How to study law after 12th

How to study law after 12th – Historically, law in India was often a family profession. However, the field has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, driven by the increasing demand for legal professionals. Beyond the courtroom, lawyers are now highly sought after in corporate settings, law agencies and firms, litigation practices, and administrative services. Pursuing a legal education after completing secondary school (12th grade) is a challenging but promising path with excellent career prospects.

Hence, there is an increase in demand for law education. Students who complete their school in any stream i.e Science, Commerce or Humanities can pursue their higher education in law. Skills like good communication, analytical, persuasiveness, and making quick, reliable judgments are an add-on to making a career in this field.

Also, one must note that he/she will be required to do a lot of reading so, be prepared to spend long hours in the library. This article on ‘How to do law after 12th' will provide you with the necessary information on how to go about making a career in law after 12th class, the available courses, the employment prospects, and much more.

Law Programmes and Exams after 12th

An undergraduate degree in law or an L.L.B degree provides an understanding of the functions of law and of the legal system. It also teaches an appreciation of the place of rules of law in the construction of politics and society.

L.L.B. students learn that law is not a body of knowledge stored in libraries, but a presence all around us, constantly evident in our social, civil, and business interactions. Education in law lets students combine theory with practise and case-based learning which isn’t a regular feature of other subjects in India. Here’s how you can study law after the 12th.

• Students passing from school in the Science stream can opt for B.Sc L.L.B (Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Legislative Law) or B. Tech L.L.B (Bachelor in Technology and Bachelor of Legislative Law) which is a 5-year and 6-year program respectively.
• Those clearing 12th in Commerce or Arts can choose from B.Com L.L.B (Bachelor in Commerce and Bachelor in Legislative Law), BBA L.L.B (Bachelor in Business Administration and Bachelor in Legislative Law), or BA L.L.B (Bachelor in Arts and Bachelors in Legislative Law) each a 5-year program.
• There is also a program for candidates who wish to pursue law after completing their graduation. L.L.B (Bachelor in Legislative Law) is a 3-year program offered by many universities/institutes for such graduates.

In India, the Bar Council of India regulates the L.L.B degree. Admission to the above-mentioned L.L.B programs in all universities/institutes except for Tamilnadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (TNDALU) is conducted by entrance exam.

Common Law Admission Test or CLAT is one of the most popular law entrance examinations held annually for admissions to five-year integrated law programs (BA LLB, B.Com LLB, B.Sc LLB, and BBA LLB) in as many as 19 NLUs (National Law Universities) including MLNU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur, and MNLU Aurangabad). Admissions to TNDALU is done based on marks scored in Class 12.

Admission to B.Tech L.L.B in UPES is conducted based on score in the ULSAT (UPES Law School Admission Test). The top law colleges providing UG degrees in law are listed below.

Where to study Law - Top Law Institutes

CLAT

Common Law Admission Test or CLAT is conducted annually by National Law Universities (NLUs) for admission to their undergraduate Law programmes (BA LLB, B.Com LLB, BBA L.L.B, and B.Sc. LLB). The entrance exam is held in an online mode. The test comprises 200 objective questions. CLAT is usually conducted in May every year.

ULSAT

UPES Law Studies Aptitude Test (ULSAT) is organized by the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) Dehradun for admissions into its five-year integrated law programmes. ULSAT is held in computer-based and pen-and-paper-based mode. The exam will consist of 150 questions and will be 3-hour duration.

DU L.L.B

Delhi University conducts DU L.L.B for admission into the three-year L.L.B. programme in the three participating institutes. The exam is conducted in the month of July every year. The exam conducted in offline mode will be of 2-hour duration. The total number of questions are 175. Every correct answer will fetch 4 marks and 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong attempt.

BHU L.L.B

Banaras Hindu University conducts BHU L.L.B in May every year for admissions to its three-year law programs. The exam conducted in offline mode is of 2 hours duration. The total number of questions is 150 which are objective. The total marks of the exam is 450 where each correct answer will carry 3 marks and 1 mark will be deducted for an incorrect attempt.

After obtaining the graduation degree in law, students have to sit for the AIBE (All India Bar Examination) to get a Certificate of Practice. Only after getting the Certificate of Practice, a candidate be litigated in the court of law. This examination is conducted by Bar Council of India.

Masters in Law

After obtaining an undergraduate degree in law, one can go for specialisation in the domain. Those interested in making a career in academics or practicing in a specialised field of law can go on to pursue a Master in law (L.L.M). Students can pursue L.L.M in different streams of specialisations like IPR (Intellectual Property Rights), Cyber Law, Business Law, Human Rights Law, Corporate & Commercial law, and many more. The top colleges offering L.L.M programs are listed below.

Colleges for L.L.M

IPU CET LLM

Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) conducts IPU CET LLM for admissions to postgraduate law programmes in its affiliated colleges. The exam of two-and-a-half-hour duration is usually conducted in April. The question paper comprises of 150 objective-type questions of 4 marks each. Negative marking is applicable on wrong attempts.

JMI LLM

JMI Law Entrance is conducted by the Faculty of Law, Jamia Milia Islamia University for admissions to its LLM Programmes. The exam will consist of Multiple-choice questions. Every wrong attempt will attract a penalty of 0.25 marks.

BHU LLM

Banaras Hindu University conducts Postgraduate Entrance Test (PET) for admission to its L.L.M programme. It is conducted in offline mode in the month of May every year. Every correct answer will carry 4 marks and a wrong attempt will attract a penalty of 1 mark.

Studying Law after 12th- Career Opportunities

With increasing demand for legal professionals in every sector, there are many employment avenues for law graduates. They can find career opportunities in different sectors. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Litigation

• Corporate Counsel

• Law Firms

• Social Work

• Judicial/Civil services

• Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO)

• Academia

• Judicial Clerkship

• Media

To conclude, if you are smart, presentable and not scared to voice your opinion, Law is definitely a career you should consider!