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Today Law is one of the best career options after Class 12th if we consider the emergence of National Law Schools, their world-class education, infrastructure, and campus placements.

Students can go for Law courses with any stream (Science stream/ Commerce stream / Arts stream) in 12th. From 2008 onwards, the ten premier National Law Schools admit students into their 5 year BA LL.B programs through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

You may find more details (eligibility, test pattern, conducting bodies, etc.) regarding Law entrance exams after Class 12 here.

B.A.LL.B vs LL.B

Law is one of the career-oriented courses after Class 12th. In India, the student can pursue a legal degree after the completion of graduation in any discipline. There are the following degrees of legal education in India.

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) – 3 years

LL.B is the most common degree of law education. The LL.B degree takes 3 years.

Integrated undergraduate degrees – B.A. LL.B., B.Sc. LL.B., BBA LL.B, B.Com LL.B – 5 years

One can apply for the integrated course & take admission in a 5-year program after the completion of 10+2 exams.

Other Law Programs

Master of Laws (LL.M.) – one/two years

LL.M is a master's degree in legal education having one or two-year duration.

Master of Business Law

The MBL is a master's degree in legal education with a specialization in business law having one or two-year duration.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

There is a good prospect for Ph.D. after legal education. Most of the highly reputed autonomous institution provides the Ph.D. programs.

Integrated MBL-LL.M/ MBA-LL.M – 3years

One who wishes to do the integrated course with business specialization can go for the MBL-LL.M or MBA-LL.M. It is a 3-year degree program after the completion of the LL.B.

Jobs / Careers In Law

Law is a very reputed field to choose as a career. India has great demand for skilled lawyers While the traditional options of joining legal practice or the judiciary as solicitors and advocates remain open, options like joining civil services, academics, and working as law officers in the government and public and private sector undertakings are also available to law graduates. However most impressive are the options thrown open by the emerging global economy to a graduate from a top law school. These are as follows:

• International Law firms
• Indian Law firms
• Consulting & Advisory companies
• MNCs and corporate legal departments
• Legal Process Outsourcing
• NGO and Global organizations
• Big Firms like, E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC hire lawyers for performing their tax divisions.

Starting Salaries

There is no limit to salaries if you are a good lawyer and practice individually.
After the completion of the course, while working under the experts, one can earn stipends ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 20000 per month.
By working individually in court one can earn Rs.20,000 to Rs.50,000 per month.

Opportunities Abroad

The last decade saw many Indian lawyers leave India to pursue careers with foreign law firms and this trend has snowballed into a situation where foreign law firms are now hiring the best of Indian law school graduates. One of the reasons that foreign firms prefer to hire Indian law school graduates is that India has a Common Law system, under which the law is created and/ or refined by judges, and a decision in the case currently pending depends on decisions in previous cases and affects the law to be applied in future cases.

This system is followed by lots of countries that trace their legal heritage to Britain, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Another reason is that Indian students are proficient in English and their legal skills are on par with their counterparts in the west. Also, growing international trade and WTO regulations will lead to the opening up of legal systems across the world, and law firms are preparing for it.

Indians are considered an asset to law firms whose clients have business interests in India. An Indian lawyer is considered valuable on any team that is involved in a cross-border deal.

For an Indian to work as a solicitor in the UK, he/she must pass the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT) which is conducted by the Law Society. In order to do so, they must have two years of training/ experience. Work done in India or any other Common Law jurisdiction counts. It is necessary to first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Law Society before sitting for the exam.

Of course, an aspiring lawyer must beware of several obstacles on the way. While getting a working permit isn't very hard, it isn't a cakewalk either. The trick is to find a law firm that will sponsor you.

The Next Step

Amongst all the courses which lawyers choose after LL.B is LL.M. While some other popular courses are:

• Certificate Course in Infotech Law
• Certificate Course in Cyber Laws
• Diploma in Co-operative Law
• Diploma in Administrative Laws
• Diploma in Corporate Laws and Management
• Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution System
• Diploma in Human Rights
• Diploma in Environmental Laws
• Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights
• Diploma in Labor Laws (D.L.L)
• Diploma in Labor Law and Personnel Management
• Diploma in Labor Laws and Labor Welfare
• Diploma in International Laws
• Diploma in Taxation Laws
• Diploma in Labor Laws and Industrial Relations
• Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
• Integrated BA LL.B
• M.A. Human Rights
• M.Phil. Law
• M.A. Human Rights and Duties Education
• Master of Comparative Laws (MCL)
• P.G Diploma in Women’s Rights and Human Rights
• Master of Law (LL.M)
• Ph.D. Law

About the Author : Shruti is a consultant at opasis.com. She can be reached at info@opasis.com

Keywords : Law, BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.B.A. LL.B, B.A.LL.B, How to become a lawyer