Steadily in demand

DURING THE past decade or so, one profession that has taken a back seat in deference to the technology boom is law. However, law schools have continued to have high enrolment rates and the demand for good lawyers has continued to be high.

After all, law, like medicine and teaching, is one of the ``core professions'' in any society. At one time, law colleges were seen as the training ground for politicians-and many colleges had a not entirely savoury reputation, precisely because of this. With the establishment of a number of private institutions offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in law and legal studies, law is emerging once again as an attractive career option.

Most of us, as we go through school and junior college, have a rather limited view of what law is all about. For the most part, we think of lawyers passionately arguing cases in court, and solicitors surrounded by unending shelves of dusty hardcover volumes. A degree in law is obtained either through a 3-year postgraduate programme, or through a 4-year undergraduate programme offered by several private institutions such as the National Law School in Bangalore, Symbiosis, Pune, or the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) in Hyderabad. Entrance to these private institutes is through an entrance examination, and it appears competition is quite tough. The degree turns out to be quite a versatile qualification which provides entry to a wide range of careers.

Practising lawyers (advocates) are those who match the common image of a black-coated lawyer. Advocates prepare for and argue cases in court, and represent clients in private and commercial matters. They may specialise either in civil law or criminal law, and in one of several branches of these two specialisations, such as tort, family law, medical/health related law, property law, commercial law, taxation and finance, and so on.

Solicitors are those who advise clients on legal matters, conduct research in cases, and draft legal documents. Solicitors do not appear in court to argue cases-their role is more at the back end. They too may specialise in a particular area of law. Solicitors, like advocates may work independently, be attached to a law firm, or employed by a corporate to monitor the legality of all their actions.

Many lawyers work with the government, vetting documents for various ministries, helping to monitor processes such as trade regulation or taxation, drafting agreements and proposed changes in procedures, and advising government departments on points of law. Non-governmental organisations, particularly advocacy groups, also employ lawyers for the same purpose, to ensure that the law is applied evenly to marginalised and deprived sections of society, and to make legal aid available to such groups.

A profitable and challenging area of law is corporate law, which involves making sure that companies stay within the framework of the law in the countries that they operate in, and to protect the company's interests in contexts ranging from business contracts and negotiations to employee relations. International law is another area that could be of interest to those with a dual interest in law and international relations. Recent controversies such as trade regulations and international property rights fall under the purview of this branch of law.

Lawyers work either independently, in consulting firms, or are attached to legal departments of corporates, organisations or government. Even where you are associated with a firm or institution, you would need to be able to function with a high degree of independence, willing to spend long hours in study, analysis and documentation. Lawyers must be very good communicators, both in writing and speech, as the success of their work depends heavily on persuasive and convincing communication.

Unlike in most other professional fields, law students almost necessarily have to go through a period of apprenticeship, during which they will receive only a stipend, before they can become full-fledged lawyers in their own right. In India, graduating from a recognised law school entitled one to practice law independently after this apprenticeship, but in many other countries, including the U.S., one must also pass the bar exam- and every state has a separate bar exam which entitles you to practice only in that state.

A law degree is a valuable addition to many other degrees, such as business, finance, economics or public administration. Often chartered accountants and company secretaries choose to acquire a law degree because they apply law constantly in their professional lives. Over the next two weeks, we will meet some successful lawyers who have chosen to specialise in different areas of law and who now apply their legal education in very different ways.

USHA RAMAN

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