Introduction:

Gone are the days when Law was viewed as that privileged career option available to a restricted few or that career taken up by the male population or that which was taken up only by people adorning black and white robes. Today, with high-end globalization and with the surge of endless opportunities, Law presents a very attractable career option.

Importance of Law:

The significance of Law in various spheres of everyday life is undisputed ranging from the framing of the Government’s policy on combating terrorism to purchasing the smallest commodity in the market. Law regulates all aspects of civilized human living aiming to achieve social, economic and political order in society. All said and done, it is a career option that must be taken with due thought and regard to the impact and change one can bring about by the knowledge and expertise of Law.

Emergence of National Law schools :

With the establishment of the Bar Council of India there has been a surge in the evolution of premier Law institutes or ‘N’ (National) Law schools all over the country. These institutions seek to impart a well-rounded and world-class education in Law and allied subjects through their integrated course. An admission to any of these Law schools is definitely an advantage and must be aimed at by every aspiring Law student.

Career options in Law :

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 Supreme Court and High 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 of 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.

Practical aspects :

Considering the huge amount of pending cases in courts across the country there arises the need for more pro-active lawyers who would take the initiative to see the delivery of justice in all the courts. The Law is constantly evolving with the emergence of new areas such as International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Corporate Law, Arbitration and Mediation, Media Law, Human Rights Law, Cyber Law, Taxation and several other fields which provide for a wide array of opportunities in various fields depending on individual interests. One can choose to specialise in any of these areas or practice in the broad areas of civil law and criminal law. The emergence of socio-legal issues and upsurge in the number of criminals and crimes require the resolution of law, therefore, lawyers prove to be indispensable today.

High flying careers with rising amounts in salaries are one of the few incentives which make this career attractable and profitable. Today, the average salary of a national firm is around Rs. 10 Lakhs p.a, Rs. 27 Lakhs p.a. for an international firm and Rs. 7 Lakhs p.a. for a corporate in India.  Knowledge and expertise in Law is a long term investment as the need for Law and the requirement of lawyers will always continue and increase with development levels of the country.

Recruitment opportunities :

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 of 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
III 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!”