I graduated this year from school. My childhood dream was getting into SRCC, but achieving that came with quite a bit of anxiety and frustration when the boards got cancelled. So instead I had to focus on CLAT, which was my backup option at the time. I studied my ass for it, and ended up at NALSAR this year. I did end getting into SRCC, but it was already quite late and I fell prey to my parents' presure who wanted me to pursue a "professional" degree. The problem, however, started when I came to frequent LI- and read of the struggle of those graduates without kin in the legal fraternity, extremely low pay in the initial years and on the other spectrum, long and toxic work environments of law firms. All of you sound like you're having to deal with real issues, and I can empathize with you but this might not be a life path I would want to see spiral into. I might be very young, but it pains me to make and ponder over my own choice. I'm doing well, not exceptionally brilliant here at NALSAR, I performed fairly well in my midsems and whatever I'm studying is interesting and I do enjoy it a bit, but I don't know if law is worth pursuing. Sorry for this rant, but my question for you is would do it differently? Not opt for law? Do you think it would be wise to leave NALSAR for SRCC next year(if I make it through again lol)?
Next year they’ll have cucet not cut offs, so it will be difficult. Ask yourself if you want to do law. You’ll be burnt out in any high paying profession in India until you don’t like it.
I would recommend finishing your degree from NALSAR and if you still don't like what you see while doing internships then you can always exit law.
I know someone who did Law from one of the tier 1 NLUs and finally ended up in world bank after higher studies. Also, lots of people end up as journalists, civil servants, Researchers in Think tanks etc. All of which have very little to do with core law.
If you want to live in poverty sure but key me remind you. Your peers in law firm will earn 10,12x more than you. Of course if you decide to do a MBA then the tides change but the work life balance of Investment Bankers, consultants are as bad as ours.
My cousin graduated from SRCC in 2015 and got a job at Deutsche bank. He was making more as an analyst at that time than he would have made as a lawyer at a T1 law firm. DU is also a lot more happening place than a NLU. Also, it was 3 years at about 10k per annum of tuition instead of 5 years at 2 lakh per annum. You do the math. Also, outside this incestous stupid law circle here, SRCC carries a lot more brand name than law schools. Until and unless you have figured that law is your only calling, I would say go with SRCC.
Your cousin getting a high paying job from SRCC, is it the same way for almost entire batch who want to work? OP might want to look this as a best case scenario and not an everyday occurance for each batch. Please clarify on this bit - are the placements for everyone these good? On the other hand, T1 NLUs have a brand name as far as placements go and can be said that they fight a bit to maintain their name. On top of that, for fee structure, I am not sure if someone can survive their entire metro lives with BA degree only and when they go for MBA, it becomes comparable to NALSAR's fees. SRCC can provide wide spectrum to venture into but at the same time NALSAR provides institutional support. If the OP stays in NALSAR, then he can also pursue his own interests there as well. Its just that he would be an outlier in the space. So as long as we are talking about jobs and safety nets, I think NALSAR is a far safer bet -
But if you don't like the rigourous course or just not feeling about doing it in NALSAR, drop it- you will not be the first person to do so, there are so many examples of people dropping out T1 NLUs to pursue their dreams of playing in a band or playing cricket, etc.
Just the point being, don't rely on best case scenarios. Also give a thought or two on the point that you(from now, You = OP) want to join SRCC because it is your childhood dream. Not all childhood dreams are best suitable for us, all the dreams should be rationalized with today's wisdom which we have. So make a calculated, rational choice with giving childhood fascinations its due weightage.
Regarding the point of how toxic work life can get, its just a matter of figuring out your own life. You cannot make a life decision based on something what a few random blog posts are saying. Definitely lawfirm work would be rigorous, but it can be worth it for you if you actually like working the practice area. Money and success in life cannot be the target after covering basic necessities of life, it all comes down to whether you like the work or not. Sadly, some of this also depends on how well placed you are financially. But if you are going to be financially independent without any family burden, it does not matter how much you earn - what matters is how much you like your work and can sleep peacefully at night. In short, don't base your decisions on LI posts; explore and intern at places to understand the work and career.
Also, venturing out from law school conventional jobs, you can take up out of the box career options. From Nalsar only, we have alumnis getting in cooking schools, international studies programs, MBA in IIM and other foreign universities, founding a crypto-startup, working in UN, giving civil services etc. However, again, these are just some examples cherrypicked for you, your individual decisions will entirely produce unique results. Also you can checkout a website- "lawyers not lawyering".
All of these, just to tell you that chill, lawfirm work can be fun as well, and even if you end up not liking conventional jobs like law firm and in-house, there will be plenty of opportunities you can work on. I might be crossing a boundary here, and I apologize beforehand if I am doing, but take a look at yourself and think why are you having this option of SRCC and NALSAR? We've all stayed for two years at home with comfort of our families and cushy facilities, is it your fear of going out of your comfort zone that is making you decide like this? If there are valid concerns regarding family and relatives, then go ahead make your choice, but if this is something subconscious then it is far better to take a good look at it before deciding.
Talk to your Acad and SRW mentors as well maybe?
Hope this helps! I sincerely hope you make a healthy choice for yourself.
SRCC only offers BCom(Hons) and BA(Econ)(Hons) both in industry demand. Just like NLS, SRCC is the best place to go to in India when you are looking to study either of the two courses. Also, about your degree remark most people do MBA 10 years down the line but I can show you plenty of SRCC alum doing very very well just on basis of their 3 year college degree. Not everyone at SRCC goes to DB but not everyone at NLS goes to A&O too. SRCC also has a larger pool of students to place but overall in terms of RoI it is great. The comparison is even more skewed in favor of SRCC when you see what SRCC alum are doing two years down the line (considering law is a 5 year degree). OP you need to make this your own decision but let me tell you this that if anyone tells you that law firm job can be chilling then don't trust a word that comes out of his mouth anymore.
Just check the placement statistics of SRCC and compare that with NALSAR. NALSAR has a better percentage of placements and that I can confirm by being in NALSAR. If not all, most(90%) of NALSAR grads get placed by the end of their 5th year whereas only 40-50% of the SRCC grads get placed and out of that only the top 5% get placed in top consulting/MBB firms. The average salary/median in NALSAR is close to 14-16 lakhs (inclusive of bonus) whereas the average is 8 lpa (with bonus). In terms of ROI, SRCC is a good investment if you consider it from the point of view of knowledge and exposure gained but in a market dominated by IIM/IIT grads, the SRCC graduates are going to have a hard time competing with these IIM/IIT grads for small number of vacancies in the high paying consulting/MBB firms.
1. Ask yourself if you want to be a lawyer. While your current course and curriculum may give you a hint of what you would be studying in the next few years, my advice would be to focus on understanding the profession, and if you think you are a good fit for it.
2. As the world is not revolving around you (and you seem to be aware of it), while you worry about 'what you may like', also think about the career options you will have after graduating from the two colleges. Being a law grad, while I know about the advantages of having a professional degree, I am not aware of what a bachelors/honours degree from SRCC/DU gets you. Exposure, mix of good-bad faculty and peer-learning opportunities exist at both places.
3. Lastly, for all this rant around law firm life, pressure and work. One fact is that life in 'law' is much more than that in (or of) law firms. Secondly, any rewarding, high-skill profession, specially as you grow senior (and relevant) requires commitment, certain work ethic and some level of sacrifice. Law is no different.
Other than being intelligent, you are also lucky. Take a call based not only on comfort but also ambition. Best of luck !
Stick to NALSAR. A Law degree is the best thing that can happen to you. You get to see only rants here because those who are enjoying working in law are too busy working.
Hey OP, was in a similar situation back in 2010 right out of school (without the benefit of LI insights or any family/ friends in law). Really wanted to go for 5 year law, but counter to your parents, mine did not want me to go for a professional degree right after school. I went to LSR, and then followed up with LLB from Law Fac, DU. In hindsight, I am grateful for that decision as my bachelors opened me to several career tracks that I was previously unaware of. So when I did eventually go to law school, it was an informed choice and not that of a starry eyed school kid. A 5 year law school, however academically rigorous, does not prepare you for the real world - IMP they are extension of school in the way the growth is largely sheltered.
It is also easy to fall out of love in the 5 years, and being in a professional course, you'd have limited streams to move to. Using my bachelor in Political Science along with LLB, I have been able to pivot to public policy after working in a Tier 1.
Quit nalsar and go to SRCC. a generic degree is always better to fall back on in case you want to switch fields later. And nothing stopping you from pursuing you a 3 year law course at some point later if you really want to
To answer your question quite clearly: Yes, I would most certainly do it differently. I am contemplating a career change after having spent many many years sticking to law because I thought I'd already invested too much time pursuing it (I even thought this when I'd finished by third year of law school).
If you're not enjoying law / don't think this is the path for you, then I would strongly recommend you make the switch and move to SRCC. You can then decide later what kind of career you'd like to pursue but it's better to keep your options open than be pigeon-holed into law.
I say this because I really and truly wish that I hadn't made choices at 17/18 basis what was more 'practical' for a career. If I could do it all again, I'd spend some time trying to figure out what I enjoy - a career, money and stability will come in time.
LI doesn't represent even 5% of the good quality lawyers or law students. Please don't seek advice on this platform for something which is so crucial. Try talking to your alumni who have spent atleast 10 years in the profession and also a trusted elder. The choice should depend on your personality and aspirations.
I have quit law altogether, and moved on to other fields. I wish this existed a decade back when I was trying to pick a profession. Don't be a lawyer, if you want to be happy in life, it is very simple.
law school will crush your spirit and it won't be worth it unless you're 100% sure about law as a profession. pick srcc. you can always do a 3 year llb later if this is what you want out of life.
Hey, biggest question would be what you really prioritize and what you want your future to look like. For me personally, nalsar allowed me to grow a lot, learn a lot and figure out what I wanted. As far as I can tell literally most jobs suck, lmk if you disagree and have almost equivalent hours with much worse pay. If having money matters to you, continue with nalsar it'll give you space to figure out other options while also having a backup option which pays well. Sorry to say but probably if you're from a rich background, this might not matter that much to you, in which case, just follow whatever is your passion, but make sure it's not an idealized view of the same.
I graduated from NALSAR and honestly, it was a mixed experience. On one hand you'll grow a lot and you'll meet amazing people and you'll get to access the kind of critical lenses and perspectives that law offers. On the other, it's a very hectic 5 years with a lot of pressure and it'll be worse if you've realised you don't want a career in law. I've actually seen people quit NALSAR after 2-3 years because they realised they wanted an entirely different path. The issue there is, you'll have to restart, whereas with SRCC you'll have a general degree which lets you pivot to any field that you discover you're interested in. You can also then go on to do a 3 year LLB after SRCC, if you want to, potentially even from a foreign law school. It's honestly slightly ridiculous that we're expected to know that we definitely want to join a specific profession at the age of 16-17, which is before you even have any proper understanding of how these careers work, and so in my opinion, giving yourself 3 additional years to discover what you like is a far better idea.
Average pay wise obviously Nalsar will be better. Although it is definitely true that some of my friends who graduated from top DU colleges got placed almost at T1 law firm pay level. But mind you these were the toppers of their batch. While I a rank 42 of Nalsar got placed in a T1 law firm. So to be brutally honest average/median is what matters. So salary wise Nalsar will be the better choice. Also my batchmates from DU end up paying 30% tax so take home pay wise mostly lawyers will always be better. Please do a study of what is the pay package for the middle and the bottom 20 of the people who sit for placements at SRCC. The bottom 20 of even IIMs sometimes end up at a mere 10-12 lakhs average so I am quite confident that SRCC will be worse. I am not degrading any institute here but just asking you to do your research on median salary at least if not the bottom salary.
But having said that if it is not about money but about passion and NOT liking law at all, then obviously you should switch to SRCC. If you are at top at SRCC you will anyways have a great career. But mind you top paying recruiters at DU like Baine and Co etc will make you work hard as well. Probably less than a T1 lawyer but hard work will be there as well. A T1 lawyer or a Tier 1 in-houser can find a suitable team/company that gives him/her more work life balance. So that option is also there if you continue in Nalsar. Do not rule Law altogether. But yeah if it is your passion to be in SRCC then you may go ahead after you have weighed pros and cons.
You can do a good old Indian/Foreign MBA with a NALSAR degree also, it might even get you brownie points for diversity. But yes SRCC would provide a lot of exit opportunities outside law. Have also seen some people pursuing a J.D after a NLU LL.B. Now there is nothing like getting stuck with NALSAR, cause you can pursue all of the above mentioned careers/degrees with a NALSAR LL.B also.
i am at nlu d right now . its been 2 weeks heree. my cuet resut is pending but i am confident of getting into any of the three top colleges of du for eco hons. i am realllly confused and share the same state of mind as mentioned in the question. please help me out.
Hi OP, I'm from Stephen's. Turned down SRCC and NUJS for it. I had the same questions as you do, and while my law entrance was good, I could not see myself investing five years into a degree I was not very sure about. I think I made the right choice, got a great placement. Personally, I wouldn't do anything differently, though it's been a few years.
Law is quite stressful, would not suggest to anyone to take it and narrow down their path in life if they do not like the subject and don't see themselves enjoying the work and long hours after that. SRCC, anyday I would say. Good luck
Scored well enough to get into NUJS but opted Pol Science at Ramjas which is nowehere comparable to the likes of Eco at Stephen's and SRCC.2 years since I made that choice and I know the unpredictability associated with this degree and the opportunity cost i might end up paying but end of the day I'm proud of the decision i made.
Umm bills sir,are directly proportional to wants which again are proportional to income(in most cases).We humans tend to generate those bills for ourselves and then crib about paying off the same.Without a top corporate job one might not be able to splurge as much but how does that matter.Human wants/ambitions/desires are insatiable and money has a high diminishing marginal utility.Having witnessed the culture myself through my parents I knew that wasn't were i would have wanted to see myself 10 years down the line. Moreover,I would prefer being a philosophical beggar than an overworked slave. No disrespect intended to anyone chasing money or jobs.These choices are subjective.Maybe I think the way I do coz I've had a comfortable upper middle class raising with fortnightly doses of "paise ke peeche mat bhaag" sermons.
The problem, however, started when I came to frequent LI- and read of the struggle of those graduates without kin in the legal fraternity, extremely low pay in the initial years and on the other spectrum, long and toxic work environments of law firms. All of you sound like you're having to deal with real issues, and I can empathize with you but this might not be a life path I would want to see spiral into. I might be very young, but it pains me to make and ponder over my own choice.
I'm doing well, not exceptionally brilliant here at NALSAR, I performed fairly well in my midsems and whatever I'm studying is interesting and I do enjoy it a bit, but I don't know if law is worth pursuing.
Sorry for this rant, but my question for you is would do it differently? Not opt for law? Do you think it would be wise to leave NALSAR for SRCC next year(if I make it through again lol)?
I know someone who did Law from one of the tier 1 NLUs and finally ended up in world bank after higher studies. Also, lots of people end up as journalists, civil servants, Researchers in Think tanks etc. All of which have very little to do with core law.
Also, it was 3 years at about 10k per annum of tuition instead of 5 years at 2 lakh per annum. You do the math.
Also, outside this incestous stupid law circle here, SRCC carries a lot more brand name than law schools. Until and unless you have figured that law is your only calling, I would say go with SRCC.
On top of that, for fee structure, I am not sure if someone can survive their entire metro lives with BA degree only and when they go for MBA, it becomes comparable to NALSAR's fees.
SRCC can provide wide spectrum to venture into but at the same time NALSAR provides institutional support. If the OP stays in NALSAR, then he can also pursue his own interests there as well. Its just that he would be an outlier in the space.
So as long as we are talking about jobs and safety nets, I think NALSAR is a far safer bet -
But if you don't like the rigourous course or just not feeling about doing it in NALSAR, drop it- you will not be the first person to do so, there are so many examples of people dropping out T1 NLUs to pursue their dreams of playing in a band or playing cricket, etc.
Just the point being, don't rely on best case scenarios. Also give a thought or two on the point that you(from now, You = OP) want to join SRCC because it is your childhood dream. Not all childhood dreams are best suitable for us, all the dreams should be rationalized with today's wisdom which we have. So make a calculated, rational choice with giving childhood fascinations its due weightage.
Regarding the point of how toxic work life can get, its just a matter of figuring out your own life. You cannot make a life decision based on something what a few random blog posts are saying. Definitely lawfirm work would be rigorous, but it can be worth it for you if you actually like working the practice area. Money and success in life cannot be the target after covering basic necessities of life, it all comes down to whether you like the work or not. Sadly, some of this also depends on how well placed you are financially. But if you are going to be financially independent without any family burden, it does not matter how much you earn - what matters is how much you like your work and can sleep peacefully at night. In short, don't base your decisions on LI posts; explore and intern at places to understand the work and career.
Also, venturing out from law school conventional jobs, you can take up out of the box career options. From Nalsar only, we have alumnis getting in cooking schools, international studies programs, MBA in IIM and other foreign universities, founding a crypto-startup, working in UN, giving civil services etc. However, again, these are just some examples cherrypicked for you, your individual decisions will entirely produce unique results. Also you can checkout a website- "lawyers not lawyering".
All of these, just to tell you that chill, lawfirm work can be fun as well, and even if you end up not liking conventional jobs like law firm and in-house, there will be plenty of opportunities you can work on.
I might be crossing a boundary here, and I apologize beforehand if I am doing, but take a look at yourself and think why are you having this option of SRCC and NALSAR? We've all stayed for two years at home with comfort of our families and cushy facilities, is it your fear of going out of your comfort zone that is making you decide like this? If there are valid concerns regarding family and relatives, then go ahead make your choice, but if this is something subconscious then it is far better to take a good look at it before deciding.
Talk to your Acad and SRW mentors as well maybe?
Hope this helps! I sincerely hope you make a healthy choice for yourself.
Lots of love.
Also, about your degree remark most people do MBA 10 years down the line but I can show you plenty of SRCC alum doing very very well just on basis of their 3 year college degree.
Not everyone at SRCC goes to DB but not everyone at NLS goes to A&O too. SRCC also has a larger pool of students to place but overall in terms of RoI it is great. The comparison is even more skewed in favor of SRCC when you see what SRCC alum are doing two years down the line (considering law is a 5 year degree).
OP you need to make this your own decision but let me tell you this that if anyone tells you that law firm job can be chilling then don't trust a word that comes out of his mouth anymore.
2. As the world is not revolving around you (and you seem to be aware of it), while you worry about 'what you may like', also think about the career options you will have after graduating from the two colleges. Being a law grad, while I know about the advantages of having a professional degree, I am not aware of what a bachelors/honours degree from SRCC/DU gets you. Exposure, mix of good-bad faculty and peer-learning opportunities exist at both places.
3. Lastly, for all this rant around law firm life, pressure and work. One fact is that life in 'law' is much more than that in (or of) law firms. Secondly, any rewarding, high-skill profession, specially as you grow senior (and relevant) requires commitment, certain work ethic and some level of sacrifice. Law is no different.
Other than being intelligent, you are also lucky. Take a call based not only on comfort but also ambition. Best of luck !
It is also easy to fall out of love in the 5 years, and being in a professional course, you'd have limited streams to move to. Using my bachelor in Political Science along with LLB, I have been able to pivot to public policy after working in a Tier 1.
Hope this is of help.
If you're not enjoying law / don't think this is the path for you, then I would strongly recommend you make the switch and move to SRCC. You can then decide later what kind of career you'd like to pursue but it's better to keep your options open than be pigeon-holed into law.
I say this because I really and truly wish that I hadn't made choices at 17/18 basis what was more 'practical' for a career. If I could do it all again, I'd spend some time trying to figure out what I enjoy - a career, money and stability will come in time.
The choice should depend on your personality and aspirations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-UEqJ85KE
Sorry to say but probably if you're from a rich background, this might not matter that much to you, in which case, just follow whatever is your passion, but make sure it's not an idealized view of the same.
Best of luck!
But having said that if it is not about money but about passion and NOT liking law at all, then obviously you should switch to SRCC. If you are at top at SRCC you will anyways have a great career. But mind you top paying recruiters at DU like Baine and Co etc will make you work hard as well. Probably less than a T1 lawyer but hard work will be there as well. A T1 lawyer or a Tier 1 in-houser can find a suitable team/company that gives him/her more work life balance. So that option is also there if you continue in Nalsar. Do not rule Law altogether. But yeah if it is your passion to be in SRCC then you may go ahead after you have weighed pros and cons.
and if that doesn't work
flip a coin, when it's in the air, you will know which college you were actually hoping for
SRCC + Foreign LLB
SRCC + IIM MBA
SRCC + Foreign MBA
SRCC then Job
Get stuck with NALSAR
Choice is yours.
Law is quite stressful, would not suggest to anyone to take it and narrow down their path in life if they do not like the subject and don't see themselves enjoying the work and long hours after that. SRCC, anyday I would say. Good luck
Moreover,I would prefer being a philosophical beggar than an overworked slave.
No disrespect intended to anyone chasing money or jobs.These choices are subjective.Maybe I think the way I do coz I've had a comfortable upper middle class raising with fortnightly doses of "paise ke peeche mat bhaag" sermons.