Career As A Lawer

Lawyers  
The 5 year law courses offered to school leavers has ushered in a new era in the study and work profile of lawyers . The corporate world has opened up enticing options for graduates of law. To enter Law you must have interest in social science subjects, must have an analytical mind , understanding of current affairs, good communication skills, ability to draw conclusions, an unbiased approach , and concern for public affairs.

Indroduction

The legal profession is concerned with the administration and enforcement of the 'law of the land' as laid down by the constitution of the country. Law gives the rule which sets limits to the behaviour of people, organisation and even state and set up a legal system to decide upon the consequences if ever these rules are broken or there is a disaggreement between any two bodies. Due to so many complex interactions between various constituents of the society, none of the activities have remained untouched by the legal issue. A layman when in contact with law often finds it confusing and impossible to cope with the situation without expert giudance from people who have studied the subject and who interpret the law in his language and deal the case on his behalf.

Nature of work

Lawyers specialise in one of the following branches

 

Criminal law

Criminal lawyers specialize in matters having legal implications .Theft, murder and arson which are considered offences against society or State are handled by criminal lawyers . By interviewing the clients and witnesses the lawyer establishes the facts of the case and then compiles the findings. He prepares the case, defending his client on the charges made against him.

Real estate

Cases involving real estate/ property are handled by real estate lawyers . They are specialists in solving disputes concerning real estate , property tax, transfer of property, etc.

Civil law

Civil lawyers specialize in handling damage and breach of contract suits. Civil lawyers can act as trustees or guardians of an estate when required. Their major job is to prepare and draw up deeds, leases, wills, mortgages and contracts.

Tax law

Income-tax, wealth tax, gift tax, estate duty, etc.are tax related issues which tax lawyers are equipped to handle.

International law

A set of rules is observed by all the nations in relation to one another. Some lawyers specialize in this branch of law.

Labour law

The labour lawyers specialize in solving problems arising between the management and the labour force. Other branches include family law, constitutional law, corporate law, excise and customs law, patent law.

Job Prospects

The administrator at the various positions in business or Government may be having no legal experience but it is often helpful and desirable to have a person having some legal background. Some individuals may take up professsions like tax collector, credit investigators, insurance adjusters, where their understanding, knowledge and background as legal experts is important.

Defence Services

Deriving their powers from various legislations, such as the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force Acts, the judicial services of the Defence are governed by the Constitution. All the Defence Services have their own legal system and their own judicial services and so there is a chance for lawyers to be employed by the Defence Services.

Political advisors

Ministers have various legal experts on their pay rolls who advise them from time to time on legal issues concerned with various political issues.

Business houses

Considering the innumerable legal battles various businsess houses get embroiled in, there is good chance of employment for the lawyers. As they are representatives of the business house protecting their interests while interacting with the other business houses. These legal experts are the salaried employees of the business house and are expected to handle all small in-house legal problems independently and draft the agreements and undertakings by the other law firms. His professional skill as advisor, draftsman and interpreter of various cases and legislation is called upon constantly. But he does not act purely as a lawyer. For the legal executives to be successful requires all the legal know-how as well as the employer's business and the ablility to work together with people.

Solicitor's firm

Legal profession was at first divided into solicitors and advocates. Solicitors were supposed to prepare the case by meeting the cllient and brefing the lawyer on his behalf. And then the hired counsel would represent the client in court. The Advocate's Act, 1961, changed this dual system; now solicitors have all "right of audience" (i.e., the right to address the judges' Bench directly on the client's behalf) as well. The service in a solicitor's firm is far more efficient. The clients get the best of both worlds. They get expertise and skill in preparing their case, and they get a lawyer who is a good speaker. 'Solicitors' is definetely a more expensive choice than just going to the lawyer but is doubly efficient also. There will certainly be someone always there to work on the case because there are so many peopple to share the work load. As a junior you will definitely be benefitted if you are working in a solicitor's firm. You just have to work within definite hours and will escape the rigours of the practice; it will be an administrative work. If your inclination is towards drafting special leave pettions and plaints – a special skill in itself – a solicitor's firm can offer you a lot of satisfaction and scope, but if you feel that presenting and arguing a case is your cup of tea, you are better off as a solo practioner.

Lawyers with the Government

Hunderds of lawyers are inducted into the Government ministries every year through a UPSC interview. The minimum qualification is a Master's degree in law with five years' experience, preferably in research. There's little money to be made there, but it is high powered post with a lot of authority and responsibility. Posts are advertised whenever cavancies arise.

Scope for Indian Lawyers Abroad

Number of law students fly abroad after graduation to get an LLM degree. Most return back as the employers abroad demand a foreign Bachelor degree. Only an LLM from some foreign university does not serve the purposse as far as American or European companies are concerned. But there is the added advantage back home of serving multinationals.While practicing in India Indian lawyers often go abroad on cases involving foreign collaboration to advise the foreign investors on how to trade in India, visiting American or European cities, in arbitration involving foreign countries.

Personal Qualities

• Sharp intellect
• Personal character
• Indefatigability
• Critical outlook
• Writing and speaking skill
• Logical reasoning
• Undertanding of people
• An abiility to work with details
• Communicaiton skills
• Appropriate presentation
• An altrustic bent of mind will be an asset.

 

Essential skills to develop

• It would be good to be in touch with the happensings in the outside world.
• Cultivating clients and discussing various topics and being impressive in public dealing are needed.
• Develop the ability to enjoy reading about various cases concerning your choice of the specialization in law.
• While preparing for a case great deal of research is to be done. And the more extensive the research the better situation your are in. It does mean a lot of studying rather than an endurance test, perhaps some self-discovery too.
• Intelligence is the pre-requisite, not theoretical knowledge.. It is important to distinguish the relevant material from the rest.
• Lawyer need a good intellect and an interest in all new things
• Legal practice begins with studying the senior's brief. The next step is to go to the courts, and observe how the cases are argued. Concentrate on your senior's courtcraft and you will pick up tips.
• A lot of learning of the skill of presentation-how to be forceful and yet articulate and to be concise and clear in manner will be required.
• Learn to listen instead of raving about your ideas, listen to the client – even if your do not agree. This is client management.
• Drafting is an art of much importance and its an added advantage to be able to draft well. Your job isto sell the case to the judge.

 

Entry Routes

Today different kinds of law programmes exist: 5-year Programme- After XII BA LLB 3-year Programme - After graduation LLB Specialized 1 year Courses for qualified law graduates

What the Law Course Teaches

If you enter the Law School thinking that learning up the whol Indian Penal Code is the shortest way to success, you are mistaken. Because unless you are clear in your mind as to the relevance of the law you are quoting, it is of no use. (As it is, all the lawyers carry Acts with them to read the portions according to the relevance). The coure teaches just this. The legal process depends wholly on records. It is impossible to cram all the judgements of all these years. Which is why lawyers' bookshelves are stacked with All India Reports ('AIR'), a monthly case law report for the significant decisions of the High Courts and the Supreme Court, digests nd manuals, of all kinds. When they need to locate material on an issue, all that lawyers do is to pull out the relevant AIR and jot down the concerned judgments. The idea is to get accustomed to knowing where the law is. Classroom is the only place where you can lose your inhibitions of public speaking. The course helps develop the habit of arguing in the class. Unlike in America, where cases are sometimes decided on the written drafts submitted, judicial decision in India is strongly dependent on the arguments presented in court. Practice of law needs extensive reading. The course is designed to inculcate the habit of reading. If your have the case study method in your college, you will be given case material to study. You need to pick up well known cases related to your choice of subject, analyse the judgement, critise it mentally, pick holes in it sharpen your analytical skill a great deal. Most lecturers consider this a waste of time, do not expect extra marks in exam. But as a lwyer it will help you a great deal, because while practicing it is crucial to recognise fine weak points.

Courses

Universities offering 5 year law courses for school leavers

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra University, College of Law,Waltair 530003, Andhra Pradesh

Osmania University, Law College,Hyderabad 500007

Delhi

Amity Law School (Amity Campus Saket),E-27, Defence Colony, New Delhi 24

Gujrat

South Gujarat University, Law College, PO Box 49, Surat 395007

Haryana

Maharshi Dayanand University,Law College, Rohtak, Haryana 124001

Kurukshetra University, Law Faculty, Kurukshetra 136 119

Karnataka

Bangalore University, Law College,Jnana Bharathi, Bangalore 560056

Mangalore University,Manglagangotri 574199, Karnataka

Hombe Gowda Law College,Mandya, Karnataka

Vivekananda College, Puttur, Karnataka

University of Mysore, Law College,Crawford Hall, Mysore 570005

Kerala

MRR College of Law, Srikakulum 531001

University Law College,Malappuram District, Calicut 673635

Kerala Law Academy Law College, Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram 695004

Govt. Law College, Ernakulum

University of Kerala, University POTiruvananthapuram 695034 ,Kerala

Mahatma Gandhi University,Priyadarshani Hills, Kottayam 686560

KeralaLawAcademy,LawCollege,Peroorkade,Thiruvananthapuram 695004

Madhya Pradesh

Nagpur University, College of Law,Ravindra Nath Tagore Road,Nagpur 440001

Maharashtra

Bharti Vidyapeeth Law College, LB Shastri Marg Pune 411030

BR Ambedkar University,CollegeofLaw, Aurangabad 431001

University of Mumbai Law Faculty, Fort, Mumbai 400032

DGB Dayanand Law College, Solapur

Ismail Saheb Law College, Satara

Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Vishnupuri, Nanded 431603

North Maharashtra University, Umavinagar, Jalgaon 425001

ShivajiUniversity, Faculty of Law, Vidhya Nagar, Kolhapur 416004

University of Pune,Ganesh Khind, Pune 411007

Orissa

NBM College of Law, Vishakapatnam 530002

CR Reddy Law College, Eluru 534006

Kakatiya University, Law College,Vidyaranyapuri, Warangal 506009

Tamilnadu

Bharathiar University,Maruthamalai Road, Coimbatore 641046

LawCollege,UniversityofMadras,CentenaryBuildings,Chepauk,Chennai 600005

Madurai Kamraj University, Palkalai Nagar, Madurai 625021

Central Law College, Salem

Bharatidasan Univ., Govt. Law College,Tiruchirapalli 620024, Tamil Nadu

Sri Venkateswara Univ.,Faculty of Law,Tirupati 517502

Pondicherry

Pondicherry University,R. Venkataraman Nagar,Pondicherry 605014

Uttar Pradesh

Aligarh Muslim University,Law Faculty, Aligarh 202002

West Bengal

North Bengal University Law College, Raja Ram Mohanpur Darjeeling 744430

The National Law School, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore - 560 072 The National Law School is an autonomous institution with a 'Deemed University' status Students who have passed the Higher Secondary school examination 10+2 system or an equivalent examination securing 50% in all the core subjects and English language put together can apply for admission. Admission is made purely based on the merit in an admission test. The test is of 2 hours duration and is of objective type or short answers. Total marks are 200. The admission of foreign nationals is based on satisfying the prescribed academic qualification and on an interview. They are exempted from the admission test and the rules concerning the age limit.

Adv : March Test : 1st Sunday of May Admission : June