Tuesday, 19, Mar, 2024
 
 
 
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Overseas Law Schools

 

In the era of globalization, more and more students are looking for opportunities in Western Countries. Overseas law schools too are offering students exciting opportunities to immerse themselves in foreign legal systems and international law.

Though legal education is known to be widely limited to being a domestic program, the attraction of a foreign degree still lures law aspirants. Today legal questions are increasingly being resolved across national boundaries, whether they involve business transactions, litigation, domestic relations, estate planning, or social justice.

Any aspirant seeking a law degree overseas must plan their educational track carefully and as early as possible to succeed.

To make a well-informed career decision, below are the details about the courses offered abroad, eligibility criteria and scholarships offered by some of the most prestigious universities.

What to study?

Before you plan to pursue a law course abroad, the most important factor to consider is to understand the difference in the degrees conferred.

In many countries, graduate students can go for an LLB followed by an LLM degree.

Even though, many top law colleges abroad permit students to study law as an integrated course of five years after clearing 12 years of education. While the countries follow the same model, they have a different sets of degrees on offer.

LLM or master’s in law follows the same degree structure across the world. However, the difference lies in the first law degrees as well as in PhD degrees.

Some of the Degrees being offered worldwide are:

  1. Juris Doctorate (JD)

In the USA, a JD degree is the first law professional degree. The degree is earned by completing law school in the United States, Canada and Australia among other countries. The JD degree is offered by both law schools approved or unapproved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and by some Canadian law schools.

A JD degree is equivalent to an LLB degree as the USA does not offer a 3-year law course, unlike India. Usually, an aspirant has to appear for LSAT to enrol in a JD programme.

  1. BA in Jurisprudence:

This Degree is offered by the University of Oxford and it counts as the first qualifying degree in law. It is considered equivalent to an LLB as the graduates can directly go for the Legal Practice Course (for solicitors) or the Bar Professional Training Course (for barristers) after completing a BA in Jurisprudence.

  1. LLB (Bachelor of law)

This program primarily deals with English Law and is offered in countries such as the UK, Cambridge etc. This course is suited for those who wish to practice law overseas.

  1. LLM (Masters in Law)

To pursue a master’s degree in law, the candidate must have a law degree. Master can be done in any subject/area which interests the candidate. The court would offer a deeper understanding of that particular area and can enhance the skill set of the candidate.

Common Eligibility Criteria

Some of the common requirements for studying abroad are:

  1. Academic Record

The candidate must have passed the exam that is required by the particular country/university.

  1. IELTS/TOEFL

Some countries such as the UK, Australia, USA and Canada consider the score of language proficiency tests IELTS/TOEFL for admissions.  The test is a language proficiency test and is conducted in both computer and paper-based modes.

  1. Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

LORs can be written by esteemed professors of the Candidates’ previous university/school or by previous employer etc. Many top universities and colleges require the candidate to submit a minimum of 2 LORs.

International Scholarships

There are many scholarships offered to Indian students who meet the respective eligibility criteria for studying law abroad. A few of them are:

  • UK- Chevening Scholarship, Felix Scholarship
  • GREAT Scholarships
  • Commonwealth Scholarship
  • Tata Trust Scholarship
  • Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships (USA)

 

After completing a law degree from abroad, if a candidate wishes to practice law in India, it is important to know what all universities are recognized by the Bar Council of India (BCI) as then the candidate can easily after enrolling with the State Bar/ Bar Council of India practice law in India. 

Universities recognized by the BCI are:

 

 
 
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