With the transition of society from one, in which the joint families were ruled and governed by the family elders and their instruction were considered as final for all the member of the family to small individual families where every member seeks his/her freedom to live his/her way, from a barter economy to a money lead economy, from a society with people taking care of high social esteem to a society where self esteem matter then social esteem, from a society where word of mouth was considered supreme to any legal document the demand for legal assistance has increased many fold in last half a century or so. There was a time when many of the disputes were solved at family or social level satisfactorily and no formal legal recourse was taken. But with diversification of the society and increasing legal awareness among with common masses more and more legal cancelling is being demanded by the people. This has made Legal profession as one of the fastest growing career throughout the world. It is one of the most adventurous, exciting as well as engrossing career owing to greater responsibility on the shoulders of the person practicing it. As he is the one on which the petitioner take faith that he will bring the justice to him with his abilities and help to book the defaulter. It is because of this that the lawyers are held in high esteem in our society. In our daily life in one way or other we may come across situations where legal advice is required. In such situation we need the advice of legal professionals who analyze and interpret law properly.
There are various areas of specialization in this field which one can choose from like corporate law, civil law, criminal law, international law, property law, income tax law, marine law, labour law, family law, press law, excise tax law, constitutional law, administration law, sale of goods law, trade mark law, copyright law, patent law, and cyber law to name some of them.
Lawyers counsel clients about their legal rights and suggest course of action in a particular matter. They also advise clients and draw up legal documents, such as wills and contracts and conduct negotiations on legal matters, and may represent clients in court and tribunal proceedings. Besides representing their clients in court of laws in matters relating to Matrimonial disputes and Divorce, Child Custody; Property, Landlord-tenant disputes; Infringement of Fundamental rights, Money recovery and related Commercial disputes, Cheque Dishonour and Partnership disputes; Motor Accident Claims, Service and Employment disputes; Consumer appeals; Succession, Wills and probate; General Civil and Criminal litigation; All these and more in the original as well as appellate jurisdiction besides Contracts, agreements and other legal documents in the Indian and International domain. They are also responsible for suggesting appropriate remedies. We also help save time and money by adopting concise and summary procedures besides providing consultation through efficient electronic alternatives. We also specialize in Appellate and Supreme Court practice.
To do their work in an effective manner the legal professional require less of academic excellence and more of Professional competence which a learned professional can acquire through experience and practice with efficient and intelligent lawyers in the area of specialization. And this professional competence is the original yard stick of his/her professional success.
An aspirant can join one of the most premier among law universities in India like National Law School Of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, University College Bangalore, Government College Mumbai, ILS law college and Symbiosis college, Pune and Faculty of Law of Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University etc to get the best possible professional education in the field.
After acquiring the requisite qualification i.e L.L.B. (Bachelor’s Degree in Law), L.L.M. (Master degree in law) or some diploma in legal studies. They can find employment in various courts of law, in government service both Central and State government, as teachers, as legal advisors in various companies, business houses, organizations etc. They can also go for private practice as legal advisors, advocates, solicitors according to their liking and area of specialization.
One who wishes to become an advocate and practice law as a profession in India, should enroll with the local State Central Bar council. An application for admission as an advocate shall be made in the prescribed form to the State Bar Council within whose jurisdiction the applicant proposes to practice.
Additional qualification along with law degree offers scope for a wide range of employment opportunities. Some of them have been explained here below.
Government Services
Lawyers are appointed as law officers, Assistant Officers, Assistant Advisors, Dy Legal Advisors and Legal Advisors in central services (Indian legal service) through UPSC on grounds of their experience in the field. Whereas state legal services appoint lawyers through SPSC exams at various senior position in State police/Revenue/Judicial Departments.
The basic qualification is degree in law, besides a degree in Arts / Science / Commerce / Agriculture. Average age limit is between 21 to 30 years.
In the judiciary, the posts that these professional can held are that of the magistrate, district and sessions judge, munsifs (sub-magistrate), public prosecutor, solicitors, attorney general, advocate general, notary and oath commissioner. There are also legal secretaries appointed in assemblies, law inspectors, legal officers in banks, judicial members of income tax, sales tax and excise departments, government advocates and staff in the registrar of companies' office. The examination for these posts takes place periodically & is advertised as and when the vacancies occur.
Judicial Services (Magistrate and Sub-Magistrate)
Qualified candidates of Law Service Commission or State Public Service Commission are also eligible for eligible for appointment as Magistrate and Sub-Magistrate (munsif). While magistrate presides over criminal court, munsif delivers judgment on civil cases. Promotion may take a person higher up to sub-judge, District and Sessions Courts Judge and further (depending upon seniority and vacancy) to appointments in High Courts and the Supreme Court.
Other specialized fields for Law professionals are:-
Public Defenders
At the central, state, and local level, public defenders serve as court-appointed attorneys for those who cannot afford an attorney.
Public Prosecutor
These professional represent the State in session’s courts and lends advice to officers in districts in all legal matters when called for.
Solicitor
Law professionals advices the government on legal matters and submit statement of important cases to Attorney General of India for his opinion or appearance in the Supreme court as and when necessary. A Solicitor General is responsible to makes sure that the Attorney General performs his duties properly.
Solicitor is also a kind of advisor to clients on a variety of matters that involves law. Solicitors explain the cases of his clients to the advocates. Solicitors need never appear in court directly.
Attorney General
Attorney general appointed by the president advices the government of the Union on such legal matters as may be assigned to him by the president of the Country. He has the right of audience in all courts of India and participates in the proceedings of Parliament without the right to vote.
Advocate General
Similar to the post of Attorney General at centre, each state has an Advocate General appointed by State Governors. These officers generally prosecute cases that have statewide significance and work with local District Attorney's offices in the prosecution of cases.
Advice:- One of the best ways to gain trial experience quickly after graduation is to work at a state attorney's office.
District Attorney
District attorney also known as Assistant State Attorney is mainly responsible for criminal matters and prosecution. The District Attorney is usually an elected official. Depending upon the size of the District Attorney's office, they may have multiple units that focus upon different types of crime such as domestic violence, homicide, appellate work or sex crimes. If you work with a smaller District Attorney's office, you may have the option of handling diverse case loads.
Notary
A notary is a legal practitioner of at least ten years experience in the profession. He is appointed on application to Central, State government to draw, verify, authenticate, certify and attest the execution of any deed
Oath Commissioner
Oath commissioner is another established authority similar to that of notary.
Legal Advisers
Public sector undertakings and state and central government organizations also employ lawyers as advisers for their law related matters. They work in legal departments of firms or for private clients. Legal advisors counsel their clients as to their legal rights and obligations and suggest the appropriate course of action in business and personal matters. They also check deeds, issue writs, collect information for affidavits and draft legal documents.
Other fields
Legal Professionals can work as trustees of various trusts, as teachers, law reporters, company secretary and so on. Opportunities exist in the defense services too. Additional qualification along with law degree offers scope for a wide range of employment opportunities.
Judiciary is that branch of over democratic system that ensures proper implementation of the laws made by legislature and executed by the administration. In a sense it is the most important branch of any Country. From an individual to a state or central government everybody seeks recourse to it as and when required thereby these services and the officials serving in various capacities under it are held in high esteem. The main task of judicial officials like judges and magistrates is to oversee legal proceedings and apply Central, State, and local laws. Everything from common traffic offenses, to high-profile criminal proceedings, to constitutional issues, to business disputes between the corporate sectors as well as various state governments are presided over by a judge.
A judge’s role is to listen to attorneys’ arguments with regards to the trials and hearings over which he/she is presiding. In addition to presiding over trails, judges also make decisions about what evidence will be permitted in court, how testimony will be presented, how examination of witnesses will occur, and may be required to settle disputes between attorneys. Judges also must ensure that protocol is followed, and where no protocol exists, must decide how the situation will proceed based on existing rule and laws. Judges impose limitations on persons involved in a civil case until the trial is complete. In criminal cases judges determine how much bail will be, or they determine that the accused must stay in jail until the trial is over.
Judges often work behind the scenes in their chambers where they read attorneys’ briefs, do research on cases, and write their legal opinions.
Occasionally judges are also required to oversee the staff of the court. When a jury is selected to determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence, a judge is responsible for instructing them regarding relevant laws and proper methods to interpret facts. The judge hears the jury’s decision at the end of a trial. When a jury is not involved in a trial, it is the judge who determines guilt and imposes the sentence. When it is a civil case, the judge mandates compensation, or relief, to one of the parties involved in the lawsuit.
A judge’s jurisdiction describes the power a judge has to preside over a given case.
Central and State court systems have general trial court judges who may preside over any case, civil or criminal, that comes to them through their system. Appellate court judges base their decisions on the previous court records and written and oral arguments from attorneys, rather than on testimony given by witnesses.
The minimum requirement to become a judge or magistrate is work experience and a bachelor’s degree. It is not necessary to be a lawyer, though most judges were lawyers first. Central and State judges are usually required to hold a law degree. Administrative judges must hold a law degree and pass a rigorous exam.
