Start with a foreign LLM, preferably from UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore, New Zealand, or some of the better known European countries. You may get a position in one of the smaller universities there right after that as research associate. Leverage it to start your PhD. Once you're done with that, you can apply for a full time position.

There are about two dozen NLU grads who are teaching in unis outside India. If we follow their career trajectory few commonalities emerge. First, they would have done LLM outside India, on a scholarship, then about 50% of them would do one year of research or teaching associateship (50% go directly to phd); after this they would pursue PhD (again on scholarship) and then get into lecturer position at a university. As only less than 1% (of the total number of LLB students) students do phds usually job is almost guaranteed (if you have 1/2 decent publications). There is a massive demand of law lecturers in the UK and US.

No, unless it is a particularly good paper. Most institutions expect that you convert your LLM thesis into your first publication. If you are unable to do that, then that is a major red flag.

The best foot forward is...

1. Do reasonably well in undergrad. Then start zeroing in on schools/scholarships you might want to apply for in (summer break after) Y4.

2. Apply early in Y5. Get this done by October/November. For this, you will have to plan and complete TOEFL/IELTS as the case may be, and also make sure to speak to people regarding LoRs as well as getting transcripts.

3. Get into LLM. If it is a thesis-based program (mostly Canada), then have a clear idea of a workable project. Do bulk of your work in Terms 1&2, so that you can present your work at graduate conferences over the summer, i.e., term 3. If it is a taught program (UK or US), do try to do a good job with one or two of your term papers. Present these at graduate conferences over the summer.

4. Find a RAship in the country you were in or come join as an assistant professor back in India post-LLM. The idea is to get some work experience under your belt, while continually thinking about your doctoral project. Also, use this time to get your paper(s) developed in LLM and chiseled away at grad conferences at this time.

5. At the completion of one year post LLM you should have a list of schools you apply for PHDs. This should not be the top 5/10 schools any ranking list gives you. You should be able to justify each to yourself with one or two subject area experts who will possibly be on your doctoral committee.

6. Write to these professors over the summer asking if they would consider being your chair/supervisor. Send them a cover letter (summing up who you are, what you propose to do, and how you have trained till now to capably do that project), a CV, and a 1/2 page project proposal document.

7. If you do not hear back from them by July, send a polite reminder.

8. The people who get back to you in the affirmative, apply to their schools at the earliest (October/November). Remember this will require you to take care of formalities like LoRs, transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS like before.

9. Write back to people who tell you they can't (as they won't be a fit or as they have a full load of grad students etc.) asking if they could point you to someone else who might be a good fit.

10. Apply and wait. You must have funding for the Ph.D. Don't think my parents can afford it. It is important for the future in academia. Money draws more money. Writing grant apps is a skill, the sooner you acquire it the better.

11. Once in the Ph.D., have yearly targets. You must present a paper at 3/4 grad conferences every year. The idea is to get your work out there and to gain feedback at these events. Try to publish a paper every year from Y3 onwards.

12. At the end of your Ph.D., hopefully, you'll have 3/4 Solid publications and multiple presentations at conferences. Use these to apply for post-docs or scholar-in-residence programs. Use these to do some teaching but mainly to convert your dissertation into a book.

13. This book will largely determine your chances of making tenure-track at a good American university.

........

Please note that this is an over-simplification for a general audience. There are always adjustments that can be made and alternative pathways.

Would depend upon your LLM results and the relationship that you can cultivate with senior academics at the place you are doing your LLM from. Not very difficult for a person with merit, especially if you can get good publications. Being from a top NLU does help, I won't mislead you. However, most of that is during the entry into LLM. If you can get a god scholarship and then you can bridge the gap during the LLM, then it shouldn't be an insurmountable problem later on.

Being from an NLU matters for the LLM only if there are other NLU people involved with admissions on the other side. The main thing is your recommendation letters and essays. If you sort that out, you'll be fine.
Academia in the US is very difficult to enter - it's easier if you do the JD because they don't really look for PhDs. UK and Europe may be better but for Europe, you should look into how not knowing European languages might affect how many positions you can apply to. For UK keep an eye on any new visa rules that requires a certain minimum income since academics there are badly paid.
In general, it is important to write and publish.

Actually, being from an NLU matters for admission not because of nepotism, but for the simple fact that the students of at least the top NLUs are provided with a lot of opportunities and get to spend five years with a peer group doing similar things. Unless someone is from reputed private universities like JGLS, similar opportunities and exposure might simply have not been there. A lot of government colleges for example don't have the written assignment and project culture, so the writing skills of many students remain unpolished and underdeveloped for no fault of their own. They can of course compensate for it by taking many more initiatives, but that would usually be an exception.

Clarify what?

- I am assuming you understand what 'fully-funded PhD in law in the UK 'means.
- I also assume you understand what 1/2 publications means - one or two, not half!
- I hope you can Google 'Russel group uni.'
- UK HE sector is higher education.

Now follow the link. What clarification could you want?