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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. 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. 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:
Selection:
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 a 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:
Diploma courses of shorter duration (1-2 years) are also available in select specialist areas such as international law, taxation, labour welfare, etc.
Most universities have a law faculty offering the three year LLB programme.
An active mind; quick thinking; logical reasoning; powers of concentration; patience; perseverance; ability to argue and discuss matters with all types of people; self confidence; excellent communication skills; ability to express one's self clearly; a good voice.
There is never any dearth of jobs for lawyers.
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