India’s law firms are typically run as small family businesses with two to five partners and 10-30 associates working within.
India’s legal profession is powerful and highly respected nationwide; yet it does face challenges of its own.
One major difficulty lies in the enormous backlog of cases in our judiciary system.
1. The number of lawyers in India
Lawyers play an essential role in India’s judicial system, guaranteeing access to justice for all. But not everyone has what it takes to become an attorney; their profession requires strong minds and intensive research skills.
India’s legal profession is flourishing, boasting more than 1.3 million licensed attorneys and with new law schools opening each year.
Legal professionals provide services and legal advice to businesses, individuals, and government agencies regarding legal issues and disputes. Their tasks may include conducting depositions, interrogating witnesses, and drafting legal documents – in addition to offering counsel on complex matters.
According to a Right to Information (RTI) response from the Bar Council of India (BCI), Delhi is home to the highest concentration of lawyers, followed by Maharashtra and Punjab & Haryana. Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir boasting less economic wealth per lawyer at around $2m each due to low population densities there.
2. The number of law firms
India boasts one of the largest legal professions worldwide with 1.3 million enrolled advocates, who play an essential role in providing access to justice for all and improving court functioning while decreasing pendency rates. Their work can be emotionally draining and often stressful; moreover, many legal practitioners remain underpaid and undervalued which may result in psychological problems or suicide attempts.
Though some top law firms have increased salaries and promoted women, overall the Indian law industry lags behind other sectors due to a lack of job opportunities for new graduates. Law firms hire junior associates on merit and promote them based on performance; lawyers specialize in areas such as corporate law, private equity banking dispute resolution and infrastructure projects and are hired by both domestic and foreign businesses for large business transactions as well as advice regarding compliance issues.
3. The number of law students
As India faces significant policy problems, lawyers may be best equipped to solve them. From helping identify its citizens through Aadhaar to improving judicial functioning and decreasing court case pendency rates – lawyers provide an important link between its citizens and government.
Law students often receive lucrative offers from top firms during campus placements, with law graduates in high demand. Yet most law graduates fail to capitalize on the booming corporate legal market due to a lack of job readiness – an issue also prevalent with graduates from other professional courses.
An extensive research methodology was utilized, comprising desk research, structured factual surveys, perceptual surveys and expert interviews. A national survey was distributed to all targeted law colleges nationwide with detailed questions on teaching methods, faculty quality, infrastructure needs and more. Following up on this questionnaire response with rigorous follow up and analysis based on stakeholder input was carried out on this data set.
4. The number of law graduates
Since 2010, India’s law graduates have seen steady increases. Although India boasts over 1,500 law schools, only top tier colleges can place students with desirable corporate law firms; larger firms often discriminate against law graduates from lower tier colleges.
Legal practice can be a difficult yet rewarding profession, with opportunities aplenty for career growth. India’s premier law schools provide programs focused on practical learning with strong industry-academic ties that enable their students to gain global perspective when practicing legal issues.
Young lawyers can serve as powerful catalysts of change in our country. By increasing transparency and addressing pendency cases, they can usher in a new era for our judiciary, hopefully leading to less people waiting for justice – an effort worth fighting for! For this cause to succeed we require passionate lawyers with extensive legal training who are eager to make a difference.