What is LLM?

LLM stands for Master of Laws. LLM has a comprehensive core curriculum of subjects such as Law and Social Transformation in India, Constitutionalism, Legal Research and Methodology, Judicial Process, etc. LLM courses offers several specializations, such as International Law, Criminal Law, Corporate Law, Taxation Law.

Why LLM?

After graduating from a top law college, it is crucial to pursue an LLM course. An LLM course will prepare you to initiate your legal career. Mentioned below are a few of the top reasons to pursue LLM courses,

• Prepares for an International Career: LLM degrees specializing in International Law will help students make a mark in the international forum and eventually help them make a career in the international legal domain ensuring a promising career ahead. 
• Narrows Down Your Interests: Unlike undergraduate law courses comprising law in general, the LLM course allows you to specialize in one particular field. This eventually helps you to concentrate on the subject and give it more attention, thus making you a pro at it. 
• Varied Specializations: The array of specializations that are offered in LLM courses will help students to choose their career across a wide variety of specializations such as International Law, Corporate Law, Labour Law, Human Rights etc. 
• Pursue a Career in Legal Writing & Research: Depending on the LLM specialisation, it offers you to have a career in legal research and writing by pursuing LLD after LLM. 
• Better Job Prospects: A degree in LLM will get you that salary hike and more opportunities than just a simple bachelors’ degree in law. 

Who Should Pursue LLM?

• The required eligibility to pursue a Master of Laws is, students, should clear their Undergraduate in Law from a recognized University with a minimum of 60% aggregate marks, along with clearing any of the Law entrance exams like CLAT, LSAT, AILET etc.
• Students who want to pursue a career in legal writing or become professors at top law schools should consider pursuing LLM courses with LLD courses after graduation.
• Students who want to have a career in law and a specialization should pursue an LLM Course.
• Almost any student practicing law and working in the field of law can consider studying LLM Distance Education.

LLM: Admission Process

Candidates interested in pursuing Master of Laws must appear for an entrance exam that provides LLM Admission to the top law schools in India.

The entrance examinations are usually MCQ based, but one section or a few questions could be subjective. The syllabus of these exams usually consists of Legal and Law based questions judging the candidate's subject knowledge.

LLM Admission 2024

• Universities accept the score of any national or university-level entrance exam conducted in law colleges, that a candidate has appeared for.
• The other top LLM entrance exams are- CLAT, IPU-CET, LSAT, DU LLM, AP LAWCET, etc.
• LLM Admission application form fee ranges between 750-2,000 for general candidates. Reserved classes can expect a lower application fee of INR 350.

LLM: Eligibility 

Candidates who aspire to pursue Master of Laws are required to fulfill the following eligibility criteria as mentioned below,

• Should have qualified LLB or Bachelor of Law with minimum 50% aggregate marks
• The minimum age requirement for pursuing Master of Laws is 17 years or more.

LLM: Entrance Exams 

Students who want to pursue LLM courses must clear the entrance exam enlisted for the course. Admissions to LLM courses are done based on the score in the entrance exam and the interview round, conducted by the respective Universities. 

There are several entrance exams such as CLAT PG, AILET, IPU CET, BHU UET etc, that one can choose from. 

LLM: Entrance Exam Preparation

To enroll oneself for LLM degree course, s/he has to prepare for the various LLM Entrance exams that several universities and institutes conduct. Below is discussed a few basic guidelines to follow to clear the LLM Entrance Exams without any difficulty.

• Start Early: Every student should know the right time to start preparing for the LLM Entrance exams, keeping in mind the recent changes in LLM Entrance Exam Syllabus, where the course structure has become more lengthy and difficult. Thus a 6 month advanced study time span is advisable to all LLM students who aspire to pursue this field.
• Subject Analysis: One should be able to analyze the subjects according to their importance. Subjects that are important such as Constitutional Law, Advanced Jurisprudence, International Law etc should be given more time than subjects that are less important.
• Stay Updated: One should be well versed with current affairs while preparing for LLM Entrance Exams. This way they will be updated with all recent developments and cover secondary subjects as well.

LLM Syllabus

The LLM Syllabus covers a wide range of subjects starting from Corporate Law to International trade Laws and others. Below mentioned table discusses the subjects that comes under LLM’s course structure,

LLM Subjects

The list of subjects that are taught in regards to the various specializations are tabulated below for your reference,

LLM International Law 

LLM International Law deals with studying laws of different countries and organizations. LLM in International Law is a highly attempted specialization in India, considering its career opportunities that gives students a chance to work abroad. 

Some of the subjects taught in LLM International Law are,

• Comparative Law
• International Law and International Relations: Developments and Trends
• International Organizations
• International Dispute Resolution Bodies etc. 

ILS Law College is among the top colleges in India providing specialization for LLM in International Law.

LLM Corporate Law

LLM in Corporate Law is widely taught to educate students on the process of interacting with stakeholders, directors, employers and creditors. LLM Corporate law graduates can find jobs at various corporate sectors such as Law enforcement firms, and other legal firms.

Some of the subjects taught in LLM Corporate Law specializations are,

• Banking and Finance Law
• European Law of Capital Markets
• Corporate Social Responsibilities and the Law
• Financial Models and Derivatives in a Legal Context

National Law University, Jodhpur, Mahatma Gandhi Law College, Hyderabad are few of the top colleges offering LLM in Corporate Law

LLM Criminal Law 

LLM Criminal Law is for students who find it interesting to enter the world of criminal law and other dimensions. LLM Criminal law provides an opportunity for the students to deal with actions of intentional harm to individuals, which is in a larger sense a threat to humanity.

The subjects taught at LLM Criminal Law are,

• Indian Penal Code
• Code of Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Jurisprudence

National Law University, Bhopal & Dr. Ambedkar Law University Chennai are the top colleges in this field

LLM Recommended Books

Scope of LLM Courses

After completing an LLM course, one can either start their professional career or can also choose to study further. Mentioned below are the two ways that can be chosen post completing an LLM degree

Beginning of the Professional Career: Post completing the course, one can join any legal firm of start practicing under the various courts in various designations as tabulated below,

Further Studies: Post completing LLM courses one can also choose to study further, like pursuing PhD in Law. There are several colleges in india offering PhD in Law such as National Law University, Banaras Hindu University, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences etc.

Courses after LLM 

After successfully completing an LLM degree one can opt for a PhD degree in Law or LLD, also known as Doctor of Law. There are several Universities in India who offer LLD admissions such as Nalsar Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, NLU Jodhpur etc. 

The eligibility criteria for pursuing LLD are:

• Students should have cleared LLM with minimum 55% aggregate marks or equal CGPA
• Students should have to clear entrance exams conducted by various Universities
• Certain colleges demand some working experience before enrolling students into LLD courses

LLM Jobs 

Law is amongst those professions which is recession-free and is available both at the government and private sectors. Skilled LLM graduates are also taken up for private practises and earn huge salaries by practising at various Courts throughout the country.

Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters who hire fresh Master of Laws graduates are tabulated below,

Top Job profiles 

The job profiles for students post completing Master of Laws are mentioned below,

LLM Salary in India

The salary of an LLM graduate varies according to the job that s/he is doing. In general the average salary of an LLM graduate ranges from INR 4 - 12 LPA.

Below mentioned table will discuss the salary of various positions of an Master of Laws Graduate,