Career Prospects of law in India

The legal profession is one of the oldest and most intellectually stimulating professions in the world. Being a lawyer is not limited to practicing the rules of law, it is a career that builds future leaders.

At the beginning of this profession, lawyers were not expected to be found anywhere except courtrooms. This has changed in recent times, and lawyers have made their mark in several corporate houses, law firms, litigation, and administrative services.

This is a desirable shift, and a higher number of young, aspiring lawyers are choosing this profession for admirable reasons. There is an increase in curiosity and involvement of students while they are making career decisions. Even the motivation to choose this profession has changed. In the beginning becoming a lawyer was a choice stemming from law being a family business, now it is an inspired, informed choice aspirants make.

A student of law can specialize in branches such as civil, corporate, criminal, taxation, labour which are some traditional choices. New specializations have emerged which include space, cyber, and intellectual property law. These allow for more choice for a law aspirant depending on their interest and inclination.

· Careers in Law

A lawyer in today’s time has evolved from the black robes and courtrooms to lavish offices and jobs in media.  Law combines various fields of study resulting in several career options for law graduates. There has been a dramatic surge in demand for savvy law graduates who possess the skills that make them suitable for key positions in leading firms.

· Litigation

Practicing law in courts is the traditional career path in law. It is essential for a young graduate to qualify the bar exam before joining a court of law. Litigation offers a broad range of options to a fresh law graduate in both public and private spheres. Specializations include taxation, constitution, family etc.

· Corporate Counsel

A lawyer can work for a company as an in-house legal counsel to provide legal advice on legal matters concerned with business. As an in-house counsel, you will be involved in drafting, vetting, negotiating contracts, handling legal disputes, and monitoring compliance with rules and law.

· Social Work

A vast number of law graduates go on to work with NGOs that are committed to social causes. Your legal services could be useful for organisations that are dedicated to working for environmental, gender and caste issue among several others.

· Judicial/Civil Services

To pursue a stable government job and find a place in the prestigious High Court of the country, one must clear the Civil Services Examination which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.

· Media and Law

Journalism and law are intertwined professions. Both require superior skills of research, writing and critical knowledge of the legal system. Law graduates with an inclination for reporting can pursue careers in law reporting and legal publishing. Under law reporting, one gets the chance to work as a law reporter with TC channels as well as newspapers. Legal Publishing involves lawyers working as editors for several print and electronic media.

Careers in law are many, right from becoming a judge, lawyer, mediator, paralegal, and consultant, all roles in this field are fulfilling personally, intellectually, and financially.