How to Become an Advocate: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Jobs, Scope, Salary

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Ahana Bhaduri

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People working under the legal Associates are known as Advocates. They are generally meant for the purpose of preparing applications and drafts for legal cases. They have to perform legal research during court proceedings. More than 1 Lakh students apply for this career and 40% students get placements immediately.

Many Universities offer Law Courses in India such as VGU, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, UPES, Invertis University, Sai Nath University and many more. These Colleges offer various types of UG & PG Courses in Law under a Fee Structure of INR 3 LPA.

Employment for Lawyers will increase by 8% from 2016 to 2026. Market Condition for Lawyers is very impressive by which employment is increasing day by day. They are getting placed in some top companies such as The Lawyer's Hub, JAS Global, Manoj Wadekar & Associates, Bankai Group, Legistify.com, AK Singh & Co. and many more.

Quick Facts for a Advocate 

Industry Law Firms, Law Colleges and Business Firms
Eligibility They need a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent coursework in Law in any Specialization.
Average Starting Salary Average Starting salary is $3500 per year.
Job Opportunity Supreme Courts, High Courts, District Courts, Legal Websites, Law Firms, Law Colleges, Business Firm

What does a Advocate do? 

  • Advocates are responsible for developing the cases by drafting motions, briefs and conducting discovery. 
  • They have to draft corporate agreements. 
  • They are also responsible for negotiating agreements. They have to maintain direct contact with their customers or clients. They have to handle the clients frequently.
  • They have to make the work of associates very simple and easy. They have to communicate with them and make coordination with them. 
  • They should have the knowledge of interpersonal and analytical skills to become a good Advocate. 
  • They are responsible for handling subpoenas and discovery requests. They have to provide continuous records to senior attorneys regarding statutory and regulatory issues. 
  • They are placed in Federal, State and Municipal Government Departments. They have to work with outside vendors to develop and administer training, such as anti-harassment training (company-wide) and data privacy training. 
  • They have to participate in various data privacy policies. They have to coordinate reporting for the litigation divisions for corporate accounting disclosures and governance purposes. 
  • They have to make sure that they are performing better in drafting agreements for clients. They have to develop various educational programs so that they can help other business entities and associates.

Steps to follow to become a Advocate 

There are some simple yet important steps to become a good Advocate. These steps are written below in detail.

Decision Making 

They have to think carefully about pursuing this career after their 12th class. However, they can also decide to pursue this career after their 10th class as some courses would be started after passing 10th class. They have to decide prior to the starting of their career.They have to decide about which college to choose and which subjects to choose. They have to study harder for this career as this career is pursued by most students. They have to decide about starting internships and should see about placements also. Placements would help students to get work experience so that they can gain more knowledge and skills.

Subject Choices 

Major subjects such as Political Science, Criminal Justice and English would be mandatory to pursue this career. However, some specific subjects are required for this career as the students from commerce or arts education background at school level can pursue Law as a Career. This means that science students cannot opt for this career as this career does not include the subjects of Science. Along with subject choices, there should be a work experience for better knowledge and skills. Work Experience can be in other fields also. History, Economics, Business Law and many other subjects would be studied at the school level.

Entrance Exam Preparation 

Entrance Exams are different for different levels of study for Law. However, LSAT Entrance Examination is a priority for this career as a Advocate. There are some major Entrance Exams for Law Courses such as CLAT, AILET and DU LLB Entrance Exam. There are many Courses in the Law field for which many other Entrance Exams are to be qualified. Many Universities take those students who qualify the Entrance Test of that particular University or Institute. They should have proper reading material and knowledge so that they can crack their Entrance Exams.

Selecting Correct Colleges 

For Law Courses, selecting a College or University is very important. All the candidates have to see whether he/she is going into a good University/Institute or not. After getting into a good college, they have to maintain a good relationship with their teachers which could help them in future. According to NIRF Rankings, Many Universities such as NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur and NLU Jodhpur offer the best courses in Law. After checking the placement and scholarship profile of the colleges, candidates can see whether it is good for them or not. They have to see that the selected college offers the specialization they wanted or not.

After Qualifying Exam

The candidates can apply for the course in the field of Law after qualifying the Entrance Exam. Course would be a Diploma, Certificate, Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree. Duration for these courses is different. They have to do a continuous education so that they can make a successful career in Law. They can do a Bachelor’s Degree as it is opted by most of the students doing this career.

Types of a Advocate 

There are mainly two types of Advocate for which some details are given below:

Practicing Attorney

These types of lawyers can be either Junior or Senior Attorney. Normally, they do not hold an ownership interest in the firm even if associated with the firm for many years. First-year associates are entry-level Advocates and are generally recent law school graduates in their first year of law practice. After gaining experience of many years and getting assigned important and remunerative tasks, an associate has the goal of being made a partner in the firm. They generally refer to an attorney who serves as a research and writing assistant in a judge's chambers. They can be placed in both Lawyer and non-Lawyer firms.

Summer Associates

These Associates are current law students who have completed their second year of study or in first year of law school and they are interning at the business firm for summer.Summer associates have not passed the bar exam and are not attorneys. The summer associate program is often the primary method by which a law firm recruits for full-time associate positions.

How to become a Advocate in India? 

To become a good Advocate, there is a harder route in which candidates have to take commerce or arts streams and they should have the knowledge of all subjects. Work Experience would also be preferable. Some Details about each level of education of a Advocate are given below:

School Level Preparation

Students should have the knowledge of all the subjects in their commerce or arts stream. They should start learning the concepts of Political Science, History and Education. They have to learn English Language also. Candidates can also gain some experience after school level of study. They should have good communication, analytical and interaction skills at their school level. They can improve their communication skills by taking the knowledge of English Language. These skills can help them at the time of their interviews for their placements. Many more things they can study at their school level such as coordination and interaction. They can take some extra classes for better skills.

How to become a Advocate after 12th?

Students can opt for various Undergraduate courses which are offered to pursue the career as a Advocate. After the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, they can go for the Master’s to gain more knowledge and develop their skills.

UG Preparation 

Knowledge of many subjects is required while doing a Bachelor’s Degree such as Business Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law, Law of Crime, Communication and Advocacy Skill, Law of Torts and Consumer Protection and many more. Candidates can do many types of UG Degrees such as LLB, BALLB, BBA LLB, B.Sc.LLB, B.Com.LLB and many more. Certificate Courses and Diploma Courses are also equivalent to these courses but the Duration is higher for UG Degrees. They have to prepare for the Entrance Exam so that they can pursue these UG Courses. After passing the Entrance Exam, they would get an institute to study the program. They have to complete the program successfully so that they can get placed in good companies for a higher package of salary.

PG Preparation 

After doing a UG Degree, Candidates would be eligible to do a Master’s Degree such as LLM, MBL and MBL LLB Programs. Subjects would be the same as that of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law but some extra subjects would be added. Also, the level of study will become higher. People doing a Master’s Degree should be skilled and knowledgeable. They can take computers as a subject also because it would help them to handle their clients easily. They can do online work also. They should have experience at this level of study so that they can get placed in higher companies with a higher salary package.

Courses to become a Advocate 

There are various courses available to become Advocate, but below are some very famous courses available:- 

LLB (Bachelor of Laws) 

LLB Course is offered in part-time and full-time modes of study at many colleges in India. Duration of this Course is 3 Years. Course is available at many law colleges in India supervised by the Bar Council of India. In this Course, all the candidates have to do regular theory classes, moot courts, internships and tutorial work. It is offered in various specializations such as Company Law, Business Law, Corporate Law, Criminal Law and many more.

Admission Process 

Admission to LLB Course will be done on the basis of merit in the last qualifying examination. Also, the candidates have to qualify UG Entrance Exams for Law for which they have to take the required percentile in the Entrance Exam. After qualifying the Entrance Exam, they have to apply and qualify the counseling for that particular Entrance Exam.

Entrance Exam: 

To take Admission to a Law College for LLB Course, Candidates have to qualify an Entrance Exam for Law Courses. There are many Entrance Exams for LLB Courses such as CLAT, AILET, LAT, BLAT, Law School Admission Test India and many others.

Eligibility Criteria for the Exam: 

Candidates have to complete 12th class with the minimum percentage required. Different Colleges accept different Percentage for their 12th Class. AILET Entrance Exam accepts a score of 50% in 12th class whereas CLAT and LSAT Entrance Exams accept a score of 50% in 12th class. Along with merit in 12th class, the Entrance Exam is compulsory.

How to Apply for the Exam: 

  • Candidates have to visit the official website of the Entrance Exam of Law such as CLAT. 
  • They have to read all the instructions and fill the application form in online mode. 
  • They have to submit all the required documents and pay the application fee. 
  • After clearing the Entrance Exam, they have to apply for counseling also.

How to prepare for the Exam: 

  • To clear the Entrance Exams, there are many books from which candidates can read so that they can crack the Entrance Exam. 
  • All the laws must be understood by candidates. 
  • Critical Knowledge and many skills would also be required during counseling and personal interview. 
  • They can also view the previous year question papers for better understanding of the format and concept. 
  • They must be known about the format and marking scheme of the paper.

LLM (Master of Laws) 

LLM Course is a high-level course available in many colleges but less than LLB Course. LLM Course is divided into 4 semesters and is available in many specializations. This Course has more specializations as compared to a Bachelor’s Degree in Law such as Criminal Law, Corporate Law, Commercial Law, International Law, Labour Law and many more.

Admission Process: 

Candidates should gain merit in the last qualifying exam in the relevant field. They need to qualify a high-level Entrance Exam for taking admission to LLM Course. Entrance Exam along with Counseling is mandatory for this Course.

Entrance Exam: 

To take Admission to a Law College for LLM Course, Candidates have to qualify an Entrance Exam for Law Courses. They are many Entrance Exams for LLM Course such as LSAT, All India Law Entrance Test, TS PGLCET, AP POLYCET, MH CET Law ILICAT and many more.

Eligibility Criteria for the Exam: 

Candidates have to complete a Bachelor’s Degree with minimum percentage required for that particular Entrance Exam. However, a minimum of 55% marks is required.

How to Apply for the Exam: 

  • Candidates have to visit the official website of the Entrance Exam of Law such as LSAT. 
  • They have to read all the instructions and fill the application form in online mode after registering. 
  • They have to submit all the required documents and pay the application fee. 
  • After clearing the Entrance Exam, they have to apply for counseling also.

How to prepare for the Exam: 

  • To clear the Entrance Exams, there are many books from which candidates can read so that they can crack the Entrance Exam. 
  • All the laws must be understood by candidates. 
  • Critical Knowledge and many skills would also be required during counseling and personal interview. 
  • They must be known about the format and marking scheme of the paper. 
  • They can also view the previous year question papers for better understanding of the format and concept.

How to become a Advocate Abroad 

Australia, Canada, US and UK are the best countries in which candidates can make their career in Law. There are many popular Law Firms in Abroad at various locations such as New York, California, Massachusetts, Columbia and Texas. Studying abroad is much better but the number of specializations in India are more than abroad.

UK 

Admission Process 

  • Educational Requirements: Candidates studying 4-Year Bachelor’s Degree have to complete 48 UCAS Points from a maximum of 3 A Levels along with GCSE English Language at Grade C/4. Candidates have to complete the IELTS Entrance Exam with a minimum of 7.0 score (6.5 score in each component) while doing the LLB (H) Course. They have to qualify IELTS with a 5.0 score (4.5 score in each component) for the International Foundation Course.
  • Other Requirements: While doing a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree, they have to complete a 1-Year Internship. They have to provide 2 years of appropriate work experience evidenced by a full CV and one reference also. They have to complete an in-house literacy test as well as a formal face-to-face interview.

Top Colleges 

US 

Admission Process 

  • Educational Requirements: Candidates have to complete the IELTS Entrance Exam with a minimum of 7.0 score (6.5 score in each component) while doing LLB Course. They have to complete Law studies for Master’s Degree. Law schools accept all candidates that finished a Bachelor's degree, regardless of their former fields of study. They have to qualify for the LSAT Entrance Exam, an official exam that tests your critical and analytical abilities necessary for further pursuing a Law degree.
  • Other Requirements: They have to complete Internship which is compulsory at US School of Law. They have to give the evidence of work experience in their CV also.

Top Colleges 

Canada 

Admission Process

  • Educational Requirements: Age Requirement is more than 21 years for Master’s Programs. Requires IELTS with a minimum of 6.5 score. Merit in 12th class would also be considered along with the Entrance Exam such as GRE, TOEFL and IELTS are considered. Skillset is also required to take admission to Canada Universities. However, Canada is also in the list of top countries which offer various top courses in Law.
  • Other Requirements: Internships Placements are also available in various universities. Experience is also necessary. Scholarships are offered up to INR 7.5 Lakhs as graduates.

Top Colleges 

Australia 

Admission Process 

  • Educational Requirements: Australia provides mostly Master’s Degrees.An undergraduate degree equivalent to bachelors in law from Australian universities is necessary for that. Students with bachelor's from other fields may also apply if they satisfy the additional criteria. 2 years of minimum work experience is also required along with Proof of English language proficiency.
  • Other Requirements: Internships Placements are also available in various areas. Scholarships are also offered in Australia. However, Internships are also provided to improve knowledge of working experience. Work Experience must be of at-least 2 Years.

Benefits of a Advocate 

There are lots of benefits of becoming the Advocate, but some major benefits include:-

Salary

The average starting salary of a Advocate may vary from company to company. Salary is very high for a Advocate in New Delhi as it is the capital of India. Salary Benefit is compulsory to be given to the manager for his/her work. Salary of a Advocate in New Delhi is around INR 10 LPA. Salary Package is different for experienced people. Salary Package for Females is high as compared to Male Gender.

Job Security 

The National Association for Law Placement found that 78% of entry-level associates departed their initial large firms within five years in 2007 and promotions are also rare. Many promotions are done after more than 10 Years. There is a lack of job security in the legal industry such as BigLaw Associates. Though, senior attorneys have more job security than Advocates. In order to make sure that job security is safe, they have to show skills and knowledge to their clients so that they can maximize their job security.

Positive Impact of the Career

Positive Impacts of a Advocate are as follows:

  • Advocates can work with Senior Lawyers and professionals.
  • They can increase their skills and knowledge by working with top-notch lawyers.
  • Advocates get to learn new things.
  • They are able to pick up various skills.
  • Advocates enjoy a greater salary package after getting work experience.
  • They can get many financial benefits.

Unique Experience

Work experience is essential in any field of work. Candidates can gain this at school level by working on weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works in Industries. Potential employers would always appreciate seeing job experience on your CV. A minimum of two years of work experience is required for entrance to a law course. This would assist them in obtaining good employment.

Skills Required for Advocate

Skills required for Advocate are as follows:

  • Commercial Awareness: They need the knowledge of current developments in local, national and world business for a law firm and clients. They have to develop trusting relationships to meet the importance of meeting deadlines, keeping costs low and handling information confidentially.
  • Attention to detail: They have to maintain accuracy for the success of their career. They have to give a good impression to their clients by avoiding errors in emails and letters.
  • Communication: Oral and Written Communication skills are required for a Advocate to build efficiency while working with clients. Public Speaking is also required. These skills should be known since the study at school level.
  • Teamwork: They have to build collaboration among colleagues which would help them to trust legal representatives. This would be done by collaborating with a team.
  • Information Analysis and Research: Large volumes of information must be read, facts and statistics must be absorbed, data must be analysed and distilled into something manageable is a part of any legal job.
  • Organisation: These skills can be known by training and work experience. They have to compete with priorities. Part-time job or membership in a company would be helpful to gain these skills.
  • Creative Problem solving: Participating in student contests such as mooting, becoming a student representative, or gaining a seat on your students' union are all effective ways to improve these skills.

Salary of a Advocate in India 

The Salary of a Advocate increases with the increase in work experience. Salary is different in different types of companies. However, the starting salary of a good Advocate in a normal company starts from INR 2.5 LPA.

Average Annual Salary 

Name of Organization Average Annual Salary
Government INR 2,50,000
Private INR 2,70,000

Specialization-wise Salary

Specializations Salary (per annum)
Paralegal INR 3,00,000
Arbitrator INR 5,50,000
Court Reporter INR 4,50,000

Gender-wise Salary 

Gender Salary (per annum)
Female INR 3,00,000
Male INR 2,00,000

Experience-wise Salary 

Experience Salary (per annum)
Entry Level (0-3 Years) INR 2,50,000
Mid-Career (4-7 Years) INR 4,50,000
Experienced (7+ Years) INR 10,00,000

How to become a Advocate FAQs

Ques: How to show a best CV while applying to a company for a post of Advocate?

Ans: Candidates should have mentioned the relevant experience. They have to write their skills and quantifiable achievements also. Unique Qualities should be mentioned. The CV should be written with strong content.

Ques: Can the Advocates work under pressure?

Ans: Yes, they have the ability to work under pressure.The Solicitors and Barristers manage heavy workloads to tight deadlines and the outcome of this work has the potential to have a lasting impact on the lives of their clients.

Ques: Can the court visits be helpful to become a good Advocate?

Ans: Visiting and witnessing the courts would be helpful as it would be gained as work experience. Candidates can sit on genuine cases allowing them to see professionals in action. It also helps to choose the law career suitable for the candidate.

Ques: Are there any advanced degrees for pursuing a career as a Advocate?

Ans: Yes, there are many advanced degrees such as Juris Doctor (JD), Doctor of Jurisprudence (JSD), Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) or Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD), Doctor of Comparative Law (DCL) and many more.

Ques: Are there any schools offering online courses to become a Advocate?

Ans: Currently, no law school offers a fully online Juris Doctor degree approved by the American Bar Association. In order to sit for state bar examinations, students must earn a degree from an ABA-accredited institution.

Ques: How many years does it take to become a Lawyer after Advocate?

Ans: It takes a total of 7 Years to become a Lawyer as candidates do a 4-Year UG Degree along with a 3 Years of Law School. To become a Advocate, a UG Degree is satisfied.

Ques: What should I major in if I want to become a Advocate?

Ans: There are plenty of majors that can help you on your journey to becoming a Advocate, including criminal justice, philosophy, political science, psychology, and more. Legal educators argue that students are most successful when they study subjects they enjoy.

Ques: What are the best paying cities in Abroad for a Advocate?

Ans: There are many cities in Abroad which pay the best salaries for a Advocate. Cities along with their salary package for a Advocate are as follows:

  • San Francisco: $ 130K
  • New York: $ 108K
  • Washington: $ 108K
  • Reston: $ 97K
  • Boston: $ 95K
  • Las Vegas: $ 93K

Ques: What is the gender ratio of becoming a Advocate?

Ans: Ratio finders noted the gender mix in the 1L class is 54% women and 46% men, with about a third of the new students self-identifying as members of a racial or ethnic minority group.

Ques: Are there any part-time courses for becoming a Advocate?

Ans: There are many part-time courses but less as compared to full-time courses to become a Advocate. About 20% courses are offered in full-time modes of study for Law Courses.

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