CLAT or any other law entrance exam, you are confident of securing admission in a premier law college in the country. In most of the cases, your score is so impressive that the best law colleges want you in, but that is where your problem actually begins. Dilemmas accost you. A plethora of good options to choose from. Your dream college beckons you but the excellent placement record of another law college last year entices you to explore it instead. Where to go and why assails your mind, compounded by fears of whether the choice is less than perfect. You want every person around to second it, to assure you that you are on the right track. Before you reach any decision, consider a few wise words from OPUS as well.
OPUS opines that once the problem of qualifying in the competitive test is solved, you have to exercise wisdom in choosing the right institution to pursue law. Several parameters are involved and a proper assessment of every single aspect is necessary before you make a choice. These are mainly related to fees charged, college rankings, placement record, salary packages offered to pass-outs. The course details and subject combinations offered are also considered while making the big decision.
As so many factors need prior attention, OPUS feels that candidates should do proper ground work before selecting the right college. With online support available these days, any student can conduct research into the background and seek relevant details. To render this daunting task much easier for candidates, OPUS has done the necessary spadework by short-listing the top ten law colleges based on media research ratings, with an absolutely neutral, non-partisan and objective approach to help students save time and effort, to ensure they are able to make a suitable choice for themselves.
A good mentoring institute like OPUS does not end its responsibility after you emerge successful in the entrance test. It continues to support successful students by guiding them further so that they find their rightful place. After a long and arduous journey that a candidate has been through to reach the present level of distinction, he deserves to be guided by the mentor he has reposed trust in ever since the quest began.
OPUS gives a complete lowdown on where to go and why. A list of leading law colleges you should definitely consider in case you make the cut.
NLSIU
National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore, Karnataka, ranked 1 out of 25 by India Today, absorbs 80 candidates for a five-year, full-time undergraduate law course and charges a yearly fee of Rs 1.21 lakhs. It is obviously the first choice for those clearing the CLAT. With a very good placement performance every year, both corporate houses and law firms make a beeline for candidates passing out of this college. Many students are recruited by internationally renowned companies, with handsome packages unheard of in India.
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
NALSAR Law College holds the second position in the India Today survey, and it surpasses other law colleges including NUJS and NLSIU in offering placements in the corporate sector. Its course is structured by the best legal minds from India and abroad. Besides, it offers a very high standard of evaluation. It charges Rs 1, 22, 000 per year – not too steep vis-à-vis other institutes of great recognition.
Faculty of Law, DU
Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, New Delhi, occupies rank 3 out of 25 according to India Today report. It offers a full-time three-year law course which is also the most affordable one in the country. Compared to several lakhs charged by private colleges, this leading law college charges Rs 11,757 per year and it conducts its own entrance exam for admission. In the first year all subjects are compulsory, but in the second year and third year, a student has the freedom to choose one subject of his choice. This attracts many students who are confident of securing placement on individual merit and also those students who have not taken the CLAT route. As the fee structure is reasonable, many students from modest financial background prefer this course. Pursuing this course does not bring any disadvantages regarding placement opportunities as many leading companies and law firms cherry-pick the best from the DU campus.
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, NUJS – Kolkata
NUJS, Kolkata, ranked No 4 according to India Today report, charges an annual fee of Rs 2.14 lakhs. Though quite expensive in comparison to many other undergraduate courses in India, it offers excellent placement in law firms with lucrative packages as high as 50 lakhs per annum. Faculty with international law school background, from Berkeley and Oxford, guide students here.
The National Law Institute University, NLIU, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
NLIU, Bhopal, currently finds a berth in the top five law colleges. It holds the 5th rank as per India Today rating, and the college is indeed very good in all aspects except the fact that it is located far away from the city. It offers excellent placement scope, with leading law firms visiting the campus. It charges an annual fee of Rs 1.71 lakhs and has a trimester course pattern.
Symbiosis Law school – SLS Pune
Symbiosis Pune features as a leading law college, with an annual course fee of Rs 2.12 lakhs. Career India ranks it No 7 out of top 10 law colleges in India today. Corporate legal firms, government PSUs and corporate companies recruit the sharp and brightest minds from the campus by offering salary packages up to Rs 15 lakhs, with an average salary of Rs 5 lakhs.
ILS Law College, Pune, Maharashtra
ILS, Pune, has an affordable and feasible course fee structure, with annual fees of Rs 33,000. The three-year full-time course is criticized for including non-law subjects like sociology and political science but it enables to understand the subject of law better. It is ranked no 7 by India today. MH-CET- LAW 2022 is the way to gain admission here. Leading companies and premier law firms visit the campus every year with attractive salary packages.
Gujarat National Law University – GNLU – Gandhi Nagar – Gujarat
GNLU Gandhi Nagar
It charges an annual course fee of Rs 1.43 lakhs per year. It is ranked in the list of top ten law colleges. Ten semesters cover 60 subjects. It offers good placement opportunities, with an average of Rs 7 lakhs per annum and the highest of Rs 14 lakh till date. Leading law firms and corporate houses including private banks pick the best minds from here.
National Law University – NLU – Jodhpur
It is ranked no 10 according to the India Today survey. Affiliated with BCI, UGC, MGRD, it charges an annual course fee of Rs 1.74 lakhs. It is considered a great college to develop and know your skills and abilities. The placements and job opportunities are excellent, with almost 100% placement. All the top tier law firms like Luthra, Amarchand & Mangaldas, AZ & B come to the college every year and the average annual placement package last year was Rs. 15.4 lakhs. The highest ever placement from this college was an annual package of Rs. 48 lakhs. Quite unbelievable, isn’t it?
OPUS advises successful candidates to pay special attention to factors like faculty, campus environment, placement scope, course pattern, fee structure and take into account the valuable feedback from pass-outs about the law college. Only when you have made a thorough scrutiny of the law colleges you have shortlisted for consideration, only after you have been to the campus in case it is possible for you or your parents to conduct a recce, only after you have gathered sufficient information about the various factors you hold important in order to choose the right college, only then you should go ahead with the institute.
Cancellations later involve complicated refund processes with several deductions shaving off almost half your money invested so you should not be in a tearing hurry to sign up somewhere without conducting a proper investigation to satisfy yourself with what you are actually getting. With claimants to excellence mushrooming all around us, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make the right choice. We pray that you end up making the right choice just like you made the right choice of entrusting OPUS to mentor you for success in the CLAT exam.
Wish you all the best!
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