LLM Career Scope: Jobs, Placements, Salary 2023, Top Recruiters/Companies

LLM is a two-year postgraduate course in law also known as Master of Law. It is designed to master over a particular specialisation of law. It helps in enhancing knowledge on a particular area of law so that candidates are able to conduct research on their particular area of specialisation. This course is pursued after completing three-year or five-year LLB.

Why Choose LLM?

Professionals and recent graduates who are interested in pursuing a particular area under law seek admission to this course. It is an undeniable fact that a candidate studies more than 30 different law papers across a span of three years or five years of law school. LLM offers expertise in one particular field of law which provides the platform to make a mark in a niche area of law. Some of the top fields popular amongst candidates are Civil Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Law, Company Law, Cyber Law, Environment Law etc.

LLM course is a mandatory course for those who wish to establish a career in research and academics. Like all other subjects, one has to complete LLM, clear UGC NET and later pursue PhD to become an Assistant Professor as per the new UGC guidelines. Similarly, many law firms who practice in a particular area of law often hire professionals who possess degree in the relevant or related specialisation.

The Master’s degree in law delivers the following programme outcome:

• It generates high-quality research skills within candidates who can pursue long-term interdisciplinary or legal research
• Candidates develop knowledge on the specific area of law, its statutory and procedural norms.
• They develop sound legal reasoning and understand the theory of law.

Top Careers in LLM

The importance of LLM is increasing day by day. This can be seen in the number of candidates applying for these courses straight after completing LLB. Many candidates go for top LLM entrance exams such as CLAT PG, AILET PG, ILI LLM, BHU PET, DU LLM to secure a seat in the top universities offering LLM. With an increase in the legal transactions across the world, contract specialists and analyst who specialise in the relevant area of transaction such as Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate and Securities Transactions. In the age of globalisation, legal issues of one nation have the ability to affect the legal transactions in other nations. Therefore, professionals holding specialisation in various areas of law possess better skills and knowledge.

Some of the job positions taken after completing LLM are as follows:

• Advocate: An advocate is responsible in providing justice to his clients by representing the plaintiff or the respondent, counselling clients on legal matters and drafting legal documents. He must be well-versed with human behaviour as well as have strong speaking and drafting skills. He must be calm, composed, honest and self-motivated to address to the needs of the clients.
• Legal Document Reviewer: A Legal Document Reviewer deals with reviewing different types of legal documents or contracts before they are negotiated and finalised by the clients. He detects the errors and provides reasonable solutions to his clients. He must be well-versed with legal documentation process of various countries such as UK, US and EU.
• Legal Associate: Legal Associates are professionals who work for top law firms under a team comprising of lawyers. They deal with cases distributed on the basis of their area of specialisation. A legal associate must be hardworking and able to produce results within stipulated time.
• Notary: A notary is a public official who is responsible for the verification and authentication or attestation of various legal documents. He also administers oath or takes affidavit of a person and sometimes act as an arbitrator or conciliator.
• Magistrate or Judge: One of the most decorated posts, Judge or Magistrate is responsible for the administration of justice in the righteous way which will maintain sense of integrity in the society. He ensures that the aggrieved party gets justice through adequate redressal in terms of compensation.
• Oath Commissioner: An oath commissioner verifies affidavits and ensures whether the evidence has been produced in the written format or not. He is also responsible for the verification of the affidavit and whether it was properly sworn in or not.

Career Scope After LLM

LLM provides great opportunity for career growth. Many top law firms, research institutes, public policy think tanks as well as universities hire candidates who have completed LLM and meet other educational qualifications. Professionals can enter the legal industry as a Legal Associate, Contracts Specialist, Assistant Professor or Legal Consultant. Many candidates also procure international opportunities to pursue Ph.D. from world-class universities or work in UN organisations. Candidates can also find lucrative job opportunities in the government sector such as Public Prosecutor, Civil Judge, Legal Associate in various Government Departments.

Read More: Syllabus for LLM

LLM Career Scope in India

Legal industry is becoming more competitive in the recent times and new job opportunities are created for professionals who have completed LLM. During LLM course, students must undertake internships and training programs to enhance their employable skills and make potential contacts for job applications. One can also start preparing for government exams during their course to establish a promising career in law. Some of the fields which provide good career opportunities to candidates are:

• LPO: Legal Process Outsourcing firms deal with catering to the demands of international clients with respect to legal document and contract analysis.
• Academics: Academics is one of the most preferred career path to enter into legal academics. One can start as an Assistant Professor or Teaching Assistant. He must also clear NET and pursue Ph.D. Candidates must also produce research papers as well as participate in seminars and conferences.
• Corporate and Real Estate: Many top law firms such as AZB & Partners, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Argus Partners, Trilegal deal with matters such as Real Estate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Asset Management, Capital Markets, Dispute Resolution etc. It is one of the popular career choice amongst candidates from NLUs.

Average Salary Based on Job Positions

The table below mentions the average annual salary offered to professionals who have pursued LLM. It is as follows:

Top Recruiters for LLM Professionals

The ever-increasing scope of law across global platform has increased the need of trained legal professionals dealing with a wide range of legal areas such as civil laws, corporate laws and intellectual property laws.

Some of the top recruiters for LLM course are as follows:

• Trilegal
• Manupatra
• LexisNexis
• Quislex
• Mindcrest
• Juris Corp
• Linklaters LLP
• Majumdar and Co
• AZB & Partners
• L&L Partners
• Khaitan and Co
• Law Commission of India

Read More: Top Law Entrance Exams 2023

Top Colleges for LLM

The below-mentioned table provides information on the average annual package offered in placements in the respective colleges.

How to Get Job after Completing LLM?

During LLM programme, candidates are advised to undergo training and internship in top firms or companies which allow them to gain employable skills such as research and legal drafting skills as well as negotiating and counselling skills. Those who lack professional experience before pursuing LLM must take internships and training modules during summer/winter breaks to ensure that they develop professional skills before entering into the market.

Those who aspire to get a job in academic domain must write research papers and attend seminars and conference. Along with that, they must also clear UGC NET/JRF to pursue Ph.D. Candidates who aspire to enter into the professional sphere after completing LLM must be aware of the nitty-gritty of their specialisation and must be well-versed with the national and international conventions. They must also ensure that they possess the qualifications to practise as an advocate.

Top Indian Cities for lucrative Jobs after completing LLM

 After completing LLM, one can find various employment opportunities in law firms and consultancy companies which are generally located in cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. These are the cities where the main offices of top-tier firms are located and they provide a head-start to professionals who wish to advance their career in law. 

The below-mentioned table provides information about average annual salary that is offered across various cities. Please keep in note, these salaries are based on the salary offered to candidates having minimum 3-5 years of experience.

Life after LLM

Pursuing the LLM course can be highly advantageous and fruitful for the career development of any professional due to the increasing demand of lawyers and researchers in various specialisations. Law as a field is ever-evolving with a lot of Indian professionals seeking international opportunities also. Different domains are hiring LLM graduates who are trained in research and legal writing skills. The common job and responsibilities include:

• Preparing research drafts on legal issues
• Review legal documents/contracts
• Suggest legal solutions to clients
• Negotiate terms of contract and suggest solutions.

Read More: Top Colleges for LLM