Law via CLAT — NLU track
Crack CLAT to enter National Law Universities for a 5-year integrated B.A./B.B.A LL.B. Then move into corporate law, litigation, judicial services, public policy, or academia.
Public-source data verified 2026-01-15. Numbers (fees, cutoffs, salary) are annual snapshots — verify on the college's own page before deciding.
Salary in India
Top employers: Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas · Khaitan & Co · AZB & Partners · Shardul Amarchand · JSA · Trilegal · L&L · Argus Partners · Nishith Desai Associates · Luthra & Luthra
A day in the life
Corporate associate: 9am to 11pm-ish drafting transactional documents, redlining, calls with bankers. Litigator: court mornings, chambers afternoons, brief reading at night. Policy lawyer: government memos, consultations, advocacy work.
DRAG · ZOOM · EXPLORE. YOUR PATH AS A MAP.
4 steps
The route, step by step
- 01Prepare CLAT — English, Reasoning, Legal, GK, Maths
- 025-year integrated law degree at an NLU
- 03Internships every semester (corporate firms, advocates, NGOs)
- 04Recruitment: Tier-1 corporate firms, litigation, judicial services, policy
What to do this month
- Read 'Bare Acts' early — Constitution, IPC, Contract Act
- Daily current affairs habit (LiveLaw, Bar & Bench)
- Try a 1-week shadow internship with a lawyer to test fit
Top colleges
NLSIU Bangalore
GovernmentCutoff: CLAT AIR ~80
Visit official site →NALSAR Hyderabad
GovernmentCutoff: CLAT AIR ~150
Visit official site →NLIU Bhopal
GovernmentWBNUJS Kolkata
GovernmentGNLU Gandhinagar
GovernmentFaculty of Law, DU
GovernmentJindal Global Law School
PrivateBooks to start with
- Indian Polity — M. Laxmikanthby M. Laxmikanth
- Universal's CLAT Guideby Universal
- Word Power Made Easyby Norman Lewis
Online courses & playlists
- on LegalEdge
- on CL
Scholarships you can apply for
Common pitfalls
- Choosing private law schools without verifying placement reality
- Doing only corporate internships — limits future flexibility
Who probably shouldn't pick this
- Students who don't enjoy reading dense English — law is reading-heavy
- Students who can't tolerate long hours at top firms
Mentors who walked this path
Keep scrolling. Pole digs deeper into Law via CLAT — NLU track.
Each block below is generated fresh by Pole the moment it appears on your screen — so the answers stay tied to this path, not generic career boilerplate.
What each year actually feels like
From day one to your first real paycheque — what you do, milestones, the honest grind.
Pay across Indian cities
Bangalore vs Mumbai vs Tier-2 vs abroad. Take-home reality, not LinkedIn brag-bands.
Top employers hiring right now
Real Indian companies, how they hire, pay bands, and the honest culture take.
Mistakes Indian students make on the way in
Eight pitfalls, why they happen here specifically, and what to do instead.
Three realistic student stories
Composite, illustrative — Tier-1, Tier-2, and a non-traditional path.
What parents ask, answered honestly
Job security, settling, government job vs this, abroad, marriage — all of it.
Month-by-month prep timeline
What to do each month leading up to the entry point. Tasks, hours, checkpoints.
Where this field is going
Growth drivers, threats (AI, policy, oversupply), niches, future-proof skills.
All-in cost & break-even math
Government vs mid-tier vs premium scenarios. Real ₹ numbers, ROI in years.
How this stacks against the closest siblings
Eight dimensions, scored 1–5, with a one-line verdict each.
If this isn't the right fit
UPSC Civil Services (IAS/IPS/IFS)
The Civil Services Examination is a three-stage marathon — Prelims, Mains, Interview — leading into IAS/IPS/IFS/IRS and 24 services. India's most prestigious government job track.
Journalism / Mass Communication
BA/BJMC at IIMC, Jamia, Symbiosis, ACJ Chennai. Move into print, digital, broadcast, or PR.