Planning to pursue a degree in Law? Here's what you need to know

Law is considered a noble, honourable and service-oriented profession. It helps enrich society and gives it new directions. Law may have different folds but it is meant for setting the principles that make the society upholding the peace and integrity of the system. With increasing awareness about various career opportunities in law that are not only restricted to High courts, Supreme courts or District courts but are also available in corporates where they have a dedicated department to look after all legal matters of the company, the demand for law courses has gone up in the past years. To accommodate this ever-increasing demand, there are numbers of law colleges and institutions which are offering law courses across India. In this article, we will be discussing key features that need to be considered before taking admission in any law institution. 

Infrastructure: Since Moot Court is mandatory for all the law institutions by Bar Council of India. So, first of all, try to figure out whether regular moot is being conducted. This you can check from the website of the university. Law can never be taught in a closed room; one must have practical experience. There are very few universities and colleges that are encouraging students for active participation in Moot Courts competitions.

Lega Aid Centre: This is again one of the mandates by the Bar Council of India. So, most of the universities and colleges own it for the namesake. The activities conducted by the Legal Aid Centre can help you in understanding the status of said universities and Institutions. Whereas the objective of the establishment of this centre is to provide legal awareness and some help to the nearby villages or places.

Now if I talk about Private universities, in terms of infrastructure these are much more equipped unlikely NLU’s. The smart classrooms which are well equipped with e-learning, the audiovisual learning experience is one of the best features in private universities.

Teaching Pedagogy: Law is a course that needs updated knowledge and pedagogy. Students from different backgrounds come under one umbrella. To understand the depth and breadth of course, contemporary pedagogy plays a crucial role. When we talk about private universities, they have adopted different approaches, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and now liberal arts. These approaches help students to study the course across the department. They can understand the practical aspect of the theoretical course form the concerned department.

Faculty: Faculty is another crucial feature for any university. This is a mandate by the regulatory body for all the law colleges and institutions to appoint qualified faculties. The university website is a good resource to check the faculty list in said law college or institution.

Diversity in teaching: Diversity in teaching is another one of the crucial features of Private Universities. While studying, Law students can interact with peers from other departments such as Computers Sciences, Mass Communications, Management, etc. which can expand the reach and improve versatility among law students. Liberal Arts is a trending concept these days and there are very few universities that have come forward and adopted this approach.

Major & Minor Degree: We are living in a competitive world, where our employability is completely dependent upon the degree or education that we have acquired. Now Recruiters are looking for multi-talented people or they are looking for the one who can do all the aspects of one job. A minor degree helps you in making your degree more employable. While pursuing a Major degree in law a student can have a minor in Journalism or Minor in Management and vice versa.

Admission Process & Placements in Apeejay Stya University:

School of Legal Studies, Apeejay Stya University has adopted a unique Liberal Arts philosophy that helps students to study law with depth and breadth. The state of art infrastructure offers students to stay updated with the latest technology and also experience the corporate like environment while being in school. We have an in-house moot court that offers opportunities to students to practice their trial cases from the first semester onwards. This inculcates the habit of reading and writing among students. Healthy competition helps them to grow more confidently. Renowned Judges and Supreme court lawyers come to guide students about practical aspects.

Apeejay Stya University conducts its own entrance test followed by an interview round with the faculty members. The mode of the test is online. To help students choose the right career option, the counsellors at the Universit helps students with one on one session. The management also conducts regular webinars inviting prominent dignitaries from the industry with a vast amount of experience to guide students on the right career choices.

Since inception, we are known for our quality placement records. Every year a lot of corporates that include law firms and various industries participate in our placements season And, the internship is a mandatory part of our curriculum. Every student goes for a summer internship in the month of June after the exams.

About the author

Dr Shobhna Jeet is Head of the Department at School of Legal Studies, Apeejay Stya University. She is a qualified law professional and has completed her PhD on the topic – ‘Law Relating to Cyber Terrorism a Comparative Study of Existing Laws at National and International Level’ from Mody University of Science & Technology. Dr. Shobhna has presented, published more than 18 research papers in renowned journals and periodicals. She is member of the Editorial Board Online Law Journal Law Mantra.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha