According to Legally India’s reporting of internal partnership promotions effective this financial year (since 15 June 2015), 92 salaried partners from 27 law schools were promoted across 30 Indian and foreign law firms.

NUJS alumni made up for the highest number of partners promoted across various law firms this year, followed by Symbiosis Pune, GLC Mumbai and NLSIU.

This analysis excludes equity partners made up during the same period in all firms where the salaried partner designation exists. But it includes equity partners made up in firms where there is no salaried partner designation. It also includes associate partner promotions in all firms for which we reported such promotions.

NB: Our list is not comprehensive and there might be errors (full source data at the bottom of this article). If you know any of the alma mater of the last few on the list, please do share in comments and we’ll update.

NB 2: An older version of this story incorrectly stated that Symbiosis Pune led the rankings this year and NLSIU, GLC and NUJS were tied up for the second spot. After adding several missed out entries for which we did not have data earlier, our sample size increased from 75 to 92 and then finally to 98 partners. We also deleted certain equity partners incorrectly added to the sample. Error is regretted.

NUJS Kolkata (founded in 1999) accounted for 13 per cent of the pie this year, rising seven ranks since Legally India’s 2013 analysis of promotions over four years at the six largest law firms. NUJS alumni were made partners at Argus, AZB, CAM, HSA Advocates, Talwar Thakore & Associates, Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy. GLC Mumbai, with partners made at ALMT Legal, AZB, DSK, JSA, Khaitan, Little & Co was at 12 per cent/

Symbiosis Pune (founded in 1977) accounted for 11 per cent, compared to only 5 per cent in 2013  across the six largest Indian law firms. Symbiosis alumni were made partners at Argus Partners, AZB & Partners, DSK Legal, Economic Laws Practice (ELP), J Sagar Associates (JSA), Kanth & Associates, Khaitan & Co, Rajani Singhania & Partners, Trilegal and Wadia Ghandy. Symbiosis also had the most number of the ‘Big Seven’ Indian firms in its alumni-partner net.

NLSIU Bangalore (founded in 1987) – the leader of the 2013 rankings – was the last law school to have a double digit percentage in these rankings. Although, in terms of variety, NLSIU covered the widest net of law firms because it had the only alumni promoted in foreign law firms as well. NUJS and GLC were each spread out across six law firms.

Law firms which promoted alumni from NLSIU: Argus, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), S&R Associates, Samvad Partners, Trilegal, Wadia Ghandy and foreign law firms Nixon Peabody, Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day.

ILS Pune slipped a rank below its 2013 rank and at number five this year it constituted 8 per cent of the total internal promotions. ARA Law, AZB, DSK, JSA, Khaitan and Trilegal were the ones to promote its alumni.

The takeover from Delhi University

In 2013, Delhi University provided a whopping 17%of all new partners at India’s six largest firms (see graphic below from this story).

Delhi University followed ILS this year with 7 per cent, its alumni made up at Advaita Legal, Dua Associates, HSA, Khaitan, DMD, DSK and JSA.

NLU Jodhpur and  Nalsar Hyderabad were tied up at 5 per cent and NLIU Bhopal, Amity Delhi and RA Shah Law College were tied together at 3 per cent.

These were the law schools in the top 11.

Nuals Kochi with one promotion was the only other national law university to have made it into the rankings.

JSA’s 14 salaried partner promotions this year were the highest among all reported law firms. It promoted equally from Symbiosis, ILS, GLC and Amity but did not promote from NLSIU. NLIU was the only NLU which it promoted from. DSK Legal and Trilegal (8 each) and Khaitan (7) were the other heavy hitters. DSK also did not promote from NLS but it did promote from Symbiosis, and Trilegal – which was co-founded by NLS alumni – promoted one alumni from NLS.

(See table for full breakdown of law firm partnerships, by alma mater)

Law firm partnership promotions: June 2015 – May 2016

Full list of promotions from 2015-16 reported on (including missing entries)

Note: The tables in this version of the story are different from the older version. Error is regretted.