LLM in India- Why and from Where to Pursue?

Dear Law Students:

Pursuing LLM could be a good option after LLB. But why and from where? Does it help if you have to pursue litigation or appear for judicial services or join a law firm etc. Let us take a quick look:

1. LLM is a primary qualification for entering into legal academics.

2. LLM is not a primary qualification for law practice in courts or in law firms or to join as in-house counsel or even to appear for judicial service exams.

3. Then is it important to pursue LLM?- now it could simply be a question of interest in higher and advanced education of law. Some people prefer to have post graduate qualification (perhaps to them it looks good on CV). Some people prefer to keep an option of entering into teaching open- when they may like to switch from practice or judicial service exams- if it doesn't work out. This is increasingly true- many early career teachers enter into law teaching not because of first interest or passion but because they kept teaching as second or third career option. - Then LLM could be both relevant and necessary to keep a safe option for future to enter into legal academics.

4. Next Big Question: From where to pursue?

5. My opinion- Those who wish to enter into legal academics - must try to pursue LLM from the universities where either it is taught properly or the universities whose degree may matter.

Option A: Pursue from National Law Universities (NLUs)- not that every NLU is perfect in teaching LLM- I openly speak about need of reform in teaching of LLM in NLUs too- but at least socially NLUs have a default recognition of doing a great job. So let us accept that belief system and pursue from there.

Option B: Pursue from Central or State Government Universities and their law faculty. This also includes reputed Deemed Universities like Indian Law Institute, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, etc.

Option C: Pursue from Private Universities- but here you need to be extremely selective- because in most private universities it is merely a ceremonial fulfilment of degree and in some cases it is a clear eye wash academic activity.

Option D: Clearly avoid pursuing LLM from some category of private universities at all. These degrees will fetch you nothing- neither academic knowledge not true recognition of their degrees in terms of socially or academically accepted value- they may surely be recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) but often degrees from such universities are not valued higher in the open market by virtue of the general perception about a particular university’s standards.

6. All those who do not wish to enter into legal academics on a full time basis ever in future- be extremely wise in selecting from where you may wish to pursue LLM. Either don't pursue it at all or pursue from at least a reasonably good university.

7. My most recommended option: Try to pursue from abroad- try for scholarships if possible. Everyone can't get it and everyone can't afford it- It is true- in such cases- choose wisely from Options A, B, C and D.

8. My experience- I have seen many young law graduates opting to pursue LLM from private universities which may give them degree very easily. They simply want degrees. I would say do not engage in collection of degree like that. You are not only doing wrong to yourself but in a way you are doing a big social wrong by promoting such universities which are namesake on paper but in reality they are academic fraudsters.

9. LLM is quite an expensive proposition- if you are serious about the degree and also does not wish to waste had earned money of your parents- be careful to choose from Options A, B, C and D.

10. I will be happy to offer my help in selecting universities for LLM.

Be smart in your decision making to pursue LLM. LLB is a full-fledged professional degree. It does not require a top up of LLM unless essential in certain cases. So make the best use of your first degree and don’t feel embarrassed or don’t worry if it remains to be your last degree. LLB is a huge degree in itself. Making it worth is itself a lifetime challenge.

I hope the this edition of newsletter will appeal to our readers. Feel free to share it widely.

Yours truly,

Law Teacher

Nachiketa Mittal