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Education Plus
Q & A
Higher study in law
I am a first-semester student of the five-year BA LL.B. course. I would like to know about the higher study opportunities in law after completion of my graduation and the related career prospects.
PRAVEEN JAMES
THRISSUR
A career in law demands good communication skills, such as effective writing, speaking and listening abilities, a sense of responsibility, a sympathetic attitude and patience. It was to attract talented youngsters tolaw that the Bar Council of India introduced the five-year integrated degree course in the subject. The aim is to train in a comprehensive manner brilliant students who have completed Plus Two. Three-year LL.B. courses are offered to graduates in any discipline.
Higher qualification
After successful completion of the degree course in law, higher qualifications, such as LL.M. and Ph.D. or LL.D., can be obtained for a better career, including teaching. The areas of specialisation in this field are many — civil law, criminal law, international law, labour law, Constitutional law, mercantile law, administrative law, law of taxation and so on. A number of law colleges, universities and so on offer courses in these areas.
After completing the five-year integrated BA LL.B. course with high marks, one can go for the two-year LL.M. course.
In Kerala, the government law colleges in Thiruvananthapuram (Barton Hill), Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode offer this postgraduate course. Admission is based on an entrance test conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations.
The college-wise number of LL.M. seats and specialisations are as follows:
Thiruvananthapuram: 15 seats (international law, Constitution law)
Ernakulam: 15 (mercantile law, criminal law)
Thrissur: 10 (administrative law, criminal law)
Kozhikode: 15 (law of taxation)
Students appearing for the final year examinations of the BA LL.B. or three-year LL.B. courses can also apply for the entrance examination. There is no upper age limit.
Meritorious LL.M. degree holders can go for research leading to Ph.D.
In Kerala, the following university departments and colleges also conduct LL.M. courses.
Department of Law, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram – 695 581 (Ph.D. also)
Mahatma Gandhi University, Faculty of Law, Priya Darshini Hills. P.O, Kottayam – 686 560
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Law, Kochi – 682 022 (Ph.D. also)
Department of Law, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O, Tenhipalam – 673 635
Kerala Law Academy Law College, Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram – 695 005
NLSIU
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore – 560 072 conducts the LL.M. course with specialisation in human laws and human rights laws. LL.B. degree holders with at least 50 percent marks are eligible to apply for the admission test. M.Phil., Ph.D. (law or interdisciplinary courses) and LL.D. programmes are offered here. Those having an LL.M. degree with at least 50 percent marks are eligible for admission to M.Phil. or Ph.D. programmes ( www.nls.ac.in)
Some other national-level law universities and colleges offering LL.M. programmes are as follows:
National Law University, Jodhpur (MBA also)
NALSAR, University of Law, Hyderabad- 500 027, www.nalsaruniv.org
WB National University of Juridical Science, Salt Lake, Kolkata (M.Phil. also)
Hidayattullah National Law University, Chattisgarh, Raipur – 492 001 (Ph.D. also)
Job prospects
A law graduate has various options to pursue the profession — as lawyer, legal adviser, law officer, public prosecutor, solicitor, law reporter, legal assistant and so on — depending on professional skills and experience or expertise. The private corporate sector has been recruiting legal professionals in a major way in recent years and the legal process outsourcing sector also offers openings.
Law graduates are eligible to apply for the post of legal assistant in the Law Department in the Government Secretariat. An experienced practising lawyer has ample opportunities to become magistrates or munsiffs and get promoted as sub-judges, district and sessions judges, High Court Judges and so on in the judiciary.
There are several opportunities for an experienced lawyer to become public prosecutor, government pleader, solicitor, notary public or even advocate-general. Law graduates can qualify for company secretary-ship and become company secretaries. They are eligible to complete for any post for which degree is the minimum qualification. They are also eligible to become assistants in High Courts and the offices of the Advocate-General, Public Service Commission and Local Fund Audit.
Other options
Meritorious law graduates have some other suitable higher study options, such as management education (MBA-level programmes), mass communication or journalism and intellectual property rights. The Indian Institutes of Management offer postgraduate programmes in management. Admission is based on the Common Admission Test.
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, provides good opportunities to study print, radio and television journalism. One can choose these courses for higher study according to interest and aptitude. The courses are highly job-oriented and professional ones.
GOPAKUMAR KARAKONAM
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