How to be a lawyer in India
It is a challenging journey to become a lawyer in India. It is a legal profession which place a crucial role in getting justice and providing legal assistance to an individual and an organisation. In this article we will discuss about the essential steps to be taken to be a lawyer from your academic.
There are generally five steps to become a lawyer :
- Complete your undergraduate degree
- Clear the law entrance exam
- Enroll in LLB program and complete it
- Register yourself with the bar council of your state
- Choose specialisation in the law and start practice
Educational Pathway to be a lawyer
Education qualification is very important to become a professional lawyer. You have to pursue a degree for lawyer which include a 5 year integrated LLB program after 12th grade or a 3 year LLB after getting a bachelor's degree.
What to study to be a lawyer
When we decide to be a lawyer we have to focus on the areas like legal principles, constitutional law, criminal law and civil law. These are the some foundation subjects which are critical practices.
What subjects do you need to study to become a lawyer
In a law School, students learn various subjects and some of them are essential which include:
- Contract law
- Tort law
- Property law
- Criminal law
- Constitutional law
- Administrative law
- Tax law
- Family law
- Cyber law
- Consumer protection law
- Labour law
- Human rights law etc…
Entrance Exams to become a lawyer
Candidates must have to clear entrance exams before enrolling in law schools such as CLAT, AILET, LSAT. These exams are the test for your aptitude and knowledge to determine your eligibility for the law studies.
How to get a law degree
Once you have cleared the entrance exam for getting the admission in law schools, you have to complete all the related courses for the degree. This brings us to “what are the steps to becoming a lawyer”
- Complete your law degree (LLB)
- Intern during your studies to get practical knowledge or experience
- Enroll with the bar council after graduation
Enrollment with the bar council
You need to register with the bar council of your state after completing the LLB degree. It is important requirement to become a lawyer which includes the passing the all India bar examination (AIBE).
Carrier options after law School
- You can become an attorney which usually involve the law practices in court.
- You can become a corporate lawyer which focus on Corporate law matters for businesses.
- You can become criminal lawyer which represent the clients in the criminal cases.
- You can become an immigration lawyer which has specialisation in immigration laws.
Skills required to be a successful lawyer
You must master the following skills to become a successful lawyer in the industry. Strong communication skills, analytical thinking, negotiation abilities, and a good reach and knowledge of applying the legal law procedures.
Also there are some challenges which are faced by lawyers. You can work with a long time for a case. So your working hours are not fixed. Many times you have to fulfill the client demands. And this profession is very competitive, you have to get updating yourself and must have continuous learning. Sometimes it is very difficult to balance between the profession and personal life.
Further studies and specialisation in Law
The people who are interested in getting their career advance they can pursue and LLM (Master of Laws) course. It will provide the deep knowledge and specialisation in various fields like tax law or criminal law.
What does a lawyer do
All we know that lawyers perform the activities all about the legal matters, the use they are knowledge to help clients.
- Lawyers prepare the legal documents related to the legal matters, courts and authorities.
- The attend the running cases and hearing with the clients.
- The review or examine a case and suggest legal options for procedures for the case.
- They perform legal arguments and practices in favour or against of a victim in the front of judge.
FAQ's
- How long does it take to become a lawyer in India? (5 to 6 years)
- Can I become a lawyer online? Yes, many universities offer online courses for it.
- What should I do to become a lawyer? (Read the full article to know)