How to Become a Lawyer in India: A Comprehensive Guide
Becoming a lawyer is one of the most rewarding career options in India, both in terms of job satisfaction and potential salary. As per the Bar Council of India, there are approximately 12 lakh registered lawyers, 950 law schools, and 4-5 lakh law students in the Indian legal profession. In India, every year, around 60,000–70,000 law graduates enter the legal profession.
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For those who dream of becoming lawyers, this article acts as a career guide. Eligibility criteria to become a lawyer begin with students achieving at least 60% marks or an equivalent CGPA in Class 12 board exams. After 12th, students must appear for law entrance exams like CLAT, LSAT, and AILET to get admission into one of the top law colleges in India such as NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Delhi, NALSAR University Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, etc.
Law courses to become a lawyer include LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, and BCom LLB After an undergraduate or integrated law degree, students can opt for Master of Law courses like LLM or LLD. As per the chosen specialization, aspirants can start practicing the legal profession. It must be noted that candidates must clear the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) to practice law in India.
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How to Become a Lawyer: Key Points
Let's look at the key highlights for how to pursue a career in law in a glance below -
Let's look at the key highlights for how to pursue a career in law in a glance below -
Further Reading: Difference Between Lawyer and Advocate
Who is a Lawyer?
A lawyer is a qualified and licensed practitioner who drafts legal documents to administer, prosecute, or defend judicial action. Basically, lawyers are responsible for offering solutions to the legal problems of their clients. As per their specialization, lawyers deal with a wide range of cases including divorce, property disputes, matrimonial problems, and criminal offenses. They are compensated for the cases that they fight.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Lawyer
Using legal knowledge, lawyers assist clients in understanding and addressing legal issues. Although lawyers have different roles and responsibilities as per their area of expertise, most lawyers work with the following roles and responsibilities:
- Composing legal documents and submitting them to the appropriate authorities and courts
- Accompanying clients at trials and hearings
- Establishing a case, working with the police and investigators, and preparing for trials and mediations
- Reviewing a case and providing clients with legal options
- Presenting a client's case to the judge with arguments
Also Read: Judge Salary in India
Eligibility Criteria to Become a Lawyer
Students must fulfill the following eligibility criteria to become a lawyer:
- Students must fulfill the following eligibility criteria to become lawyers:
- Pass the 12th exam with a 60% aggregate score or equivalent CGPA.
- Clear national and university-level law entrance exams like CLAT, LSAT, and AILET.
- Acquire an undergraduate or integrated law degree in LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, BSc LLB, and BCom LLB.
- Candidates with LLM degrees can also become lawyers.
Must Read: All about LLB Entrance Exams
Top Law Colleges in India
Following is the list of the top law colleges in India for LLB and BA LLB -
Check out the Top Law Colleges in your City:
See Also: Top Government Law Colleges in India
Types of Law Specializations
The table below mentions the different specializations that students can choose in the domain of law:
Read More: Difference Between Civil Law and Corporate Law.
Qualifications to Become a Lawyer in India
To become a lawyer in India, students are required to complete a few academic qualifications. Aspirants can select and pursue law degrees to build a career in law. The law courses are as follows:
1. Bachelor of Law (LLB)
LLB or Bachelor of Law is a 3-year undergraduate degree for students who want to pursue a career in law. Students can apply for LLB after the 12th or after completing graduation in any discipline. LLB educates aspirants about the law in general.
2. Integrated BA LLB
After completing 12th, students also have the option to pursue an integrated law course like BA LLB, BBA LLB, or BCom LLB. This is a 5-year course that combines a bachelor's in law with a bachelor's degree in any stream from arts to science.
3. Latin Legum Magister (LLM)
LLM, or Latin Legum Magister, which means Master of Law, is a 2-year postgraduate course in law. This PG program educates and trains law aspirants in a particular specialization according to their interests and preferences. LLM enhances the chances of better job prospects as a lawyer.
Check out: Top LLM Colleges in India
How to Become a Lawyer in India?
To become a lawyer in India, aspirants must complete 12th, pursue undergraduate/integrated law courses, and clear the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). Only those candidates who have passed AIBE can practice law in India.
How to Become a Lawyer After 12th ?
After the 12th, students must take entrance exams and law courses to become a lawyer:
- UG Courses: Students must enroll in undergraduate law courses like LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, BSc LLB and BCom LLB. in order to become lawyers. However, students must pass law entrance exams like the CLAT, LSAT, and AILET. etc. before enrolling in these programs. The top scorers on these entrance exams are accepted into almost all first-tier law schools.
- PG Course: After completing LLB or related courses, students can enroll in LLM courses to become a lawyer in a particular specialization. For masters of law, students must attain a valid score in law entrance exams like CLAT, LSAT, etc.
How to become a Lawyer: Step-by-Step Guide
In this section, we have elaborated on the step-by-step process to become a lawyer in India:
Step 1: Complete Higher Secondary Education
It is important to pass your higher secondary education (10+2) from an accredited school education board to be eligible to pursue a bachelor's degree in law. Students with any stream can opt for law undergraduate courses.
Step 2: Apply for a Bachelor or Integrated Course in Law
After passing out of school, students must apply for a bachelor's or integrated degree course in the field of law to become lawyers. The Bachelor's in Law (LLB) is a 3-year UG course. Other options include integrated courses in law such as BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB, and BSc LLB. All of these are 5-year courses, and these programs allow students to choose a specialization.
Step 3: Register, Appear, and Clear Law Entrance Exam
Most colleges and universities grant admission into law courses based on the entrance exams. Yet, there are a few colleges that allot seats based on merit.
Popular law entrance exams to get admission to law colleges are:
- CLAT (Common Law Admission Test)
- LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
- AILET (All India Law Entrance Test)
- SLAT (Symbiosis Law Aptitude Test)
- AP LAWCET (Andhra Pradesh Law Common Entrance Test)
Step 4: Apply to Law Schools
You can start applying to law schools as soon as you obtain your results from the legal entrance exam. Most students submit applications to many law schools, giving them a variety of possibilities. You must supply official documents, law entrance exam results, letters of recommendation, and additional information with each application you submit.
Step 5: Complete a Degree in Law
After getting admitted into a college, students have to study and pass wide range of subjects in law like civil law, criminal law, family law, tax laws, etc. It must be noted that the students must pass all the subjects to become law graduates and appear for the Bar Council Examination.
Step 6: Pursue Law Internships
A lawyer is a practice-based profession, and internships play a vital role in providing students with knowledge of practical legal proceedings in India. Students can intern under advocates or participate in moot discussions or legal aid to learn about law practices and the legal system.
Step 7: Register with the State Bar Council
After a bachelor's or integrated degree, law aspirants must register with the State Bar Council to appear for the AIBE exam to become lawyers. Candidates have to pay the fees and documents to obtain the provisional certificate that will permit them to practice before the Court of Law.
Step 8: Clear All India Bar Examination (AIBE)
As per the guidelines issued by the Government of India, law aspirants must clear the AIBE exam to become lawyers and practice before the court. AIBE is conducted on an annual basis, and provisional registration is a mandatory step to sit for the exam.
Step 9: Practice Law and Gain Experience
After passing the AIBE exam, candidates get the license to practice law and officially become lawyers in the court of law. To acquire experience, candidates can join any private or government firm or even start their own law firm.
How to become a lawyer after Engineering?
Engineers already have the undergraduate degree; they can directly opt for a three-year Bachelor of Law (LLB) program instead of a five-year integrated course. This will save a lot of time for you to practice and gain experience.
Eligibility Criteria: Students must have a BTech/BE degree with a minimum of 45–50% aggregate from a recognized university/college.
Mentioned below is the step-by-step procedure to become a lawyer after engineering:
- Step 1: Apply and appear for the law entrance exams like CLAT, LSAT etc.
- Step 2: After clearing the entrance exam, get admission to a reputable college.
- Step 3: Pass all the exams and acquire an LLB degree.
- Step 4: Register for the BAR Council Examination.
- Step 5: Pass the All-India Bar Examination (AIBE) to become eligible to practice law.
- Step 6: Do internships and jobs to gain experience in the field.
How to become a lawyer after Commerce?
Candidates can opt to become lawyers after commerce by applying for a 5-year integrated course. This includes an undergraduate degree as well as a Bachelor of Law degree -
Eligibility Criteria: Students must have completed 10+2 with a minimum of 50–60% aggregate from a recognized board.
Mentioned below is the step-by-step procedure to become a lawyer after commerce:
- Step 1: Register and sit for the national-level law entrance examinations like CLAT, LSAT and university-level law entrance examinations like DU LLB, SLAT, etc.
- Step 2: Pass the entrance exam to get admission into an esteemed college/university.
- Step 3: Pass all the examinations and earn an integrated law degree.
- Step 4: Register for the BAR Council Examination.
- Step 5: Pass the All-India Bar Examination (AIBE).
- Step 6: Work through internships and employment to develop your professional network.
How to Become a Lawyer: Pros and Cons
Becoming a lawyer has its advantages as well as disadvantages. We have compiled a list of pros and cons about law as a career to help you make an informed career decision:
Pros | Cons |
One of the highest-paid professionals. | Long working hours |
Enjoy esteem, power, and respect | Work under strict deadlines and stress |
Have the opportunity to work for justice in the society | Highly competitive labor market |
Can earn extra income as advisors, professors, speakers, etc. | Deal with a lot of information and facts on a daily basis. |
Multiple specializations to choose from. |
|
Intellectual and challenging profession |
|
Recommended Books to Become a Lawyer
Students must prepare well for law entrance exams to get admission into a reputable college. It is important to choose the right books and resource material to clear the exams. Here, we have listed the best books to help you in your preparation for becoming a lawyer:
- Tomorrow's Lawyer: An Introduction to Your Future by Richard Susskind
- The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill
- The New Lawyer's Handbook: 101 Success Strategies They Didn't Teach You in Law School by Karen Thalacker
- Best for Aspiring Activist Attorneys: The Story of My Life by Clarence Darrow
- Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, by Antonin Scalia and Bryan A. Garner
Skills Required to Become a Lawyer
Mentioned below are the skills required to become a lawyer in India:
- Discipline
- Self-Confidence
- Legal Documentation
- Legal Knowledge
- Legal Research
- Presence of mind
- Drafting
- Litigation
- Good Communication skills
Difference Between an Advocate and Lawyer
An advocate is a category under the term lawyer. An advocate is used for those lawyers who can conduct a case on behalf of their clients. Here is the difference between an advocate and a lawyer in tabular form:
| Particulars | Advocate | Lawyer |
| Definition | A legal professional who is licensed to represent clients in court. | A general term for anyone with a law degree who can advise clients. |
| Qualification | Must have a law degree and be enrolled with a Bar Council (e.g., Bar Council of India). | Typically holds a law degree but may not be enrolled with the Bar Council. |
| Court Appearance | Can appear and argue in court on behalf of clients. | May not have the right to represent clients in court unless they are also an advocate. |
| Role | Primarily represents clients in legal matters, including court hearings. | Provides legal advice, drafts documents, and may handle out-of-court matters. |
| Title | Specifically referred to as an Advocate once enrolled with the Bar Council. | Any law graduate or legal professional, not necessarily enrolled to practice law in court. |