How to become a Lawyer in India: Entrance Exam, Types of Lawyer, Roles

How to become a lawyer in India - The profession of law has many faces. It is a lucrative career option, but at the same time it is a means to fight for justice and be part of social work. No wonder, how to become a lawyer is a question running through the minds of many youngsters as evidenced by the huge number of applicants for popular law entrance exams. It is a also a viable alternative to the more popular streams of engineering, medicine and management. The journey to become a lawyer starts with appearing for a law entrance exam after ensuring one has met the prescribed basic eligibility criteria. There are may exam options such as CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LSAT—India, MH CET Law and more.The first and basic eligibility criteria is that a candidate must have cleared his Class 12 examination from a recognized board or university. Read the complete article to know all the details on how to become a lawyer in India.

Who is a lawyer?

Before knowing the steps on how to become a lawyer in India let us first understand who is a lawyer. A lawyer is a person who is licensed to practice law. A lawyer has two main obligations firstly to uphold the law and secondly to protect their client’s rights. A lawyer performs various duties such as prosecuting in court, defending in court, contracts, real state transactions, and research.

Watch - Career as a Lawyer

How to Become a Lawyer - Steps

Law can be pursued either as a three year or a five year course. In five year integrated law, two degrees are combined into five years, which would otherwise take six years to complete. The popular five year integrated Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degrees are: BALLB, BBA LLB, and B.Com LLB. One can pursue these courses after completing class 12. There is also a three-year law degree. 3-year LLB can be pursued by someone who already has an undergraduate degree in any stream

One can become a lawyer in India by following the steps as given below-

• Meet the basic eligibility criteria which is a Class 12 pass for a five year integrated law course, and graduation in any stream for a 3-year LLB course. Students appearing for class 12 exams and final year graduation students are also eligible to apply for the courses provided they earn their minimum qualification by the time of admission.
• Secondly, appear for an entrance exam and clear it
• Enrol for the law course
• Successfully clear the subjects in the course curriculum
• Obtain the LLB degree and become a lawyer

The steps mentioned in brief above are discussed in more detail in the paragraphs given below to answer specific doubts and questions on how to become a lawyer.

Also Read: Online Law Courses & Certifications

How Can I study to be a Lawyer?

Studying to become a lawyer will require one to first clear a law entrance exam, then enrol for a 3-year LLB or a 5-year LLB course which will have a six semester and 10 semesters respectively. After successfully completing the course, one can become a lawyer. While 3-year LLB will have only law related subjects, a five year LLB will also have interdisciplinary subjects from arts, management and commerce depending on the type of integrated course one has opted for.

How many years took to become a lawyer?

To become a lawyer it can take either 5 years or 3 years depending on whether one is pursuing a five-year LLB or a three-year LLB. While five year LLB is an undergraduate integrated course open for students after class 12, a three year LLB is open to graduates.

Can I become a lawyer after 12th?

Yes, you can become a lawyer after 12th by pursuing a five year integrated course such as BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB. All integrated law courses are open to anyone who has cleared class 12 by the time of admission. Students appearing for class 12 exams can also apply for the integrated courses provided they qualify class 12 by the time of admission.

Which college is best for law?

As per NIRF law rankings 2023, NLSIU Bengaluru is the top ranked law college in the country. Some other institutes in top 10 include NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, West Bengal National University of Juridicial Sciences, Kolkata, SLS Pune, Jamia Milia Islamiya, and GNLU Gandhinagar.

Which subject is best for lawyer?

The best subject for a lawyer will depend on their areas of interest and their specialisation and expertise. LLB courses provide a comprehensive understanding of various laws. To obtain a deeper understanding of a particular law subject, a lawyer can opt for an LLM course which is a post graduate programme in law. LLM courses are designed as one-year or two-year programmes and offer specialisation opportunity in specific laws such as criminal law, cyber law, international law, environment law and so on.

What is the highest type of lawyer?

As per the Indian constitution, the Attorney General is the topmost lawyer of the country. The Attorney General acts as the chief legal advisor to the government of India and counsels the union government on all legal matters. These powers are conferred on the attorney general via article 76 of our constitution.

What is the salary of lawyer per month in India?

As per data from AmbitionBox, the average salary of lawyers in India is Rs. 5 lakhs per month. The salary range is between Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh p.a. However, with expertise and skills, lawyers can significantly improve their earnings.

Pass the All India Bar exam

The last step is to clear the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) that is conducted every year by the Bar Council of India. For appearing in this exam candidates are required to enroll themselves as an advocate with the State Bar Council of their own choice. Once they clear the AIBE exam then, the BCI provides them a Certificate of Practice, making them eligible to practice as a lawyer.

Types of Lawyers

Now, that the roadmap about how to become a lawyer is laid out, let's discuss some of the lawyer job profiles which are available for law graduates. There are different types of lawyers and the table given below describes some of them along with their roles and profile.

Different Lawyer Profiles

Master of Laws (LLM)

While LLB is enough to become a lawyer, one can opt for higher studies as well. LLM is a postgraduate course in law. This can only be pursued once a candidate has obtained a bachelor’s degree. This is usually of two years or one-year programme. The basic requirement to become a lawyer will be fulfilled once you will complete the bachelor's degree. But if someone wants to attain specialization in a specific field then they can pursue LLM programmes offered by various universities or colleges.