A Career in Research and Academics

What it's about

NResearch in a law school is not just confined to a specific field. Legal scholars can describe the existing law (as happens in most doctrinal work), focus on the question of what is law (as in legal theory), or conduct research on the effects law has on society (as in, empirical legal science). Today, an average law student has to study & examine issues in diverse fields, ranging from Intellectual Property Rights, Environment Law, Space Law, to International Arbitration.

A law student tends not only tends to develop a zest for learning the rules governing the country, but also digs deep into all possibilities of a given situation. It is imperative that a legal researcher has critical opinions; and would not be afraid to air it by sharing the same with some of the best publishers, Web portals, etc.

The second stage is publication and presentation of one’s work in publications like the Harvard Law Journal, Oxford University Law Journal, etc., which brings about recognition in the international arena, as well as monetary rewards. The incentives and perquisites for hard work do not just end there. When the country’s topmost corporates, law firms, etc., throng your college, what will make you stand out among your peers and put you in high stead with these recruiters will be the initiatives which you would have undertaken in your days as a law student.

Standing testimony are the hundreds of National Law School alumni, who are working with international organizations like International Court of Justice, UNICEF, and Amnesty International, etc., obviously because of their inventiveness, but some credit also goes to the research conducted by them during their Law School days.

Why Research and Academics in Law?

When it comes to Research and Academics the initial pay package differs. As far as eligibility is concerned, either you need to have a Master’s degree (LL.M) or must have cleared the National Eligibility Test. You start as an Assistant Professor; and given your National Law School background, in due course if you take up a Doctorate, you can end up being the Dean of a College.

You can also apply for a Research fellowship with the country’s premier institutes, like the National Judicial Academy or Confederation of India Industries (CII).

The options do not end here, especially for those blessed with, or have developed, good oratory skills (with the exposure you get in a law school, that is a rule rather than an exception). You can establish your own knowledge unit; and start taking individual sessions. The remuneration has no upper limit; as the fee is often calculated on a per-appearance basis.

The Other Side

Compared to other options available, research and academics initially do not offer lucrative pay packages, and of course, require a lot of hard work. But then, that holds true for most careers.
National Law School alumni are counted among the best faculty members. This career option gives you more flexibility than any other stream. Moreover, a lecturer of law is paid on a per-hour basis. The remuneration, however, is directly proportionate to your experience and credibility.

Delivering lectures on any issue, and not just matters related to the law, comes easily to law students given the fact that throughout their law school life, they are constantly in touch with the issues governing the society. Not to forget their hold over a subject that is omnipresent in the world we live in: Law.

Top Colleges for Research & Academics in Law 

  • NLUs 
  • NLU, Delhi 
  • Faculty of Law, Delhi University 
  • OP Jindal Global University 

University School of Law and Legal Studies, New Delhi

Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 

Faculty of Law, BHU

  • Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi 

  • University College of Law, Hyderabad

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