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                                                                 LAW
The legal profession continues to be among the more highly sought after careers
today.Lawyers are still held in high esteem in our society,and there remains the
faith that when all else fails, one can still take recourse to the legal system.

This profession continues to attract a lot of youngsters even today as several years
of  service   in   both   private   practise  as  well as in government service can lead
to an assignment as a judge in a high court. Moreover,legal complexities are
multiplying by the day, opening up challenging opportunities for legal graduates
in the corporate sector.

Private practise is certainly a more lucrative option, although experience and
personal qualities to a great extent contribute to success.
    
Lawyers  too  are  now  playing a prominent role in the international arena as legal
matters are now spanning national and international boundaries.

WORK
  A lawyer is an advisor to whom people turn for professional advice on a wide
variety of legal matters. These may range from the making and execution of wills,
contracts, and agreements   to  property disputes, business matters, or divorce
cases. Those who have qualified  with   a  law  degree and completed their
articleship can start their career as an advocate or a solicitor.
          
An advocate pleads in court and gives advice on legal matters, normally being
consulted by solicitors on behalf of their clients. Advocates use their critical
judgement in deciding  what  legislation  and what  precedents are  relevant  
in any particular case. Of course, a lawyer can only start actively appearing in court
after several years experience working with an  advocate  on  drafting work. A
solicitor on the other hand, provides legal advice  to  clients  on  a  wide  variety  of  
personal  and business matters, and briefs the advocate to appear in court.

A lawyer can specialise in several areas of work. Some of these are :
Civil law,          which concerns the private rights of individuals, and includes
                       handling of   contracts, damage suits, drawing up of deeds,
                       leases etc.
Criminal law   specialises in cases dealing with offences against society,
                      such as murder, theft or arson
Corporate law, which deals with advising corporations on their legal rights,
                         obligations and privileges, drawing up contracts and statutes
                         and so on.
Tax law ,        which deals with problems of income or sales tax, excise and
                     estate tax. Labour law pertains to problems between management
                     and workers in  industrial organisations.

There are several other areas of specialisation open to lawyers. These include :
International law, which as the name suggests, deals with treaties and agreements
between nations; patent law, which specialises in securing patents, and prosecute
or defend infringements; real  estate  law,  which handles  the  conveyance of property,
establishing titles and handling all such matters dealing with land, and so on.
ENTRY
To become a lawyer one needs to have a Bachelor's degree in law ( BA LLB),
and a year's apprenticeship in a law firm.
Eligibility:
The basic eligibility for a BA LLB course is - 10+2. However, a degree course in
law (LLB) is open to graduates in any discipline.
Selection :
Selection in all cases is on the basis of merit. However, most universities have an
entrance exam.
Several universities and law colleges are offering the five year course leading to
the BA LLB (Honours), which  incorporates  a  lot  of  practical  training , and
includes     court  attendance, legal research projects,and practical work in legal
aid centres.To qualify for legal practise, a year's apprenticeship in  legal   firm  is
essential.  However, this can be done in the final year of LLB also.

There is an All India  Entrance  Test  for  admission  to  the BA LLB course offered
at the National Law School of India  University  (NLSIU), Bangalore, set up by the
Bar Council of India, the premier law institution in the country, and   for  some  of  
the  other  5  year law degree programmes.
Duration :
The BA LLB course is of 5 years' duration.
The LLB course offered to graduates is of 3 years' duration.
Diploma courses of shorter duration (1-2 years) are also available in select specialist
areas such as international law, taxation, labour welfare, etc.
The masters' course in law (LLM) is of 2 years' duration.
INSTITUTIONS
  1. Most universities have a law faculty offering the three year LLB programme.
  2. Prominent Law Colleges of India are listed as follows :
  3. National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore.
  4. Symbiosis Society's Law College, Pune.
  5. ILS Law College, Pune.
  6. KC Law College, 123, Dinshaw Waccha Road, Mumbai.
  7. University of Chennai, Chennai.
  8. Calcutta University, Calcutta.
  9. Indian Law Institute, New Delhi.
  10. work | entry | institutions | personal attributes required | job prospects

JOB PROSPECTS
There is never any dearth of jobs for lawyers.
Some of the job prospects are listed below :
  1. * In various courts of Law (including the Supreme Court of India, State High Courts,
    Local District Courts, etc.),
  2. * Government Service,
  3. * As legal advisors in various companies and industrial organisations,
  4. * As legal experts in non-government organisations such as the World Bank, the
    United Nations, etc.,
  5. * In the Judge Advocate General's department in the defence services,
  6. * Private Practice,
  7. * Teaching in Law Colleges and Universities.