Introduction

In most of the law schools, the LL.B. admission is based on the entrance exam. Universities either conduct individual entrance exams for LL.B. admissions or accept the score of any national-level entrance exam. Several other factors like the interview, performance in 12th standard, etc also play a major role in the process of admission.

LL.B. Courses: 2 Options

LL.B. programs can be divided into two categories: 

  • 3-Year LL.B.: This program can be done only after the student has completed their undergraduate degree in any specialization.
  • 5-Year LL.B.: This is a special integrated program where a 3-year undergraduate degree (BBA/B.A./others) is followed by two years of specialization in LL.B.. This concept of Integrated LL.B. programs was first introduced by NLSIU in India. 

Admission for both these categories of programs are done via several entrance tests conducted at the national, state, and university levels.

3-Year LL.B:

This is a shorter tenured exam as compared to the 5-year program but it can only be done once a candidate has already attained a graduation degree.

3-Year LL.B.: Admission Process

The admission process for securing a seat in law institutes requires the candidates to qualify different entrance tests conducted by various institutes to enroll the students in a 3-year LLB program. Some of these entrance exams are:

COLLEGE

ENTRANCE TEST

Faculty of Law- Law Centre I&II and
Campus Law Centre

University of Delhi (DU) LLB Entrance Test

Jindal Global Law School OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat

LSAT—India™

Symbiosis Law School, Pune

SLAT

Government Law College, Mumbai, and ILS Law College, Pune

MAH-CET

All law colleges in AP affiliated to
state universities

LAWCET of Andhra Pradesh

Four Government law Colleges in Kerala

CEE - Kerala

Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur)

Its own test and LSAT—India™

3-Year LL.B.: Eligibility Criteria

The minimum eligibility criteria for pursuing this course are listed below:

  • Successful completion of graduation in any discipline.
  • Minimum aggregate marks in graduation are required for the general category and the marks are relaxable for reserved categories.
  • There is also a criterion for minimum marks required in graduation which may vary from institute to institute.
  • There is no age limit for taking admission to this course.

3-Year LL.B.: Fees

The course fee differs anywhere from 50,000 to 5,00,000 in Indian rupees depending on the college or universities.

3-Year LL.B.: Curriculum

The 3-year LL.B. curriculum is spread across 6 semesters. Each of these semesters covers various subjects like criminal law, IPR, labor laws, family law, constitutional law, and more.

3-Year LL.B.: Career Opportunities

Once graduated with a good score and knowledge, any deserving 3-Year LL.B. degree holder may assume professional roles, like: lawyers, legal advisors, consultants, analysts, assistants, or researchers, working in law firms, government agencies, corporations, and NGOs.

3-Year LL.B.: Advantage

  • If one is already a graduate and decides to pursue a law degree, this is the best option for such a candidate. 
  • It is a significantly time-saving course; focussing solely on legal subjects.

5-Year LL.B.:

This is the longer tenured and more preferred course structure for the LL.B. degree. It does not require prior graduate degree, instead it only requires the candidate to have an HSC or equivalent degree, with a minimum score(depending upon the exam)

5-Year LL.B.: Admission Process

The admission process for securing a seat in the law institutes requires the candidates to qualify through the entrance exams. There are different entrance tests conducted by various institutes to enroll students in the 5-year LLB program. Some of these entrance exams are:

Conducting Body

Exam

NLUs 

AILET

Consortium of NLUs (24 NLUs across India)

CLAT

Government Law College, Mumbai, and ILS Law College, Pune

MAH-CET law (5-year LLB)

Symbiosis Law School (4 centers)

SLAT

Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, NMIMS

NLAT

5-Year LL.B.: Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for a 5-Year LL.B. degree is:

  • A 10+2 degree. 
  • Minimum score in the 10+2 differs from exam to exam.

5-Year LL.B.: Fees

The course fee differs anywhere from 1,00,000 to 8,00,000 in Indian rupees depending on the college or universities.

5-Year LL.B.: Curriculum

The 5-year LL.B. curriculum is spread across 10 semesters. Each of these semesters covers the course work of an undergraduate course as well as core law subjects.

5-Year LL.B.: Career Opportunities

Once graduated with a good score and knowledge, any deserving 5-Year LL.B. degree holder may assume professional roles, like: lawyer, legal advisor, consultant, analyst, or assistant in government agencies, law firms, corporations, or NGOs.

5-Year LL.B.: Advantage

  • If one has made up his or her mind regarding a law career early on, say in 10th or 12th, then this is the best option for such a candidate. 
  • The course structure also provides a comprehensive legal education, diverse career options, and a deeper understanding of core subjects.