WHETHER TO PURSUE LL.M. OR NOT?

Whether to pursue LL.M. after completing LL.B., is quite a common concern among the law students. Well, you may know that being a master of a subject always adds up to your knowledge and will not harm you in any way. Same is with the LL.M. course. Pursuing LL.M. is all about probing deeper into the subject you choose and gain advanced knowledge and understanding on the same. It will upgrade your primary degree obtained in LL.B. Now the question comes whether pursuing LL.M. is necessary to excel in your career in law? This depends on the career you are opting for. All the law aspirants who are looking for jobs in various relevant fields like in Corporates, PSUs, Banks for the post of Legal Advisor/Associate/Research/Analyst, or any government jobs for the law candidates, must be aware that an LL.M. degree holder is given preference over the one possessing LL.B. degree only.

Moreover, one who is solely focused on building a career in academics has to pursue LL.M. necessarily. Doing the same from a renowned university/college with a good course plan, specialization and highly experienced and intellectual faculty will act as a cherry on the cake. Here starts the journey of fueling up your engine and prepare yourself to achieve future endeavours. Earning a bettering understanding and conceptual knowledge in the subjects of your interest will obviously help you deal the matters more efficiently than you can do, having just a primary knowledge on the same. Like, suppose one had pursued LL.M. in Criminal Law Specialization, it will obviously contribute to his/her litigation skills and develop finer arguments. Doing LL.M. is not just confined to the academics field, but it will be beneficial for all the fields you are opting for. Here some reasons pointed out as why you should pursue LL.M. if you are looking for the following jobs/careers:

1. Teaching/Academics:

For the law students who want to build their career in academics, pursuing LL.M. is a sine qua non for them. It is only after LL.M. you become eligible for teaching in any law college or university. Besides, you also have the option to be appointed as a research assistant in the universities and law colleges. Generally, being a research assistant is a good start in the academic line, which will also gather much experience in the research field and help you in your future endeavours, especially if you are interested in pursuing Ph.D. or becoming a reputed assistant professor of law in any university or college. Moreover, pursuing LL.M. from a reputed university (like NLUs, etc.) will add to your benefit, considering the library facilities and the faculty guidance that will be provided in research during LL.M.

1. Judicial Service:

Many law students aim to opt for judicial service and become a judge/magistrate. Now, this does not require qualification of LL.M. So all who are focused to join judiciary they start preparing for it either during the LL.B. course or after completing the same and pays no heed to pursue LL.M. But it is thought not indispensable to pursue LL.M. getting in the judicial service, but pursuing it will undoubtedly provide an upper edge to your knowledge. When you possess enhanced knowledge in the field, you will deal more efficiently with the cases and decide faster. That will create a good performance record. Also, in theory, you will be a strong contender for promotion as and when due. However, it is to be noted that practical experience in law will also be advantageous for judicial service.

1. Jobs in PSUs:

For pursuing LL.M. in NLUs you have to appear in the CLAT PG exam, and simultaneously your CLAT PG score can also make ways for recruitment in the top PSUs, like BHEL, IOCL, NTPC, ONGC, etc. Jobs in PSUs as legal advisors are highly prestigious with handsome salary. Well, even the other way when the PSUs recruit directly by conducting exams and interview, their minimum eligibility criteria mostly remains Masters in Law or LL.M. candidates are always given preference.

1. Jobs in Corporates:

LL.M. will always contribute to gaining better opportunities in the corporate world. Doing LL.M. in Business Law or Corporate Law specialization will make you more eligible to deal with the corporate world as LL.M. qualified candidates are preferred in this case too. However, the experience is indispensable in this matter. Banks and other government jobs like SEBI and IBPS SO for the legal advisors always gives preference to LL.M. candidates in the interview process, giving an extra advantage to them. Sometimes the LL.M. qualification also holds some

• Litigation:

An LL.M. qualified person can do better in litigation. Many of you reading this might think it to be a mere joke or absurd advice. But yes LL.M. can be proved useful for fueling up your career in litigation. When one has pursued LL.M. with Constitutional law or Criminal law specialization, he/he can develop more adequate arguments than the LL.B. degree holders. This will help to establish the litigating skills and especially for practising in the High courts. Again, it is to be marked that for litigation, practical experience matters more, and it is indispensable to grow your career in litigation.

Hence pursuing LL.M. can always to be a better and fruitful choice that will enhance and improve you in any of your career fields in law.

DEAR ASPIRANTS

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS!