What Are the Prerequisites of Getting Into Law School ?

A person having a law degree (LL.B.) can be enrolled as an Advocate under The Advocates Act,1961. 'LLB' is the abbreviation for the Bachelor of Laws. The degree is abbreviated to 'LLB' instead of 'BL' due to the traditional name of the qualification in Latin, 'Legum Baccalaureus'. 'Legum' is the plural of 'lex', meaning law, while 'Baccalaureus' is the origin of the term 'Bachelor's Degree'. There are two streams recognized by the Bar Council of India since 1993 i.e. three year and five-year course.

Admission to undergraduate law courses are based on performance in entrance exams (such as the national-level Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) or the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)) conducted by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for foreign universities/premier private institutions in India, or CET (Centralised Entrance Test) conducted by the States like Maharashtra.
Some premium institutions have their entrance examinations like Symbiosis International University, Jindal University, Bharti Vidyapeeth, D.Y. Patil University, Christ University in Bengaluru, Kalinga KITTEE in Orissa, etc. The various entrances are normally conducted between the March to May months of every year.

Getting into a law school, albeit a time-intensive process, can also be cracked easily with due preparation and research. With the advent of free information and resources available on the internet, information is accessible, and many students are using it to crack exams. Do not select colleges by the surveys, as many of these surveys are paid ones.  
First thing first, before you go through a law school, research the entrance examination process to prepare for the test, and follow the steps below. 

1. Academic Performance: Focus on maintaining a high GPA in your graduate studies or qualifying examination, as the case may be. Most top law colleges have stringent academic requirements, so it's essential to perform well in your HSC (10+2) or graduate studies.
2. Entrance Exams: Prepare thoroughly for these exams, as they are significant in the admission process.
3. Preparation for Entrance Exams: Start your preparation early for the entrance exams. You can take guidance from law teachers, or use online resources to help you prepare effectively. Practice previous years' question papers and mock tests to improve your speed and accuracy.
4. Develop Strong Analytical and Logical Reasoning Skills: Law entrance exams often include sections testing your analytical and logical reasoning skills. Practice solving puzzles, logical reasoning questions, and critical thinking exercises to improve in this area.
5. Improve General Knowledge: Stay updated on current affairs, legal news, and general knowledge topics. Reading newspapers, magazines, and online resources can help you stay informed and improve your general knowledge.
6. Write a Strong Personal Statement: Many law colleges require applicants to submit a personal statement or statement of purpose. Use this opportunity to showcase your passion for law, your achievements, and your goals. 
7. Letter of Recommendation: Some universities require letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, or employers who can attest to your academic abilities, character, and potential for success in law school.
8. Prepare for Interviews, if any: Some law colleges may conduct interviews as part of their admissions process. Prepare for interviews by practicing common interview questions and articulating your reasons for pursuing a legal education.
9. Research Law Colleges: Conduct the survey and research into various law colleges in India, or abroad, and understand their admission criteria, faculty, infrastructure, specialization, and placement opportunities. 
10. Develop a timeline: It is highly recommended that you give yourself sufficient time before preparing for law school. 
11. Develop a studying routine: Consistency and ideal study habits like going to the library early in the morning and leaving late, giving you sufficient time to sit and plan and study every day accordingly up until you take the test.
12. Focus on your target: This is an entirely personal process. One of the significant distractions is social media, so make sure that you have your social media accounts deactivated or apps uninstalled if you cannot resist checking them every five minutes. 
13. Recommendations: Reach out to your professors to write you a recommendation for law school. If you do an internship somewhere or work somewhere, get one of your ex-fellow employees to write you a recommendation.
14. A pitch for yourself: After getting your recommendations, start thinking about your narratives. What it means is that if you could give an elevator pitch to yourself, like, for instance, this is who you are, this is why you want to go to law school. Packaging yourself compellingly and memorably because admission officers look at hundreds of thousands of applications. It would be best if you stood out among those many applicants. 
    These are some of the following selection criteria, for preferring admission to law colleges:

• Make a list of universities that are well-ranked, either government / private.
  
• Library access, and internet facility of the University.
• Faculty check the departments.
• Hostel facilities or other nearby accommodations
• Environment of the University /previous records of the students of the university.
• Proximity to metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore will be an added advantage for internships and placements.

The quality of the Bar depends on the quality of legal education provided in law institutions, and the quality of the Bench depends on the quality of the Bar. Therefore, specialized higher education, formal training, and systematic and continuous advancement to keep pace with the developing technology became inevitable.

About The Author:

Adv. Dr. Ashok Yende is the Founder & Managing Partner at the Yende Legal Associates. He has been empanelled as the Mediator by the Bombay High Court, Maharashtra State Consumer Commission, Presolv360. He had served as Professor & Head, of the Department of Law, at the University of Mumbai. Likewise, he is the Founder and Director of the University of Mumbai Law Academy. He is the President of Global Vision India Foundation and has headed leading law institutions in the country. He has significantly contributed to the cause of legal education and profession. Besides, D. Lit., Ph.D., and LL.M. degrees, he has passed programs at Harvard Kennedy School, USA, and London Business School, London. With an extensive experience of over 35 years, he has authored seven books, and has been honored with prestigious awards.