Picking the right career can be stressful, as there’s much to consider. But if you are a prospective law student, this article can help you. A career in law is one of the most widespread professions in India and abroad. Attending a law school is only the tip of the decision-making iceberg regarding getting a legal education. After making the decision, students undergo a rigorous and extensive application procedure. But before starting the application process, students must decide on a law school that matches their projected career aspirations. Choosing the right law school can be challenging as there are many factors to consider while choosing a law school. Each law school can offer different learning experiences depending on size, academics, location, and more.
Here are the five steps of choosing the right law school:
- Learn about the offered law programmes
In India, law schools offer various law courses at various academic levels. Law courses are offered for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral or Ph.D. Programmes. Have a look at these courses below:
Bachelor’s Degree
The bachelor’s degree programme offers budding lawyers a strong foundation for a law professional and higher education. These programmes are popularly known as LLB or Bachelor of Legislative Law. LLB courses are offered in full-time five-year integrated, and three-year programmes. However, law students increasingly opt for integrated programmes, such as BA LLB, B.Com LLB, and BBA LLB.
Master’s Degree
LLM or Master of Law is a post-graduate degree programme that allows students to explore complex legal issues while building strong expertise within their chosen field of specialisation.
Doctoral Programme
A doctoral or Ph.D. in law is the highest academic degree in law. The maximum duration of completing a Ph.D. is six years, whereas the minimum is three years.
Therefore, before choosing a law school, you must look for the courses you aspire to pursue and if they offer specialisations.
- Look into the available specialisations
Access to choosing specialisation can broaden your scope within the field of law. Moreover, lawyers with specialised knowledge in their subject land top multinational companies, law firms, and the chambers of senior advocates with higher salaries and perks. As such, law students need to look for the specialisations offered in law school. Some of the popular law specialisations are:
- Criminal Law
- Civil Law
- Corporate Law
- Energy Law
- Labour Law
- Constitution Law
- Banking, Finance, and Insurance Law
- Media and Entertainment Law
- Taxation Law
- Figure out the cost
Attending law school is a significant investment for professional life. Moreover, law schools can be expensive, making them an important consideration in choosing the right law school. Although many potential law students push rank over cost, attending a law school that offers scholarships can offer more flexibility.
- Choose the location of the Law school
Location can be one of the most important factors in choosing a law school. Pursuing a law degree takes years. Therefore, during this time, students will explore various networking opportunities and grow a professional network that will help law graduates in the long run of their professional life. In India, Dehradun is popularly known as the education hub. Therefore attending a law school in Dehradun can allow you to join the strong alum communities in several cities.
- Do thorough research
Conducting thorough research on search engines and reading over what current students and alums say about the law school can help you choose the right law school. Through research, prospective students can learn about different law school elements, which might be a considerate factor.
Investing in a legal education requires students to make informed decisions. Thus, these steps can help you choose the right law school for a bright professional like the law industry.
