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Students at law institutes across India pursue different courses but most have one thing at the top of their mind: To work for a reputed law firm in India or abroad.
While students can choose from academics, litigation or campus placements at the end of their course, placement officials say 75-80 per cent students in law institutes prefer to get a placement with a law firm, than practise law in Indian courts.
Take West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, for example. A senior member of the 2013 batch placement committee says this year has been a good year for the institute in terms of companies visiting the campus. The average salary was Rs 7.5-8 lakh a year. "A lot of students have taken loans and financial assistance to pursue these courses. Hence, they are eager to join a law firm/company with a fixed salary," he says.
Government Law College (GLC) in Mumbai has also seen good placement offers from reputed law firms like Amarchand and Mangaldas and Suresh A Shroff and Co. "Almost all our students, except a handful have been placed. While litigation is a big area of opportunity, students do not want to take a risk by opting out of placements. Hence, though some of them have court practice in mind, they do give interviews for law firms of their choice," says a placement official at GLC.
The average salary package of a law graduate varies from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh a year, depending on the type of law firm. If it is an international firm, the package could go up to Rs 10 lakh. Human resource consultants, on the other hand, say for a new entrant, salaries in high courts in India would vary from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per annum.
"The career progression when one joins the judiciary can be very slow, both in terms of promotion and salary. Hence, we see a larger percentage of students joining corporate houses and law firms," says a Mumbai-based human resources consultant, who handles recruitments for law firms.
Law graduates can pursue a variety of career options after finishing their course. One can join the Bar Council of India or begin legal practice as a civil or criminal lawyer. Apart from this, government and non-government organisations, law firms, accounting and consulting companies also recruit officials from law schools. Further, the top law schools also have lawyers like Mahesh Jethmalani and Nalini Chidambaram recruiting for their teams.
While corporate houses also recruit students for their legal departments, prior experience of three to five years is preferred. Hence, placement officials say, these students work for a few years with law firms, gain expertise in a particular area and then join companies.
The situation is not very different at post-graduate levels. At National Law School of India University (NLSIU)-Bangalore, placement committee members say a majority of students wish to pursue academics or join law firms. "To get into judiciary, an LLB degree is sufficient. Hence, there are very few LLM students entering this field," said a recruitment committee member.
For pursuing academics, a student after his/her LLB, has to pursue a two-year LLM course. An LLM degree is mandatory for pursuing doctoral studies or teaching law.
There are still a few exceptions. At some university-run law schools, there are students wishing to pursue legal practice. At Delhi University's law school, for example, officials say since they have students from diverse backgrounds, litigation is still among the top choice of a career followed by civil services and law firms.
"There are still a chunk of students aware of the struggle associated with joining legal practice and yet are willing to get into this system. Such students are interested in independent law practice rather than working under a law firm," an official from the law school said.
Education consultants say this trend is not here to stay. An education consultant of a global consulting firm says while students might prefer to join law firms for "fat" pay cheques, demand for lawyers will not begin to wane. "In the last two-three years, with fears of a slowdown, law graduates want to join firms with a fixed pay, rather than practise in court, where salary is uncertain. But when the economy starts showing signs of revival, these individuals students will be back to the courts," he says.
Average estimates suggest that out of an average batch of 110 students, only 15 to 20 opt out of placements to practise law. In general circumstances, such individuals work as an assistant to a senior lawyer for four-five years before establishing their independent practice.
A NEW TREND
- Law students want to work for reputed legal firms in India or abroad
- Average salary is Rs 5-8 lakh per annum
- Students take education loan and, hence, are eager to join law firms
- Slow career progression in judiciary, in terms of promotion and salary, makes law firms an attractive option
