LAW as a profession is becoming an ideal choice for many youngsters. All the National Law Schools follow this pattern under which a student after completing a specified number of courses at the end of 3 years is awarded BA or BSc degree and after 5 years, an LLB degree. In most law schools there is an upper age limit of 20 years.

Since the admission for the national law schools is governed by Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) there is a uniform format with total marks of 200. Subjects include English with Comprehension, General Knowledge/ Current Affairs, Elementary Mathematics, Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. This year's CLAT is on May 13. Know about eligibility, participating institutes, admission criteria and more...

Practical Training
The law schools also give ample importance to moot courts/mock trials/client negotiations etc., which are very important in moulding the analytical and argumentative skills of the budding lawyers. Another important feature of the law school is the compulsory internship/ training programme which every student has to undergo at the end of every semester. Knowledge, memory and drafting are the core skills that all law graduates must have.

Unlike the earlier days, the opportunities available for a graduate who passes out from any of the top law schools mentioned above is phenomenal. With the liberalization of India’s economy there exists a huge demand for highly skilled lawyers who are adept in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, infrastructure contracts, debt restructuring, FEMA regulations, IPRs, corporate governance, private equity deals, WTO law etc. International as well as domestic law firms regularly recruit such lawyers in large numbers.

Same is the case with companies like TATA, Reliance, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, ICICI Bank, Dr. Reddy’s Labs etc. Students who do not like joining the world of business law can still find greener pastures in environment or human rights law in reputed organisations like CSE, ICRC, UNHCR etc. For the LLM students passing out of these premier law schools Business Laws and IP Laws are the branches which offer excellent career opportunities.

Opportunities
Most of the leading law firms like Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith, Simmons etc., visit Indian campuses to recruit students for their various offices across the globe. Almost all the Indian law firms like Luthra and Luthra, Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB Partners, Nishith Desai Associates and others cater to the ever-expanding needs of the profession. Legal education in India is now coming of age. Though it was completely neglected at one stage the establishment of the National Law Schools has changed the system for the better. It is high time that students seriously start thinking of law as an attractive career option .

Core skills
In addition to knowledge, memory and drafting skills, a lawyer must also be able to think quickly and logically and should have tremendous perseverance. Law is a demanding profession. Barring exceptions, most of the budding lawyers invariably work for a few years under a senior advocate  to learn the ropes. Even when you join a professional law firm, the partners rule the roost, and the first few years are exceptionally gruelling and demanding. Prashant Bhushan, senior advocate at the Supreme Court, advises today’s law graduates to look at law as an instrument for securing justice to people but not as a means for making money. Read on what else he has to say...