What is Scope of BA LLB in India – Post Covid Analysis

What is LLB?  LLB is the abbreviation for the Bachelor of Laws or the Latin counterpart - Legum Baccalaureus. It is a professional degree in the field of legal studies at the graduation level, which first originated in England.  Earlier, LLB was conferred upon successfully completing a legal course in a law college alone, known as “Glossators.” But with the advancement of education and consolidation of academics, many universities and colleges provide integrated courses as well. It is also no longer required to complete the three-year undergraduate course before applying for an LLB course. Most colleges in the world as well in India are now offering the five years “integrated degree” in Law. Both courses are available, and both courses transfer the degree of LLB post-completion. All students completing either course can be called a “Lawyer.” The BCI or Bar Council of India is the regulating body that authorizes the legal course, curriculum, and practice in India. What is the difference between 3-years LLB and the “integrated” LLB programs?  Traditionally, the three years program was more prevalent across the world (including in India). However, in the year 1987, the National Law School of India (NLS) introduced the five-year integrated law program, which is now more prevalent. The three-year program requires students to first complete their graduation and then join the LLB program. While the Integrated law program is more comprehensive, and a student can enroll in it after completing higher secondary examination from the Higher Secondary Board of Education in India like ISC, CBSE, or the state boards. The duration of this course is five years. In integrated Law, the first two years of the course are spent on studying general subjects at the undergraduate level, and the final three years are for studying the Law. While in the case of LLB, all three years are dedicated to studying law subjects. Why is integrated LLB becoming more popular? It is true that in earlier times, Law was studied by scholars alone as “doctorates.” However, with the recent times, more and more students have shown a preference for the integrated course, because in doing so, they are actually saving one whole year of academics. Graduation plus and LLB would take six years after completing higher secondary school. However, in the case of an integrated LLB program, one can finish the course in five years, which means they can start earning earlier. Also, one does not need to spend money as well as time and effort separately for Admission into two different courses. What BA LLB The BA LLB program is a five-year integrated program in India. It covers the arts subjects in the first two years of the course, such as - Sociology, History, Political Science, Economics. The third-year onwards, the course steers towards law programs or subjects. In other words, it is an integrated LLB course with Arts subjects in the initial two years.  BA LLB in BM Munjal University The BM Munjal University’s BA LLB program is designed with the belief that Law is not a stand-alone subject. Law functions in coordination with other forces in play in the world around. In order to be successful in a law career, one needs to be able to identify and act in conjunction with the multi-dimensional approach, which is achieved in BM Munjal through the study of history, political science, economics, and political science.  It is a five-year course, and students can apply after completing their 10+2. The course is BCI approved.

Eligibility for the course and Admission

The eligibility requirement for pursuing an integrated BA LLB course is 10+2 from a recognized board of India. At BMU, students with a minimum of 60% marks in their 10+2 certificates can send a written application to the BMU along with their CLAT or LSAT scores. Selection is made on the basis of meeting the required criteria and score cut-offs, followed by a performance in the personal interview round. Skill required In order to be successful, one cannot focus only on the theoretical aspects of education. Colleges like BM Munjal, specifically focussed on the practical aspect of studying LLB. The course in BMU is designed in consultation with legal practitioners to ensure the success of students in the professional field. Having said that, it is equally important for incumbents to possess certain intrinsic skill sets in order to have a fulfilling career at Law. Some of these skill sets are: -Excellent communication skills -Finesse in language -Art of persuasiveness/ negotiation -Clarity of thought - Inclined to research because the legal literature is profound - Ability to take stress/ hardworking -Impeccable presentation skills LLB entrance examinations: In order to gain Admission into a BA LLB course, there are multiple law exams that are conducted across India. Some of them are: LSAT - Law School Admission Test CLAT - Common Law Aptitude Test LAWCET CET Law IPU CET Law Entrance Examination LAT  Most top colleges and universities ask for the LSAT and CLAT scores, though. BA LLB subjects in the course The subjects for the BA LLB integrated program are as follows: · Economics · History · Political Science · Sociology · Foreign Language (in some colleges such as BM Munjal) · Legal History · Law of Torts · Law of Contract · Jurisprudence · Constitutional Law · Criminal procedure · Family law · ADR (Alternative dispute resolution) · Indian Penal Code · Public International Law · Theory of Justice · Law on Infrastructure development · Right to Information · Administrative Law · Labour Law · Property Law · Environmental Law · International protection of human rights · Cyber Law · Corporate Governance · International Criminal Law · Taxation law · Ethics · Moot courts In addition to these common subjects, BMU has some other papers in order to make the course more relevant to modern times: · Indian Federalism · Financial Market Regulation · Biodiversity protection · Gender Justice · Forensic Science Popular Law specializations: The field of Law is wide, and students can specialize in their studies after completing LLB into fields such as : · Family Law · Company Law · Corporate Law · Business Law · Criminal Law

Career after completing the BA LLB Integrated course

A comprehensive course such as the BA LLB course provides the right foundation for the passionate students who are raring to get into the field of working with people and desire to bring a change to the lives of those around them. Their skills and technical knowledge help to take them far.  In India, especially, the scope for BA LLB is actually quite huge, and there are a lot of jobs available in the field. In fact, the State of the Indian legal system is such that there is a gaping shortfall of lawyers in practice, which also leads to the delay of the judiciary system. According to The Times of India - there is a shocking 2.85 crore pending legal cases in India. This is in the lower courts alone.  In India (as in other countries), before starting to practice as a lawyer, one needs to clear the bar exam or the ALL INDIA BAR EXAMINATION (AIBE). This exam is regulated by the Bar Council of India. The bar exam is conducted in several languages in India and is held twice a year. There are several fields in which a BA LLB student can start working in, such as :  - They can get into litigation themselves. They can act as lawyers and represent clients in the court - Join law firms - Legal process outsourcing is very big and sprawling business in India, and they require bright, intelligent and capable legal professionals in their field - There are several government agencies where LLB qualified professionals are required for legal jobs - Banks require LLBs with financial market regulation knowledge - Corporates require lawyers in their corporate law teams - They can also get hired by audit and compliance firms Post completing the BA LLB course, a student can apply to the government for administrative jobs in the fields of taxation, defense, labor department. Such opportunities are available in the State as well as the Central government. In these departments, LLB professionals can work as advocates, civil servants, or judges. Once in the law field, the experience is considered to be precious and can be used to work further as legal advocates, advisors, or solicitor generals in large firms. These are high paying jobs where one needs to advise both individual or commercial clients in a specific field such as - tax, Law, family, or property. Legal advocates are involved in research and gathering facts or evidence to support a legal claim made in court or otherwise. Further studies are also an option for students who have completed the BA LLB program. They can either work for a few years and then enroll in higher education, or directly prepare and apply for an LLM course. Higher education helps legal students to specialize in their areas of interest - Environmental, criminal, administrative, labor laws: international laws, IPR, etc. Beyond LLM, one can also opt for research into any of the fields. Teaching is a profession in which LLB grads can move into post completion of the course or after higher education.