(Article) Glorious Career Opportunities in Law
One of the most rewarding careers both in terms of job challenge and monetary benefits is undoubtedly law. Open to students of all streams, law is suitable for someone who has a passion for understanding the legal systems of the country and who is looking for challenging and exciting opportunities at the work front. In the last couple of decades, there has been a steady increase in the demand for law graduates in diverse fields.
CHOICES IN SIGHT
With the entry of a number of law firms, the recruitment of law graduates has reached a new high. These law firms not only take up litigation but also aid clients with mergers, acquisitions, due diligence audits and a range of related work. These firms make a beeline to top law schools, particularly the National Law Schools, to rope in the best brains during campus recruitment drives. Most of these firms pay handsome salary packages to the young law recruit, and this is indeed drawing a lot of law graduates to the law firms. Depending upon the stature of the law firms and the academic background of the candidate, these law firms offer fresh law graduates annual salaries ranging from Rs. 8 lakh to Rs.12 lakh.
On the other hand, law graduates, who are keen on embarking on practice in law, normally do not participate in the campus recruitment and scout for a typical law firm engaged in litigation or prefer to work under a Senior Advocate. Eager to be trained by an “expert” in the chosen area, they are content with a moderate remuneration package, but have their eyes set on learning the ropes of the profession. Most of these law firms or law offices of established lawyers pay these freshers anywhere around Rs.3 lakh to Rs.5 lakh, as it is equally important for them to have efficient hands and retain talent. Today, law graduates are looking at untapped and emerging fields of law such as Environment Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Arbitration, Taxation and Competition Law, to mention a few, and are no longer restricting themselves to traditional areas of civil or criminal sides.
PUBLIC SECTOR AND PEDAGOGY
Higher levels of autonomy granted to public sector undertakings have, in recent years, led regular recruitment year after year. Banks and PSUs look for knowledgeable and bright law graduates to join their legal department, as law officers, to perform a variety of functions such as drafting, negotiating and vetting contracts. Steady job, fixed working hours, assured salary increase and promotions are the attractive features of this opportunity. Annual starting salaries including perks could range from Rs. 4.5 lakh to Rs.7 lakh.
