Top Law Colleges in India

Law and Its Growing Popularity

Students today are drawn to the legal field at a higher rate than to any other field. Those with a law degree might find rewarding careers in government and private industry. One of the best ways to help those who have been wronged is to go to law school and become a lawyer. It's a chance to reform the country's political and social system through the law. While many new law school graduates enter the workforce in the area of litigation or at large organisations, others have their sights set on the judicial branch and are preparing to take the qualifying tests conducted by the Public Service Commission. In addition, there is a wide array of venues, from government agencies to non-governmental organisations, where you can have an impact on policies and regulation. To be successful in this sector, however, you'll need to be calm under pressure and organise your time effectively. On the other hand, you have the option to strike out on your own and contribute significantly to the fight for equal rights for all people.

To maintain social order and advance national interests, the government imposes a set of laws upon its population known as "the law." A Bachelor of Laws is a 5-year programme that combines a BA/BS/BS in another discipline with a JD in law (Bachelor of Commerce). In the past, you needed three years of schooling to earn your Juris Doctor degree. The three-year LLB is still offered by some universities, including Delhi University, Panjab University, and the government law colleges of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. After working as lawyers or working for a law business, many students decide to pursue an LLM master's degree (Magister Legum). A two-year Master of Laws (LLM) programme is available to those who have already earned a doctorate in law.

Legal Education at India's Premier Universities

An estimated 1247 law schools can be found in India; roughly 860 are private and 365 are public. Among the best law schools in India are NLSIU in Bangalore, NLU in Delhi, and NALSAR in Hyderabad. One can get a good education and get work in the legal industry after graduating from one of India's top law schools.

National Law Universities (NLUs) are highly regarded as some of India's most prestigious educational institutions, especially in the legal academic community. These publicly funded universities have affiliations to the Bar Council of India. These programmes are only open to high school graduates who perform well on the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT); with the exception of NLU-Delhi, no other standardised test scores are considered for admission. The courses are meant to give students a solid foundation from which to confront the challenges they will face in the real-world legal ecosystem. NLUs continue to be centrally governed and have some of the best teaching and research facilities, efficient management, and cutting-edge infrastructure, which is why many aspiring lawyers dream of attending one. A student interested in the law should not make attending an NLU their only option, especially because several private law schools have outperformed some NLUs and earned high NIRF rankings in recent years.

NIRF stands for National Institutional Ranking Framework. The first edition of the NIRF evaluation and the subsequent rank scores were made available in 2016. NIRF ranks educational institutes in India based on a variety of critical criteria, including:

• Graduation Outcomes (GO)
• Research and Professional Practice (RP)
• Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
• Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR)

List of Top NLUs

Currently, there are twenty-two NLUs. Three separate tiers exist:

Tier 1 NLUs-

• National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Banglore, which was the first to be established
• National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) Hyderabad, Telangana
• The National Law Institute University (NLIU) Bhopal,
• Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) Raipur, Chhattisgarh
• Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• National Law University Delhi, (NLU-D)
• National Law University Jodhpur (NLU-Jodhpur)
• West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) Kolkata, West Bengal

Tier 2 NLUs-

• National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) Kochi, Kerala
• Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) Patiala, Punjab
• Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) Patna, Bihar

Tier 3 NLUs-

• National Law University and Judicial Academy (NLUJJA) Assam,
• Tamil Nadu National Law University, (TNNLU) Trichy, Tamil Nadu
• National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL) Ranchi,  
• National Law University Orissa, Cuttack, Orissa
• Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

S.No.	Why NLUs?	Why NOT NLUs?
1.	Excellent Infrastructure	Traditional teaching pedagogy as opposed to modern teaching methods
2.	Competitive worldview and environment	Highly competitive due to lesser number of seats
3.	More favorable placement prospects	Extreme peer pressure
4.	Affordable tuition fee	Students are short on time to commit to a lengthy internship
5.	Highest quality moot court facility	Not all specialisations are available at every NLU

Best Law Colleges in India- Non-NLUs

Several private law schools have reached parity with the NLUs. Students can expect to receive a higher quality education at a private law school due to the intuition’s conversant and modern facilities and pedagogical approaches.

Some of the top Non-NLU Colleges are as follows-

• Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat
• School of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
• SLS Pune - Symbiosis Law School
• ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad
• Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneshwar
• School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore,
• ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad
• Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida
• Indian Law Society’s Law College (ILS), Pune 
• Amity Law School, Delhi

S.No.	Why NLUs?	Why NOT NLUs?
1.	First-rate Infrastructure	High Fees
2.	Improved Placement and Internship Prospects	Extensive and Intensive curriculum with less focus on expertise
3.	Exceptional International Amenities	Overwhelming amount of activities
4.	Inventive Course Programs	Brand value might affect placements
5.	Veteran Industry Mentors for one-on-one workshops	Some colleges lack internship opportunities

Admission Requirements for India's Top Law Schools

As a field of study, law is very popular among young people today. Admission to these law schools is contingent upon the candidate meeting the necessary criteria and being eligible to take the examination. Those interested in attending one of India's top law schools should familiarise themselves with the prerequisites for enrollment. Exam requirements and minimum Scores on standardized to gain entry vary by school.

To apply to any institution in India, you must first have completed the 12th grade and earned a diploma from an Indian school education board or an authorised equivalent qualification. A candidate must have at least 45% on their Class 12 examinations to qualify if they are from the General, OBC, or specially-abled categories. The standard is lowered to 40% for members of the SC and ST communities.

There is no standard set for college entrance exams. Entrance exams are required of students who wish to enrol in a particular university. After the exams, universities use interviews and group discussions to narrow down the pool of applicants.

Some of the most common law school admission tests in India are as follows: -

1. Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) - This entrance exam is widely considered to be among the best in India. Prior to 2019, CLAT was administered annually by a different NLU; however, beginning in 2019, the exam will be managed centrally by the Consortium of National Law Universities (CLNU). Scores on the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) are accepted by more than a hundred other Indian law schools and universities in addition to NLUs. Thousands of students take this exam annually because it is offered only once a year. Due to the tremendous demand for a small number of available slots, there is a minimum score required to even be considered. Before the application deadline, submit your information online.

2. All India Law Admission Test (AILET) – The National Law University in Delhi administers an annual written test. It's more challenging than CLAT, but only for one university. NLU Delhi has decided to remove Elementary Mathematics and Legal Aptitude from the AILET exam format beginning in 2022. In light of this, the AILET test will feature three distinct parts: English Language, Logical Reasoning, and Current Affairs and General Knowledge. Also changed is the relative importance of the various AILET exam sections.

NIRF 2022 Rankings for Top 20 Law Schools in India are as follows:

Name	NIRF 2022 Rank
National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Karnataka	1.
National Law University, New Delhi, Delhi	2.
Symbiosis Law School, Pune, Maharashtra	3.
Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, Telangana	4.
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal	5.
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal	6.
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi	7.
Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat	8.
Siksha ` O' Anusandhan, Bhubhaneshwar, Odisha	9.
National Law University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan	10.
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha	11.
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh	12.
Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab	13.
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu	14.
National Law Institute University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh	15.
Christ University, Bengaluru, Karnataka	16.
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh	17.
The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab	18.
Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu	19.
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh	20.

Top Law Colleges in India based on placements are as follows:

• National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
• The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
• The National Law Institute University, Bhopal
• Christ University, Bangalore
• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Top Law Colleges in India for 3-year LLB Programme:

• Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat
• Indian Law Society's Law College (ILS), Pune
• Faculty of Law, Delhi University
• University College of Law, Symbiosis Law College, Pune
• Banaras Hindu University Law College, Banaras
• Government Law College, Mumbai
• Osmania University, Hyderabad

References

• https://byjusexamprep.com/top-colleges-for- law-in-india-i
• https://law.careers360.com/colleges/ ranking
• https://leverageedu.com/blog/ law-courses-in-india/
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/ national/karnataka/law-is-an- exciting-career-option/article32661221.ece
• https://www.collegedekho.com/articles/ law-nlu-vs-non-nlu-pros-cons/
• https://blog.ipleaders.in/top-law- colleges-in-india/
• https://law.careers360.com/colleges/ list-of-private-law-colleges-in-india