Amigo Blog by Anent: 9/1/07

Law as a Profession

Lawyers are held in high esteem in every society. Besides being lucrative, it is an adventurous and exciting career. There is wide scope in Law/Legal Profession. There is a growing demand for Law Professionals everywhere due to the changing economic and social scenario all over the world.

Career options:

After obtaining the necessary degree (LLB/LLM), and registering with the local State Bar council to be able to practice the law graduates can choose to work for Private practice (civil/criminal) or any jobs.

Depending on the interest, one can choose from the following list of areas of practice

Company cases
Labor disputes
Family cases
Tax cases
Appeals and writs in High Courts and Supreme Court
Consumer matters
Insurance matters
Rent matters
Providing opinions in Bank matters
Consultations for civil and criminal cases

Apart from regular Courts, there are many special Forums, Tribunals and Commissions formed for the special purpose of speedy disposal of specific type of cases. It is a bit difficult in the beginning to establish one’s self in practice.

After certain years of practice, he/she may apply for the post of Public Prosecutor/ Government Pleader or go for Judicial Service (Judges/Magistrates).

All government, banks and other financial institutions/ private institutions employ legal personnel to take care of their organization related litigations.

Present Trend and Need

The current trend that is the era of globalization, liberalization and privatization, all contracts, agreements and other terms and conditions between the parties are legally documented. Hence, all organizations would require Legal Firms/Advocates for documentations (drafting/vetting) and other related works. Lawyers/Advocates play an important role in organizations that opt for Arbitration and Conciliation proceedings for speedy settlement of disputes.

Many Legal Firms deal with the Registration of Trade mark, copyright and patenting new products. The litigation in the regime of Intellectual Property Rights experiences an increasing rate both at national and international level.

Like BPO's, there are LPO's (Legal Process Outsourcing) which recruit law graduates. (http://www.rainmaker.co.in/rainbow/- a centre for LPO training- you can look for the details of LPO)

Various branches of law

Following list presents the various branches of law from which the aspirers can make a choice

Civil law
Criminal law
Company/ Corporate law
Taxation laws like income tax law and Excise law
Labour law
International law
Family law
Constitutional law
Administration law
Trade mark, copyright and IP rights or patent laws

Law colleges and universities spread across the country

National Law School of India University (NLSUI), Bangalore
NALSAR University of Law , Hyderabad
Government Law College, Mumbai
Symbiosis College, Pune
Faculty of Law - University of Delhi
Faculty of Law - Aligarh Muslim University
National Law University , Jodhpur
Faculty of Law University of Calcutta
Gujarat National Law University
Symbiosis Society's Law College (SSLC), Pune
National law Institute (NLIU), Bhopal
QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test)
LLB, DIPL
National Admission Test (NAT) – NUJS
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur
Amity Law School
NLS Pune
The Tamilnadu Dr.Ambedkar Law University, Chennai

Educational programs

Bachelor’s degree – LLB
Diploma Courses in specialized streams like Administrative law, Labour Laws, International Laws, Tax Laws and Company laws etc.
Master’s Degree – LLM
Research Programs, etc.

Eligibility

The minimum qualification to pursue a degree in law (LLB) within
Republic of
India is 10+2 or an equivalent examination. The duration of the program is 5 years. In 3-year duration program, the minimum qualification is any degree of duration of 3 year or above.

P.G. or the LLM Programmes in law are of 2 years duration & eligibility is a Bachelor’s Degree in Law.

Personal attributes

To pursue a successful profession as a lawyer one should have the following qualities

Quick assimilation and analyze of facts
Flair to identifying/ distinguish the irrelevant in a given situation
Excellent command over written and spoken language
Ability to present matter in a clear and precise manner
Logical reasoning
Power to argue and concentration
Self confidence
Patience
Good memory to relate and quote past cases
Capacity and courage to deal with blank threats from opposition party
Up-to-date information on all changes occurring in law and governance

Success in law as a profession is not based merely on marks one obtains in the exam.

Admission

Admissions to Law courses are done on basis of entrance tests, which are generally objective type in nature. The questions invariably cover areas like Reasoning, General Awareness, Numerical Aptitude, Legal Aptitude and Preliminary Political Science.

Law related teaching is not merely restricted to the basic classroom methods alone. It also includes case studies, attending advocate/lawyer’s office, mock court etc. as part of the curriculum, to make the study interesting and more practical.

Relevant Links