I'm facing a critical dilemma and was hoping to get some help from this lovely community. I have made it to the three year LLB program at NLS this year. I've been trying to figure out on whether going to law school would be a good investment or not. I've come across a common sentiment that 5 year LLB students are preferred over the 3 year LLB ones; Is it a good idea, then to pursue law at NLS, given that both these programs are not equally positioned with respect to getting opportunities? What has the experience been like for the pioneer batch? Would love to hear more on that. In addition to the aforementioned things, I would also like to mention that I will be 26 when I graduate from NLS. Is age a factor in recruitment? Will recruiters hold my age against me? Just hoping to gain some insights to make an informed and well reasoned decision. Would appreciate any help I can get from this community!
If you take up the five year course now then you will be graduating at 28 whereas you batchmates will be graduating around the range of 24-25. You will be 3-4 years late. I say stick to the three year llb. Graduating at 26 is not a big deal compared to graduating at 28
The age of 28 is too much. I graduated after my 5 year BALLB course when I was 22, I am 23 now and have been working at a Tier-2 firm for 14 months now. I can't even imagine graduating at 28....
That’s why I mentioned. Similarly majority of candidates graduate around 24-25. This trend is even common at tier-3. But 28 is something where I will draw the line but que sera sera
Age isn’t a factor at recruitment. But I will still suggest you to stick to 3 year llb. Your batchmates will be 3 years younger than you and that’s the minimum difference, if you graduate at 26 after a 3 year llb then no problem
It depends on your goals. If u want a govt job after law or do litigation then go for it. Getting a govt job becomes slightly easier after law as there are lot of opportunities which are reserved for law grads only.
Don't go for 3 year LLB if u r looking for Corp jobs. It's gonna be extremely difficult to get Corp jobs without contacts even if it's from NLS.
Here, at NLS, u will recieve quality education which will help u Crack govt exams or go into research/academia etc
Thanks for your inputs. Really appreciate your help. Are you saying this from personal experience? I understand that at present 3 year LLB programs have a hard time securing corp jobs, but don't you feel things might be slightly different when it comes to the 3 year LLB program at NLS?
Look at other places where they run a 3year and 5year course simultaneously.
SLS Pune: One of the best places for Corp jobs outside the top 5-7 NLUs. Now compare the placement records of the 5year and 3year course. Almost all the placements go to 5 year LLB students.
The picture is similar at places like Jindal (Although it does not have good placements overall but almost all the placements go to 5 year LLB peeps only) as well.
Now let me tell you why this is the case:
The placements are conducted at the end of 4th year or 2nd year for 5Year and 3year LLB respectively.
Now as a student of 3year LLB, it's very difficult to intern at a Corp law firm for more than 1 or 2months cuz firms usually don't take interns who does not have a basic understanding of Corp law and allied subjects. [Things like crim, torts and consti don't make much sense in law firms]. On the other hand, even a below average kid from the 5 year LLB course will have completed at least 4months of Corp internship at a T1 or similarly placed firms. Plus, there would be other advantages which will help 5 year llb kids like participating in more number of moot, research internships, publications, especially during 2nd and 3rd year. Corp internships are served on a platter to NLS kids in the 4th year. There are lot of other advantages like electives etc.
So when you sit for Day Z, there will be a massive difference between the CVs coming from the 3year course and the 5year course. This will make it very difficult to get recruited. Maybe the top 5-10 people from 3year LLB course but otherwise it's almost impossible!
Hey, I’m in the 3 year program as well and I have a decent understanding of corporate, securities and tax laws as I’ve studied them thoroughly in cs and I interned as a cs for 4 months too. So would it be highly unlikely for me to face a tough time getting placed?
This will surely be an advantage. If you are at NLS and can do reasonably well in academics then you have a good chance of getting hired as you have work ex as a CS. Try publishing papers/blogs in good reputed places as well. That will help!
If you are not at NLS then focus more on getting internships, which would be tough tho!
Thanks for your inputs. Frankly speaking, I'm not that sure about DU law faculty. The only reason I'm ditching it is because I have seniors there who aren't very happy about the academic environment. On top of that DU isn't necessarily known for corp placements so I'm less inclined to chose it over NLS. Thoughts?
GLC might be a safe bet aswell, you can intern in Mumbai all year long, should be a tad bit easier to land a corp job with 3yr llb if you have work ex in the same firm.
GLC is certainly a good option, but I have missed that opportunity now. Will have to wait till the next year and I can't afford to take an year off just for the LLB. Thanks for helping out.
Age is not a fator, 26 aint that far from where 5yr students would be (3years gap give or take).
If you are completely sure about pursuing a career in corp law, you'll find a break anyhow. Dw about the 3yr vs 5yr bias.
Not denying it, it is 100% there and pretty evident but it is not a good enough reason to scrap a career option complety due to it.
It wont be impossible, it will just be much harder to do internships etc. If it can be done by other, you can do it too.
However, if you're just doing it for the heck of it then its not worth it. Be completly sure about what you want and also depends on what other option/opportunites you have other than a 3yr LLB right now. Be confident if you choose the llb lane, dont let the bias rule you. Talk to seniors or other people in your batch who would have done the same. It is highly unlikely that no one from NLS 3yr law has bagged a tier one job. Again, if its possible, you can do it too.
Yeah 26 ain’t that a big deal compared to graduates who will be 24-25 anyway. But he will be 26 when he will join the three year course as he mentioned.
Thank you so much for your inputs. I am cent percent sure that I want to pursue a career in corp law. It's just that, at the moment, I'm not able to gauge/chalk out whether I'll have good or at-least reasonable outcomes at the end of my 3 year LLB. As far as NLS 3 year LLB is concerned, well, it started just a year back in 2022, which means no data is available insofar as the placements are concerned because the pioneer batch will graduate in 2025. I have other career avenues which I can explore, but I really really want to go for this program. It's really disheartening to learn that I won't be getting the same opportunities as the folks at 5 year LLB programs. Since this is a new program no one can say for sure how things will pan out. I just want to make a well informed decision because 3 years is a long time and I'll have to take into account the opportunity cost associated with this direction if I chose to go ahead. Thank you for helping me out tho. Really appreciate your help.
Obsessing again over my first point, if you are 100% sure about a career in corp law, go for it.
Take this from a non-nlu grad who is working in tier -1 corp rn, it is easy to fall in the rabbit hole and dwell over the missed opportunities (in your case, comparing yourself to 5yr law students). At the same time, look for solutions rather than spending your time contemplating your life decisons. It is generally not good for your mental health as there is nothing you can do to go back in time. (This also applies if you do choose the other opportunities you mentioned, make sure you dont regret and dwell again on not going down the law route).
You can still land a corp job, focus on your strenghts and find ways. I completly understand your unncertanity and how daunting it can be, but use it to fuel your career. I believe your dillema should not be 3yr law vs 5yr law, but you should focus more on law vs the other opportunities you have. If you do decide on the law route, do the 3yr law with pride. the 3yr vs 5yr debate is not relevant for you as it is the only option you have, so dont stress over it. If you were to ask 3yr vs 5yr law in your 12th before joining a BA or BCOM, our ans would be different.
Comparing is the thief of joy, at the end of the day we need to do the best we can with the opportunities we have. Fixating and cancelling a career option just because of an industry prejudice is not really the path you should go down. All the best!
Thank you so much for helping me out. Your comment really helped me to put everything in the right perspective! You're absolutely right fixating over lost opportunities won't help. I'll try to make the best out of the opportunities that I have. Thank you once again!
Yes very true. But I will like to point out that a 3 year gap amounts to someone graduating at the age of 25 as well , if he/she graduates high school when the person is 17. Doesn’t matter at all. Year gaps or drops don’t matter. If one is graduating within the age bracket of 24-25 , it’s perfectly fine
Hi, I just completed my 1st year at NLS in the 3-Year LLB course. Based on my experience, I can tell you that the academic culture is fantastic and we get to learn from the best at NLS because of a single section. However, if Corp job is what u r looking for, then it will be a bit difficult. From out batch, only 1 person got an internship in a T1 but that was through contacts. Our RCC failed to provide internships to any person in T1. A few people got internships in T2-T3 but on the other hand, a majority of the people from the 5-Year course has got internships in good places.
Hopefully, the RCC will be able to get us internships in the next break
3 yr grad here, the bias is evident but it is not impossible to get into.
you'll have 2 3yr law associates as compared to 8 from 5yr law. Meaning the competiton will be higher, it'll be more hard. At the same time you are someone who knows what you are doing, good at your job,have ability to deliver amazing billables, no tier-1 will deny you the opportunity you deserve. At the end of the day it is a business and they are also trying to maximse their profits. Just work on yourself and get ahead of others. Think about what you bring to the table for them and how and why would you be better for the job compared to others.
I'm facing a critical dilemma and was hoping to get some help from this lovely community. I have made it to the three year LLB program at NLS this year. I've been trying to figure out on whether going to law school would be a good investment or not. I've come across a common sentiment that 5 year LLB students are preferred over the 3 year LLB ones; Is it a good idea, then to pursue law at NLS, given that both these programs are not equally positioned with respect to getting opportunities? What has the experience been like for the pioneer batch? Would love to hear more on that. In addition to the aforementioned things, I would also like to mention that I will be 26 when I graduate from NLS. Is age a factor in recruitment? Will recruiters hold my age against me? Just hoping to gain some insights to make an informed and well reasoned decision. Would appreciate any help I can get from this community!
Thanks in advance!
Don't go for 3 year LLB if u r looking for Corp jobs. It's gonna be extremely difficult to get Corp jobs without contacts even if it's from NLS.
Here, at NLS, u will recieve quality education which will help u Crack govt exams or go into research/academia etc
Thanks for your inputs. Really appreciate your help. Are you saying this from personal experience? I understand that at present 3 year LLB programs have a hard time securing corp jobs, but don't you feel things might be slightly different when it comes to the 3 year LLB program at NLS?
SLS Pune: One of the best places for Corp jobs outside the top 5-7 NLUs. Now compare the placement records of the 5year and 3year course. Almost all the placements go to 5 year LLB students.
The picture is similar at places like Jindal (Although it does not have good placements overall but almost all the placements go to 5 year LLB peeps only) as well.
Now let me tell you why this is the case:
The placements are conducted at the end of 4th year or 2nd year for 5Year and 3year LLB respectively.
Now as a student of 3year LLB, it's very difficult to intern at a Corp law firm for more than 1 or 2months cuz firms usually don't take interns who does not have a basic understanding of Corp law and allied subjects. [Things like crim, torts and consti don't make much sense in law firms]. On the other hand, even a below average kid from the 5 year LLB course will have completed at least 4months of Corp internship at a T1 or similarly placed firms. Plus, there would be other advantages which will help 5 year llb kids like participating in more number of moot, research internships, publications, especially during 2nd and 3rd year. Corp internships are served on a platter to NLS kids in the 4th year. There are lot of other advantages like electives etc.
So when you sit for Day Z, there will be a massive difference between the CVs coming from the 3year course and the 5year course. This will make it very difficult to get recruited. Maybe the top 5-10 people from 3year LLB course but otherwise it's almost impossible!
If you are not at NLS then focus more on getting internships, which would be tough tho!
Thanks for your inputs. Frankly speaking, I'm not that sure about DU law faculty. The only reason I'm ditching it is because I have seniors there who aren't very happy about the academic environment. On top of that DU isn't necessarily known for corp placements so I'm less inclined to chose it over NLS. Thoughts?
If you are completely sure about pursuing a career in corp law, you'll find a break anyhow. Dw about the 3yr vs 5yr bias.
Not denying it, it is 100% there and pretty evident but it is not a good enough reason to scrap a career option complety due to it.
It wont be impossible, it will just be much harder to do internships etc. If it can be done by other, you can do it too.
However, if you're just doing it for the heck of it then its not worth it. Be completly sure about what you want and also depends on what other option/opportunites you have other than a 3yr LLB right now. Be confident if you choose the llb lane, dont let the bias rule you. Talk to seniors or other people in your batch who would have done the same. It is highly unlikely that no one from NLS 3yr law has bagged a tier one job. Again, if its possible, you can do it too.
Thank you so much for your inputs. I am cent percent sure that I want to pursue a career in corp law. It's just that, at the moment, I'm not able to gauge/chalk out whether I'll have good or at-least reasonable outcomes at the end of my 3 year LLB. As far as NLS 3 year LLB is concerned, well, it started just a year back in 2022, which means no data is available insofar as the placements are concerned because the pioneer batch will graduate in 2025. I have other career avenues which I can explore, but I really really want to go for this program. It's really disheartening to learn that I won't be getting the same opportunities as the folks at 5 year LLB programs. Since this is a new program no one can say for sure how things will pan out. I just want to make a well informed decision because 3 years is a long time and I'll have to take into account the opportunity cost associated with this direction if I chose to go ahead. Thank you for helping me out tho. Really appreciate your help.
Take this from a non-nlu grad who is working in tier -1 corp rn, it is easy to fall in the rabbit hole and dwell over the missed opportunities (in your case, comparing yourself to 5yr law students). At the same time, look for solutions rather than spending your time contemplating your life decisons. It is generally not good for your mental health as there is nothing you can do to go back in time. (This also applies if you do choose the other opportunities you mentioned, make sure you dont regret and dwell again on not going down the law route).
You can still land a corp job, focus on your strenghts and find ways. I completly understand your unncertanity and how daunting it can be, but use it to fuel your career. I believe your dillema should not be 3yr law vs 5yr law, but you should focus more on law vs the other opportunities you have. If you do decide on the law route, do the 3yr law with pride. the 3yr vs 5yr debate is not relevant for you as it is the only option you have, so dont stress over it. If you were to ask 3yr vs 5yr law in your 12th before joining a BA or BCOM, our ans would be different.
Comparing is the thief of joy, at the end of the day we need to do the best we can with the opportunities we have. Fixating and cancelling a career option just because of an industry prejudice is not really the path you should go down. All the best!
Graduating at 25. Pretty happy with it. Depends on your average batch range and mine was 24. It was very smooth.
Hopefully, the RCC will be able to get us internships in the next break
you'll have 2 3yr law associates as compared to 8 from 5yr law. Meaning the competiton will be higher, it'll be more hard. At the same time you are someone who knows what you are doing, good at your job,have ability to deliver amazing billables, no tier-1 will deny you the opportunity you deserve. At the end of the day it is a business and they are also trying to maximse their profits. Just work on yourself and get ahead of others. Think about what you bring to the table for them and how and why would you be better for the job compared to others.