Updated July 14, 2022
Career in Law promises many great things, people aspire for: be it money, prestige, authority or job satisfaction. In fact, a career in legal services not only make you earn respect and money but also helps you to establish yourself as an important element for the people in their struggle for justice.
A statement given by Thomas Jefferson “Study of law qualifies a man to be useful to himself, to his neighbours and to the public” indeed explains the significance of career in law. Pursuing career in law not only provides with the option of earning money but also brings out great leader and passionate human to the world.
In straight words, study of law is not just a career option but also a life changing experience. Personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Barack Obama, Dr Rajendra Prasad, etc used this profession as a stepping stone to the greatness. In fact, the list of such personality who used law in evolving themselves to the extent of greatness runs long and wide.
Career in Law in India
A career in Law does not necessarily mean representing clients in courts or tribunals but it has long and wide scope. In today’s era, role of the lawyers has completely evolved. Law as a career is a rewarding experience both in terms of financial benefits and establishing itself as a helping hand for the citizens of the society by making them aware and understand about their basic human rights.
Pursuing career in law in India is in trend these days due to increasing demand of lawyers. The demand for lawyers is increasing due to changing social and economic conditions and ever-increasing regulatory role by the government. Law is not just a lucrative profession but also an adventurous and exciting profession. Law is a system of legally enforceable rules and guidelines for common man but as a profession it is much more, that includes various fields like Litigation, Media, IP, Academics etc.
To start career in law in India, one has to pursue an undergraduate program like LLB after graduation and B Com LLB/ BA LLB after 12th. And, after accomplishing the course, one can either start practising law or can join a legal firm. Enrolling in a postgraduate program like LLM can also be an option in order to advance knowledge and acquire requisite career skills.
Mentioned below are some of the lucrative and highly reputed career options in law one can choose after pursuing law.
- Corporate Lawyer
- Litigators
- Banking & Insurance Sector
- Public Prosecutor
- Judicial Services
- Investigation Agencies
- Criminologist
- Litigation Support Professional
- Solicitor
- Legal Academia
- Paralegal
Types of career in law
Below are the types of career in law field with brief description. The information provide below can help the candidates to know about vastness of opportunities available in legal professions.
Corporate Lawyer
Corporate lawyers’ job is to help business clients during times of transition. They usually assist new businesses in legal matters and help them throughout their lives as they develop and get matured. When the business ceases, corporate lawyers can help deal with their bankruptcy or acquisition.
Corporate lawyers have unrealistic earning, for example, a new corporate lawyer may begin with a starting salary of $70,000 annually. However, those with the highest level of experience in Corporate Law can make an annual salary of more than $200,000.
Litigators
This job of litigators will make you appear in court every day. The earning will begin on the very first day of your joining. You will be assigned to assist, draft, converse, type, and many other things.
The average wage for litigators is $126,450, but the range of salaries typically falls between $116,804 to $134,051. The salary range can be wildly different concerning various factors like education, certifications, other skills, and the amount of time you’ve worked in your field.
Banking & Insurance Sector
Banks & Insurance organizations tend to have their independent legal departments. So, the first acknowledgment you could receive in this field could be “Administrative Officer (Law)” or “Specialist Officer (Law)”. They get the average salary of ₹23 lakhs annually mostly ranging from ₹10.0lakhs to ₹50.0lakhs.
Insurance companies conduct exams independently. Freshers are also welcomed for these tests. In the end, based on interview and merit selection, applicants are placed in their desired posts in a bank. On the other hand, some banks accept graduates by conducting an interview.
Public Prosecutor
A Public Prosecutor is a lawyer/agent who represents the state in courts of law regarding criminal matters. The State Public Service Commission conducts examinations for appointing the public prosecutors. And the most important part of this post is, it will earn you a fixed monthly salary.
Judicial Services
In films, you might have heard “Order-Order.” The appointing process for becoming a judge is different among different nations. In any case, the State’s Public Service Commission conducts the exams across the places. In some places, newcomers are also allowed to sit for these exams, but the experience is crucial at other places.
Investigation Agencies
It could be CBI, FBI, ED, or any state-owned agencies. Lawyers are always demanding in these well-known investigation agencies. Part from inter-service transfers, candidates are usually selected through competitive exams or strict selection procedures.
Criminologist
Criminologists study the pattern of criminal behaviour and work in the background with law enforcement agencies to understand the reason behind why criminals commit crimes.
If you’re looking to get started a career in the field of Law or Criminal Justice, studying Criminology courses or specializing in this field, it could be an ideal option for you. Because it is an Interdisciplinary field, and a person can learn about the various aspects of Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, and other fields.
Litigation Support Professional
They generally assist attorneys in the administration of large-scale legal proceedings. They also design and construct databases that categorize, register, manage and settle large volumes of data generated every day. They are in high demand due to the incorporation of technology into legal services.
Solicitor
A person must possess legally-defined qualifications that differ between jurisdictions to be referred to as a solicitor and practised in the jurisdiction. Solicitors are professional who typically handles the majority of the legal issues in certain jurisdiction and appear in the court on behalf of the client.
Legal Academia
In general, academic careers are jobs in colleges or universities, elementary schools, and secondary schools. In a legal academia you can work as a professor on a full-time or contract basis in an educational institution. To be able to enter Legal Academia, you need to complete the LLM first. The process can vary with changing of state.
Paralegal
A paralegal is a term used to describe the role of a professional assistant. A paralegal works in law firms that may be public or private. Paralegals are employed to perform various legal tasks for lawyers. In contrast to secretary positions, paralegals perform major tasks such as arranging the preparation of hearings, meetings, trial matters and communication with client.
Apart from the career option mentioned above, Law Firm Administrator (Chief Operating Officers/Chief Managing Officers), Chief Financial Officer, Patent Attorney, Immigration Assistant, Company Secretary, Mediator and Trade Mark Attorney are some other options that can be considered to build a successful career in Law.
Specialization in Law
Listed below are branch of law one can specialize in and have a lucrative and respectful career.
- Civil Law
- Criminal Law
- Corporate Law
- Taxation Law
- Labour Law
- International Law
- Family Law
- Constitutional Law
- Administration Law
- Patent Law etc
Top Law Colleges in India
Top Law colleges in India which are renowned for their law programs, are listed below.
- National Law School of India University
- National Law University
- NALSAR University of Law
- Symbiosis Law School
- West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences
- IIT Kharagpur
- Jamia Millia Islamia
Top Law Courses in India
Here are the top law courses across various specializations and education level that you can choose from.
- BCom LLB
- BA LLB
- BBA LLB
- BSc LLB
- LLB
- LLM
- Master of Business Law (MBL)
- MBL-LLM
- MBA in Law
Entrance Exams to Start a Career in Law
Other than engineering, law has gained popularity as a career for many students who have opted degree courses after 12th. But to get admission in best law colleges is not everyone’s cup of tea, one has to go through a tough selection procedure or has to clear Law entrance exams. Followings are exams that you need to clear in order to start a career in Law:
- CLAT (Common Law Admission Test)
- AILET (All India Law Entrance Test)
- LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
- IPU CET (Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test for Law)
- AILT (Army Institute of Law Test)
- Cambridge Law Test
- LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test)
- DU LLB Entrance Exam
…………………………………………………….
CAREER in LAW | CAREER in MANAGEMENT | CAREER in EDUCATION | CAREER in HEALTHCARE | CAREER in ENGINEERING | CAREER in ACCOUNTING | CAREER in BLOGGING