Career Option in Law

Education details & Eligibility:

Lawyers counsel clients about their legal rights and suggest course of action in a particular matter. They also advise clients and draw up legal documents, such as wills and contracts, and conduct negotiations on legal matters, and may represent clients in court and tribunal proceedings. Academic excellence is not the main thing behind the success in this profession. Professional competence acquired through experience and practice with efficient lawyers is the main yardstick of success.

There are various areas of specializations in this field: corporation law, civil law, criminal law, international law, labor law, patent law, tax law and so on.

There are a number of institutions and universities conducting courses in law. The most premier among law universities in India is National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore.
Admission to NLSIU is through an All India Admission Test held usually on first Sunday in May. University College Bangalore, Government College Mumbai, ILS Law College and Symbiosis College, Pune.
And Faculty of Law of Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University etc are some of the other leading legal institutions in India.

Eligibility & Course Areas:

Educational: Minimum qualification to join a course in law (LLB) is 10+2. In addition to LLB. degree, many universities and institutes also offer other diploma courses in several disciplines of law, including Administrative Law, International Law, Labor Laws, Tax Laws and Corporate Laws.

In most of the institutes/universities, selection is on the basis of an entrance test. The entrance examination is objective type in nature. The questions invariably cover areas like reasoning, general awareness, numerical aptitude, legal aptitude and preliminary political science. Teaching is not restricted to the conventional classroom methods alone, but includes case studies, mock court etc. to make the study more practical and interesting.

Personal attributes:Success in this profession is not based on marks one obtains in the exam, but it is very much related to personal attributes. One must have good oral and written communication skills, logical reasoning, power of concentration, patience, good memory to relate and quote past cases to prove your point, ability to argue and discuss matters with a variety of people, self confidence, courage to deal with threats especially in criminal cases etc. One should have up-to-date information on any latest changes in law. A good library and a fair amount of reading are also important.

Course Duration:

Course duration is of 5 years and is sponsored by the Bar Council of India.
P.G. Programs in law (LLM) are of 2 years duration and eligibility is LLB degree.

Job Opportunities and Job Roles:

One who wishes to become an advocate and practice law as a profession in India should enroll with the local State Central Bar council. An application for admission as an advocate shall be made in the prescribed form to the State Bar Council within whose jurisdiction the applicant proposes to practice. The Bar Council of India and the State Bar Councils form a self-contained code of law for legal professionals practicing in India.

Lawyers can find employment in a variety of positions in government service, both central and state, and in other fields. Lawyers can also work as legal counsel and legal advisers for firms, organizations and families. They can work as trustees of various trusts, as teachers, law reporters, company secretary and so on. They can also do private practice as legal advisors, advocates, solicitors etc. Opportunities exist in the defense services too. Additional qualification along with the law degree offers scope for a wide range of employment opportunities.
Government Services

Lawyers are appointed in central services (Indian legal service) through UPSC based on their experience in the field. The various positions that come under Indian legal service are Law officers, Assistant Advisors, Dy. Legal Advisors and Legal Advisors.State legal service appoints lawyers through SPSC-State’s public service commission exams in senior position in State police/Revenue/Judicial Departments. The basic qualification is degree in law, besides a degree in Arts / Science / Commerce / Agriculture. Average age limit is between 21 and 30 years.

In the judiciary, the posts are that of the magistrate, district and session’s judge, and sub-magistrate. There are also legal secretaries appointed in assemblies, law inspectors, and legal officers in banks, judicial members in income tax, sales tax and excise departments. The examination for these posts takes place periodically and is advertised as and when the vacancies occur.

Public Prosecutor	Public prosecutors are lawyers who represent the state in session’s courts and when called for, lend advice to government officers in all legal matters.
Attorney General	Attorney General appointed by the President advises the government of India on such legal matters as may be assigned to him by the President. He/She has the right of audience in all courts of India and participates in the proceedings of Parliament without the right to vote.
Advocate General	Similar to the post of Attorney General at centre, each state has an Advocate General appointed by State Governors. These officers generally prosecute cases that have statewide significance and work with local District Attorney Officers in the prosecution of cases. One of the best ways to gain trial experience quickly after graduation is to work at a state attorney's office.
Notary, Oath Commissioner	A notary is a legal practitioner of at least ten years experience in the profession. He is appointed to draw, verify, authenticate, certify and attest the execution of any deed in the Central or State government. An oath commissioner is another established authority similar to the notary.
Legal Advisers	Public sector undertakings and state and central government organisations also employ lawyers as advisers.
Other fields	Lawyer can also work as legal counsel and legal advisers for firms, organisations and families. They can work as trustees of various trusts, as teachers, law reporters, company secretary and so on. Opportunities exist in the defence services too. Additional qualification along with a law degree offers scope for a wide range of employment opportunities.
Defence Service	They can work in the legal branches of defense departments such as the Indian army, Navy and Air force. They conduct courts of enquiry and court Martials of offending service personnel governed by the particular legislation acts.
Legal Advisors	They work in legal departments of firms or for private clients. Legal advisors counsel their clients as to their legal rights and obligations and suggest the appropriate course of action in business and personal matters. They also check deeds, issue writs, collect information for affidavits and draft legal documents.
Advocate	An advocate practices in the court of law. He represents a party (individual, group of individuals or a company) in a court of law.They present the facts of the case to the judge, cross examine witnesses and finally sum up the reasons as to why the court should decide in their client’s favor.
Teacher	Those with a good aptitude and flair for teaching can study LLM and take up job in any university or institute offering law courses to students.
Writer	If you have a flair for writing, you may act as an author and produce journals and legal commentaries and bring out law reports. You can write articles for magazines, news papers etc.
Company Secretary	A law graduate and/or a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries can be employed as a company secretary in a firm.

Salaries of experienced lawyers vary widely according to the type, size, and location of their employer. Initially a junior advocate or apprentice earns a stipend of Rs. 4,000 - Rs 10,000. This will increase substantially over the years as he/she gains experience. In the government judicial service, salaries range from Rs 5,000 - Rs.80,000. A subjudge earns Rs. 5,500 along with the normal allowances and perquisites applicable to government employees.

Most salaried lawyers are provided health and life insurance, and contributions are made on their behalf to retirement plans. The private legal practitioner earns a comparatively handsome amount.

The All India Bar Council is a premier body established for registered practitioners all over India.