The legal sector has gained immense popularity among the young generations as a profession. Multiple TV Shows and Movies show the life of a lawyer no less than a movie star as a result the demand for high-quality legal education has also risen. Aspiring lawyers have to face the difficult choice of choosing a college for pursuing their legal education at least once. Both colleges are known to offer excellent legal education but have their pros and cons. There are multiple differences in infrastructure, reputation, faculty, placements and overall quality of education. Explore the differences between these institutions on various grounds. The major aim of this blog is to help you make a clear decision between choosing both.
Admission Procedure
The National Law Universities are considered among the top Law Universities of India especially the ones with top NIRF Rankings as a result the admission process to these Universities is highly competitive. The admission process is primarily based on two major entrance examinations the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and the All India Law Entrance Examination (AILET), especially for National Law University, Delhi.
On the contrary private law institutions have a relatively lenient admission procedure for it’s candidates. Some Universities are known to conduct their entrance examination while others offer admission based on the marksheet of class 12th. This makes it clear that NLUs offer admission strictly on a merit basis whereas Private Institutions have a more direct way of admission.
Quality of Education
There is no complaint on the quality of education offered by the National Law Universities. These methods are known to offer more comprehensive legal knowledge along with practical implementation. There is a wide range of subjects such as Criminal Law, Constitutional Law and Corporate Lawyers. National Law Universities emphasize mainly moot courts, research-based education, internships and experiential learning which ultimately prepare the candidates for the real legal world.
Talking about private law institutions they follow the traditional syllabus as prescribed by their respective Universities. Their focus on moot courts, research-based education, internships and experiential learning may be lower as compared to the National Law Universities. Some of the government-affiliated colleges even have outdated syllabi leading to a major gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world knowledge.
Faculty Standards
The National Law Universities attract highly qualified professors and faculty members including Ph.D. holders, legal professionals and industry researchers. Many professors at National Law Universities have international networks and contribute majorly to legal research and policy making. The NLUs also invite guest lecturers from the Supreme Court and High Court to provide in-depth knowledge of the legal career.
The teaching standards in private law institutions vary widely. The major private institutions have reputed and competent professors but many governments and lesser-known law colleges struggle with outdated teaching methods and faculty shortage. This makes the National Law Universities a clear winner in terms of faculty members and teaching standards.
Infrastructure
The National Law Universities are known to offer excellent infrastructure facilities with well-stocked libraries, affiliated moot courts, modern classrooms, auditoriums and sports facilities which ultimately help in providing a holistic development of its candidates.
The normal law colleges on the other hand may or may not have the appropriate facilities. Some of the major private colleges provide excellent infrastructure which sets a benchmark for the other normal law colleges but many low-tier colleges do not even have the basic infrastructure resulting in poor library resources, maintenance and digital resources.
Career Opportunities and Placement Cell
Placement opportunities are one of the biggest advantages of studying at a National Law University. All the top law firms like Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Trilegal, Khaitan and Co., Cyril Amarchand Mnagaldas and AZB & Partners are known to come to these colleges for hiring purposes. These Universities are known to recruit heavily from these universities and even offer lucrative international packages to their candidates.
The placement opportunities at a normal law college may vary, some of the top private law institutions are known to offer decent placement opportunities while some others struggle to do so and may not have structured placement programs. Candidates are often seen struggling to secure internships and job opportunities on their own. As a result, the placement cell and career opportunities at a National Law University are considered far better than any other college.
Exposure among the Candidates
The National Law Universities are known to offer great exposure to its students through national and international moot court competitions, and student exchange programs. The colleges offer valuable research papers along with internship opportunities. Candidates often receive the opportunity to learn with the top legal minds, judges and policymakers.
Normal Law Colleges on the other hand have limited resources for their candidates. The reputed private institutions do have the facility of moot court services and legal aid cells but the overall student engagement among each other is lesser as compared to the National Law Universities. Therefore we can say that peer learning in an NLU is highly competitive in comparison to a normal law college.
Cost of Education and Fees
This parameter is the game changer for most of the candidates. The fee structure at a National Law University is comparatively higher and ranges between 2-4 lakhs per annum depending upon the ranking of the university. The fees include everything including the candidate’s hostel fees, academics and extracurricular activities but it can be a little expensive for the candidates. There is also the provision of financial aid for deserving candidates at an NLU.
The government-affiliated colleges have a slightly lower fee structure as compared to the National Law University often ranging between 10,000-50,000 per annum but the top-tier private institutions may charge the same as a National Law University or even more making the NLU’s expensive and the normal law colleges slightly budget-friendly.
FAQs
Yes, the National Law Universities are known to provide a strong foundation to its candidates with multiple facilities such as experienced faculty members, and research-based learning making it extremely beneficial to prepare for the judiciary examinations. However, students can also clear the judiciary examination with the right preparation irrespective of their college.
The top-tier private institutions are known to provide a decent placement due to their strong network with top law firms and companies but students have to prepare independently through internships and competitive examinations for better placement opportunities.
The top-ranking National Law Universities in India include the NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLU Delhi and NLIU Bhopal based on various parameters such as quality of education, placement and reputation.
Not necessarily, the low-tier National Law University may not have the same quality of education and faculty as the top-tier National Law Universities some Low-tier NLU rank even below the top-tier private institutions. The new NLU still have a lot to develop in their academic infrastructure.
A candidate must always aim for the top therefore you if manage to secure a seat at the top National Law University don’t dare miss the chance unfortunately if you’re unable to do so you can consider the top-tier private law institutions as they also provide strong faculty and placement support.