Many students, especially the ones good in studies approach me and ask – (a) if it is a good idea to do LLM after LLB and (b) what are the best places to do LLM. In this article, I will cover two aspects: (1) Purpose of doing an LLM (2) Where to do LLM.
Purpose of Doing an LLM
LL.M. stands for Legum Magister. It is the post-graduate degree or masters in law. In India, LL.M. is done mostly for the purpose of getting into teaching or research field. It’s a long story that I better not discuss here. The bottom line is that, if you do not intend to get into teaching, it is best to avoid doing an LLM. Despite being in the teaching field, I would not recommend law graduates to get into teaching field for various reasons. This is a topic that I will probably discuss in another article. If you want to do LLM and then do your practice or get into a law firm, doing an LLM is not a good idea. There are other ways in which you can specialise in a subject / field. There are many other courses you can take up online or through distance mode.
Where to do LLM?
It really matters where you do your LLM. During my final year, I gave the CLAT exams and since I qualified at the all India level and got a seat at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, I did not think twice before joining the course. If you get an LLM seat at the top National Law Universities (NLUs) or at a reputed University abroad (with fellowship), it is surely a good idea to do LLM. If you have money, you can consider doing LLM at places like jindal.
LLM at NLUs: Some of the top NLUs like NLSIU Bangalore, WBNUJS West Bengal, NALSAR Hyderabad are really worth. If you have done your LLB at any non-NLU Law College, then doing LLM at an NLU gives you a good exposure. However, the fees at most NLUs now has been very high these days and may not be accessible for many students.
LLM in a foreign University: Not all foreign universities are good. Check the QS ranking and other rankings and then decide. Any foreign LLM will be costly and would come nothing less than 25 Lakhs Indian Rupees. So, if you are doing an LLM at a foreign university, be sure to aim for fellowships that cover most of your expenses. If you are self funding your foreign LLM education, you may have to struggle a lot to recover this amount.
LLM in other Indian Universites: this “may” be a bad idea. Some universities do have good syllabus. But some of the State Universities do not have great syllabus. If you are doing LLM from any place, just check the research support, library resources available, placement opportunities, quality of the faculty members and support given by the institution before deciding.
Overall, I can say that, if you wish to get into teaching field, you may do LLM and that too full time course for two years. If you wish to get into practice or other fields, it would not add much value.
