All You Need to Know about LLM Course in India

December 21, 2023
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The LLM course is one of the most sought-after courses by students who have completed LLB. It’s a three-year master’s program for people with an LLB degree. One can also choose to study further and get the degree of MPhil or Ph.D. in Law.

Introduction to LLM

Master of legislative law or the LLM course is a two-year postgraduate program. This course allows the students to understand the law field in-depth. A student can pursue any specialization option for LLM. These specialization options are criminal law, intellectual property rights, human rights, etc.

Students can take many entrance exams to get into LLM admission. Many colleges, universities, and institutes conduct these exams. LLM course eligibility is straightforward. A candidate needs an LLB degree with at least a 50 percent total grade in graduation. Those who have done five-year integrated courses are also eligible for entrance exams.

Individuals having LLM degree becomes eligible for various job opportunities. They are also offered handsome salaries. One can become a lawyer, judge, Notary, legal consultant, or law professor if they have an LLM degree.

Related: How to Become a Lawyer?

LLM Course Highlights

Here are the key highlights of the LLM course details. This will help one to understand more about the LLM course. Following are LLM duration in India, fee structure, salary, and course eligibility.

Particulars Description 
LLM full formLatin Legum Magister
Degree TypeMaster of Laws
LLM is of how many yearsTwo years
LLM Course feeFees range from Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 2,50.000
Eligibility criteriaRequires at least 55 percent of marks in graduation. Candidates must be from the law stream.
Specialization requiredCooperative law, Labour law, Human law, Criminal law, andInternational law
LLM admissionAny national or college, or state-based entrance exam
Average salary after LLMStarts from Rs 8 LPA to 15 LPA
Top collegesThe University of Delhi, Amity Law School, Indian Law Institute, etc.
Job profilesAdvocateJudgeNotaryLegal Document ReviewerProfessorConsultant
Top recruitersPlatinum partners, Desai a Diwanji, Khaitan & Co, Trilegal India, etc.

Skills Required for LLM

To complete LLM Course, one needs to have the courage and potential to work hard. Aspirants must put much effort and time into understanding new concepts. They must also learn and gain new skills. Some of the skills a candidate needs to pass the LLM eligibility criteria are as follows.

Interest in the research field

LLM is a master’s subject and requires in-depth study. So if a person has an interest in research, this course becomes easy for them.

Communication skills

After this course, one needs to engage in several fields that demand fluency in communication. Therefore, one should have good communication to excel in this course. Along with this, one needs to have clarity in their speech.

Related: Communication Skills you need to Master Right Now

Confidence

A student will require confidence to do well in mocks during the course. And for this, they need to have ample self-confidence.

Persuasiveness

One needs to develop some skills to persuade judges during a trial. Thus, it is one of the much-needed skills in an LLM course.

LLM and Syllabus

Every university do minor changes to the syllabus. Here is the list of some common subjects In LLM:

Semester 1 Semester 2
Constitutional Law part 1Constitutional Law part 2
Research MethodologyLaw and Social Change
Legal Theory part 1Legal Theory part 2
Dissertation part 1Finance Law
Practical TrainingAdministrative Law
Semester 3 Syllabus And Subjects Based On Specialization
Subject Specialization Syllabus
Labour LawLaw relating to industrial relations
Trade union history
Industrial Disputes Act Law relating to labor welfare
Reduced wages
Labour and Human Rights.
Criminal LawCrime and administration of Criminal Justice
Judicial process
Legislative process Penology and treatment of offenders
Punishment systems
Legal concepts
Human Rights LawHuman Rights 1      
Types of human rights     
Issues on human rights Human Rights 2     
Human rights in India      
Preventive laws
Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Property Rights 1      
International agencies     
European Patent Convention, 1973
Intellectual Property Rights 2      
Trademarks      
Industrial Designs Act, 2001
Semester 4 Syllabus And Subjects Based On Specialization
Subject Specialization Syllabus
Labour LawLabour law 1      
Case studies
Employee State Insurance Act, 1948
Labour law 2    
Conditions & Rules     
Judicial review & writs
Criminal LawPrivileged Class Deviance
Concept of privileged class deviance
Respons, rights, and related Acts.Law and Organised Crime
Drug addiction concepts
Political crimes
Human Rights LawHuman Rights 3
Refugee Law
Implementation mechanism
Human Rights 4
Scientific and technological research
Limitation on rights under IT law
Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Property Rights 3
Agreement on agriculture
Agreement on trade
Intellectual Property Rights 4
Concept and protection under the patent Act 1999
Biodiversity Act 1999

Entrance Exams for LLM in India

There are various entrance exams for LLM Course in India. Candidates applying for this course can give these entrance exams. And can get admission to the best LLM colleges in India. Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the exam accepted in all law colleges.

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Different states or colleges conduct various entrance exams. Here is the list of some entrance exams, along with their tentative exam dates in 2023.

  • CLAT – Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) conducts this exam every year. It offers a five-year integrated course. The exam is a paper and pen-based exam. The exam duration is two hours, and one needs to answer 150 questions. The tentative exam date for CLAT 2023 is 18 December.
  • AILET – National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi) conducts the All India Law Entrance Test. It offers admission for UG, PG and doctorate-level courses. The exam is paper and pen-based and continues for not more than 90 minutes. The tentative exam date for this exam is December 11, 2022.
  • AP PGLCET – It stands for Andhra Pradesh Post Graduate Law Common Entrance Test. Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education conducts this entrance exam. Its duration is 90 minutes, and it carries 120 marks. There is no negative marking in AP PGLCET. The tentative exam date for this exam is 13th July 2023.
  • IPUCET – Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Delhi conducts this exam every year. IPUCET stands for Indraprastha University Common Eligibility Test. The tentative exam date for IPUCET is in April 2023. It is both an online and offline based exam.
  • ILICAT – Indian Law Institute of Delhi conducts this exam. The LLM duration offered by this institute is one year. The exam is a paper and pen-based exam consisting of 144 questions with a total score of 180 marks. The tentative exam date is in April or May.
  • LSAT – Law School Admission Test – LSAC Global conducts India, known as LSAT. This exam is a computer-based exam of 80 minutes. The tentative date of the exam is 22nd January 2023 for the January cycle. And for the June cycle, exams will start from 8th June to 11th June 2023.

Top Colleges for LLM

Here is the list of the top 5 colleges for LLM Course, along with their fees and ranking in India:

Ranking Name Of The CollegeFees
1NLSIU Bangalore11.08 lakh
2NLU Delhi4.25 lakh
3Symbiosis Law School7.92 lakh
4Nalsar University8.30 lakh
7Faculty Of Law Jamia Millia IslamiaRs 17,400

Jobs after LLM Course

There are several job opportunities for a person with a degree of LLM Course. There are many jobs for people with this diploma in the service and corporate field. One can gain experience and pursue a career in the law field. Following is the list of jobs one can opt for after completing the LLM Course.

Advocate

An advocate is a lawyer who works to solve and defend someone’s case in court. The job of an advocate requires a lot of research, analyzing, and observing skills. One must gather all factual data and evidence to confirm their claim and win the case. Professionals use all the skills and learning they obtained from the course in cases. An advocate has more responsibilities, such as drafting contracts and affidavits.

Salary scale – INR 8-15 Lakhs p.a

Judge

A judge works within the social service sector. They are required to derive unbiased judgment from the available data and evidence. Judge is a public officer who brings justice to the people in the law court. The rights and duties of the involved parties are protected through their judgment. The judge presides over the hearings or trials of the case presented by the advocates.

Salary scale – INR 0.9-2.50 Lakhs p.m

Notary

Central government people with LLM for a notary. They should have practiced law for at least ten years as a lawyer to carry out their tasks. The tasks performed by Notary are:

  • Verification, certification, authentication, or attesting to any instrument execution.
  • Translation of any document and then its verification.
  • Oath administration or drafting affidavit from any individual.
  • Records the evidence or data directed by the court or any authority in the criminal or civil trial.
  • Acts as commissioner, arbitrator, conciliatory, or mediator.

Salary scale – INR 2-6 lakhs p.a

A legal document reviewer handles reviewing all the legal documents of a case. It is their work that all the documents required by the court are in place. The documents they review include evidence, records, and copies of the case. Anyone with an LLM course can take up this job.

Salary scale – INR 14-41 lakhs p.a

Professor

If someone is interested in teaching, this will be the perfect job for them after LLM. In this job, one gets to study various facets of law in depth. It is suitable for someone interested in teaching students and fellow faculty members. At this stage, one can also work to publish different papers and conduct research in their field.

Salary scale – INR 0.3-12.7 Lakhs p.a

Consultant

Legal consultants are lawyers firms hire to assist them in a particular case. These people specialized in a specific field of law. Thus, a person with an LLM degree is the right candidate for it. One also requires ample experience in the cases of that particular field. This helps them become a trusted legal consultant.

Salary scale – INR 2-18 Lakhs p.a

This was everything that a student needs to know about the LLM course. One needs to check the college’s official website of their choice before admission. This will give them an idea of that particular institute’s syllabus and fee structure.

Apart from all these jobs, one can also choose to become a Chegg Q&A expert. In this job, one can earn decent money by answering questions from students worldwide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do LLM stand for?


LLM stands for Latin Legum Magister. And in India, it is commonly referred to as the Master of Legislative Laws.

Is LLM 2 years course?


Yes, the LLM duration in India is mostly two years, but some universities offer one-year courses too.

Can I do LLM without LLB?


No, one cannot do an LLM course without obtaining an LLB degree. One can opt for this master’s degree only if they have fulfilled the eligibility criteria.

What is the difference between an LLB and LLM?

LLB stands for Bachelor of Law, while LLM stands for Masters of Law. LLB is an undergraduate-level course, whereas LLM is a postgraduate course. The duration for the LLB course is three years, and for LLM, it is two years.

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