Each year, for almost 2900 seats in all the National Law Universities’ undergraduate program combined, nearly 50,000 students appear for CLAT. These statistics evidently imply that the selection percentage is below 6%, thereby making it really difficult to secure an admission in the prestigious National Law Universities. It’s great for the 6% ofstudents who can secure admission in one, but what about the remaining 94% ofstudents? Does this mean there is no chance for the remaining studentswho could not get an admission in a National Law University (NLUs)to get quality legal educational and legal training? The answer is, no. There are a number of private law schools in India which impart quality legal education. There are various aspects of comparison between these schools and NLUs, such as:
- Location
- Infrastructure
- Internship opportunities
- Placements
- Alumni Base
- Fees
There are a few private law schoolsin the country which have set a standard that is comparable to the National Law Universities. To list a few of such schools:
| Name of the law schools: | Symbiosis law schools |
| Location: | Pune. |
| Infrastructure: | Well maintained library, classrooms, hostels and mess. The campus is not residential. |
| Internship opportunities: | Most law students get to intern with the top law firms and senior advocates. Internship scenario is at par with top National Law Universities. |
| Placements: | Several law firms and government departments visit for placements. |
| Alumni Base: | The college was established in 1977, which is before even the National law schoolsof Indian University, Bangalore, therefore making it a law schoolswith one of the strongest alumni base. |
| 5 year program Fees: | 17.25 Lakhs. The return of investment depends upon the placement, if one is interested in the corporate sector. |
| Name of the law schools: | Jindal Global Law School |
| Location: | Sonipat |
| Infrastructure: | Jindal Global law schoolsboast of one of the finest campuses for a law school in the country. |
| Internship opportunities: | The internship opportunities are same as those offered at any of the top National Law Universities. |
| Placements: | Top law firms and Corporate houses visit the college for placements. |
| Alumni Base: | The college was founded in 2009, so the alumni base is not as significant. But the batch strength is more than double that of most of the National Law Universitiesand alumni are placed at top positions in various fields. |
| 5 year program Fees: | Perhaps the only disadvantage of Jindal Global Law School. The course fee is 28.25 lakhs and can touch up to 40 lakhs for residential students. The return of investment is not so great, especially if the student is considering taking an education loan. |
| Name of the Law School: | Amity Law School |
| Location: | Delhi. |
| Infrastructure: | One thing nobody can complain about is the campus of Amity Law School, Delhi. The campus has all the basic amenities stores and recreational places on the campus itself, other than the facilities that provided. |
| Internship opportunities: | Being in capital of the country where the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court both are located, internship is the last thing to worry about for students of Amity Law School, Delhi. |
| Placements: | Top law firms located in Delhi and the senior advocates of Supreme Court and Delhi High Court regularly recruit students from Amity Law School, Delhi. |
| Alumni Base: | The school was established in 2006. The batch strength is over one thousand. The alumni base of the college is extraordinarily strong and quite widespread. |
| 5 year program Fees: | The total fee is around 14 lakhs. The return of investment would depend upon the placement. |
| Name of the Law School: | School of Law, Christ University |
| Location: | Bangalore |
| Infrastructure: | The campus is residential and all the facilities and necessities are provided on the campus itself. |
| Internship opportunities: | The location of the college really helps students securing internships. Students can intern at the Karnataka High Court and other corporate houses round the year because of the locational advantage. |
| Placements: | students get placed in the corporate houses and Legal process outsourcing companies. |
| Alumni Base: | The college was established in 2006. Therefore, the alumni base of the college is comparable more or less to most of the National Law Universities. |
| 5 year program Fees: | The fee is more than 10 lakhs but less than 12 lakhs, depending upon the undergraduate stream. The return of investment is dependent upon the placement. |
| Name of the Law School: | Institute of Law, Nirma University |
| Location: | Ahmedabad |
| Infrastructure: | The campus is fully equipped with all the necessities, but no hostel facilities are provided for law students. |
| Internship opportunities: | Being close to Gujarat High Court, the students have ample opportunities and choices to intern from. |
| Placements: | The government departments of Gujarat Government and other Legal processing outsourcing companies recruit students from the Institute of Law, Nirma University. |
| Alumni Base: | The Institute of Law, Nirma University was established in 2007. The alumni base is not one of the strongest but it’s improving by the year. |
| 5 year program Fees: | The fee is almost around 12 lakhs, which excludes the lodging and mess facility. The return of investment looks a little poor because of the same. |
| Name of the Law School: | Government Law College |
| Location: | Mumbai |
| Infrastructure: | The college provides for the basic facilities and amenities but not hostel and mess facility. |
| Internship opportunities: | Being located in the commercial capital of the country, internship is never a problem for the students of Government Law College, Mumbai. The internship culture at the college is without a doubt one of the finest among all the Law Schoolof the country. |
| Placements: | The college is known for producing eminent lawyers but now a day, corporate placements are also taking place at the college at a rapid rate. Placement records of the college are well above the average. |
| Alumni Base: | It is the oldest Law Schoolof Asia and boasts of the biggest legal luminaries the country has ever seen, like Ram Jethmalani, H.J. Kania, Soli Sorabjee etc. Alumni base of the college is far greater than any other Law School of the country. |
| 5 year program Fees: | Around 30,000/-. One of the best Law Schoolin terms of the return of investment. |
| Name of the Law School: | Indian Law Society’s Law College |
| Location: | Pune |
| Infrastructure: | 154 acre sized campus is residential and fully equipped with all the necessities and convenience, both academically and otherwise. |
| Internship opportunities: | The college enjoys a good reputation and securing an internship is not a problem for the students of ILS, Pune. Students get to intern under senior advocates, law firms and corporate houses. |
| Placements: | The college is better known for providing an atmosphere which is better suited for grooming litigation practitioners than corporate lawyers but the placements in the corporate domain are fair enough and comparable to the National Law Universities. |
| Alumni Base: | The college was established in 1924. A 96 year legacy guarantees a very strong alumni base. A lot of senior advocates and Judges are alumni of ILS, Pune. |
| 5 year program Fees: | Nearly 2 lakhs. Given the reputation and placements of the college, the return of investment is better than most other colleges. |
Other than the factors listed above, what gives these colleges a competitive edge with the National Law Universities is the intense focus on the legal research, legal drafting, legal publication, legal writing and analysis and exceptional legal training.
