Raising the bar

Earlier the sole domain of nationalised colleges,many private institutions have started offering law as part of their curriculum. “Many are trying to replicate the success of the national institutions,so that medicine,law and engineering are on the same platform,” says Shashikala Gurpur,Dean,Faculty of Law,Symbiosis International University,also adding,“There has been a yearly increase of 25 per cent of applicants for the law school,and this year,we have seen a rise of almost 30 per cent. The reason behind it is an increasing number of law-related jobs in the country,especially with the changes in the judiciary system that makes,for example,being a career judge possible.”

Upasna Ghai,final year students of law says,” I think law is a booming profession. There are so many avenues that one can tap by taking it up. I am currently preparing for my Civil services exam and I have also done the Company Secretary course and frankly,doing law as a graduation course has helped me a lot.”

Gurpur feels that law and law practices abroad have always been seen in a very professional light,and this trend is catching up in India. “The first generation of theNational Law School kept its studies on an equal pedestal as that of medicine or engineering. Today,any student of law who gets a job feels that it is worth the pay,” she says.

Tejaswini Malegaonkar,a faculty at ILS,who has been teaching law for nine years now says,” Since the last two or three years I have noticed that majority of the law graduates do not practice law. It can be accounted to opening up of opportunities in fields like telecom and so on. The coming up of legal process outsourcing and KPO’s also attract lot of law graduates.”

From being the last resort for students once upon a time,it is today one of the most sought-after courses in India. Today,an LLB promises of fetching the holder a job with a good salary and large benefits along with a career that pays well both in the public sector as well as the private sector.

Rajas Pingle,a student who is planning to pursue cyber law says,”Both my parents practice law and that was one of the biggest reasons why I took it up but I was always interested in computers and I think cyber law helps me combining both,my academic qualifications and my interests. I am also undergoing the certified ethical hacker course. I am sure my law degree here will supplement my career options. I have also observed that 75 per cent of the students who take up law do not practice,but go into ancillary fields.” Litigation is equally rewarding and important to improve the standards of the profession in the country feels Rohini Honap Principal,DES Law College. “There has been a rush for the course,which increased by almost 20 per cent this year mainly because newer avenues have opened and at the same time it is necessary to practice the profession as an enriching one,which is what we try to inculcate among our students. Monetary benefits will follow if it is practiced in the right way,” she adds.