Career in Law: Courses, Jobs, Career Path and Relevant Skills

Author: Dimple Agarwal

CAREER IN LAW

Law is commonly understood as a system of rules that are created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate conduct, although its precise definition is a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and the art of justice. Law as a profession is in great demand these days. Due to the changing social and economic circumstances and the ever-increasing regulatory role being undertaken by the government, there is a rising demand for the lawyers. Besides being financially lucrative, Law is an adventurous and exciting career option. Lawyers are held in high esteem in our society, and there remains the faith that when everything else fails, one can still take the path of the legal system. In our daily life in one way or another, we may come across situations where legal advice is required. In such a situation we need the advice of legal professionals who analyze and interpret law properly.

Lawyers advise clients about their legal rights and recommend a course of action in a meticulous manner. They also counsel clients and pre-legal documents, such as wills and contracts and conduct negotiations on legal matters, and may represent clients in court and tribunal proceedings.

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Law in India has evolved from religious prescription to the current constitutional and legal system we have today, traversing through secular legal systems and the common law. India has a recorded legal history starting from the Vedic ages and some sort of civil law system may have been in place during the Bronze Age and the Indus Valley civilization. Law as a matter of religious prescriptions and philosophical discourse has an illustrious history in India. Emanating from the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other religious texts, it was a fertile field enriched by practitioners from different Hindu philosophical schools and later by Jains and Buddhists. India has the world’s second-largest legal profession with more than 600,000 lawyers. The predominant service providers are individual lawyers, small or family-based firms. Most of the firms are involved in the issues of domestic law and the majority work under the country’s adversarial litigation system. The conception of legal services as a ‘noble profession’ rather than services resulted in the formulation of stringent and restrictive regulatory machinery. These regulations have been justified on the grounds of public policy and ‘dignity of the profession. The judiciary has reinforced these principles, which can be reflected in words of Justice Krishna Iyer when he noted, Law is not a trade, not briefs, not merchandise, and so the heaven of commercial competition should not vulgarize the legal profession.

Career in Law: Relevant Skills

Though the study of law truly begins within a law course, a student can develop and showcase acumen for it ahead of law school too. To do this, they need to work on the following areas:

  1. Grasp over English (Comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)
  2. Logical reasoning, deduction skills and applying legal and logical concepts
  3. Foundation in current affairs, Indian history, civics, economics, and political science
  4. A basic grasp of probability and numbers
  5. Strong communication skills work on debate and clear verbal skills

Career in Law: List of top 10 legal firms in India

  1. Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co.
  2. AZB & Partners
  3. Khaitan & Co
  4. J Sagar Associates
  5. Luthra and Luthra Law Offices
  6. Trilegal
  7. S&R Associates
  8. Desai & Dewanji
  9. Talwar Khakore & Associates
  10. Economic Laws Practice

Career in Law: Challenges

Law firms have a plethora of tasks to handle, and this makes their work really challenging. Some of the challenges they face every day are :

  • Inefficient Time Management.
  • Less Online Presence.
  • To Attract Quality Clients.
  • Poor Marketing Strategy.
  • Poor Management Skills.
  • Minimum Client Satisfaction.
  • Less Business Growth and Inefficient Case Management.
  • Difficulty in Finding and Hiring a Quality Team.

Career in Law: Career Path

-If someone is still a school student (studying in class 11 or 12), they can take the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and do a 5 year BA LLB course from one of the 16 National Law Universities (NLUs). These NLUs are widely regarded as the best law colleges in India.

However, some of the newly built NLUs are struggling to match the standards set by the likes of NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and NUJS Kolkata, etc. In most of the newer NLSs, the standard of the faculty is pathetic, to put it politely. Placements in some of these colleges are virtually non-existent.

-If a student is already a graduate, one can do a 3-year law course. Delhi University’s Faculty of Law has the best 3-year law course in India and conducts its own entrance exams for the same. ILS Pune and GLC Mumbai admit students on the basis of their class 12 exam results. None of the NLUs provide for a 3-year law course.

-Other than CLAT(The Common Law Admission Test is a national level entrance exam for admissions to candidates in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law courses offered at 22 NLUs and other colleges/ universities accepting exam), LSAT India has gained popularity over the last few years. Some prominent private law colleges use LSAT India.

-SET (Symbiosis Entrance Test) is your gateway to the excellent Symbiosis Law School, Pune. Symbiosis, Noida, and Symbiosis, Hyderabad to have started law courses recently.

-AILET is the entrance test conducted by NLU, Delhi (Yes, NLU Delhi doesn’t take students on the basis of the CLAT exam).

Career in Law: Work Areas

Some of the niche practice areas and work areas in the field of law are as follows:

  • Litigation
  • Corporate law (law firms and companies)
  • Public Prosecutor
  • Judicial Service
  • Intellectual Property law firms
  • Legal Academia
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • NGOs and Think Tanks
  • LPO
  • Tax Law
  • Judge Advocate General
  • Legal Journalism

Career in Law: Specialisation

There are various areas of specialization in this field which one can choose from like :

  • Civil Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Taxation Law
  • Labor Law
  • International Law
  • Family Law
  • Constitutional Law
  • Administration Law
  • Patent Law etc.

Career in Law: Universities

  • NLSIU Bangalore(https://www.nls.ac.in/)
  • NALSAR Hyderabad(https://www.nalsar.ac.in/)
  • NUJS Kolkata(https://www.nujs.edu/)
  • NLU Jodhpur(http://www.nlujodhpur.ac.in/index-main.php)
  • NLIU Bhopal(https://www.nliu.ac.in/)
  • NLU Delhi(https://www.nliu.ac.in/)
  • GNLU Gandhinagar(https://gnlu.ac.in/GNLU/Home)

-Faculty of Law, Delhi University (http://lawfaculty.du.ac.in/) is an excellent option for those wanting to do the 3-year law course after graduation.

-GLC, Mumbai, and ILS Pune(http://www.glcmumbai.com/, https://ilslaw.edu/) have excellent reputations but are slowly slipping down the preference lists. GLC Mumbai comes with the added advantage of its location which allows GLC Mumbai’s students to do after-college hour internships (which, if you are good, translates into placements).

-Symbiosis Law School, Pune(https://www.symlaw.ac.in/) is a top-notch option too.

If money is an important criterion, then the law as a career will not disappoint.

-Large law firms in India, the likes of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB, Jyoti Sagar Associates (JSA), Trilegal, Khaitan and Company, Luthra and Luthra pay in excess of Rs. 1 lakh per month to freshers. Banks like the ICICI bank to pay nearly the same.

-Mid-tier law firms like Desai and Diwanji, Nishith Desai Associates (NDA), Wadia Ghandy and Co., Kochhar and Co., Bharucha Partners, etc. pay anywhere from Rs. 40,000/month to Rs. 80,000/month. However, there are not more than 300-500 such jobs available in India at any given point. These mostly go to students of top law schools.

-If someone tries their hand at litigation, that person will be making around Rs. 15,000 (average) per month for starters, (if you are practicing under a senior lawyer in Delhi). The average salary an LPO job would give you is around Rs. 15,000 (average) per month too. The highest paying LPO, Pangea3, pays Rs. 40,000/month (approx.) to graduates of top law schools.

We hope this is going to be helpful if you are planning to pursue a career in law. For more guidance, feel free to connect with us and provide your feedback as well.