Though legal profession, in India, has seen quite a few luminaries, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, it did not enjoy the respect, which it deserved, for quite some time. Probably, the portrayal of lawyers in Indian movies was responsible for this, to some extent. Today the scenario has changed. With the establishment of the national law schools in India, we have witnessed a change in the perception towards law as a career. This change has also resulted from the high paying jobs that these graduates have been able to get in the last decade and from the increased demand for law graduates in the corporate sector.

So, who makes a good lawyer?  A lawyer must have good communication, both written and oral. He/she must be able to draft legal documents. Further, a lawyer must be well aware of current happenings, should be smart and presentable and should be able to present ideas in a logical manner. The common Law admission test is designed to test these skills

Lawyers find work in several areas ranging from law firms to multinational corporations. Some of the areas in which lawyers tend to get employed are as under

• Litigation
• Law Firms
• Corporate counsel
• Judiciary
• Social Law
• Media and Law
• Business Management
• Legal Process Outsourcing

Common Law Admission Test 2012 notification, CLAT 2012

The Common Law Admission Test is conducted for admission to the undergraduate programme at 14 National Law Universities in India.

Eligibility

Should have passed Higher Secondary School/Intermediate Examination (10+2) or its equivalent examination with not less than 50% marks in aggregate (45% in case of SC/ST/OBC and persons with Disability).

Should not be more than 20 years (in case of General/OBC candidates and 22 years in case of SC/ST and persons with Disability) on 1st July, 2010.

Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination can also appear provisionally. However, they shall have to produce proof of having passed the qualifying examination before or at the time of admission with detailed mark sheet.Candidate with compartment/supplementary in any subject in the qualifying examination will not be eligible for admission.

Pattern

Total Marks : 200
Total number of questions : 200
Total Time : 2 hours

Subject areas with weightage

English including Comprehension:40 Marks
General Knowledge: 50 Marks
Elementary Mathematics :20 Marks
Legal Aptitude : 50Marks
Logical Reasoning : 40 Marks

The following 13 National Law Universities are members of CLAT 2012

• NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
• National Law Institute University, Bhopal
• West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
• National Law University, Jodhpur
• Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
• Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
• Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow
• Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab
• Chanakya National Law University, Patna
• National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi
• National Law University, Orissa
• National Law University, Assam

Some of the other popular Law schools

• Amity Law School
  NOIDA – 201303
  E-mail: director@als.amity.ed
  Web: www.amity.edu/als
• Balaji Law College, Pune
  Pune – 411 048
  E-mail: info@balajilaw.com
  Web: www.balajilaw.com
• Christ University
  School of Law
  E-mail: admission@christuniversity.in
  Web: www.christuniversity.in
• Faculty of Law (University of Delhi)
  Delhi – 110007
  E-mail: director@als.amity.ed
  Web: www.du.ac.in
• Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University
  Aligarh Muslim University,
  Aligarh – 202 002
  Web: www.amu.ac.in
• Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University,
  Varanasi – 221 005
  Web: www.bhu.ac.in
• Government Law College, Mumbai
  Mumbai – 400 020,
  E-mail: glcstudentscouncil@gmail.com
  Web: www.glcmumbai.com
  Office Timings : 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
• ILS Pune
  Pune – 411 004
  E-mail: ilslaw@vsnl.com
  Web: www.ilslaw.edu
• The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
  Chennai – 600 028
  E-mail: tandralu@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in
  Web: www.imsc.res.in
• University Law College, Bangalore
  Bangalore University
• University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES) 
  Dehradun - 248 007 (Uttarakhand)
• Symbiosis Law College
  Pune – 41100
  E-mail: info@symlaw.ac.in
  Web: www.symlaw.ac.in