Why Law As A Career In India?

It's encouraging to see today's youth think beyond the traditional fields when considering their future professions. For a lot of reasons, getting a law degree has become one of the most sought-after educational achievements in recent years. 

Aspirants who are pondering a career in law, probably have a lot of questions, such as how it is to be as a law student, how to get into their preferred law school, how successful lawyers succeed in their careers, and more. Those who are considering a career in law but aren't sure what it involves, how to get in, what it pays, and more, this article is a must-read.

The trend of Choosing Law as a Career

At the suggestion of the Law Commission of India and in light of the general call for reform, the Bar Council of India embarked upon an experiment in the form of the establishment of specialised law universities solely dedicated to legal education and, by extension, to raising the academic standards of the legal profession in India. 

The National Law School of India University was founded in Bangalore after this decision was made in the mid-1980s. The goal of these law schools was to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary education in the law. 

Consequently, this marked the first time in India that a law degree other than LLB was awarded. NLS provided a five-year law programme that resulted in an integrated degree called BA LLB (Honours) upon completion.

Also:Career as a Lawyer

Law Entrance Exams

To pursue a law degree, students must take annual law entrance exams across the country. These Law Entrance Examinations are divided into three levels - Exams at the national, state, and institutional levels.

There are various entrance exams for law courses, the most popular of which are explained below.

CLAT - Common Law Admission Test

• CLAT Entrance Exam is India's most prestigious exam for UG and PG programmes.
• It is organised by a group of National Law Universities from across India. Students will be admitted to any of the 22 NLUs through CLAT.
• The question paper contains 150 questions in total. Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques, English Language, Current Affairs with General Knowledge are the five sections.
• The exam is taken in the offline mode.

AILET - All India Law Entrance Test

• The All India Law Entrance Test - AILET is a national-level exam for admission to UG and PG programmes administered by NLU Delhi.
• Logical Reasoning, English Language, Current Affairs, and General Knowledge are the three sections of the AILET Entrance Exam.
• The exam will take 90 minutes to complete. The total number of marks for both BA LLB (Hons) and Master of Law - LLM will be 150.
• The total number of questions for BA LLB will be 150.
• LLM will have 50 objective type questions and 2 descriptive format questions.

SLAT

• SLAT stands for Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT). It is a common entrance exam for admission to Symbiosis Law Schools (SLS) in Pune, Noida, Hyderabad, and Nagpur.
• Admission is available for the following courses: BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), BA LLB, and BBA LLB. SLAT is administered annually by Symbiosis International (Deemed University).
• The exam will be administered via computer. The test lasts 60 minutes and contains 60 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) worth 60 points.
• The SLS shortlists candidates based on their SLAT scores. The chosen candidates must then attend a Personal Interview (PI) and a Written Ability Test (WAT).
• A merit list is then created based on the SLAT, PI, and WAT scores for admission to the respective Symbiosis law schools.

Maharashtra Common Law Entrance Test

• The MH CET Law Exam is a state-level entrance exam for students seeking enrollment in 3-year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and 5-year Bachelor of Laws (Integrated) programmes in the state of Maharashtra.
• To ace the MH CET Law, one must study for the following sections: Legal aptitude and legal reasoning, English, Mathematics, General knowledge and Current Affairs, Logical and Analytical Reasoning.
• The exam is taken in online format and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 120 minutes.

Law School Admission Test - LSAT India 

• LSAT India is an annual entrance exam managed by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in the United States of America.
• There are several law schools in India that use LSAT India scores to admit students who want to join BA LLB, or LLM, or LLB courses.
• The purpose of administering the LSAT India entrance exam is to determine whether young law students in India are capable of passing the exam, the design of which is governed by the Law School Admission Council in the United States (LSAC).

CULEE (Christ University Law Entrance Exam) 

• CULEE stands for the Christ University Law Entrance Exam and is a standardised test required for admission to Christ University. Candidates for the university's BA LLB, BBA LLB (Honours), and LLM programmes are required to take the Common Law Entrance Exam (CULEE) 2022.
• In order to enrol in a BA LLB or BBA LLB programme, the applicant must have obtained a minimum of 45% in the relevant examination.
• Individuals applying to CULEE LLM must have earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of a 50% cumulative grade point average.
• The Christ University Law Admissions Test is managed by the university itself.
• CULEE is taken in the form of an offline exam and the entire CULEE 2022 exam will last for two full hours (or 120 minutes).

Army Institute of Law Entrance Test (AIL LET)

• The Army Institute of Law operates the AIL LET for admissions to BA LLB courses. The entrance exam consists of a two-hour paper with four sections.
• The exam includes questions on Mental Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Law Aptitude, and General English.
• The total number of marks in the paper is 200, and each question is worth one point. There is no negative marking for failed attempts. This is an institute-level exam held in approximately 50 test centres across India.
• As many as 100 BA LLB seats are available through AIL LET, including 75 for wards of Army Personnel, 20 for Punjab Resident Civil Category, and 5 seats for all India category candidates.

KIITEE (Law)

• KIIT is one of the first law schools in India to offer specialised law courses like BA LLB or BBA LLB or B.Sc LLB (5 years), each with 80 seats.
• KIIT is also among the first to offer an LLB with six specialisations in Business Law, Crime & Criminology Law, Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property Law, Taxation Law, and International Law.
• Other than the above mentioned programmes students can also pursue LLM or PhD from KIIT. Students can apply through CLAT rank or clear the KIITEE Law entrance exam. The institute conducts an online remote-proctored test of three hours for a total of 480 marks.

TS LAWCET

• The Osmania University supervises the TS LAWCET on behalf of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE).
• The law entrance exam is held for enrollment to Telangana state universities and colleges' five-year integrated LLB courses and three-year LLB courses. 
• The entrance syllabus includes questions on current events, general knowledge and mental ability, and aptitude for law study.

AP LAWCET

• The AP LAWCET is a state-level entrance test managed by Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE).
• The examination mode for AP LAWCET is computer-based. The AP LAWCET 2022 question paper will contain 120 objective-type questions divided into three sections: general knowledge and mental ability, current affairs, and aptitude for law study.

UPES Law Studies Aptitude Test (ULSAT)

• The ULSAT is the UPES Law School Admission Test for admission to the University Of Petroleum & Energy Studies' 3 year LLB, 5 year LLB (BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB, BTech LLB), and LLM courses. 
• The exam contains multiple-choice questions. The exam pattern for LLM admission differs from that of the other law courses.
• Candidates who pass the ULSAT must then participate in group discussions and interviews to be considered for admission.
• Qualifying candidates are admitted to the UPES School of Law in the course of their choice.
• There are approximately 520 open seats in the undergraduate law courses and around 70 seats available in the postgraduate law courses.

Also Read:How to Pursue Law after Studying Science in 12th

Life in Law School

After being admitted to a law school in India for the integrated courses, aspirants need to dedicate 5 years for their degree programme and 3 years for the LLB programme. In addition to academics, there are a variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities. During this period, students will study all of the laws found in academics. In co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, individuals can get a taste of the real court, known as mooting. The room is designed to look like a real courtroom. Here,they will be given a situation or case to judge practically.

Students must have a solid background in theoreticals as well as in practice. They will also be trained in client counselling, which will equip them to practise counselling for clients.

Another activity taught during the law studies is article writing. Debating is another activity that students can participate in during the course. Their debating ability is tested depending on the situation. Mediation is not the same as going to court. This mediation takes place outside of the courtroom. Two parties approach the lawyers, and then they must resolve the situation. 

Experts suggest that law students must complete an internship. They can learn about the work by visiting law firms, non-governmental organisations, or any other law-related office.

Also Read: Corporate Lawyer Vs Practising Lawyer - Which is Better?

Career after Law

Following a law degree, most students pursue one of the following prominent careers. There may be more options, but most students pursue careers in the fields listed below.

• Litigation - Individuals can begin practising in lower or higher courts. Lower courts are preferred by the majority of students.
• Judicial Services - Interested applicants may want to pursue judicial services. The position of judge carries a great deal of pride and honour. 
• Corporate Law - In the field of corporate law, individuals will be working for a large law firm. They must be able to handle all legal issues and litigations pertaining to the company.
• UPSC - To join the civil services, law graduates must pass the UPSC and state-level Public Service exams. To pass the entrance exams, students must be well-versed in all laws.
• Academics and Higher Studies - Individuals can also work on research papers, pursue Ph.D, academics, and book writing. Approximately 10-15% pursue core academics.
• Entrepreneurship: Many of the graduates can start their own businesses.

Also Read: Skills Required to Become a Successful Lawyer in 2022 and Beyond

Law as a Career in India - Myth vs. Reality

Here are a few pointers to discuss this -

Law requires a significant amount of reading -

This is a myth about law courses, but in reality, the law requires as much reading and research as other disciplines like medicine, management etc would take. Students might conclude that law requires a lot of reading just by looking at the books behind a lawyer.

However, this is not the case. A lawyer does need to prepare for their cases and must have good working memory which can be developed by regular reading and be aware of all the laws and make arguments, but this is true of almost all professions, such as engineering or medicine. Any field will require the students to dedicate a good amount of time to reading. Reading improves the skills and knowledge of the subject. As a result, those who want to be a lawyer, must enjoy reading.

The aspirant must be extremely persuasive - 

This is not completely correct. The lawyer must know to make a valid argument, and not a bunch of meaningless points. Arguments entail speaking at the appropriate time and presenting factual evidence.

Lawyers do not have a bright career ahead -

This is no longer the situation in the present scenario. The field of law has come a long way. After finishing their degrees, law students work in higher courts, corporate law, and MNCs and have financial freedom.

Only students from the Humanities stream study law -

This is another common misinformation. However, any student from any stream who is interested in this field can enrol in law school. In fact, every year, 30-40% of students from Humanities, 30-40% from Commerce, and 20% from Science choose law courses because there are many law career opportunities after graduation.

Law has no connections to the stream. This is a career that anyone with an interest can pursue.

Salary of a Lawyer

A lawyer's salary varies according to expertise and experience. Here is an approximate idea of the pay scale of a lawyer - 

Is Law as a career in India suitable for me?

If the aspirants enjoy the work and are good at it, these factors should suffice to decide whether law as a career in India is ideal for the individual. For those who have appeared for their 11th or 12th standard exams, it is time for them to contemplate their strengths and decide whether they should go for a law degree after 12.

Those applicants who are debating whether or not to pursue a career in law, there are two ways to find out for sure -

• Those who are comfortable with reading and studying for long periods can think of it as a career in law. Yes, reading alone is not sufficient evidence of competence. Yet, those thinking about a career in law should know that reading is crucial. Reading and study are integral parts of a legal career. If reading a newspaper or book for more than a few minutes is not a welcome idea for the aspirant, and they feel bored, perhaps law is not the field for them.
• The aspirants should take pleasure in presenting reasonable arguments that do not require enthusiastic responses or further debate. 

Also Read: Pros and Cons of Being a Lawyer

Popular Law Colleges in India

Listed below are some of India's top institutions of higher education for legal studies:

Aspirants who have any doubts, can follow our content on CollegeDekho or seek our expert advice about the career and law admission tests via the Q&A zone or call us at 1800-572-9877.