A career in law is a rewarding experience both in the terms of financial benefits and a sense of personal fulfilment. The complexities and multiple dimensions of our legal system have created hundreds of career options in this field. Staring from lawyers, judges and paralegals to legal consultants, academics and civil servants, the role of legal professionals is expanding and evolving in the ever-changing legal system.
In the last several years, the legal profession is experiencing a staggering growth which is resulting in a rise in a broad range of legal positions. With a speedy rise in monetary benefits attached to legal jobs and opportunities, it is now one of the most lucrative industries in the job market.
However, to pursue these careers, one has to take up the professional degree of law i.e., LLB/B.A.LL.B/BB.A.LL. etc. LLB courses can be pursued either for 3-yearor 5-year integrated by graduates and undergraduates respectively. This article endeavors to provide the scope and procedure to enter into different legal avenues after the completion of your professional graduate degree from a 3-yearor 5-year program, in both the public sector as well as private.
Public Sector:
1. Civil Services: Union Public Service Commission conducts the examination for Civil Services India, it includes Indian Administrative Service, Police Services, Forest Services etc. This is a great option for law students to opt for government jobs after their LLB.
2. Public Prosecutor: The state government appoints advocate to represent themselves in criminal matters, these are called Assistant Public prosecutor/Public Prosecutors. To pursue this career option, students have to clear the examination conducted by State public service commission.
3. Judicial Services: One can opt to become a judge/Magistrate in the lower judiciary after completing their graduation degree. To pursue a career in Judicial services, one has to appear for a judicial service examination conducted by each state separately.
4. Investigation Agencies: Central investigative agencies such as CBI, FBI, ED and several state investigative agencies recruit candidates for their legal department through rigorous competitive examination and selection procedure. Candidates who wish to pursue a career in these fields can look for the vacancies on the agencies’ website/official notification and appear for these examinations.
5. Armed Forces (Judge Advocate General): If a law student wishes to pursue his/her career in the Defense services and wanted to join armed forces. They can opt for the position of ‘Judge Advocate General’. JAG is the post in the Indian Army held by a major who is the legal and judicial chief of the Army. The main purpose is that a JAG has to assist the presiding offices of the courts in interpreting and applying military laws such as the Army Act, Indian Defense Act, etc.
6. Public Sector Undertakings: PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) units are owned by the government of India or state or corporations. One can look for careers in PSUs either based on their individual examination or through the CLAT-PG scores, where it is applicable as eligibility criteria. Some of the well-known undertakings are ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) and POWERGRID (Power Grid Corporation Of India Limited) etc.
Private Sector:
1. Corporate Houses and Law Firms: Law firms or Corporate Houses are the business establishes by Individuals or multiple legal partners to provide legal services to their clientele. Today, corporate firms are the most sort after job opportunity because of the attractive salary attached to them. One can work with corporate firms right after their graduation and practice the area of their choice such as corporate litigation, Arbitration, Technology and Media communication, Cyber Laws etc.
2. Para-Legal/Legal Support Professional: Paralegals are a legal assistant who works with the associates in the firms or corporate houses. Their work primarily involves arranging meetings, preparing materials for trials and communications with the clients. An individual can start with this position during their initial period to gain practical legal knowledge.
3. In-house Counsels/Private Companies: Every Private company has their legal departments and hire in-house counsels to handle their legal disputes. One can join national as well as international agencies as legal advisor, Associate, legal manager, research fellow etc.
4. Legal Academics/Educator: You can work as a full-time professor/lecturer in educational universities and law colleges. To pursue this option, one has to complete their master degrees in law and later on enroll themselves for a PhD in law.
5. Litigation: After completing the graduation degree, the students become eligible to enroll themselves with the Bar council of their respective states and then appear for the All-India Bar Examination, which conducted by the All-India Bar Council. After successfully clearing the examination, one can practice in any court in India. The students are open to choose any area of law to start with their practice such as Criminal Law, Civil Law, Matrimonial law etc. or they can join litigation firms to practical experience in the field of law.
6. Legal Advisor: Legal advisors/Solicitors is an expert who drafts legal document and advises his clients. One can start their practice, wherein they can solicit their clients and mostly, it doesn’t require the passing of bar council examination, unless you need to appear in the court on behalf of the client.
7. Banking and Insurance Sector: Banks and Insurance companies have their legal department and appoint law officer by way of an examination. One can apply for these examinations without any legal experience, right after their graduation and can be positioned as the administrative officer (Law) or Specialist officer (Law) in private as well as public sector banks such as IBPS, SBI etc.