How to Pursue Law after Engineering: Benefits, Career Prospects, Best Colleges

Students who aspire to make a career in law are increasing in number with every passing year. This makes it imperative to have a wider range of opportunities, scope, and courses in the field of law. Owing to the fact that pursuing higher education in law is not restricted to only the students of a certain academic background, several combinations and specialisations have come up in the stream at every level. The combination of law and engineering is one of the uncommon but intriguing degree combinations. The stream of engineering has become so saturated that candidates are now looking into eclectic career options that can provide them with thriving career opportunities and handsome salaries. One such booming field is that of law that covers a wide variety of specializations. More and more candidates from different fields are now becoming interested in pursuing law as a career. The amalgamation of engineering with law is not only unique but offers a promising career prospect for candidates who would like to pursue a career in law after completing their engineering degree. The biggest advantage carried by engineering graduates is that they have analytical and logical skills that is one of the major prerequisites in the field of law. 

Engineering graduates interested in pursuing law must know that there are two different types of LLB degrees offered by various law schools in India. One is a 5-year integrated LLB degree that can only be pursued by candidates right after class 12th whereas the other one is a 3-year LLB degree that can be pursued by graduates from any stream. This connotes that engineering students who have completed their 4-year B.Tech degree are not eligible for the five-year integrated LLB programmes, however, they can apply and enroll in a three-year LLB degree course offered by various law schools in India. 

An extra good news for the engineering graduates is that now the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore is offering a 3-year LLB (Hons.) programme for graduates in any discipline. Candidates must note that the eligibility criteria for the same is as mentioned below:

• Anyone with a Bachelor's degree from an accredited national or international university, in any discipline, is eligible to apply to the programme. 
• Candidates in the general category must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 45%. 
• Candidates who fall under the SC/ST category must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 40%. 
• Additionally eligible to apply are those in their last year of a bachelor's degree programme. However, their final admissions offer will only be made if they successfully complete their bachelor's degree with the requisite cumulative marks listed above.

NLSIU is one of the top law institutions in India and it is a dream destination for many law aspirants who want to thrive in the field of law by getting quality education and a distinguished practical work experience in the field of law. Engineering graduates can enroll in the above-mentioned programme offered by NLSIU only after clearing the National Law School Admission Test or NLSAT. Candidates are requested to check the NLSIU’s official website for more details on this programme.

Engineering graduates who are really passionate about the field of law can also further pursue an LLM postgraduate degree after completion of the three-year LLB programme. Although an engineering graduate can choose to pursue any area of law, students with a technical background choose certain law programmes, namely Cyber Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Patent Law.

Law graduates have a wide variety of job options of working as an advocate, legal counsel, corporate lawyer, etc. Since law is a multifaceted field, it welcomes students from various academic specialties to contribute their knowledge and work toward ensuring justice in all spheres of life.

Many future law aspirants are concerned with the query of how to pursue law after engineering. Since both degrees belong to streams that are vastly different from each other, the confusion that ensues regarding this subject is understandable. This article provides all the necessary information regarding pursuing law after engineering. 

Step by Step Guide on How to Pursue Law After Engineering

Before deciding to proceed with admission to a degree in law, students should analyse how it will help them after having completed engineering. A B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) graduate will have to weigh the pros and cons of going forward to pursue law. A step by step guide about how to pursue law after engineering has been given below. Candidates can go through it and get a fair understanding of the process and the factors that should be considered while making the decision.

• It is important for students to have thought through the idea of pursuing law after engineering because this will entail changing their entire field of study.
• Once they have made a firm decision and wish to pursue law, they must check the list of law courses in which they can seek admission. Choosing the best law programme is of utmost importance.
• Candidates must also shortlist the colleges in which they wish to enrol for the course. This will ensure that their focus is directed towards the correct path.
• Admission to some law colleges is done through direct admission on the basis of merit in the qualifying examination but some institutions consider entrance examinations for shortlisting students. The candidates will have to find out which selection process is adopted by the colleges they have selected and depending on that, they will have to appear for a particular law entrance exam.

Eligibility Criteria for Law After Engineering

Meeting the eligibility criteria for law admissions in India is extremely important. All the interested candidates must ensure that they qualify for the prerequisites that are set by each college or university that they have targeted for admission. In general, the conditions of eligibility for all the colleges are similar but some institutions may have certain additional parameters for shortlisting the applicants. Here are the basic eligibility criteria for law admissions that are followed by almost all the major colleges in India.

• The candidate must have completed a degree in B.Tech or B.E. (Bachelor of Engineering) from a university or a college that is approved and recognised by the UGC (University Grants Commission) and the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education).
• It is mandatory for the students to have scored passing marks in the exams of all the subjects that he/ she has undertaken in their undergraduate degree.
• Almost all the colleges require applicants to have secured a minimum of 45 per cent to 50 per cent marks in aggregate in their bachelor’s degree. Some relaxation is given to students who belong to the reserved categories.
• Since B.Tech graduates already have a bachelor’s degree, they can apply for admission to Bachelor of Law (LL.B) instead of going for an integrated law course. This will help them in completing the degree in less time.
• If the selected colleges or institutions conduct their LL.B admissions on the basis of the candidate’s score in a law entrance exam, the student will have to appear for that particular entrance examination within the given deadline. Some colleges accept national-level law entrance exams while some organise their individual tests. Some state-level law exams are also considered by some universities.

Also Read:What to Expect From CLAT 2020

Entrance Exams for Law After Engineering

Engineering graduates wanting to pursue a law degree must note that there are quite a number of prestigious law institutes that offer admission to their 3-year LLB degree course via an entrance exam. The entrance exam can be state-level or university-level depending on the law institute that you are applying to.

Therefore, the list of lawl entrance examinations that you can take to get into top universities for a three-year LLB programme is as follows:

DU LLB - The DU LLB Entrance Exam is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to candidates seeking admission to Delhi University's Campus Law Center, Law Center-I, and Law Center-three-year II's LLB programmes. In excess of 18 test cities across India participate in the national exam. The three law centers of Delhi University will fill the three-year LLB seats through the entrance exam. There are presently 2,888 places available in the law programme at DU Law Centers. Candidates can enroll in the three-year LLB programme if they have completed a bachelor's degree in any field.

MH CET Law - For admission to law programmes provided at participating law colleges in Maharashtra, the State CET Cell administers the MH CET Law, also known as the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test for Law. The MHCET law 2022 exam lasts for two hours and is administered online using computer technology. There are 150 multiple-choice questions on the exam. In order to be considered for admission to 10,920 seats for the 5-year LLB programme and approximately 16,420 seats for the 3-year LLB courses programme, law aspirants must pass an entrance exam.

SLAT AIAT - The Symbiosis International University (SIU) administers the Symbiosis All India Admission Test (AIAT), sometimes referred to as the SLS AIAT, for admission to the three-year LLB programme offered at SLS Pune as well as the LLM programmes in SLS Hyderabad, SLS Nagpur, SLS Noida, and SLS Pune. A home-based, online proctored method is used to administer the entrance exam. 60 places are available in the LLB course and 250 seats are available in the LLM programme.

PU LLB - For admission to the three-year LLB programmes given by Panjab University's Department of Law and its member colleges, the university administers the PU LLB entrance exam. The exam is administered in pen-and-paper format and is available in three languages: English, Hindi, and Punjabi. The three areas of the PU LLB syllabus are Legal Aptitude, Reasoning Ability and English, and Current Affairs and General Knowledge. A total of 100 objective-type questions from the PU LLB question bank must be answered in 90 minutes. The law entrance examination offers up to 480 LLB seats.

TS LAWCET - On behalf of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE), Hyderabad, Osmania University in Hyderabad administers the state-level legal entrance exam known as TS LAWCET. For admission to Telangana state universities and institutions' three-year and five-year integrated LLB programmes, the law entrance test is administered. 

AP LAWCET - For admission to law programmes offered at Andhra Pradesh Universities and their affiliated colleges, the Andhra Pradesh Common Law Entrance Test (AP LAWCET) is a state-level entrance exam that is administered by Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati, on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE). For both the five-year LLB and three-year LLB programmes, the exam is given in English and Telugu for a total of 90 minutes in the computer-based test style. The AP LAWCET 2022 exam will be administered in computer-based test style. The 120 objective-type questions for the AP LAWCET 2022 exam will be divided into three sections: general knowledge and mental ability, current events, and aptitude for the study of law.

CUET PG Law - NTA administers the Central University Entrance Test (Postgraduate), also known as CUET PG, as a national entrance exam for admission to more than 40 Central and other participating universities. In 554 Indian cities and 13 foreign countries, the CUET PG is administered once a year. For two hours, the exam is conducted in a computer-based mode. The test was formerly known as the Central Universities Common Entrance Test until last year (CUCET). Prior to 2021, UGC administered the test using a paper-and-pencil format. The Banaras Hindu University accepts CUET PG exam scores to admit candidates to its 3-year LLB degree program. On the basis of the entrance exam, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) offers 286 seats in the three-year LLB programme.

BVP CET Law Exam - Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University (BVDU) administers the BVP CET Law undergraduate entrance test for the study of law. Typically, 540 seats in the LLB, BA LLB, and BBA LLB programmes are subject to an online exam. A seat in an integrated LLB or LLB courses can be obtained through the university's counseling process by candidates with the necessary legal expertise and skills. One of the several universities offering admission to legal programmes without a passing grade on any national entrance exam is Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University. It holds a unique exam to grant admission.

LSAT India - The LSAT India test is a standardized exam for evaluating the abilities of law candidates based on their advanced reading, critical thinking, and informal and deductive reasoning ability. For entry into affiliated law colleges, the Law School Admission Council, often known as LSAC Global, administers the test. Reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning are the three key topics covered in the LSAT India question paper. The LSAT India consists of 92 questions that must be completed in 2 hours and 20 minutes. The LSAT India scorecard includes a percentile rank in addition to scaled scores on a score range of 420 - 480. More than 50 law schools in India accept the exam for admission to their five-year Integrated LLB programme, three-year LLB programme, and LLM programme.

Popular Law Courses After Engineering

Even though an engineering graduate can choose to work in any area of law, students with technical backgrounds tend to favor particular programmes.

Cyber Law - Given that it is a technological subject with problems ranging from cyber terrorism to credit card fraud, engineering students, particularly those with an IT background, choose to major in cyber law. Cyber Law primarily addresses legal matters involving the Internet. These comprise online defamation, hacking, virus assaults, etc. Students who are passionate about the subject and already have a solid grasp of information technology will do better in this course.

Patent Law - Even though it is still very new in the legal community, engineering students already love it. Working professionals can use patent law to safeguard their marketable research or technology from being misappropriated or used for profit by others. Only graduates from technical fields are eligible to become patent agents, who are in charge of the writing and filing of patents.

Intellectual Property Rights - Another course that is well-liked by students with technical backgrounds is this one. The protection of the client's original and commercially viable ideas and works is dealt with by intellectual property rights. Some of these sectors include copyrights, trademarks, etc. Engineering graduates will be better able to protect their clients' interests because they will have the knowledge and abilities needed to comprehend the complexities of the works, particularly if they are mechanical in nature.

Benefits of Choosing Law as a Career 

The legal profession is not only incredibly lucrative but also immensely satisfying. A successful legal career is largely dependent on having effective communication abilities (both oral and written). Outstanding research abilities, attention to detail, evaluative thinking, and analytical abilities are just a few of the characteristics a legal student must possess. However, logical reasoning is the most crucial ability in this profession. Students need to develop the ability to view things objectively and draw justifiable conclusions from it. Law is undoubtedly a career you should think about if you are intelligent, tenacious, ambitious, and not afraid to express your opinions.

A few of the major benefits of pursuing a career in law after engineering are as follows:

Good Income - You will have the opportunity to earn more money than in many other professions with a career in law. Depending on the complexity of the case, you will choose your rates. Your salary will increase as you defend more significant cases.

Respectable Position in Society - Lawyers are students of all facets of humanity. Lawyers command a great deal of societal respect because of their vast knowledge. Additionally, they get along well with everyone in society. No conflicts, just friendly interactions.

Wide Variety of Job Options - A lawyer has the option of working for the government, private businesses, and law firms. Additionally, they also have the option of working independently in their own setting, and they are free to change their fields whenever they like. This is one perk that many occupations do not offer.

Ability to work on interests - Unlike other professions where people labor despite being uninterested in their work, being a lawyer will provide you the freedom to choose projects that you find intriguing or in which you are interested. In this sense, a lawyer's career is pleasant.

Career Prospects in Law After Engineering

Law aspirants now have a tonne of job choices thanks to the exponential rise in the demand for lawyers from businesses and people. After graduation, law graduates can choose from a variety of possibilities and jobs. The need for smart law school graduates who possess the necessary abilities to manage key positions at major companies across numerous sectors has increased. Some of the most profitable and in-demand careers that one can follow after graduating are listed below:

Litigation Lawyer - A litigation lawyer, also known as a litigation attorney, defends their client in court or during legal processes in front of a judge. A litigation lawyer's duties include conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, and arguing the case in court.

Legal Advisor - Due to the high compensation, this is another profession that law graduates prefer. Particularly for individuals who opt to work in the fields of Cyber Law or Intellectual Property Law, this is the go-to career. They can serve as legal counsel for businesses in IT, technology, etc. Lawyers who opt to practice intellectual property law can find employment as legal counsel for significant businesses including biotechnology, entertainment and media, fashion, etc.

Corporate Counsel - Working with a business or corporate body, such as an in-house legal counsel or legal solicitor, is another way to operate as a corporate counsel. An in-house lawyer's main responsibilities include drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts as well as handling legal issues by assuring and maintaining compliance with regulations and laws. In the private sector, aspirants can also work for private banks, private firms, and multinational corporations.
Governmental organizations, public and nationalized banks, and other entities are likewise covered by corporate counsels. These government entities often conduct an interview after a written competitive exam to employ corporate lawyers.

Best Colleges for Pursuing Law after Engineering

The value of a degree increases manifold if it is obtained from a good and reputed college. The institute from which a candidate completes his/ her degree plays a major role in shaping his/ her future. Picking the right college for yourself can be quite a task but CollegeDekho has a solution. Fill our Common Application Form (CAF) and find the best law college for yourself. Some of the top law colleges that can be considered for admission after engineering have been listed below.

Also Read: Private Colleges in India Offering Scholarships for Law Admission

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