How to Become a Lawyer After 12th Commerce? Check Details

Law as a profession can be pursued by candidates from all educational backgrounds. The law entrance examination conducting bodies do not restrict candidates from any stream from getting a law degree. Students from commerce stream can also become lawyers after Class 12. Explore this article to understand how to become a lawyer after doing 12th grade in commerce.

How to become a lawyer after completing 12th in Commerce?

Students from commerce backgrounds are often confused about whether they can become lawyers after completing Class 12. Such students are informed that they can become a lawyer even if they are from a commerce background. The eligibility requirements for law entrance exams do not put any limitations on a particular Class 12 stream. Every student can even get admission to prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs) after clearing national-level law entrance exams. Every student needs to satisfy minimum marks requirement.

Every major law entrance exam allows students from a commerce background to appear. Students with commerce subjects in their Class 12 can compete in these exams and get an LLB seat for themselves. Law entrance exams like CLAT and AILET allow students from commerce backgrounds to appear for exam. If you have finished your Class 12th in Commerce and aspire to become a lawyer, this article is for you. We offer a comprehensive career guide to help you understand how to become a lawyer after Class 12th in Commerce.

Scope of Legal Career After Commerce Education

Commerce stream deals with economic activities of buying and selling goods and services. It is an additional field to business. Therefore, career options for Commerce students are generally related to businesses. Candidates with a commerce background in law can make a career in following legal domains:

1. Corporate Lawyer
2. Tax Lawyer
3. Intellectual Property Lawyer
4. Banking and Finance Lawyer
5. Commercial Lawyer
6. International Trade Lawyer
7. Real Estate Lawyer
8. Academic or Legal Researcher
9. Compliance Officer

The legal profession in India has relatively low entry barriers. It has helped students from different backgrounds to fulfil their dream of becoming a lawyer.

Also Read: Top 5-Year Law Colleges in India

How to Become a Lawyer after 12th Commerce?

Now that you understand legal career options available for commerce students after Class 12th, you can explore the steps to becoming a Lawyer. These steps are detailed below:

1. Pursue BCom LLB

The best undergraduate law course for commerce students is BCom LLB. It includes a substantial number of commerce subjects in its syllabus. Therefore, the first step to becoming a lawyer after completing your 12th grade in commerce is to pursue a BCom LLB course to gain a comprehensive understanding of law.

2. Internships & Practical Training

Candidates pursuing either a 3-year LLB or a 5-year LLB degree after 12th Commerce will have to go through practical training in courts under lawyers or corporate entities to gain hands-on experience of legal sector work. Internships are important for practical experience; however, many law firms mandatorily have internship programs.

3. Appear for AIBE exam

Candidates will have to register and appear for All India Bar Examination (AIBE). Candidates will then have to be awarded a Certificate of Practice (COP) for practising law in India.

3. Get registered with a State Bar Council

All aspiring legal professionals must register with a State Bar Council to obtain a permit to work as a lawyer. Candidates are advised to carefully read instructions on respective Bar Council's website before proceeding with registration.

Candidates who do not want independent practice are not required to complete registration with BCI.

Also Read:

• Bar Council of Delhi
• Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh
• Bar Council of Gujarat

4. Completing LLM with right specialisation

For students who complete their Class 12th in Commerce, studying BCom LLB and then becoming a lawyer, an LLM with a specialisation in one of the following fields can help you become a specialised corporate lawyer, tax lawyer, intellectual property lawyer, banking and finance lawyer, commercial lawyer, or international lawyer.

• Corporate Law
• Tax Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Banking and Finance Law
• Commercial Law
• International Trade Law

Students should choose such a specialisation in a PG law program in which they are interested.

5. Build a professional resume

Now, when you are done with legal education, you must build a professional resume mentioning your internship experience, key strengths, qualifications, and area of expertise. This can help you land great job opportunities as well as attract big corporations as your clients.

Companies Hiring Commerce Background Lawyers

Many MNCs or Indian firms look for fresh Law Graduates with a commerce background. This is because they offer a unique combination of legal and business acumen. Below are notable firms/ companies that hire Lawyers with a commerce background:

1. Corporate Law Firms

• Amarchand & Mangaldas Law Firm
• Khaitan & Co.
• AZB & Partners
• J Sagar Associates

2. Other Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

• Tata Group
• Reliance Industries
• Infosys
• Wipro

3. Financial Institutions

• HDFC Bank
• ICICI Bank
• State Bank of India

4. Consulting Firms

• Deloitte
• PwC
• KPMG

5. Real Estate Firms

• DLF
• Godrej Properties
• Oberoi Realty

6. Technology Companies

• Google
• Microsoft
• Amazon
• TCS

7. Government Sector

8. LPO Firms

• QuisLex
• Pangea3
• Integreon

Commerce students often find maths section of Law entrance exam easy. Regular practice with mock tests improves the score.

The common law course options available for commerce graduates are BA LLB, BBA LLB and BCom LLB. With hard work and the right course, a Commerce student can build a strong career in law.

Read More:

• BA LLB Vs BBA LLB
• Commercial Law Vs Contract Law