A lawyer is an educated and licensed expert who can give legal advice and draft legal documents. Lawyers are professionals who are compensated for assisting clients in resolving legal disputes. Attorneys deal with a wide variety of situations, including those involving divorce, property disputes, marital problems, and criminal allegations.
Potentially satisfying work and high compensation are two potential benefits of a career in law. Understanding the duties of lawyers and the procedures required to enter their ranks can help you decide if this is the right career path for you. Find answers to frequently asked questions related to becoming a lawyer in India, the requirements to become an attorney, and more by reading this article.
How to Become a Lawyer in India
To become a lawyer in India, one must meet certain educational requirements and pass relevant examinations. Essentially, the following are the steps you must take to enter the legal profession:
1. Complete 10+2 Credentials
For admission to a law school’s bachelor’s programme, you must have completed your schooling at a high school accredited by a recognised education board in India. To earn a bachelor’s degree to become a lawyer in India, one need not come from a legal background, whereas students from all streams can apply.
2. Obtain a Graduation Degree From Any Stream
After completing the standard 10+2 curriculum, prospective lawyers can enroll in a full-fledged LL.B. programme. If you want to go that route, you need a bachelor’s degree from a recognised and affiliated university.
3. Clear Law Entrance Exam
Most colleges that grant law degrees base their acceptance decisions on exam scores. One of the country’s most widely taken entrance exams is the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). A CLAT score of at least 50% is required for admissions consideration. The vast majority of schools of law accept the CLAT.
There are several alternative entry exams for law schools.
- Common Entrance Test for Law Schools in Maharashtra (CELMH),
- Law School Admissions Test (LSAT),
- All-India Law Entrance Examination (AILET),
- Symbiosis Law Admissions Test (SLAT) (MH-CET)
4. Apply to a Law School
Once you obtain your results from the law school entrance exam, you can begin applying at the top Law colleges in India. Each application must be accompanied by official documents such as transcripts, law exam results, recommendation letters, and more.
Schools are actively seeking applicants with high CLAT scores, glowing recommendation letters, and active participation in the campus community. If you want to show that you’re serious about becoming an attorney, getting an internship at a local courthouse or law office is a good option.
5. Earn a Four-Year Legal Degree
As a part of your pathway to becoming a lawyer in India, you must enrol in courses like political science, sociology, and economics. Studying these fields will give you an edge in navigating the legal system of your future clients. You also need to take courses on criminal law, family law, and the constitution if you want to practice different types of laws.
6. Appear in AIBE
To become a lawyer in India and begin your practice; then you must pass the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The Bar Council of India administers this examination once a year, and interested parties need to sign up in advance. It would help if you were a registered advocate with a State Bar Council before you can take the All India Bar Examination.
7. Learn From It
To practice law as a profession, you must first pass the AIBE. The next logical step would be to seek employment as an associate advocate at a law firm or to launch a solo legal practice.
Law Specialization
Academic prowess alone can not guarantee success if you want to become a lawyer in India. One of the primary indicators of success in the legal arena is the specialisation in law and analysing the scope of the law as a career. It would help if you acquired professional competence through actual work with lawyers.
Some of the many possible subfields of study in this subject include:
- Common Law and Criminal Law
- Business Law
- Tax Law
- Employment Law
- International Law
- Family Regulations
- Legal System
Is an Advocate Similar to a Lawyer?
In the legal system, advocates are specially trained lawyers who can represent their clients in court. Advocates are lawyers who have passed the state’s rigorous bar examination. Any college graduate with a degree in law, regardless of whether or not they passed the bar test, is referred to as a Lawyer.
A Career in Legal System in India- Scope of Law
In modern times, you can see disputes in many sectors apart from civil and criminal cases. Being a lawyer no longer merely entails fighting petty cases before a judge. Other popular paths in law include specialising as a lawyer. To become a lawyer in India, one must engage in litigation, the judicial system, and legal entrepreneurship.
- Being a professor in the field of law, or any of its subfields, is an excellent profession with a wide range of potential worldwide.
- Covering the law for publication: You can collaborate with diverse organisations to uncover the facts behind people’s most pressing social concerns.
- Legal Aid in India: This allows you to serve as a law enforcement officer or government legal counsel in various government agencies.
- Lawyers and Advocates: As an attorney, you can be the go-to person for organisations and businesses, guiding them through sticky legal circumstances.
Conclusion
Since the law is such a vast stream, there are many directions you can choose in the law stream. You can become a Certified Specialist in Legal Ethics or a Judge. If you’re considering becoming a lawyer in India career in law, you may already have a preference for a certain subfield. Moreover, you can always reach out to career counselling online for any assistance. Many law institutes are imparting their services. Getting some professional guidance will help you figure out if a career in law is the appropriate choice for you and what steps you should take next.