Lawyers uphold the law of the country and are responsible for protecting their client’s legal rights. Lawyers use their knowledge of the law to understand and solve various legal matters. They are in charge of preparing legal documents and submitting them during the case on behalf of their clients, attending trials and hearing, helping in the settlement of the matter, and presenting arguments in favour of their client in front of the judge. Over time, the demand for lawyers has witnessed exponential growth and it is expected to grow by 22% by 2030.
In order to be a Lawyer, aspiring candidates can pursue various undergraduate and postgraduate law courses from top law colleges in India. Aspiring candidates should opt for a Bachelor in LLB or BA LLB course after completing 10+2 from any recognised board. There are several Law Entrance Exams that are conducted to enrol students for various Law courses, such as AILET, CLAT, LSAT, etc. The average course fees range between INR 60000- 1.50 L per year.
After completion of any Law courses, lawyers can start practising, after getting enrolled with the Bar Council. Candidates can expect a starting salary of INR 10,000- 15,000 at the beginning of their career. Most of the lawyers are self-employed. The highest salary of a lawyer can go up to INR 50 LPA or above. Read: How to Become a Corporate Lawyer
Table of Content
Who is a Lawyer
A lawyer is a qualified professional who has pursued law courses and is qualified enough to take up cases on behalf of their clients and fight for them. There are various types of Lawyers including advocates, attorneys, and solicitors. A lawyer is a skilled professional who is qualified to advise people about their cases, and applicable laws and also represent them in court. They are employed either in court, corporate firms, Government lawyers, etc. Their role also includes collecting evidence and presenting the matter in the court of law and/ or sometimes even negotiating on behalf of their clients outside court.
Some of the main duties of a lawyer are listed below
- Attending court hearings and trials with the clients and even in the client’s absence
- Providing legal advice to their clients and explaining to them the applicable laws.
- Analyzing legal documents
- Settling disputes and supervising agreements
- Negotiating on behalf of the party
- Prepare Notice and other related documents
Qualifications required to become a Lawyer
Being a Lawyer requires the candidate to fulfil certain educational criteria that are mentioned below for your reference,
- Aspiring candidates must have completed Class 12th board exams with a minimum aggregate of 50% or above in any stream such as science, arts, commerce, humanities, social science, etc.
- Candidates must appear for entrance exams such as CLAT, AILET, DU LLB, LSAT, etc in order to get enrolled in a law school.
- Aspiring students must complete their Graduation in Law by pursuing courses such as LLB, B.A. LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LL.B, and other courses.
- After completion of a degree in Law, The candidate needs to enrol themselves with any State Bar Council
- Within 2 years of enrollment as a Provisional advocate, the candidate needs to clear the All India Bar Council.
Steps to become a Lawyer in India
Lawyers are required to meet certain educational criteria and pass required exams in order to practice law before the courts and even corporate firms. Below mentioned are some of the important steps that must be followed in order to be a successful lawyer.
- Complete higher secondary education: Aspiring candidates must start preparing to become a lawyer right after school. Candidates aspiring to become Lawyers must first clear Class 12 board exams from a recognized board to pursue a bachelor’s degree in law. Students from any discipline such as science, arts, commerce and humanities are eligible to apply for a bachelor's degree in Law.
- Apply for a five-year integrated course: In case an aspiring candidate wants to pursue law after class 12th, then they should take admission to a 5 year integrated program of Law such as BA LLB, B.Com LLB or B.Com LLB. These programs will allow candidates to choose their specialization.
- Complete Graduation: The other option for the candidates is that they can opt to pursue a bachelor’s degree in law after graduation. The duration of the course is 3 years. The candidate must earn a bachelor’s degree in any discipline such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA), B.Sc, B.Com, BBA etc. and after clearing this one can apply for a bachelor’s program in Law.
- Appear for the Entrance Test: The candidate can take admission in law colleges on the basis of entrance exams whether applying for a 5-year integrated program or 3-year program. The most popular entrance exams to get enrolled in law colleges are CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LSAT, etc.
- Complete Bachelor’s Degree in Law: Once after getting enrolled in Law college, aspiring candidates will come across subjects such as Criminal law, Constitutional law, and family law. The candidates need to pass all the subjects in order to be eligible to give the Bar council Exam.
- Get into an Internship: The candidate while pursuing LLB can take part in legal events such as attending moot courts, taking part in Legal aid, interning under advocates or law firms etc. This will help you to gain practical knowledge and how the legal system works.
- Register with State Bar Council: After acquiring a Bachelor’s degree in law, the candidate needs to enrol provisionally with any State Bar Council in order to appear for the All India Bar Examination. The candidate needs to submit the required documents and pay the requisite fees in order to get the provisional certificate that will allow the candidate to practice before the Court of Law.
- Clear the All India Bar Examination: According to the guideline issued by the government of India, Candidates who want to practice before the court or be a Corporate lawyer have to clear the All India Bar Council Exam (AIBE). This exam is conducted every year once a year and before that provisional registration is mandatory for all candidates. After clearing this exam, the candidate will be entitled to various welfare schemes for Lawyers.
- Gain Experience: Once the candidate has cleared the AIBE, they get the license to practice law as a profession. Candidates can apply for jobs in various law firms or government sectors or can even start their own practice.
Skills required to become a Lawyer
Some of the most essential skill sets that are required to become a Lawyer in India in order to excel in the profession are tabulated below for your reference,
Discipline | Self-Confidence | Legal Documentation |
Litigation | Drafting | Legal Knowledge |
Legal Research | Communication skills | Presence of mind |
Top Recruiters of Lawyers
Some of the top recruiters for Lawyers are mentioned below for your Reference,
District Courts | High Courts | Khaitan & Co. |
Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas | Ernst & Young | KPMG |
LexisNexis | Supreme Court of India | Luthra & Luthra |
Steps to become a Lawyer: FAQs
Ques. What do Lawyers do?
Ans. The duty of Lawyers include:
- Attend hearing on court dates and trials
- Collect evidences
- Making settlements for their clients
- Negotiating on behalf of the party
- Prepare Notice and other related documents
Ques. What are the areas of recruitment of Lawyers?
Ans. The areas of recruitment of Lawyers include:
- Banking Sector
- Corporate Firms
- Courts
- Government organization
- Logistics
Ques. Name the top companies for Lawyers?
Ans. The top companies include:
- District & Sessions Court
- High Court
- Supreme Court
- Banks.
- Private Practice
Ques. What is the average salary of a Lawyer in India?
Ans. Although their is no fixed salary, Lawyers are self employed too. The starting salary of a Lawyer in India ranges between INR 3.95 L - 6.20 LPA. while the salary of a Lawyer with 5 - 8 years of experience is around INR 9.62 LPA and the senior level salary can go up to INR 50 LPA.
Ques. What is the advantage of being a Lawyer?
Ans. The biggest advantage of being a Lawyer is that with little experience and practice, the candidate gets a clear idea about his responsibilities. This job does not have much burden.
Ques.Can Lawyers work as a Freelancer?
Ans. Yes, the lawyersis free to work at their own will as an independent professional.
Ques. What are the skills required to be lawyers?
Ans. The key skills to be a lawyers are:
- Communication
- Writing skills
- ‘Drafting skills
- Teamwork
- Legal Knowledge
Ques. What is the difference between Lawyers and Advocates?
Ans. The essential difference between a Lawyer and Advocate is that Lawyer is a general term used for all those who are pursuing law while advocates are those who are registered with bar council and recognised under advocates act.
Ques. which certificate courses to pursue to become a lawyer?
Ans. The certification courses that a candican pursue to become a Lawyer are:
- Online Law Courses
- Online Cyber Law Courses
- Online labor law courses
- Online Criminal law Courses
Ques. What is the time taken to become a Lawyer?
Ans - To become a lawyer in India, the candidate after competing in law can immediately start working but it may take time to establish themselves as a successful Lawyer. There can be some hard days too.