Done with LLB? Not planned to study further yet? You have landed on to the right place to know about the prospects after getting a law degree. According to the Devil’s dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, he mentions lawyer to be someone who is skilled in circumvention of law. Law has been one of the popular career choices from a long time. Passion and interest in career can take you a long way.
Not just limited to various job opportunities, you can opt for post graduate programs from various institutes located in India and abroad. LSAT is the national level entrance exam for admission to law schools in abroad while LSAT India offers admission to law schools in India. Traditionally students specialise in either civil or criminal laws. However, this concept has changed and now students can specialise in any related field such as patent laws, corporate laws etc. Here is the list of specialisations one can gain knowledge in:
- Criminal Lawyer: Specializes in criminal laws CrPC, IPC, Evidence Act and various other penal laws.
- Civil Litigation Lawyer: Specializes in civil laws e.g. taxation laws, excise laws.
- Legal Analyst: Works for corporate firms or law firms and analyses laws pertaining to the sphere of the company and its operation.
- Document Drafting Lawyer: Specializes in drafting various documents containing agreements, terms and conditions, case material, etc.
- Legal Journalist: Covers crime beats, legal proceedings in courts, arbitration courts, international courts and arbitration events.
- Legal Advisor: Offers consultancy to corporate firms regarding their legal obligations, duties, legal relations with other firms.
- Government Lawyer: Works for the government and in close coordination with the police.
- Judge: Offers judgment after conducting the court proceedings and hearing al the concerned parties.
A degree in law not just lets you practice as a lawyer in courts or in a company but also opens career opportunities in various sectors such as corporate management, legal services and administrative services. There area plenty of opportunities after the completion of LLB. LLB graduates can perform both in State and central government. The aspiring individuals can work as attorney generals, judges, public, prosecutor etc. They can also grab opportunities at the fields of defense, tax and labor departments. There are also scope in working as legal advisers for various organizations, An LLB graduate can work as legal publisher, law reporter, and litigator.
Become a Legal Practitioner/ Advocate/ Legal Advisor After LLB
Lawyers can work as legal counsellors and advisors for corporate sector, firms, organizations, legal persons, individuals and families. You can also work as trustees of various trusts, as teachers, law reporters, company secretaries and so on.
Being a Government Servant after LLB
You can be one of those students possessing requisite qualifications to be recruited to an Indian legal service against various posts– Legal advisors in Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Counsel in Legislative Department. Likewise, Legislative Counsels are also appointed in official languages Wing of the Legislative Department for Hindi and Regional languages- (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
They are also recruited as commissioned officers in the legal branches of the Indian Army, Navy and Air force. They conduct courts of enquiry and court martial of erring service personnel as per law.
Joining a Judiciary can be another option
In the Judiciary, the lowest judicial cadre posts of Magistrate/Munsif or Sub-Judge are filled up by recruitment through public service commissions or otherwise under the supervision of the High Court. Basic qualification for all these posts is a degree in law(professional), besides a degree in Arts / Science / Commerce etc. and the age limit for all these posts is generally 35 years which is relaxable for special categories as per rules. A Magistrate presides over criminal court and a Munsif/Sub-judge deals with civil cases. These officers can become District and Sessions Judge by promotion and can also be elevated to the office of a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court subject to their seniority and suitability.
Share your Knowledge by Becoming a Teacher
Those with good academic record, particularly holding LL.M, Ph.D. degrees or published work of a high standard, can take up jobs in any University or Institute offering law courses to students. There is wide scope for visiting professors as private universities are coming up in large number and they prefer such persons because of their eminence and acumen.
Write and Share your Knowledge
If one is familiar with the complexities of law and the procedure and is in a position to understand the intricacies of case law and has a flair for writing he/she is fit to be an author of law books / legal commentaries and a proper person to bring out law reports, produce law journals, take up all other journalistic assignments and compile law lexicons.
Start Legal Outsourcing
Legal Outsourcing refers to the practice of a law firm obtaining legal services from an outside law firm. This practice is, however, known as offshoring when the outsourced entity is based in another country. The field of legal outsourcing was largely untapped.
Pay Packages
Within the legal industry, pay scales vary widely. Graduates from top Law Schools can expect a package that ranges from INR 3 to 15 lakhs per annum (fixed and variable inclusive) if they get employment at most Indian law firms or organisations. Those at top tier Indian law firms can expect a pay package between INR 12 and 15 lakhs per annum.
Those placed with top corporate houses can expect a pay package between INR 6 and 10 lakhs with an exception of few corporate houses which offer a pay package at par with top tier Indian law firms. At the upper end, a training contract with a UK law firm can be compensated at approximately between INR 30 – 32 lakhs per annum.
Internship under a lawyer, litigation chamber or a litigation practice group of a full-service law firm, is an excellent step towards a career in litigation. The experience will help the student a lot in career options.
Even abroad, Indian lawyers are making a mark. So, wake up to the realities and prepare well to get a head start in this challenging profession.
How to Get Hired in Top Firms?
Practical Training in court can enhance your chances of getting hired in a top law firm or with senior lawyers. Though most of the law colleges impart practical education to the students of final year, it is solely your responsibility to take initiative and visit court proceedings in the last year of your college to understand the related affairs. Given are the top law firms in the country:
- Amarchand Mangaldas
- AZB & Partners
- J Sagar Associates
- Khaitan & Co
- Luthra &Luthra
- Trilegal
- Desai & Diwanji
- Sighania & Partners
- Titus & Co
- Wadia Ghandy & Co
- Lakshmi Kumaran & Sridharan
- Economic Laws Practice
- Vaish & Associates
