Q1.Give
me the details about the Law
as a career?
Q2.What
is the eligibility & training
for Law?
Q3.What
is the nature of work ?
Q4.Where
are the training Institutes?
Q5.What
is the Remuneration ?
Q6.What
are the fields of Specialisation?
Q7.
What are the future prospects
this field ?
Q1.Give
me the details about the Law
as a career?
A1.According to an estimate
of the Bar Council, around
1,200 to 1,500 lawyers enroll
every year. Another progressive
point to be taken into consideration
is that it is yet another
male dominated field that
has been stormed by women,
although it is true that not
many practice it. This is
due to several reasons, ranging
from working conditions being
poor in many district courts
to prevailing social conditions.
Many women prefer to join
legal firms or corporate houses
as legal officers, rather
than take up practice. However,
the scenario is noticeably
changing and more and more
women are now proudly occupying
seats and proving their worth
in the courts.
Top
Q2.What
is the eligibility & training
for Law?
A2. One can either pursue
a three-year law course after
graduation in any discipline
or a five-year course after
twelfth standard examinations,
leading to a BA LLB (Hons).
Practically all universities
offer the part time three-year
course LLB course for graduates.
Generally, eligibility is
on the basis of marks scored
at the graduation examinations.
However, there are some universities
that conduct entrance tests
too. For the five-year course,
the premier institution is
the National Law School in
Bangalore. For admission to
this, an All India Entrance
examination is held. The five-year
course usually covers practical
training too. This includes
court attendance, hands on
training at legal aid centres
and research projects. For
specialisation in a single
focused branch, there are
short diploma courses in labour
and labour welfare, taxation
and so on. To be able to practise,
it is mandatory to put in
a year's internship. This
may be done during the course
of the final year
Top
Q3.What
is the nature of work ?
A3. Equipped with a law
degree and having completed
the mandatory articleship,
a person can become either
an advocate or a solicitor.
There is a difference between
the two. An advocate pleads
in court and is actively involved
in litigation. He decides
what legislation and what
precedents are relevant in
a particular case. Whereas,
a solicitor offers legal advice
to clients on a wide range
of subjects, from personal
to business matters. In the
event of a case going to court,
the solicitor briefs and advises
the advocate who takes up
the case on behalf of the
client. If one decides to
become an advocate, he begins
as a junior assistant to an
advocate, performing routine
jobs like filing, researching,
securing adjournments and,
of course, attending court
with the senior. He gradually
graduates to working on briefs
and drafting plaints. After
several years of drafting
experience, he begins to participate
actively in court. In the
case of the option to become
a solicitor, one may join
as a junior in a solicitor's
firm during the articleship,
or while doing the law course.
Here too, the junior job begins
at routine runs like studying
law cases, looking up authorities
from time to time and filing
suits and notices. Depending
upon how big or small the
solicitor's firm is, the junior
may gain valuable experience
in a wide range of matters,
from labour laws and industrial
disputes to taxation, under
the guidance of his seniors.
Here too, after several years
of experience, he may raise
to the level of a senior and
may eventually be invited
to join as one of the partners
of the firm.
Top
Q4.Where
are the training Institutes?
A4.Law-Institutes Almost
all Indian Universities offer
a degree in Law. Besides these,
some Universities offer a
five year law course after
completion of 12th Std. Some
Universities also offer short
term specialized courses in
Law. These are -(1)5 year
Law Courses for School Leavers
(2)Post Graduate Diploma and
Degree Courses in Criminology
/ Forensic Sciences (3)Post
Graduate Diploma Courses in
International Law (4)Post
Graduate Diploma Courses in
Taxation (5)Post Graduate
Diploma Courses in Labour
Laws
Top
Q5.What
is the Remuneration ?
A5.An articled clerk or
apprentice usually gets a
stipend of Rs. 2,200. Private
practitioners get good packets.
For those in government service,
it could be in the Rs. 2,000
to Rs. 4,000 range. When a
person gets appointed as sub-judge,
he begins at Rs. 5,500 plus
the benefits and perks that
all government employees are
entitled to.
Top
Q6.What
are the fields of Specialisation?
A6.The
several fields in which a
lawyer may specialise in are:
- Civil
Law that deals with concerns
of private rights of individuals,
handling damage suits,
breach of contract suits,
drawing deeds, wills,
mortgages, acting as trustee
or guardian, etc.
- Tax
Law has a tuned in focus
on income tax, estate
tax, real tax, franchises,
problems of inheritance,
etc.
- Criminal
Law where one deals with
offences against society
or state. This is probably
the most exciting branch
of law. Here the job involves
interviewing clients and
interrogating witnesses,
correlating findings,
conducting trials, preparing
a case for defence, examining,
cross examining in court
and so on.
- Corporation
Law deals with advising
corporations on their
legal rights, obligations,
privileges; studying statutes,
constitutions and ordinances;
and, helping the corporations
to make the all-important
decision of whether to
go in for a suit at all.
- International
Law specialises on treaties,
customs and traditions
observed by nations in
their relations with one
another.
- Labour
Law deals with workers,
their associations, working
conditions, workers' rights
and duties, etc. Frequently,
a lawyer specialising
in labour law is called
upon to sort out issues
between management and
employees in firms.
- Real
Estate Law covers conveyance
of property, search records
and deeds to establish
titles of property; acting
as trustee for property;
and, drawing up legal
documents for deeds and
mortgages.
- Patent
Law focuses on securing
patents for inventors
from the patent's office.
Here the lawyer specialises
in prosecuting or defending
patent infringement and
preparing detailed specifications
of the patent and so on.
Top
Q7.
What are the future prospects
this field ?
A7.Generally, law firms
employ fresh graduates as
apprentices or assistants.
During the final year of the
course, a candidate takes
up apprenticeship. After two
years of articleship, the
apprentice appears for an
examination of articled clerk
conducted by the Law Society.
Plunging into private practice
immediately after graduation
is practically impossible,
unless there is a ready-made
family firm. It generally
takes several years under
an advocate or solicitor before
a person is ready to branch
off into his own practice.
There are plenty of opportunities
in private industry. There
is also the possibility of
becoming legal consultants
(part time or full time) for
companies. Opportunities are
aplenty in government service.
A candidate who qualifies
in the Law Service Commission
or State Public Service Commission
is eligible for appointment
as munsif. Promotion may take
a person higher up to sub-judge,
District and Sessions Courts
Judge and further (depending
upon seniority and vacancy)
to appointments in High Courts
and the Supreme Court. Public
sector undertakings and state
and central government organisations
also employ lawyers. Opportunities
exist in the defense services
too. |
