I am currently pursuing a BBA LL.B. (Constitutional Law Hons.) at NEF Law College, Guwahati, Assam. My long-term goal is to build a career in corporate law and eventually work at top-tier Indian law firms such as Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (SAM), AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co., and Trilegal.
I understand that these firms predominantly recruit from leading NLUs, and since I come from a Tier-2 law school and a first-generation legal background, I would like to understand the most realistic pathway to reaching that level.
From my first year itself, I have actively participated in national moot court competitions and am also working on publishing legal research papers to strengthen my profile. Over the next five years, I intend to focus heavily on academics, mooting, research, internships, drafting, and developing strong commercial awareness.
My question is: if I build a strong profile during my BBA LL.B. and later pursue an LL.M. from a premier institution such as NLSIU Bengaluru, would that significantly improve my chances of securing a position at firms like CAM, SAM, AZB, Khaitan, or Trilegal? Do these firms consider candidates who completed their undergraduate law degree from Tier-2 institutions but later graduate from NLSIU or another top NLU?
As someone with no family background in law, I would be grateful for an honest assessment of my chances and guidance on what specific milestones, skills, and experiences I should focus on during law school to maximize my opportunities.
Greetings,
LL.M from NLSIU, Bangalore will not help in directly securing a position in a top-tier law firm unless you have references, people who are already working or have worked in such firms who can refer you. However, if the Recruitment and Placement committees are active and engage in thorough networking then number a good firms may come for placements to the college.
In terms of placements in NLSIU for LL.M graduates, most recruitment are for:
1) Asst. Professor in Colleges and Universities.
2) In-House Counsel (Tata motors, private companies, private banks etc.)
3) Tier 1,2,3 law firms
But the emphasis in how the student Placement Committee functions, if they are proactive then there are chances of recruitment in top firms. Thereafter, it depends on the interview etc of each student.
Therefore, there’s good chance of being placed after completing LL.M from NLSIU in a good law firm (even if not tier-1).