Law as a Career: Exploring Your Options (Part I)

Are you considering a career in law? In India, a law degree is not just prestigious—it’s a gateway to diverse, impactful roles in society.

Lawyers are respected for their ability to uphold justice and shape society. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, both law graduates, used their legal wisdom to transform the nation.

Therefore, before enrolling for a law degree and embarking on a career in law, it is very important to know what the various career paths available are:

1. Litigation: Litigation is one of the most common career options chosen by law graduates. After you graduate as a lawyer, to represent your clients and practice before a court of law in India, you need a certificate of practice. For this you need to pass the 'All India Bar Examination' that happens twice a year and get yourself registered with the State Bar Council of the particular state you wish to practice in. You may either start your own practice or assist an already established advocate to build a strong foundation. Sometimes it’s the tiny things, like procuring bail for your client, that give you a profound sense of career satisfaction in litigation.

2. Corporate lawyer: If you are interested in the corporate sector, the option that students explore after graduation is either a legal associate in a law firm or an in-house counsel for a company or organisation. The job of a legal associate generally includes providing a catena of legal services to the firm’s clients, which includes draughting contracts and providing legal advice. An in-house counsel, on the other hand, takes care of all and any legal matters specifically related to the company and handles legal disputes that the company is involved in. You will be expected to have expertise in areas like contracts, intellectual property rights, labour law, company law, real estate, etc.

3. Judicial Services: Another sought-after career option in law is to serve the country as a judge by cracking the competitive and prestigious judicial services exam. Each state conducts its own exams, generally in 3 stages, to fill up vacancies in the lower judiciary. The three stages include a preliminary exam, a main exam, and an interview round. As a judge, you’ll be interpreting laws and deciding disputes and will have the satisfaction of profoundly influencing the lives of people.

4. Judge Advocate General: The post of Judge Advocate General (JAG) in India is held by a Major General who is the legal and judicial chief of the Army. The Judge Advocate General is assisted by a separate JAG branch which consists of legally qualified army officers. Notifications are released from time to time by the Indian armed forces to fill up vacancies. Fresh law graduates get a chance to appear for the SSB (Services Selection Board) interview and are commissioned as lieutenants in the Indian Army. This is a sought-after career for those who are passionate about law and wish to work with the Indian army. As a JAG officer, you will be expected to provide legal advice and services on all matters related to the armed forces.

5. Public Service Commission Exams: After graduating with a law degree, you may also opt for a career in civil services by taking the Union Public Service Commission or State Public Service Commission exam. Law students can choose law as their optional subject and have an upper hand to crack the coveted exam. As a lawyer you will have the ability to look at things critically from different perspectives.

6. Academia: If over the course of your law degree you realise that you are passionate about teaching and research in law, academia will most likely be your calling. To be appointed as an assistant professor in any private or government university or college, you need to have a master's degree in law and eventually a PhD. While achieving a master's degree, you can also specialise in any particular area of law, like criminal law or constitutional law. After this you also need to clear the UGC-NET (National Eligibility Test) conducted by the University Grants Commission.

At Presidency School of Law, we believe in empowering students with the knowledge and skills to excel in diverse legal careers. Our comprehensive programmes—B.A. LL.B., BBA LL.B., and Master’s degree in Law—are designed to prepare future legal professionals to meet the evolving demands of the legal world. Stay tuned for Part II, where we’ll explore emerging and unconventional career paths in the field of law.