Introduction

The legal field has always been held in high esteem as a noble profession, as lawyers help regular people exercise their rights under the Law. A well-educated legal profession is essential to meeting the demands of both society and the country because lawyers are responsible for interpreting the Law and interacting with the public daily. Therefore, law school serves various purposes, such as exposing students to fundamental legal ideas, including the legislative process, conflict resolution, and courtroom decorum.

The goal of Legal Education

This field of study aims to provide a just education and produce trained legal practitioners. Another goal is to promote consciousness about the many ways in which Law can be approached from the vantage point of other disciplines, such as sociology, economics, politics, and science, to satisfy the wide variety of legal requirements in different national and international settings. Law schools today have developed curricula to prepare lawyers who can serve the interests of :

• citizens
• businesses
• governments, and
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

The need of the hour for law institutes in India is to keep working to bring home international study experience constantly. This will help students be better prepared to handle any legal issues that may arise and foster the creation of novel legal knowledge and ideas to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern world.

Top Five Law Schools (2022)

According to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), 2022, the following are the

top five law schools in India:

1. National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) was the country’s first National Law University to open in 1986. The premier law institution was initiated to be a catalyst for reform in the field of legal education and a centre of research and policy development for the improvement of India’s judicial system. Located in Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru, on a massive 23-acre campus, NLSIU has maintained its position at the top of the NIRF rankings for five years.

Courses Offered:

B.A. LL.B (Hons): Intending to give students a firm footing from which to launch further academic or professional endeavours, NLSIU was the first institution in India to provide this five-year degree. NLSIU's B.A. LL.B (Hons) Degree Programme (5 years) (BALLB Course) provides students with education in both Law and pre-law subjects. Recently, the university started the 3-Year LLB (Hons) Program.

Eligibility: Admission to the BA LLB (Hons) curriculum at the National Law School of India University requires class 12 with a 45% overall average (40% for S.C., S.T., and PwD). A valid CLAT score is a significant factor in the selection process.

LL.M.: NLSIU's Postgraduate Programs include the one-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program and the two-year Master's Programme in Public Policy (MPP). The MPP is an interdisciplinary curriculum that provides comprehensive policy creation, interpretation, and evaluation training.

PhD: The research programme’s target audience is students and professionals interested in pursuing higher education, research, and scholarship. The institution offers a PhD. Interdisciplinary Program and the PhD in Law (Doctor of Philosophy).

Eligibility: Candidates who hold an LL.M. degree (regular mode) from a recognized university with a cumulative average of 55% marks or comparable grade (in the case of SC/ST/PWD, 50% marks or equivalent) are eligible to apply.

The Online and Hybrid Programmes: The University also offers Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) for working professionals and students via Online and Hybrid Programs. It has eight unique programmes to choose from.

2. The National Law School of India, New Delhi

NLU Delhi attracts over a hundred students each year who are taught by a faculty that combines academic rigour with personal encouragement and support. In 2022, the National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) placed NLU Delhi as the second-best law school in the country. As an alternative to the Common Law Admissions Test (CLAT), NLU Delhi accepts the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) for both undergraduate and graduate admissions.

Courses Offered:

BA LLB (Hons.): The BA LLB (Hons.) degree at NLU-D is an integrated program for 5 years. It offers courses that cater to History of Legal & Constitutional Development in India, Legal Methods, Law of Torts, Law of Torts, Jurisprudence, Human Rights, International Humanitarian & Refugee Law, etc., amongst other wide range of courses.

Eligibility: Candidates seeking admission to BA LLB or BA LLB (Hons.) must have passed grade 12 at least with 50% marks, in aggregate, from a recognized board. A valid score in CLAT or AILET exam is required for admission.

L.L. M.: NLU-D offers one year Master's Program in Law. There are varied specializations that give rich exposure to the core as well as interdisciplinary components of Law to the graduate students. The disciplines offered at NLU-D for the LL.M program are Constitutional Law and Environmental Law, Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, and Business Laws. At the term's end, the students must submit a dissertation carrying 30 credits.

Eligibility: For admission to L.L. M, candidates must possess a bachelor’s (or equivalent) in Law, securing at least 55% marks in aggregate (50% marks for S.C., S.T., and PwD candidates) from a recognized university. Candidates must also possess a valid score in AILET for admission.

PhD: Both full-time and part-time PhD. in Law are available at NLU-D. At least for two semesters, the part-time scholars are required to reside on the NLU-D campus.

Eligibility: Candidates seeking admission to Ph. D. program must possess a degree in Master of Law or its equivalent, securing at least 50% marks in aggregate from a recognized university. For admission, candidates must qualify entrance examination conducted by the university. Candidates with a valid score in UGC NET/ JRF, SLET or M. Phil. would not be required to appear in the entrance examination that the university conducts for admission.

Certificate in Competition Law and Policy:  An endeavour of Delhi's National Law University (NLU) and the CUTS Institute of Regulation and Competition (CIRC), this course will benefit students and professionals in the fields of Law, economics, and management. It is one of India's first professional training programmes for business leaders, corporate secretaries, and other professionals. It is a project of the National Law University. The duration of the program is 6 months. Find the all other Law Certificate Course

Eligibility: Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree in any field for admission to the Certificate in Competition Law and Policy. They must also have a valid score in the AILET entrance examination for admission.

Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism And Environmental Laws (PGDTEL): The goal of PGDTEL is to provide comprehensive knowledge and awareness of today's challenges with sustainable tourism, focusing on sociocultural, legal, and policy issues. All tourism service providers and prospective tourism enthusiasts are welcome to participate in the program. The duration of the program is 1 year.

Eligibility: This program is open to all recent graduates and professionals who are currently employed. Candidates should have at least two years of relevant work experience.

3. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research. (NALSAR), Hyderabad

NALSAR, Hyderabad, is a self-governing, publicly funded institution of great eminence in the legal academic domain. In accordance with its liberal approach, legal education here is delivered in a multidisciplinary manner. As a result, there is convergence in developing and implementing curricula for various courses in the legal, social sciences, humanities, and management studies fields.

Courses Offered:

BA LLB (Hons.): The BA LLB (Honours) curriculum offers its students a wide variety of research and writing projects.

Eligibility: For admission, the applicants must have a minimum of 45% in the 12th-grade final exam taken from a recognized board (40% for SC/ST students). Candidates must also meet the CLAT cutoff requirements.

L.L. M.: NALSAR provides one year Master’s Programme in Law. At the end of the semester, students are required to produce a self-directed dissertation on their respective research topics under their mentors' guidance.  

Eligibility: Candidates must have a 3-year or 5-year integrated law degree with a minimum grade point average of 50% from an accredited university (45% for SC/ST students). For admission, the applicants must also meet the prerequisites for the CLAT PG cutoff.

PhD: The doctorate programme at NALSAR is intensive. Full-time students have a two-year residency requirement, with at least 18 months of stay at the University campus. The option of a part-time doctorate is also available at NALSAR. The candidate's part-time commitment must be no longer than six years.

Eligibility: For Ph. For admission, the applicants require an LL.M. degree from an accredited university with a minimum B+ grade or an overall 55% aggregate percentage. SC/ST candidates must have a minimum percentage of 50%.

4. The National University of Juridical Sciences of West Bengal is located in Kolkata

The West Bengal National Institution of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) is a public state university. NUJS's Salt Lake City main campus spans around 5 acres (20,000 square meters). It has been ranked 4th in the 2022 NIRF ranking for law colleges in India.

Courses Offered:

B.A. LL.B (Hons.): NUJS offers an honours degree in the integrated five-year law program at the undergraduate level. It is an intensive and highly rewarding program.

Eligibility: Apart from the 50% aggregate marks in class 12^th from a recognized board, admission to this program is purely based on merit determined through a Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) conducted by the 18 participating law schools in rotation.

LLM: One year LLM is offered at NUJS. The Master of Laws programme requires completion of a number of required and elective courses and a dissertation in two semesters of eighteen weeks each. A dissertation must be completed within two semesters.

Eligibility: Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in Law from an accredited university and a grade point average of at least 55 percent. They must have passed CLAT with the appropriate minimum score.

PhD.: The University offers two types of PhD programmes: full-time (3 years) and part-time (6 years). NUJS has very productive and high-quality research endeavours.

Eligibility: The candidate must have a Master's Degree from any University recognized by UGC or an equivalent Master's degree from a foreign University, with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). However, this condition is relaxed to 50% in case of candidates belonging to S.C. and S.T.

LLD: The LL.D. Registration is valid for five years only from the date of Registration.

Eligibility: The candidate shall have PhD in Law from any recognized University to apply for this program.

5. Faculty of Law at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

When it comes to law schools in India, one of the oldest in the Faculty of Law at Jamia Millia Islamia was established in 1989. Jamia Millia Islamia’s law program is highly regarded and among the country's top.

Courses Offered:

BA LLB (Regular/ Self-Financed): There are 60 seats in Jamia for the regular BA LLB  program (5 years) as well as 60 for the self-financed BA LLB course (5 years).

Eligibility: The candidate’s performance in the JMI Entrance Exam determines their acceptance into the BA LLB (Hons) programme. For eligibility, students must have finished Class 12 with a cumulative grade point average of at least 50 percent.

LLM: The University offers LLM specialization in three fields, namely, Personal Law, Commercial Law, and Criminal Law. All courses have 10 seats each for an academic year.

Eligibility: Admission to the LLM programme is also based on a candidate’s performance in the JMI Entrance Exam. BALLB (5 Year)/ LLB (3 Year) from a BCI accredited college/university is required. Working professionals can also take LLM Executive courses at the institution. This is a weekend course for which you must have passed the JMI Entrance Exam.

P.G. Diploma:  Jamia offers P.G. Diploma in Labor Law and P.G. Diploma in Air Space Law.

Eligibility: The candidate must have passed BALLB (5 Years)/ LLB (3 Years) from a recognized college/university by BCI.

PhD.: The number of yearly openings in the Doctor of Philosophy in Law programme is announced by the Department Review Committee (DRC), which the Dean chairs.

Eligibility: Eligibility is contingent upon possession of a first-class LLM from an accredited institution and the BCI-recognized UGC-NET in Law. One must also have cleared the JMI Entrance Exam in case UGC-NET has not been qualified.

References