Rising need of Law Graduates in India
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 specialize 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.Within law, you can
choose to specialize in Administrative law, Banking & Finance Law, Civil
Law, Common Law, Constitutional Law, Corporate Law and Criminal Law, to name a
few.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.Today, with high-end
globalization and with the surge of endless opportunities, Law presents a very
attractive career option. High flying careers with rising amounts in
salaries are one of the few incentives which make this career attractive 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.
Career option after 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:
Litigation or Advocacy: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!
Law firm: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
specialization in various areas of Law.
Corporate Counsel: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.
Government jobs: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.
Academic research: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.
Assistance in legal
issues: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 specializing in
one or can even serve as notary publics.
Legal Process
Outsourcing: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 and evidence related work and document review.
Opportunity in the field of business: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.
Fighting for social
causes: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.
