Scored low in CLAT 2023? Here are alternate college, degree options

There are certain private/unaided law colleges that accept a CLAT score of less than 80 per cent for admissions to law degree programmes. Here’s a list of a few:

GITAM School of Law, Visakhapatnam

Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University, Jaipur

Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur

Indore Institute of Law, Indore

Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad

ICFAI University, Dehradun

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar

Karnavati University, Gandhinagar

Geeta Institute of Law, Panipat

Maharishi University of Information Technology, Noida

VIT Law School, Chennai

Alternatively, students can also appear in other law entrance exams yet to be held that can be their ticket to enter a rewarding law school.

1)Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

This test is conducted twice a year, allowing you to enter private law schools like Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies Law School (NMIMS), Bennett University etc. You’ll be competing against approximately 1700 students aiming to qualify for a seat amongst the 3000 seats available for the UG programme The notification is already out for the first session, and the exam is scheduled for January 22, 2023. Register for the June session if you missed registering for the upcoming session. A score of 90 on the LSAT is considered a good score to reserve a seat.

2) Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT)– 

Symbiosis Law Admission Test (SLAT) is a national-level law exam held annually by SIU for admission to SIU and its affiliated colleges in Pune, Nagpur, Noida and Hyderabad. The exam is happening in two sessions this time – one scheduled for May 6 and another on May 14. The exam registration process started on December 15, 2022. The exam consists of 60 MCQs covering sections like analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, reading comprehension and general knowledge, to be completed by candidates in under 60 minutes. 

3) Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET)– It is a state-level law entrance test in Maharashtra for admission to the 3-year and 5-year LLB programmmes provided by the law institutions in the state of Maharashtra. Around 145 law schools participate in the MH-CET legal admission exam. The exam is not hard to crack, but dedication and exam strategy get you all, so gear up and thrive!

4) Christ University Law Entrance Exam (CULEE) – Christ University, Bangalore, conducts the CULEE exam , which exclusively admits students to Christ University’s BA LLB programmme. This exam requires a minimum cumulative percentage of 50% and offers 300 seats at three centres of Christ university. With the consistent revision, mock test practice, revision and exam strategy in hand, one can quickly excel at the exam.

5) NIRMA University, Ahmedabad– The Nirma University Institute of Law offers a unique course law aspirants can pursue – a five-year integrated BA LLB and BCom LLB programme. CLAT candidates have a chance to rejoice because those with AIR 4,000 and below can begin their law career here. Candidates who have completed their 10+2 with a minimum aggregate of 45 per cent and cleared the entrance exam are strong contenders for a seat in this programmme.

6)NMIMS Mumbai-  The NMIMS LAT is a university-level entrance test for an integrated legal degree you can obtain through programmes such as BA LLB (Hons.) and BBA LLB (Hons.). The course can be pursued by students who earn a minimum of 50 per cent in class 12 and clear the entrance exam. 

With a syllabus similar to the CLAT UG exam, law aspirants who gave the CLAT will have a fairly good shot at acing the exam. 

Alternate career options for law aspirants

There are alternate options available for aspirants who wanted to pursue a law degree but couldn’t qualify the law entrance exams. These include a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. While a bachelor’s degree in law typically takes four years to complete, a JD degree takes three years.

Paralegal is another alternate career option that law aspirants can pursue. Candidates interested in pursuing a career as a paralegal should consider their career goals and decide which degree option is best for them. Although paralegals cannot provide legal advice to clients, they can undertake constructive legal work under the supervision of an attorney.

(The author is Chief Academic Officer at test prep platform Toprankers)