.)
Local Self-Government Law
Semester – III [Group (B): Business Law Group]
Contract – I (General Principles of Contract)
Contract – II (Specific Contract, Sales of Goods, and Law of Partnership)
Company Law
Banking Law
Semester – III [Group (B): Torts and Criminal Law Group]
History and Principles of Criminal Law
Penology and Treatment of Offenders Act
Privileged Class Deviance
Police and the Criminal Justice
Semester – III [Group (A): Constitutional and Administrative Law Group]
Administrative Law of India – I
Administrative Law of India – II
Dissertation (Compulsory for all Students)
Viva-voce
Semester – III [Group (B): Business law group]
Insurance Law
International Trade Law
Dissertation (Compulsory for all Students)
Viva-voce
Semester – III [Group (B): Torts and Criminal law group]
Development of Law of Torts and General Torts
Specific Tort
Dissertation (Compulsory for all Students)
Viva-voce
Top Government Colleges for LLM
Some of the top government colleges for LLM are listed below:
| Colleges/Universities | Fees/Annum (INR) (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Banaras Hindu University | 1 lakh |
| Dr. B R Ambedkar College of Law | 1.5 lakh |
| GNLU (Gujarat National Law University) | 2.5 lakh |
| Government Law College, Mumbai | 1 lakh |
| Lucknow University | 1 lakh |
| Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda | 1 lakh |
| Mumbai University | 80,000 |
| NLSIU (National Law School of India University) | 2 lakh |
| RGSOIPL, IIT Kharagpur | 1.8 lakh |
| TNDALU (Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University) | 1.9 lakh |
Source: multiple websites
Leading Private Institutions for LLM
Here are some top private colleges offering LLM courses:
| Colleges/Universities | Fees/Annum (INR) (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Amity University | 1 lakh |
| Chandigarh University | 1.5 lakh |
| Christ University | 1.35 lakh |
| CT University | 1.8 lakh |
| ICFAI Law School | 1.5 lakh |
| KIIT School of Law | 2 lakh |
| Lovely Professional University | 2.4 lakh |
| New Law College, Bharati Vidyapeeth | 1 lakh |
| Shoolini University | 1.2 lakh |
| Siksha O Anusandhan University | 1.25 lakh |
| Symbiosis Law College | 1.5 lakh |
| UPES Dehradun | 1.84 lakh |
Source: multiple websites
Career and Scope - LLM
After following an LLM course, aspirants can choose further studies in which they aim for either an M. Phil or a Ph.D. in Law. On the other hand, if applicants want to follow a career in the field of law then they can explore the roles listed below. Candidates are aware that to practice law in India, passing the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) is a prerequisite.
LLM employment and compensation
| Profile | Job Specification | Salary (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | In such a role, extensive research is required to collect empirical data along with physical proof to validate their statement. Additionally, further obligations assigned to lawyers include analyzing and contract creation. | 4 LPA |
| Legal Practitioner | Typically, in such a job an individual generally specializes in a particular field of law such as tax, litigation, family, or property. Solicitors provide legal advice to personal as well as corporate clients. | 4 LPA |
| Magistrate | In this role, it is necessary to ensure that justice is delivered and the constitutional rights of every single engaged party are protected. | 10 LPA |
| Legal Counsel | Contenders preferring to work in this job role are also lawyers who specialize in a particular branch of law. Legal advisors are generally employed by governments also by large organizations. The primary function of a legal advisor is to protect their clients from any legal consequences or outcome. | 6 LPA |
| Public Notary | Any individual who has worked as a lawyer for a minimum of ten years is suitable to apply for a notary position. The functions executed by a Notary include confirming, validating, authenticating, or confirming the execution of any document and interpreting and validating the conversion of any document from one language into another. | 4 LPA |
| Commissioner of Oath | In this job specification, one is approved to authenticate affidavits. They are designated by the Chief Justice and are generally a solicitor. However, exceptions exist. The functions executed by an Oath Commissioner include assuring the proof is in written format (draft affidavit) and inquiring that the individual before him/her has read the draft affidavit and completely perceives the matter. | 4.5 LPA |
Source: multiple websites
Leading employers for LLM post-graduates
- Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co.
- AZB & Partners
- Khaitan & CO
- J Sagar Associates
- Luthra & Luthra Law Offices
- S&R Associates
- Economic Laws Practice
- Desai & Diwanji
- Trilegal
- Talwar Thakore & Assoc
Conclusion:
Pursuing an LLM degree is a fruitful move for legal professionals and graduates seeking to develop their careers in a specific area of law. It provides a foundation for developing an in-depth understanding of legal complexities while enhancing employability and career prospects. As the legal landscape continues to evolve, the demand for specialised legal knowledge is anticipated to increase, making LLM specializations even more important. Aspiring candidates should diligently investigate the admissions procedures of their chosen institutions and strive to meet the eligibility requirements to embark on this enriching academic journey. Significantly, Lloyd Law College has expanded its assortment of legal programmes by including the LLM programme from 2023 onwards, providing LLM in three specializations, as offered by the CCSU (Meerut) which are LLM in Business Law, Administrative Law and Torts & Criminal Law.
Dr. Akankssha Yadav
References
- https://www.shiksha.com/law/colleges/ ll-m-colleges-india?sby=popularity
- https://www.iesonline.co.in/llm-fees-in-india
- https://collegedunia.com/courses/ master-of-laws-llm/syllabus
- https://www.toprankers.com/best- llm-specialization-in-india
- https://law.careers360.com/articles/ llm-full-form
- https://www.collegedekho.com/ courses/master-of-law-llm
- https://universitykart.com/course/ coursedetails/master-of-law-ll-m