BA LLB Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Legislative Law

What is a BA LLB Degree?

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Legislative Law (BA LLB) is an undergraduate degree course of five-year duration. BA LLB is one of the most popular law courses in India which the students can pursue right after completing the school education. BA LLB is an integrated dual degree program, which means, the students are offered both a Bachelor of Arts degree and an LLB degree. During the five-years of BA LLB, students are taught subjects like history, economics, Polity and general LLB subjects. BA LLB is one of the most sought after courses among law aspirants, and it is offered by top national law universities and most of the top private law schools. A graduate degree in BA LLB opens a number of job opportunities such as lawyer, legal advisor, Judge (lower level judicial services), litigator. Read below to know more about BA LLB, eligibility, admission process, course structure, career opportunities related information.

BA LLB - General Overview

BA LLB Eligibility

The eligibility in terms of educational qualification for BA LLB is common in all law colleges and universities. However, the age limit and minimum marks required in the qualifying exam may vary from college to college, so, before applying for the admission, it is important to fulfil the eligibility criteria for BA LLB. The national law universities prescribe the following eligibility criteria for the candidates looking for admissions to BA LLB course.

• The candidate must have passed the Class 12 examination from a recognized board and institution. The candidates appearing in the qualifying exam are eligible to appear for entrance examinations, but admissions are offered only if the candidate fulfils the prescribed criteria.

• Candidates belonging to the unreserved category must have completed the qualifying examination with at least 45 per cent marks.

• Candidates belonging to the reserved category need to secure at least 40% in their qualifying examination.

• There is no upper age limit for admission to BA LLB course.

Admission to BA LLB

Most law schools in India offer admission to BA LLB on the basis of entrance examinations. Some colleges also offer admission on the basis of marks secured in the qualifying exam (Class 12).

BA LLB entrance exams - There are several law entrance exams at the national, state and university level. The law entrance exams test the candidates on various subject matters such as English proficiency, legal aptitude, current affairs and general knowledge and maths. The admissions to the law schools are offered on the basis of merit secured through the entrance examinations. The most popular law entrance examinations for BA LLB admission are given below in a table.

Law Entrance Exams for BA LLB

Direct Admission for BA LLB

Some law schools offer admissions without conducting any entrance exam. In such cases, the direct admission process is followed. The candidates are shortlisted on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination. The candidates will need to submit the application and provide their educational qualification details, following which the colleges will release the admission list of shortlisted candidates.

BA LLB - Course Structure and Syllabus

BA LLB is an integrated course, a combination of both BA and law subjects. The course is divided into 10 semesters during which students have to study both arts and law subjects. The art subject includes History, Economics, Sociology, English while under LLB section, the students have to understand law subjects such as law of contract, legal methods, law of torts, constitutional laws. In addition to the regular classes, the students have to undergo through the training/internship, seminars and moot courts to understand the practical aspect of the legal profession. The details of BA LLB syllabus and course structure are given below in a table.

BA LLB Syllabus

BA LLB Specialization

During the course, the BA LLB students are given the option to choose a subject for specialisation. There are various options available for doing LLB specialisation however, the students must choose the specialisation subject on the basis of their interest or after developing the understanding of the legal profession. Some of the most promising LLB specialisation courses are mentioned below.

Corporate Law - In this specialisation, the students are taught the fundamentals of corporate law, legal frameworks of the government concerned with the corporate sector, Functioning of lawyers in corporate firms and others.

International Law - Students interested in making a career in international law can choose the subject as a field of specialization. In this subject, the students have to understand the basics of international law, inter-governmental bodies, laws governing the international relations, trade related laws and others.

Criminal Law - This specialisation typically deals with the laws related to crime.The criminal laws are coded in IPC and CrPC sections and some other legal frameworks. Students are taught all kinds of laws including those which are important at the international level.

Intellectual Property Law - The IPR law is one of the most promising fields of law. It is growing with the regulation of national and international trade. The study of IPR law includes the legal frameworks around the patent rights, copyright laws, trade laws, WTO resolutions, GI tags and many other topics.

BA LLB Degree Scope - Higher Education

Completing BA LL.B opens a variety of options of higher education. Students may go for specialisation in the field of their choice. At postgraduate level, the LLM course is offered in disciplines such as corporate law, cyber law, international law, Human right law and others. Some of the most popular masters programmes in law are mentioned below.

• Master of Law (LLM) in Constitutional and Administrative Law

• Master of Law (LLM) in Corporate and Commercial Law

• Master of Law (LLM) in Human Rights

• Master of Law (LLM) in Intellectual Property and Trade Law

• Master of Law (LLM) in Cyber Law

One may also look for short term diploma courses like Diploma in International Law, Human Rights, IPR, Labour Laws, Public Administration as a higher education option.

Career Opportunities after BA LLB

An LLB degree opens a number of job opportunities in the field of law. Traditionally, the profile of a lawyer and judge are the most popular job options selected by the students. However, to become a lawyer or a judge, the student must clear the All India Bar Examination, conducted by the Bar Council of India.

The legal profession spreads way beyond the profile of a lawyer as it also includes other job profiles such as legal officer, legal advisor, litigator, teacher and many others.

Apart from going into the legal profession, the law graduates can also opt for other government services such as civil servants, public administrator and others. Some of the most popular job options for BA LLB graduates are mentioned below.

Job Opportunities for BA LLB Graduates

Average Salary Offered to BA LLB Graduates

The BA LLB graduates earn handsome salaries in their various job roles. As per the placement statistics of NLU Odisha, the BA LLB graduates were offered 6 Lakhs to 7.5 Lakhs per annum in recent years. However, the salary of a BA LLB graduate may vary as per his/her job role. Given below is the average salary details of BA LLB graduates under different job roles.

Average Salary of BA LLB Graduates