Integrated Law Course: Duration, Eligibility, List of Courses & More
The profession of law is very prestigious in India. It has an enormously wide array of opportunities up its sleeve if one opts for a legal career. Traditionally, students pursue a standard route of undergraduate degrees followed by three-year LLB courses. There has been an enormous growing demand for legal professionals cutting across many industries, and therefore integrated law courses have cropped up. The programs intermingle law education with other disciplines; for example, B.Com. LL.B., BA LL.B., etc. An integrated law course allows the student to graduate with double degrees, that is, a bachelor's degree and a law degree, thus making him or her better prepared for his or her profession in the future.
What is an Integrated Law Course?
An integrated law course is a program that combines an undergraduate degree with legal education. Students will not have to sit through a bachelor's degree and then pursue LLB subsequently, but instead, they will enroll in one single coherent course that carries both these two streams. This format will enable the student to receive knowledge in the legal streams along with the academic streams of business administration, arts, or science, according to whatever combination they opt for. Integrated courses of law are envisaged to educate legal professionals for operations between disciplines, thereby equipping them with better handling of complex issues in many spheres.
Duration of an Integrated Law Course
In India, an integrated law course generally takes five years to complete. This means that an integrated law course is drastically different from the conventional route, which totals completing a three-year bachelor's degree followed by a three-year LLB. The integrated law course saves one year in the total study period. General subjects as well as major core legal topics are covered as the program is divided into 10 semesters, too. One of the primary reasons that attract such a huge number of students towards these integrated law courses instead of the traditional LLB is the time efficiency of the course structure.
Eligibility to Enroll in Integrated Law Courses
Candidates must satisfy the requirement of having passed 10+2 from any recognized board to enroll in an integrated law course. Most universities and law colleges in India require a minimum percentage of marks obtained in the 12th standard, which varies from 45 to 50 percent for admission into these courses. Many universities and colleges hold entrance examinations that may be common, such as CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), LSAT India, or AILET (All India Law Entrance Test). Some colleges also apply their reservations as suitable for different categories of students.
List of 5-Year & 6-Year Integrated Law Courses
Numerous types of integrated law courses are available in India. These combine law with undergraduate degrees, relating to different fields of study. Some of these include the following:
CoursesDurationCourse CurriculumBA+LLB
5 YearsCombines arts subjects like political science, sociology, history, with law subjectsBBA+LLB5 YearsCombination of business administration (finance, management, accounting) with law subjectsB.Com+LLB5 Years Blend of commerce (accounting, finance, business studies) and law subjectsB.Tech+LLB6 Years Engineering subjects (technology, science) combined with legal studiesB.Sc+LLB5 YearsIntegration of science subjects (biology, chemistry, physics) with law studies
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List of Colleges Offering Integrated Law Programs
There are different types of law degrees in India to pursue for a career in law. Many of India's top colleges run integrated law programs and attract thousands of applicants every year. Some of the prominent colleges are listed below:
National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
National Law University (NLU), Delhi
Symbiosis Law School, Pune
Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat
Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar
National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal
These colleges undertake rigorous selection procedures and offer highly good infrastructural facilities, much-experienced faculty, and opportunities for internships and placements.
Conclusion
The integrated law courses in India provide for an overall dynamic education that combines legal studies with another subject, thus providing the student with a double advantage. These five-year programs save time. They allow broad exposure to careers in corporate law, intellectual property law, and even criminal justice. These courses are interdisciplinary. They aim to make students experts in legal procedures. They will also gain skills to succeed in business and industry. More on this, top colleges providing quality educational institutions are offering integrated law courses, which is an excellent choice for those students looking to mark a different feature in their career.
Integrated Law Course FAQs
1. What's the difference between LLB and Integrated Course?
An LLB is a stand-alone law degree offered after completing a bachelor's degree, and an integrated law course is one where a bachelor's degree and an LLB are offered in the same five-year program.
2. Can I do an integrated law course without taking the CLAT?
Yes, some law schools and universities have their entrance exams, and others give admission based on merit.
3. What can be made for a career after an integrated law course?
Graduates can work in the roles of legal consultants, corporate lawyers, legal advisers, and litigators, or can join jobs with the judiciary or civil services.
4. What is an average salary once an integrated law course has been pursued?
Salaries vary widely with specialization and experience. A fresh graduate can expect to receive a starting salary in a range of ₹4–10 lakhs in yearly pay, which increases hugely with time.
5. Can one specialize in some area of law under the integrated course?
Most integrated law programs include some optional subjects in later semesters where the student can specialize within areas such as corporate law, intellectual property, or criminal law.
