- Law: Career Option of the Day

Dr Rajesh Bahuguna*
Before independence, the legal profession was considered to be one of the noblest in India. For an Indian it was really a big thing to obtain a degree in law and a dream to become a barrister. Very few persons could afford to have their children study law. Practicing lawyers were a handful in the country. After independence, this profession attracted a number of people resulting in an increase in the legal institutions and law graduates. Quality could not be maintained with the rapid increase in the quantity and with the passage of time, legal education became a joke. Aspirants who failed to get admission in any other course, candidates of the last choice and the candidates who wanted to study law to merely study, or those who wanted to acquire degree ornamentally started coming to this profession. During the eighties, the profession was at the top of its unpopularity. Very often it was said that one who was doing nothing was pursuing law.
However, over the last ten years, the popular perception of the law degree has changed dramatically. Today, law has become a strong and versatile career option. Students are opting for law as their first choice and it has become one of the best career options in India. A considerable amount of credit for this goes to the Bar Council of India, the agency responsible for regulating legal education in the country and having a strong hold and control over legal education in India. Revolutionary reforms have been made and are being made under the rule of the Bar Council of India. Right from prescribing the syllabus for legal study to standardisation of legal institutions, admission criteria, maximum age, minimum percentage of qualifying marks and even teaching methodology have been prescribed by the BCI. Very few people know that whether you study in Bangalore, Delhi or Dehradun, now you will have to study the same syllabus except for a few optional papers. A legal institution imparting legal education has no option other then to follow the rules of the BCI so as to enable their students to practice in India.
A series of career opportunities are open for the law graduates today, and that is why only about half the students who study law in law colleges choose careers as practicing lawyers. They find a number of doors open other than just the practice in court of law. The following are a few of the career opportunities for the law graduates:-
Practicing lawyers- Practicing law before courts is the traditional approach. Even today it is the most popular avenue for law graduates. Gentlemen in black coats arguing before courts and words like My Lord! Your Lordship! Milord! Your Honour! have always been fascinating the budding lawyers to join the profession as practicing lawyers. They are called litigating lawyers and represent their clients in the courts. Lawyers called upon to argue on behalf of their clients on different matters ranging from criminal matters, property matters, family matters and on to the constitutional issues so that their clients’ interest is represented in the best possible manner appear before the court. Basically a lawyer needs to apply common sense with application of law in everyday and extraordinary situations, alike. Money wise, this option has no stagnation and also no date of retirement. So, if you are smart, think well and love proving your point then join law, believe it, this is the best avenue for you. Corporate Lawyers - To work in law firms and in the corporate houses is another avenue for the law graduates. Today, law and intern lawyers are an extremely important part of a business transaction. Every corporation needs lawyer as facilitators and to ensure work gets done smoothly and within the boundaries of laws. In fact, the multinational corporate culture and globalisation of the business transactions are very cool to talk about, but unless you have someone to understand them in the best possible legal way, all you will ever do is to talk about them. Simply, it is a lawyer who helps to convert corporate idea in reality and to make it happen. A handsome salary with attractive perks is offered in the corporate sectors. So if you want to be in the centre of corporate activity and to know what working with a company is all about, you may join it as corporate lawyer.
Non-Litigating Lawyers – Family Counseling Centres popularly known as FCCs, run by the NGOs, are becoming very common in our country. Issues concerning family matters are mainly resolved at these centers. While working with an NGO engaged in family counseling, a lawyer works like a ‘social engineer.’ Our day to day life in the society is loosely bound by a mesh of rules and regulations and a lawyer knows them better and helps the people to live their lives meaningfully. So, if you really want to do something for society, want to make a difference to people’s lives, want to work for satisfaction at the same time earning your bread and butter and by not going to the courts, want to put the legal knowledge you have got to use for a cause you have concern about, then to practice as a non- litigating lawyer is the best option for you.
Legal Process Outsourcing and Patents Process Outsourcing (LPOs and PPOs) – The roots of LPOs and PPOs may be traced to BPOs. This is a recently emerged avenue for the law graduates, in which one has to undergo a training to learn the law of a particular country so as to solve the problems online by sitting in at a call center. If you are a law graduate and have good command over English language, the doors of the LPOs are open for you and you will be a global lawyer.
Academia – How proud one feels when one’s name is prefixed with Dr and Professor? This is how a law graduate after his post-graduation may enter into the teaching profession.
Law and Journalism – A revolutionary activism is seen in the field of journalism in general and electronic media in particular. Legal education already equips them with comprehensive writing and research skills, hence Law followed by Mass Communication has become first choice of the students.Government and Semi-Government Sectors – Law graduates have very good opportunities in the Government sector, which includes Judicial Services i.e. State Judicial Services and Higher Judicial Services; Administrative Services i.e. All India Services; Court Officers i.e. Public Prosecutors and District Attorneys; Legal officers in legal cells and lecturers in law in different Law Colleges after they complete post-graduation in law. (Principal, Law College Dehradun)