Complete Guide for Making a Career in Law

Law, as known, is a promising and highly sought-after career choice across the globe. From science to commerce to arts, students from all walks of life want to pursue a legal career. The competition is high, the opportunities are plenty. So, with the right preparation, my child, you can excel in today’s competitive legal market.

What we are about to cover in this article is – how to go pursue a career in law, the Top Law Institutes in India, Eligibility Criteria, a list of some of the Top Law Firms in India, options for Law graduates, and everything you need to know!

Educational Requirement

Some students know that Law is their calling, from as early as high school. These people can do a 5-year undergraduate course straight out of school. Qualification required for this is 10 + 2 with a minimum of 50% marks. Another prerequisite is that the candidate should not be more than 20 years in age. 

For those who want to pursue a career in law after graduation, also have a chance to make it in this field. Students who decide to pursue law after their graduation can opt for a 3-year LL.B. course. Qualification required for this is a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks in graduation.

Upon completing the undergraduate course, one can choose their field of specialization in LL.M. a 2-year full-time PG course. Qualification required for this is a minimum of 55% marks in LL.B.

Top Law Institutes in India: 

There are a number of law institutes in India to pursue a career in law. Following are some of them :

Name of Institutes	Entrance Exams	Courses	Seats
National Law School of India University, Bangalore	CLAT	B.A. LL.B. (H) | LL.M.	UG 80PG 50
National Academy of Legal Studies And Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Andhra Pradesh	CLAT	B.A. LL.B. (H) | LL.M.	UG 80PG 60
Faculty of Law, Delhi University	D.U LL.B	LL.B. | LL.M.	UG 2310PG 100
Symbiosis Law School, Pune	SET	B.A LL.B. (H) | B.B.A LL.B. (H) | LL.M*(*started 2014*onward)	UG 300PG 60
Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar	CLAT	B.A/B.Com/B.B.A/B.Sc/BSW LL.B. (H)	UG 180PG 40
National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal	CLAT	B.A LL.B. (H) | LL.M.	UG 120PG 47
Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University	Entrance Test	B.A LL.B. (H)	UG 100
ILS Law College, Pune	Academic Cutoff	B.A. LL.B. (H) | LL.B. | LL.M.	UG 400PG 60
National Law Institute University, Jodhpur	CLAT	B.B.A LL.B.(H) | B.A LL.B (H) | B.Sc. LL.B (H)	UG 115PG 100
Law School, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi	Entrance Test	LL.B. (H) | LL.M	UG 384PG 53
Amity Law School, Delhi	CET	B.A L.L.B (H) | LL.M	UG 80
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab	CLAT	B.B.A. LL.B.(H) | LL.M	UG 120PG 40
Government Law College, Mumbai	Academic Cutoff	LL.B | B.L.S. LL.B	UG 560
University College of Law, Osmania University, Hyderabad	Law CET	LL.B. | B.A. LL.B | LL.M	UG 120
The WB National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata	CLAT	B.A/B.Sc LL.B. | LL.M.	UG 125PG 42
Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies	Academic Cutoff	B.A. LL.B	UG 60
School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore	Entrance Test	B.A. LL.B (H) | B.B.A. LL.B (H) | LL.M	UG 300
Faculty of Law, University of Allahabad	Entrance Test	B.A LL.B | LL.B | LL.M	UG 616
Faculty of Law, Jamia Milla Islamia, Delhi	Entrance Test	B.A LL.B | LL.M	UG 80PG 20
Army Institute of Law, Mohali	Entrance Test	B.A LL.B	UG 80

Read More:

• LLB in India: A Comprehensive Guide on Top Law Courses; Law Schools, Eligibility, Revised Syllabus and Job Opportunities (2020)
• Beginners Guide: Career in Civil Law
• A-Z Guide on Cyber Law & Becoming a Cyber Lawyer
• A-Z Guide to Careers in Intellectual Property Law
• Play the Devil’s Advocate: Choose a Career in Corporate Law

Entrance Exams for Law Careers :

In order to pursue a career in law, you need to apply for and qualify entrance exams for the same. The entrance exams for LL.B courses are similar to any other professional course. The exam tests students on General Knowledge, English, Numerical Ability, Logical reasoning, and Legal Aptitude. Some of the commonly held entrance exams are:

Entrance Exam	Participating Law Schools	Seats	Exam Type	Availability of Application Forms
CLAT	14 NLUs	UG 1660PG 491	National	January
LSAT	more than 60 Law Colleges in India		International	November
AILET	For admission to NLU (Delhi exclusively)	UG 80PG 20	National	January
SET	Symbiosis University	UG 480PG 60	National	February

Top Legal Firms:

Some of the top Law firms in India:

• Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. AZB & Partners
• Khaitan & Co
• J Sagar Associates (JSA)
• Luthra & Luthra
• Trilegal
• Nishith Desai Associates
• Lakshmi Kumaran & Sridharan
• S & R Associates
• Talwar Thakore & Associates
• Platinum Partners
• Desai & Diwanji
• Kochhar & Co
• Finsec Law Advisors
• Phoenix Legal

Law as a Career

Law students are not limited to just practicing as an advocate in a courtroom. Legal studies offer a gamut of options to choose from, some are given below:

• Legal Analyst
• Document drafting Lawyer
• Legal Journalist
• Legal Advisor
• Solicitor General
• Law School Professor
• Working with an NGO

The good news is, the scope for a legal practitioner in India has grown tremendously in the past few years. India has opened its gates to many overseas law firms over time. Legal Process Outsourcing, better known as LPO, has started to recruit young law graduates for their processes dealing in US laws or UK laws.