The legal profession has always been a demanding as well as a respected career in India. Many students aspire to be successful lawyers in India. In India, the legal education department is dominated mainly by two sectors: the NLUs and the Private Institutions. The NLUs have been the undefeated champions of legal education but the private law schools have gained significant traction over the years leading to a growing debate about whether the private institutions are good enough for the students or not. This blog dives into the pros and cons of selecting a Private Law School for pursuing legal education.Â
Curriculum and Faculty
The National Law Universities are known for their well-programmed curriculum designed to provide a strong foundation in legal principles and practice. They focus on holistic legal knowledge development that combines theory and practical applications.
Private Law Colleges are known to adopt a more modern and flexible approach to curriculum. Many private colleges are providing specialized courses in fields like cyber law, international trade law and intellectual property rights. Therefore private law colleges can also be taken into consideration for pursuing legal education.
Infrastructure and Facilities
The National Law Universities are known to provide extensive libraries and research centres due to which students have access to a wide range of legal documents and resources also these resources are available to the students at affordable rates.
On the other hand private law colleges are known to invest heavily in their infrastructure and resources. They offer digital resources and advanced research centres making this a key differentiating factor to allow candidates to choose private law colleges without any hassle. Private Law Colleges also provide better-equipped moot courts and also offer students to participate in national and international competitions.Â
Placement Opportunities
National Law Universities have an excellent record of providing top placement opportunities. The NLU Graduates are often in demand by the top law firms and corporate legal departments. The placement cells in a National Law University are highly established. The National Law Universities also have a strong alumni network providing valuable mentorship and networking opportunities.
On the other hand private law colleges are still trying to catch up on this. They do have a good placement record but it varies from college to college. Only top-tier private law colleges such as Symbiosis Law School and Jindal Global Law School provide excellent placement opportunities due to their strong industry connections. In this case, NLUs have a clear advantage over private law institutions.
Cost Effectiveness
This is one of the significant drawbacks of a private law college as these colleges often charge high fees for their education. The National Law Universities relatively charge affordable fees for their candidates as a result the National Law Universities are considered a more viable option by most of the candidates willing to study legal education. While the cost of studying in a private institution may be high, the Return On Investment can be substantially good in the top-tier private institution.Â
Reputation
The National Law Universities are established by the government bodies itself and are recognized by the Bar Council of India which gives them a significant advantage in terms of recognition. The Private Law Colleges also need to be accredited by the Bar Council Of India but the quality of education varies between a NLU and a private law college. National Law Universities consistently rank as the top law schools in India as a result end up being the first choice of every law aspirant. However, top-tier private institutions such as Jindal Global Law School and Symbiosis Law School have started to feature in global rankings thereby changing the perception of Private Law Colleges in India.
FAQs
The National Law University should be the first choice of every candidate but there is no harm in joining a private institution as it provides modern infrastructure and international exposure to its candidates.
Yes, private institutions such as JGLS and SLS provide excellent placement opportunities but the low-tier colleges may not provide such promising opportunities to their students.
The National Law Universities hold a stronger reputation among the law schools in India with comparatively lower fees and excellent alumni support.
Yes, many reputed private institutions provide financial aid and scholarships to their candidates who perform extensively and are in real need of help.
The average of studying in a reputed private law school can range anywhere between 3-10 Lakhs per annum.