The evolution of Law as a profitable career option is nothing short of remarkable. No longer does one have to envision visits to the court to further their career rather, now, one can very well sit behind a sleek desk and conduct the legal affairs of some of the world’s multi-million dollar global giants. One can also envision getting pro-active in social issues and working at prestigious institutions like the United Nations and the World Bank or teach at the premier Law institutions across the world. Keeping in mind India’s legal system which is similar to that of several jurisdictions across the world, a career in Law in India acquires international dimensions.

The following are the non-exhaustive list of career options in Law:

This is a call to all those flamboyant speakers or people with effective oratory skills to actually see Law in action and justice delivered. Of course for all the public speaking skills one needs to back the talk with sufficient and A-rate legal research. The options which are available include:

• Practicing in Court as an independent advocate.
• Attaching oneself to senior counsels and assisting them with their practice until one starts on his own.
• Joining a Legal firm which has a corporate and litigation department.
• After several years of practice and expertise one can even look at becoming a judge in the High Court and Supreme Court!

One can choose to practice in areas of civil law or criminal law. This is of course, ‘the real lawyering’ though it is a tedious process, requiring several years of practice and networking with the initial returns being low. Nothing beats the thrill of presenting your case in court and winning it for your client!

This is the current trend as most Law graduates prefer to work in Law firms considering the high-flying salaries with all the perks. Working in a Law firm presents an opportunity of steady rise in the firm depending on one’s working capabilities. The various legal departments in the firm provide scope for expansion and specialisation in various areas of Law.

Working as an in-house lawyer in a corporate giant can be just as stimulating as one gets to regulate all the legal affairs of the company including negotiating contracts and resolving legal disputes. They have important positions in the company as they serve as Legal Managers or Legal Advisors.

The Government also operates as per the dictates of Law and requires lawyers to assist in various legal service departments, to frame policies and to draft legislations. Lawyers are very much a part of the administration of the justice and the building blocks of a country. The department of Legal affairs in the Union Ministry of Law and Justice has provided for Indian Legal Services. This is an All India Service and the recruitment is done through UPSC. The Government posts include Law officers, Assistant Legal Advisors, Legal Advisors and the like.

An education in Law provides an expertise in the area of legal research which requires patience, hard work, genuine interest and passion for research. Opportunities are available in the form of posts of research assistants, lecturers and scholars to head research departments. Prestigious scholarships promoting research provide incentives to people interested in research in other countries like UK and the USA. Hence, this provides opportunities to pursue studies abroad.

People with the flair of teaching can take up posts of lecturers, professors and become part of faculty of leading Law schools.

The distinction between the common man and a lawyer is the knowledge of Law and legal issues. Lawyers can advise people on various legal issues and provide assistance in resolving their disputes. They can do so by starting their own independent legal practice diversifying in several legal areas rather than specialising in one or can even serve as notary publics.

The LPO boom in India is evident in the demand for cheap legal services by law firms, law corporations especially by those found in developed countries. Work is delegated to external counsel to complete assigned legal tasks such as research, drafting, evidence related work and document review.

The globalized world of the twenty-first century provides ample opportunities in the field of business management. Equipping oneself with a MBA degree in addition to a Law degree makes the combination unbeatable in terms of earnings as well as status.

The true aim of Law is to bring about a social change, in the lives of the less empowered, the deprived and the discriminated. Opportunities for social advocacy are available through non-governmental organizations, human rights organizations and allied organizations like United Nations, Amnesty and UNICEF. One requires passion to fight for social causes without expecting any sort of returns. The present trend avers towards the setting up legal aid firms to help the cause of the underprivileged by providing them free legal aid.

The International firms of Allen & Overy LLP, Clifford Chance LLP, Herbert Smith LLP, Linklaters LLP, Simmons & Simmons LLP, SJ Berwin LLP and Slaughter & May LLP are well-known recruiters in N school campuses.  Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co, Anand & Anand, AZB & Partners, J Sagar Associates, Juris Corp, Khaitan & Co., Luthra & Luthra, Majmudar & Co., Nishith Desai Associates, Trilegal Wadia Ghandy & Co. constitute a few of the National firms who recruit fresh Law graduates. The famous corporates who recruit include Ansal Housing, Bajaj Allianz, BMR & Associates, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Deloitte, Dr. Reddy’s, Ernst & Young , H5 Asia Pacific, ICICI, Infosys, Indian Oil Corporation, KPMG, Pangea 3, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Quislex, Reliance Communications, Satyam Computer Services Ltd, SDD Global and Wipro. All these firms and corporates follow a stringent selection procedure dependent on tough interviews which test the individual’s knowledge of Law and various aspects of his personality. 

India is soon going to witness the growth of Limited Liability Partnerships or LLP’s like the firms abroad as well as the emergence of foreign Law firms operating in India.

This article is written by:
Karishma Dodeja
IV Year, B.A. LL.B.,
NALSAR University of Law,
Hyderabad.

Karishma, a student of SRIRAM LAW ACADEMY [Year 2006 batch] says, “Success becomes a reality the day you join Sriram, as the structured tutoring by expert mentors and gurus brings the best out of you in such a way that even God and Lady Luck cannot resist helping you sail through the entrances in the true colours of success!”