In my extensive teaching career, I have encountered a problem that most students face when choosing a career in law: deciding what to do with their lives once school is complete. I frequently ponder the potential causes of this problem. There are several explanations, but the most obvious one is that the kids lack a clear objective. Ironically, a lot of people might select their careers haphazardly, as if by tossing a coin.
When a student decides to study law and decides to pursue that noble profession, it is vital to discuss whether to take a 3-year LLB or a 5-year BA LLB. Those who have previously earned their degrees or are going to graduate from college shouldn’t have any reservations about the three-year program. Because a student would make a critical error in career decision at that time if they considered prestigious colleges and prepared to enroll in a five-year law study. In this extremely competitive world, this would result in the loss of two or more very important years.
However, if a student decides to pursue law after completing their XIIth grade, they will also have to compromise on their time (spent to complete the course). When the same degree can be achieved in five years, there is no reason to take two separate three-year courses. Additionally, it is extremely possible to simply stray from the declared objective of choosing law as a career if one decides to graduate from other streams first. Here again, the loss of one or more extremely important years at the start of a professional career could have a significant impact on a student’s career.
After that, I have to add a disclaimer. Your ability as a lawyer won’t differ significantly depending on whether you complete a 3-year LLB or a 5-year BA LLB.
Public or Private Colleges for BA LLB and LLB
There are reputable colleges in both sectors, and experienced faculties may be found in both to teach LLB and BA LLB programs. Therefore, while picking between a 3-year LLB and a 5-year BA LLB, the issue of “How good is a private/public college for three-year or 5-year integrated law curriculum” may not be very pertinent. For instance, one of the most renowned law schools in Greater Noida, KCC Institute of Legal and Higher Education, offers the B.A.LL.B. (a five-year program after XII or an equivalent) due to the rising population of integrated courses.They have the best faculty in North India as per Times of India.
For students interested in pursuing a career in law, both LLB and BA LLB are equally coveted, and a number of successful lawyers who graduated from this school with a degree from one of these two programs have proven their mettle in the field.
However, these two clearly diverge on two issues. The placement process is the first, and the admissions process is the second. When determining which course to take, it will be wise to consider these two variables.
Placement Trends between LLB and BA LLB
Like all institutions offering undergraduate degrees, those offering the five-year BA LLB, particularly those at Greater Noida, have a well-oiled professional placement program that has done a much better job of placing graduates in domestic and foreign law firms, corporate legal departments, and consulting firms.
However, the institutions that offer the three-year LLB are primarily traditional universities and do not adhere to a placement-oriented philosophy. In this case, it’s crucial to pursue admission to a top legal school or department in order to receive a top-notch education and learning experience.
Admission Process: Legal Career in BA LLB and LLB
The application process for law programs varies between the two segments. For admission into several five-year BA LLB programs, there are All India entrance tests like CLAT for National Law Universities (NLU), AILET, and SET, among others, in the undergraduate sector. Only a small number of prominent schools— KCC Institute of Legal and Higher Education Greater Noida —offer direct admission based only on XII marks. However, the majority of law schools that offer 3-year programs admit students based on their performance in prerequisite exams. For admission to the LLB curriculum, some colleges, like Delhi University, however, hold LLB Entrance Exams.
The National Law Universities (NLUs), the majority of newer law schools, were founded in the last twenty years and only provide a 5-year LLB program. The majority of these law schools no longer offer the three-year LLB curriculum, although they nevertheless provide graduates with specialization options and postgraduate LLM programs.
Conclusion
In order to decide between a 5-year integrated LLB program and a 3-year LLB program, the pros and cons must be examined. Otherwise, it’s crucial to consider whether or not you want to pursue a profession in law before selecting a 3-year LLB or 5-year BA LLB program. It is also crucial for law aspirants to examine the eligibility criteria for law courses in private colleges as criteria may differ from college to college.
