“Lawyer” and “Advocate” are often used interchangeably in popular culture. However, there are some fundamental differences between a lawyer and an advocate. A lawyer is basically a person who has studied Law and is involved in the legal profession. But, an advocate is a slightly more specific term, used in the context of those lawyers who are authorized to represent a client in a court of law. Thus, it is right to say that all advocates are lawyers, but all lawyers may not be advocates. However, is that the only difference between an advocate and a lawyer? Read the article to know more about the lawyer vs advocate comparison.
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A law graduate, involved in the legal profession such as those related to giving legal advice, consultation, assisting or any other law profession is called a lawyer. The term “Lawyer” is a very broad term and is used in the context of a legal professional including a barrister or an attorney.
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In legal terms, an advocate is a lawyer who enters into a roll under the provisions of the Advocates Acts 1961. In simple terms, an advocate is a lawyer who is registered with any State Bar Council or Bar Council of India. The conduct of an advocate is governed by the rules of the Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex regulatory body for legal professionals.
There are several points to be looked at in the advocate vs lawyer comparison. Some of the points are given in the table below.
Lawyer | Advocate |
A lawyer is any law graduate involved in a legal profession | Advocate represents their clients in the Court of Law |
Lawyer can be used in the context of a legal advisor, attorney, solicitor, barrister or even a law professor | Advocates have specified role and duties. It is a more specific term |
Lawyers may not be very experienced in the practising law | Advocates are experienced professionals and have cleared a standard Bar examination |
Lawyers cannot represent clients in Court of Law, but they can give legal advice, assist their clients in legal matters, or work in the corporate sector as a law professional | Advocates have Certificate of Practice (CoP) issued by the apex regulator of the legal profession and legal education in India. The CoP enables advocates to practice law |
Lawyers are not covered under Advocates Act | The conduct of advocates is governed by Advocates Act 1961 |
Whether a person is a lawyer or an advocate, both are legal professionals and have several common roles and responsibilities which their job entails. Given below are a few things which advocates and lawyers do:
It must be noted that all advocates are lawyers but all lawyers are not advocates. So,being an advocate one gets an additional qualification to represent clients in addition to all the roles and responsibilities a lawyer can perform. So, becoming an advocate greatly increases the scope of earnings for a lawyer. However, the earnings will also depend on the the reputation of the advocate, type of clients being represented, and the type of cases at hand. On the other hand, a lawyer can find jobs in legal firms, and in the legal department of different organisations.
As per Ambition box data, the average salary of a lawyer in India ranges between Rs. 1-11 lakh p.a. with an average salary of Rs.4.8 lakh p.a. On the other hand the salary of an advocate in India ranges between Rs. 1.1 -9 lakh p.a. with an average salary of 4.9 lakh p.a.
To become a lawyer in India aspirants in India can complete a formal law degree and become lawyers. As per the “Rules of Legal Education” given by the Bar Council of India, there are two types of law courses leading to a bachelor's Degree in Law. These are;
LLB course - This course is popularly known as a 3-year LLB degree programme. Law aspirants can undertake this course only after completing graduation from a university recognized by the Bar Council of India.
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A double-degree integrated course is a combination of Bachelor’ degree in Law and any other Bachelors’ discipline. The degree programme will be of at least five years and students can pursue it right after completing Class 12. Some of the popular 5-year integrated LLB programmes are BA LLB, BBA LLB, BCom LLB and BSc LLB.
After completion of the programme, students are eligible to register themselves with state bar councils. Such law graduates are called lawyers.
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A law graduate becomes an advocate only when he/she is registered with the Bar Council of India (BCI). The council conducts an All India Bar Examination (AIBE) to set a standard for advocates. Law graduates who wish to become advocates are required to clear the AIBE exam and obtain a Certificate of Practice from the BCI. Generally, the AIBE exam is conducted twice a year and applications for it are accepted online from the official website of the council.
Those who clear the AIBE exam and have received the CoP from the council are eligible to represent their clients in a Court of Law. These lawyers are called Advocates.
Advocates uphold the interests of their clients and play a crucial role in the administration of justice. They are also bound by the rules of the Bar Council of India and accordingly, they are expected to adhere to the highest standards of probity and honour.
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Anyone who has completed their legal education and possess the Bachelor of Legislative Law (LLB) degree can be called as a lawyer
Any lawyer whose name has been entered in the roll prepared and maintained by the State Bar Council under section 17 of the Advocates Act, 1961.
A lawyer does not have the authority to practise law or represent clients, only an advocate can do so.
Yes. A lawyer can become an advocate if they clear the All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India and their name is entered in roll maintained by the State Bar Council under section 17 of the Advocates Act, 1961.
While possessing an LLB degree is a prerequisite for becoming an advocate, it is not enough. To become an advocate the person’s name must be entered in the roll maintained by the State Bar Council and the person must also clear the All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India.
An advocate can represent clients in court, which a lawyer cannot.
Becoming an advocate is an additional qualification which a lawyer gets after clearing the AIBE exam. So, an advocate is always better than being only a lawyer.
Yes. Anyone who has completed their legal education and obtained the Bachelor of Legislative Law (LLB) degree is a lawyer.
Sadly, no specific 5-year integrated B.Com LLB program is available in Mumbai.
However, you can still pursue a 3-year LLB course after completing your B.Com. This is the most frequent route for students who want to carry a commerce background with legal studies.
Here are some top law colleges in Mumbai where you could pursue an LLB after completing your B.Com:
Government Law College, Mumbai: A very popular and premier law college, for academic excellence.
K.C. Law College, Mumbai: Has great faculties and better placement. Symbiosis Law School, Pune: It is one of the most prominent law schools providing various legal courses under its wing, like LLB. National Law University, Mumbai: Relatively a newer generation law college yet is known for sustaining the high standard of academics.
To get into these colleges, you have to clear entrance exams like:
CLAT (Common Law Admission Test): It is a national level test for admitting in the law schools of India.
MH CET Law: This is a state-level entrance test to get into the law colleges in Maharashtra.
After LLB, you can obtain various types of careers in law that include legal practice, corporate law, intellectual property law, and so on.
Be sure to check the specific eligibility criteria and admission process for each college. Admission may require one to first meet minimum academic requirements and clear entrance exams.
Sources and related content
Hello aspirant,
Here below I am providing you with the name of some of the top colleges:
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Hello aspirant,
The three-year Bareilly College LLB program offers specializations such as law. Bareilly College's LLB program lasts three years. Students who earn an LLB degree acquire deep knowledge and abilities that will enable them to meet obstacles in the real world.
For more information, you can visit our site through following link:
https://www.careers360.com/colleges/bareilly-college-bareilly/llb-course
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Hope it helps you
Indeed, you can very well sit for SSC CGL while doing your BA LLB course, which is 5-year integrated.
For the purpose of SSC CGL eligibility, one needs to have a bachelor's degree from any recognized university. Since your BA LLB is a 5-year integrated course, it will qualify you once you complete that.
However, check the eligibility criteria for each post, as it may vary for each. For instance, for some, certain specific subjects studied would be criteria, or a minimum percentage is a criterion.
Always refer to and monitor the SSC official notifications for any available information and eligibility criteria.
Hence, starting preparations right from the beginning and being constant helps you definitely clear out the SSC CGL exam.
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/ssc-cgl-syllabus
Hello,
To improve chances of getting admission to a top college for BA LLB. or BBA LLB, you need following :-
To get a scholarship for UG studies :-
You can check the list of top colleges for BA LLB and BBA LLB from the following links :-
1. Top BBALLB Colleges in India - Law
2. Top B.A. L.L.B Colleges in India
Hope it helps !
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