I attempted CLAT 2024 and got an AIR 10X. I have been allotted NALSAR in the first list and will probably be allotted NLS in the later ones. My question was whether I should go to NLS with its fee increase, batch size increase and other things or not. I also wish to pursue UPSC after graduating. Any sane advice would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

That’s not a good reason at all. There’s a reason why NALSAR lost its “number 2” spot to NLUD and that’s due to a lack of academic rigour and poor faculty. Tier-1 NLUs have to push students to grow in those 5 years, not make it easy for them to get into some slave drive corp firm. Only reason I’d suggest NALSAR is if one wants a smaller batch size, otherwise, NLS has way better acads and faculty.

"NALSAR lost its "number 2" spot to NLUD". LMAAAO. May I know my good Sir if you are from NALSAR or NLUD?
I have seen many threads and comments here making such statements based on NIRF rankings. Does anyone know how terrible the placements were for the 2024 batch for NLUD? Compare it to NALSAR? NLUD does not have even decent hostels. Except locational advantage, it simply cannot be compared to NLS and NALSAR that have exceptionally well-connected Alumni network.

When people think college has any bearing on your UPSC preparation, it just makes me laugh. Juvenile. Colleges produce law firm placements, Vac Scheme kids, etc. Exams like UPSC are solely the outcome of the individual's effort. Allahabad University, Lucknow University, BHU, etc. have produced more UPSC toppers than any NLU will in the next 20 years.

I can only tell you about NLS so that you can make your own decision.

NLS has a trimester system with almost the same class hours per trimester as other NLUs have in a semester. Plus the evaluation pattern with multiple response papers, projects, etc in addition to exams makes it very hectic. But it does push you to work harder. Other than this, most professors are very very good. Some are not as good as others and some sections end up getting good profs and others don't.

Secondly, the batch size problem is real and may become a challenge for placements. I doubt if the legal market can absorb 300 students just from NLS. It is not a problem with classroom interaction as class size will remain at 60.

But the best things are the NLS tag and the alumni network. NLS alumni are in every big place and they are more than willing to help you out if you ask for it. I have interned with tier 1 firms where alumni partners have invited me to their offices just for an informal chat. Whichever career path you want to explore, you will find an alum there whom you can email and who will be happy to help. Lack of opportunity will never be a problem. You will of course have to work hard after that, but you won't find it difficult to get those opportunities.

So in conclusion, NLS is hectic but the rewards are great if you can survive it. You can do great in any college but the NLS background helps.

The most realistic answer. On the point of placements, everyone will not make it into T1 law firms and get a package of 18LPA. However, there are T2 law firms, companies that pay more than 15LPA where NLS grads never thought of going as they used to get placed in law firms only. Then there are research institutes. The newly established career and placement office is working well and has brought in good companies that are paying north of 15LPA that NLS was not even aware of.

As a recent NALSAR graduate (BA,LLB 2017-2022), I would strongly recommend that you should opt for NLSIU if you get it in the later allotments. Most people on the outside judge these law schools based on the employment outcomes at the time of graduating. However, the most important thing during student life is the quality of teaching that you receive inside the classroom and the attitudes of your immediate peers. NALSAR was doing decently in terms of classroom teaching in the years leading up to the pandemic. There were a few bad apples, but most of the teachers we had were fully engaged with their subjects and gave meaningful time and attention to the students. However, many of our better young professors left for JGLS, NLSIU and other places, especially during 2022-2023 as there was a prolonged power-struggle over who should be made Vice-Chancellor. From what I am hearing from my immediate juniors, the new Vice-Chancellor, Srikrishna Deva Rao, has gone in for fresh faculty recruitments this year but the overall teaching standards have visibly declined in the last two years. On the other hand, NLSIU has gone from strength to strength since Sudhir Krishnaswamy became the VC there in the latter half of 2019. NLSIU has held faculty selections in every academic year since then and there is no doubt that the best of the younger teachers are gathering here. On present form, NLSIU will definitely offer a much better-grounded academic experience. NALSAR may manage to keep up with the ranking, but the quality is likely to decline further in the next few years.