Last Updated By Disha Assawa on 28 Feb, 2022
The name itself suggests that Legal Journalism involves both the work of Journalism and Law. It is an expeditious course which is becoming a choice for a lot of candidates these days.
Legal Journalists are individuals who do journalism about topics that are entirely related to law. Their job is to do specialised reporting about all matters that pertain to the field of law. Legal Journalists defy the notion that law graduates can only work in law firms or in corporate setups. Legal Journalism is one of the unconventional and extremely fascinating facets of the field of law for which students do not even require a journalism degree. Legal Journalists comprehend the legal matter at hand and convey it to the general public through the mode of several platforms. This can include newspapers, blog posts, social media coverage, anything. They have to stay connected with their audience and give them updates regarding whatever legal issue has been churning during a particular time. Nowadays, many law graduates are looking forward to making a career as legal journalists.
The eligibility criteria for becoming a Legal Journalist have been mentioned below. All the candidates who are perplexed about how to become a legal journalist will find the answer to their queries here.
The employment opportunities that open for a legal journalist are vast and diverse. Candidates can choose to start their own channel on a social media platform or write posts on their personal blogs. They can also be recruited at some leading companies for lucrative packages. The career scope of legal journalists has no bounds and candidates can experiment new things with respect to their interests and requirements. Since the career of a Legal Journalist is both creative as well as related to the law, the areas in which these individuals can be hired are innumerable.
The areas and industries in which legal journalists are recruited include a wide variety. The list given below consists of some of the leading industries that recruit legal journalists. Aspirants can look for a job as a legal journalist in any of these areas.
There are many factors that determine the salary of a Legal Journalist. Some deciding factors include the candidate's qualification, his/ her work experience, the city in which he/ she is working, the kind of industry at which he/ she is hired, etc. A legal journalist's salary is on similar lines as that of a journalist. On an average, the beginner level salary of a legal journalist working in a tier 1 city is around Rs. 4-5 lakh per annum. With the increase in experience, the salary of a legal journalist also witnesses a boost. If the candidate has had proper work experience and gets hired at a recognised firm or company, he/ she might be able to bag a package of as much as Rs. 12- 14 lakh per annum as the beginning salary.
Average Annual Salary at a glance:
In Government Organization | INR 4-5 LPA |
In Private Organization | INR 7-8 LPA |
Experience Wise Salary at a glance:
0-2 Years of Experience | INR 4-5 LPA |
3-5 Years of Experience | INR 8-9 LPA |
More than 10 Years of Experience | INR 15 LPA |
Referring to the best books for Legal Journalists can definitely give a boost to the personality can career of an aspirant who wishes to make a career in the particular field. The list below mentions some great books for the preparation of legal journalism. Candidates can study these and enhance their knowledge, abilities, and skills.
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
In order to become a legal journalist, you will have to obtain a law degree from a BCI recognised college. The National Law Universities (NLUs), Symbiosis Law School (SLS), Jindal Global Law School, Delhi University, ILS Law College, etc are some of the most popular colleges of law in India.
A Legal Journalist does specialised law reporting. They comprehend a legal matter and convey it to the general public in the language that they can understand through the mode of several platforms. They write about legal topics and cases and provide the story to their readers.
Some of the advantages provided to legal journalists are that they have the creative freedom which is not provided to other law graduates who continue to practice law traditionally. The job of a Legal Journalist helps them in having a broader area of knowledge in the field.
Legal Journalists are hired in media houses, both didgial and print. Newspaper agencies, magazines, digital content agencies, news channels, and law firms are some of the leading employment sectors of legal journalists.
On an average, a Legal Journalist can earn around Rs. 4 - 5 lakhs per annum. More experienced professionals in the field can make over Rs. 12 lakhs oer annum.
Yes, you are required to have some experience in jornalism and a good knowledge of law in order to become a legal journalist in India. Since the job of a Legal Journalist is entirely about practise, candidates who have done some internships or have prior work experience are preferred for the profile.
The courses that you should pursue in order to become a legal journalist must be of the law and journalism stream. You must have a law degree from a recognised college of at least the bachelor level. Additionally, it is important for you to have some knowledge of journalism as well. For this, you can pursue a diploma or certificate course in journalism.