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Law is a profession. Litigation, of all career paths, is the only example of that - professionals charge 'fees' for their services. These professionals may have people working under and for them - commonly called chamber juniors. Only in Delhi do they have a practice, which IMO is the worst - where they pay the juniors and in most cases, don't allow them to take up matters on their own. Go to any other city, especially those with a chartered HC, they have a system where the junior charges his own fee from the client/solicitor - which not only grants them independence but also gives a sense of achievement. If you don't understand this feeling, it's fine, there aren't many who get it. Its not a parochial system so as to speak, but those who have been here - whether nepo or not, have appreciated it and considered it better since it allows for a healthy system of competition and growth. Hence, since these advocates, aka professionals, can charge fees, they don't have a salary. This so called industry standard may be in Delhi, but that's for there only with limited presence in other cities.
Second, yes, the earnings are low in the initial years. No doubt about that. But please appreciate - there is a tradeoff. Yes, you would rely on your parents money in the initial few years and earn peanuts, but after that gestation period is over, you will have no limits on how much you earn. Anyone decently successful in litigation earns more, if not equal to anyone in any other career path in law. You have a valid point on not wanting to earn peanuts after spending alot on college - but that was entirely your choice to go to a college which has such high fees, and second, to not want to trade off the low earnings in initial years for earning in crores later. Money aside, litigation is far better than any other career path in law - which other career path has made so many lawyers who are politicians, AGs/SGs/Judges, Senior Advocates, are people known to the commoners, and contribute to the development of law? You see money is said to be the only constraint in litigation - but that has been addressed - post gestation period, there is no limit to your earnings. Other than that - litigation in terms of the nature and scope of work, the respect in society, the other career paths it opens, cannot be matched by anything else in law.