Career in Law: How to start, Salary, Opportunities

Introduction:

Law is the system that upholds the true meaning of righteousness and justice of any country. It is one of the most honourable and respectable professions globally. Adorning the black coat, which symbolizes discipline and confidence to a lawyer, comes with great responsibility. There is a good scope to build a career in law, as almost all sectors have legal matters which require professionals in Law. In fact, in FY19, the legal expenses of listed Indian companies increased to more than Rs. 38,660 crores due to the new laws that came into force.

A career in law is satisfying both financially and in terms of the sense of fulfilment that comes from assisting society’s members in becoming more aware of and comprehending their fundamental human rights. It is crucial to emphasize that a legal profession in India does not always entail defending clients in courts or tribunals, although it does. Law graduates can work as Judges, Litigators, Consultants, Analysts, and more, in addition to providing legal advice to government organizations, corporations, and people on legal conflicts and challenges. When one concentrates on a topic of interest, their professional profile improves even more.

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How to start your career in Law?

To start a career in Law, you’ll need excellent communication, research, analytical, and time management abilities. Students interested in Law can hone these abilities in law school. Determine which law job best fits your interests before enrolling in a school. Then figure out what kind of degree you’ll need to go into that field. There are two different types of undergraduate degrees available in Law, i.e., Associate Degree and Bachelor’s Degree. While an associate degree in Law provides you with a legal job, like paralegal, police officer, legal assistant, or probation officer, just after two years of education, it restricts your chances of having further education. So if you want to do a master’s or doctorate in Law, you should opt for a bachelor’s degree in Law.

You can do an integrated five-year course just after completing 12th, where you’ll get a bachelor’s degree in a field of your choice along with your LLB (Bachelor’s of Law) degree. You can opt for a bachelor’s degree in Law after completing your bachelor’s in any other field, like BA, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, etc.

To get into the finest law schools in India and overseas, you must either go through a rigorous screening process or pass Law entrance examinations. Common-Law Admission Test [CLAT], All India Law Entrance Test [AILET], Law School Admission Test [LSAT], IPU CET – Law, Army Institute of Law Test [AILT], Cambridge Law Test, Law National Aptitude Test [LNAT], and DU LLB exam are some of the exams that you must pass in order to pursue a career in Law.

Specialization in the Field of Law

Are you pondering is lawyer a good career? Indeed it is as the scope of law is very wide. As a lawyer, you can specialize in various areas of law, allowing you to gain expertise and provide specialized legal services to clients in specific fields. Here are some common specializations that lawyers can pursue to have a promising career in law:

• Corporate Law: These lawyers have a strong understanding of business law, finance and taxation. They advise businesses on forming a corporation, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.
• Criminal Law: Criminal lawyers represent individuals accused of crimes in both state and federal courts. They may work as prosecutors or defence lawyers.
• Constitutional Law: Constitutional lawyers interpret and defend the Constitution’s principles and rights. They handle cases of infringement of freedom of speech, privacy rights, and constitutional rights.
• Real Estate Law: Real estate lawyers handle property-related legal matters. They advise on property transactions, including buying, selling, leasing, and financing real estate. They may also assist with property disputes.
• Intellectual Property (IP) Law: IP Lawyers protect intellectual property rights. They represent their clients in creative works, inventions, patents, trademarks, and copyright infringement cases.
• Family Law: Family lawyers manage legal affairs related to marriage, divorce, child custody, alimony, adoption, and other family-related issues.
• Labor Law: Labor lawyers handle employment-related matters for employers or employees. They deal in cases like employment contracts, discrimination claims, workplace harassment, labor disputes, and employee rights.
• Tax Law: Tax lawyers handle taxation related cases like tax planning, tax compliance, tax disputes, and other tax-related matters.
• International Law: International lawyers handle cases involving trade, investment, and human rights that cross international borders. 

Cybersecurity and Privacy Law: Cyber lawyers help clients with hacking, data breaches, and online fraud cases. They also advise clients on data protection, privacy regulations, cybercrime, and technology-related legal issues.

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Opportunities in Law

Studying Law provides access to a diverse range of opportunities that other professions cannot match. After completing your LLB programme, you will be qualified to work in different types of Law careers of a corporate law company, litigation firm, any other corporation as in-house counsel, conventional litigation, legal journalism, and a variety of other fields. A legal degree might also lead to career opportunities in other nations. You practise Law, work in law firms, and even pursue higher education in foreign countries with the help of your degree. 

 Given below are a few of the major job profiles you can opt for after completing your education in Law.

State-Level or Local Level Judge

Another lucrative career in law you can pursue after completing LLB is that of a judge or a magistrate. In a court proceeding, a judge listens to arguments and delivers a final verdict after careful evaluation. Those interested in pursuing law careers in the judicial stream can take exams conducted by the UPSC and State PSC. As a government job, this profession offers various perks and allowances.

Public Prosecutor

A public prosecutor represents the government in criminal trials. They are appointed by either the state or the centre. They represent prosecution’s case in criminal trials, present evidence and arguments against the accused and examine witnesses. You must have a degree in law and a minimum of seven years of experience as an advocate to be a public prosecutor.

Legal Advisor/ Law Officer

Both Legal Advisor and Law Officer are not directly related to Courts or the Judiciary System. Instead, they work for different organizations. A legal advisor is a field where you can work for law firms, private companies, corporate businesses, or banks. You can give legal advice on a variety of topics. Your legal knowledge might likewise be put to good use in non-profit organizations. These organizations offer legal advice to their customers. Legal counsel is employed by the majority of large firms and government agencies. A Law Officer is in charge of overseeing the organization’s legal affairs. Your major responsibility as a Law officer is to keep the company out of legal difficulties.

Advocates

Advocates are a company’s, person’s, or client’s legal representatives who handle and solve their legal actions and problems from beginning to end. There are private advocates who work in their own offices or spaces but are affiliated with a company or have practised Law. Corporate advocates are commercial law professionals who are in charge of ensuring that the company’s transactions are compliant with corporate laws. 

Litigators

Litigators and Trial attorneys are terms used interchangeably. They are in charge of overseeing the whole litigation process, from inquiry, pleadings, and discovery through pre-trial, trial, settlement, and appeal.

Lecturer

If you get a postgraduate and higher degree in Law, then you can become a lecturer. In this profession, you’ll be expected to design and deliver lessons and lectures to cover the legal degree subject in a college or university.

Apart from these jobs, there are many other careers in law that are available for legal professionals such as investigators, criminologists, solicitors, and other paralegal professions. You can also give the government exam called Indian Legal Services held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Clearing this exam will help you get into different legislative jobs available in the Department of Legal Affairs. 

Salary

Apart from being intellectually stimulating, a career in law can be financially rewarding. However, this depends on how you begin and chart out your career. 

If you begin your career in a top-tier law firm or a leading company, your salary could begin at a few lakhs per year. The salaries could range anywhere between Rs 3 lakhs per month to Rs 20 lakhs per month apart from bonuses or incentives. 

As you grow up the ladder, you can expect your salary to increase exponentially

For instance, partners with around 10-15 years of experience in top tier law firms can easily expect to be paid Rs 50 lakhs per year to Rs 60 lakhs per year

However, an advocate who practices litigation may start off with hardly a few thousand rupees every month. In most cases, a litigating advocate would be associated with a Chamber of a senior advocate. As time passes and the advocate gains credibility, he/she may start charging a few thousand to a few lakhs per appearance. Some of the top advocates in India charge a few lakhs for every appearance.

If you are interested to pursue a career in financial or corporate Law, then you can opt for the LL.M. in Corporate & Financial Law (Blended Learning Program) offered by Jindal Global Law School, in collaboration with upGrad. This course offers a cutting-edge curriculum, world-class faculty members and industry experts, career support, and much more.

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Conclusion

There are several alternatives for law graduates, which are not limited to practising as an advocate in court or corporate businesses. These include teaching in universities, working with NGOs, and researching other legal professions. It is no longer a secret that being a well-known lawyer may drastically change your life. However, in order to become a lawyer, you must possess the necessary abilities; otherwise, you may find yourself with a legal degree but unable to advance in your job. So, on your journeys towards your Legal profession, all you need to do is work hard and be dedicated towards your goal. 

Learn LL.M. in Corporate & Financial Law from OP. Jindal Global University at upGrad.