LLM (Master of Laws)

Master of Laws is a two years post-graduation course that deals with specialized training in legal practice and offers aspirants opportunities to gain professional law certification in specialized streams such as taxation law, corporate law, etc. LLM graduates have diverse job scopes in various law agencies dealing with numerous clients. Some of the main area of recruitments include international law agency, pro-bono, taxation agency, corporate sector and much more.

About LLM

According to Wikipedia, LLM is defined as "an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by graduates with an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject."

The LLM Full form is Legum Magister which is a postgraduate law course primarily a program introduced by UGC as a 2-year program. As of 1st January 2021, the Bar Council of India has issued a notice to ban 1-year LLM courses from the next academic year. The current LLM duration in India is 2-years. The course is a universally recognized masters program in specialized law. Apart from specialized law practice, this course also imparts the host country's legal training to foreign lawyers. It helps the practising lawyers switch nationals easily and work as international lawyers of a particular country. 

LLM course includes subjects like language skills, Austinian theory of law and other specialization-oriented law subjects. LLM job scopes are potentially high due to its high demand in the council. There's a considerable demand for foreign law and corporate lawyers in several domains and MNC's.

Table of Contents

• LLM Eligibility Criteria
• LLM Admission Process
• Popular LLM Entrance Exams
• Top LLM Colleges in India
• LLM Fees Structure
• Syllabus and Subjects of LLM
• Why Choose LLM?
• Preparation Tips for LLM
• Scope of Higher Education for an LLM
• LLM Salary
• Career Options after LLM
• Skills to Excel

Eligibility Criteria for LLM

For admission into the LLM course, aspirants must have met the eligibility requirements chartered by the University of Grants Commissions and Indian Bar Council. Students must complete their undergraduate degree with a minimum aggregate of 50% from a recognized university. Apart from that, selective universities conduct entrance exams for admissions, for which, aspirants are required to clear with a good percentile. The minimum age to apply for the course is 21 years.

How To Get Admission for LLM?

The admission process for LLM course is done based on the LLM eligibility criteria set by respective universities guided by UGC and the Indian bar council. LLM admission is done only via merit-based quota and there are no seats under management quota.  In any LLM specialization, aspirants interested in pursuing a specialized degree must have completed their bachelor's law degree with an aggregate score over 50% and should've cleared entrance exams prescribed by elective universities. The admission requirements differ based on the domain and the college reputation. Listed below are the steps for the admission process in general:

Apply For the Course

The aspirants can either apply online or offline for the desired institution. COVID-19 has forced universities to conduct admissions online. Students are needed to log in to the official website of the university and fill in the necessary details.

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria is based on the cutoff scores. The university cutoff score is the aggregate of entrance exam scores and undergraduate score. Aspirants eligible for admissions are called for personal interviews before seat allocation. The personal interview is conducted to test aspirants willingness and knowledge on the specialization.

LLM Courses

LLM courses are offered either as full-time courses, distance LLM courses, and online-based learning LLM courses. Law is applicable everywhere, and there are separate sets of laws governing every jurisdiction. The diverse jurisdiction requires specialized legal personnel to handle cases in that domain and establish legal authority. Listed below are top LLM specializations in India:

• LLM International Law
• LLM Corporate Law
• LLM Business Law
• LLM Criminal Law
• LLM Trade Law
• LLM Taxation Law
• LLM Environmental Law

Other popular LLM specialisations are listed below:

LLM Specializations

S.No	LLM Course List
1	LLM Insurance Law
2	LLM Jurisprudence
3	LLM Family Law
4	LLM Human Rights
5	LLM Healthcare and Medicinal Law
6	LLM Intellectual Property Law
7	LLM Fashion Law
8	LLM Sports Law
9	LLM Information Technology Law
10	LLM Air and Space Law
11	LLM Cybersecurity Law
12	LLM Legal History

Popular Entrance Exams for LLM

The LLM course details can be found online. The entrance exam is conducted in the form of an online written test. There are several national and state-level entrance examinations affiliated across several universities. Apart from that, selected universities conduct a university level examination for the admission process, apart from national level examinations.

The questions asked for the examination are specialization-oriented. A percentage of questions can be expected from fundamental law and constitutional sciences. Admissions are offered based on the examination scores secured by the student along with university cutoff. Some of the popular LLM entrance exams are listed below:

• CLAT
• AILET
• AIBE
• CUSAT
• SET
• LPU NEST
• LSAT
• BHU PET
• IPU CET

A Quick Glance at the LLM Entrance Exams

Entrance exams are mandatory criteria for LLM admissions. The exam pattern for specified LLM courses is institution-specific and varies from one conducting body to another. The standard format for the entrance exam are listed below:

• The exam pattern consists of questions from fundamental law and constitutional sciences.

• The duration of the examination is usually from 2-3 hours.

• The syllabus, mode of examination, and question pattern may change according to the conducting university.

• The number of questions asked varies from 90-150, depending upon the conduction body.

Top LLM Colleges in India

Apart from state-recognized law schools, several universities are offering LLM course in India. Below listed are top colleges that NIRF ranks:

Top LLM Colleges in India

NIRF Ranking	Name of the College
1	National Law School of India University Banglore
3	Nalsar University of Law Hyderabad
4	National Law University Jaipur
7	Symbiosis Law School Pune
11	Dr.Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow
6	The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences Kolkata
12	KIIT University Bhubaneswar
15	Panjab University Chandigarh
18	Indian Law Institute Delhi
19	Banaras Hindu University Varanasi

Fee Structure for LLM

LLM is a postgraduate law degree with a varied duration. LLM duration in India may range from 1 to 2 years of study, depending on the university that offers the course. The average LLM fees range from INR 50,000 - 4 LPA. Some of the LLM colleges are listed below according to their fees structure:

LLM Fees Structure

Colleges	Fees Structure
National Law University	INR 2 LPA
Symbiosis Law School	INR 1.2 LPA
Panjab University	INR 50,000
Indian law Institute	INR 1 LPA
The West Bengal National University of Juridicial Science	INR 1.75 LPA

Syllabus and Subjects for LLM

LLM is an internationally recognized postgraduate degree. The syllabus for LLM entirely depends on the area of specialization one chooses to pursue. Apart from the specialization subjects, there are some fundamental legal procedure subjects in UGC's curriculum. The syllabus offers in-depth knowledge and nuances of specialized law domain along with essential law practice.

Apart from theoretical subjects, LLM also helps students to attain good law practice and experience. This course offers practical insight into different law fields as the course promises high-level specializations and educates aspirants about the latest legal changes in various systems. Apart from specialized law, LLM also facilitates the practice of international law of selected nations. Some of the subjects that are included in the LLM syllabus are:

• Law and Social Transformation
• Jurisprudence
• Constitutional Law
• Law Relating to Labour Welfare

Read More about LLM Syllabus and Subjects

Why Choose LLM?

LLM is the second highest degree in the domain, and several bar councils internationally recognize it. The course aims to make the graduates professionally strong by inculcating in-depth knowledge along with regular legal practice. Let's get to know more about "Why choose LLM ?" by breaking it into three simpler questions.

What is LLM All About?

An LLM course duration is for two years which offers study of imparting quality legal education with an understanding of constitution and legal system functions under various jurisdictions. The degree provides the aspirants with all the knowledge required to handle cases in a specialized domain, along with adequate legal practice. LLM coursework consists of basic subjects like law and social transformation in india, jurisprudence LLM is one of the premium law degrees that prepare the students from a base level to handle problems associated with specialized domains. 

What Does an LLM Graduate Do?

Listed below are the various job functionalities of an LLM graduate:

• Case Research: Working as lawyers, graduates need to research and produce factual points for their client's claims. Graduates need to have a good research approach to unravel the truth behind the case.

• Legal Consultation: Offer necessary legal consultation for several industries and organizations. Also, warn their clients about potential jurisdictional changes.

• Presentation and legal battle: Graduates of this course need to have a strong representation for their clients regarding the courtroom. The arguments present should have factual accuracy and should not offer a legal loophole.

• Jury Consultation: Experienced graduates are called upon for an annual legal summit where legal loopholes are identified, and proper solutions are offered.

Reasons Why LLM can Fetch you a Rewarding Career

LLM graduates have higher job scopes than LLB graduates owing to their specialized knowledge. LLM graduates are bound to have a stabilized job market than LLB. Having an LLM degree with strong technical skills can fetch job opportunities across the world. Listed below are the reason why the LLM course is a boon for the graduates:

• Demand: LLM offers graduates a thorough understanding of a particular domain's legal jurisdiction, making them experts in handling a specified portfolio. There has been a massive increase in demand for specialized lawyers at a corporate level.

• Diverse Career Opportunities: LLM provides a wide range of career opportunities worldwide. Graduates are entitled to have options across various legal domains, ensuring a fruitful career ahead.

• Higher payscale: Lawyers and advocates with a specialized masters degree are high in demand, which directly increases their average pay scale. Graduates are bound to earn a pay scale ranging from INR 10-30 LPA.

Read More about LLM Jobs

Preparation Tips for LLM

Listed below are the preparation tips suggested for the LLM course:

Prepare for Exams: Have a study plan and cover all critical points while preparing. Understand the exam pattern and the examination syllabus to get the hang of a proper study plan.

Strengthen Your Fundamentals: The course requires the student to be more assertive in basic constitutional law and legal practice. A strong fundamental will help them to understand advanced concepts easily.

Legal Practice: During the coursework, it is advisable that graduates also do regular pro-bono or designated legal practices under the bar council. It will help them to apply the concepts pursued and further enhance their practical experience.

Update Regularly: To get a hold of new laws, students must keep themselves updated on jurisdiction changes. Students can follow the line via online magazines and newspapers.

Scope For Higher Education in LLM

LLM is not the limit for students who are willing to pursue more. Students who want to pursue higher education can do domain-specific certification courses. Graduates can also pursue a JD (Doctor of Judicial Science) in their desired specialization. Some of the options of systems to pursue after LLM are listed below.

• Doctor of Judicial Sciences 
• Post-Graduate Diploma Certification in International Law 
• American Bar Administration Paralegal Program

LLM Salary

The average salary for an LLM graduate ranges INR 8 - 15 LPA depending on the specialization and domain. The career growth is based on experience and technical knowledge in the domain. 

Read More about LLM Salary

Career Options After LLM

LLM course offers diverse job scope adhering to the specialization pursued. Graduates are entitled to receive offers from reputed organizations across India and worldwide, promoting an international career. 

LLM course helps aspirants to be certified professional in their work area. Some of the career options available are:

• Advocate
• Legal Adviser
• Solicitor
• Research Associate
• Adjunct Professor
• High Justice 
• Civil Service

Skills That Make You The Best in Law

Every industry is governed by a separate jurisdiction and requires talented legal personnel. In this chosen field, both experience and legal knowledge play a vital role in handling several clients to help graduates thrive in this career line. LLM helps the aspirants to cement their superiority in the legal field. Some of them are:

• Communication Skills
• Research Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Case Investigation Skills
• Time Management
• Qualitative Thinking 
• Entrepreneurial Skills
• Client Management Skills