Top Law Schools in India

When you want to become a lawyer, where you study really matters. In India, there are many law schools, each with its own strengths. But not all of them are the same. Some are much better in terms of their reputation, teachers, and how good they are academically.

In this article, we will look at the top law schools in India. These are the ones that always provide great legal education and have helped many lawyers, judges, and legal experts succeed.

Whether you’re someone who wants to study law at the best schools in India or a lawyer who wants to learn about the top law schools in the country, this article has all the information you need to make a smart choice. So, let’s start exploring the world of legal education and discover the best law schools in India.

Aspirants that wants to study in Florida can check out my previous article on Best law schools in Florida.

Overview of Top Law Schools in India

1. National Law School of India University (NLSIU)

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) was started in 1987 by a law called the National Law School of India Act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986). It’s a public university that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed, and it got an ‘A’ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

NLSIU has eight different courses you can take at different education levels – like bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. You can study things like B.A. L.L.B (Hons), L.L.M Human Rights Law, and Ph.D. Law, which means you can choose the one that matches what you like and what you want to achieve.

If you want to join the B.A. L.L.B (Hons) or L.L.M courses at the National Law School of India University, they look at your CLAT scores for the B.A. L.L.B (Hons) and CLAT PG scores for the L.L.M courses when you apply for admission.

The university gives scholarships to students depending on their background and how well they’ve done in their studies.

2. National Law University (NLU), Delhi

National Law University, Delhi (NLUD), is a well-known school in India that offers courses for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It’s situated in Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi, India, and is one of the national law schools in the country. They provide a five-year law degree program approved and set up by the Bar Council of India.

NLUD has a five-year undergraduate program called B.A., LL.B. (Hons.), with 110 seats for students, and they set aside ten more seats for foreign nationals/OCI/PIO. In this program, students can earn credits, and they also have seminar courses that they can choose based on what they’re interested in to learn more.

NLUD also has a one-year LL.M. program. To get in, you need to pass a written test the university gives, and then there’s an interview. They also offer postgraduate diploma programs in Urban Environmental Management, Judging and Court Management, and IPR and Patent Law. Besides, they have a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program for those interested in research.

3. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR)

NALSAR, a law school in Shamirpet, Hyderabad, India, provides five-year integrated programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in law. It’s a public university.

For their bachelor’s law program, NALSAR accepts about 132 students from around 56,000 applicants. They offer a five-year combined B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) program and also a combined BBA+MBA program.

To get into the bachelor’s program, students need to take a test called the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), which is taken by more than 80,000 students every year. But it’s tough to get in because NALSAR only has 120 seats for this program.

NALSAR also has a one-year master’s program in law (LL.M.). They accept 50 students through the CLAT, and they keep ten spots for students from other countries. In this program, you can choose from about ten different areas to specialize in, and you’ll need to complete a research project.

4. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) is a very respected National Law University in Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It started in 1999 and is considered the fourth best law college in India according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework and the second best according to India Today in 2021.

WBNUJS was one of the first schools to offer a five-year program where you can get a combined B.A. LLB (Hons.) degree. They also have an LLM program that lasts one year and is for students who have already finished their bachelor’s degree. In the LLM program, you can choose to focus on different subjects like International and Comparative Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Law and Technology.

The university also provides a two-year online Master’s degree program in Business Laws.

5. Symbiosis Law School, Pune

Symbiosis Law School in Pune, Maharashtra, started in 1977 as a private school to help people who want to study law. This school has approval from important organizations like BCI and UGC, and it’s also accredited by NAAC. It’s connected to SIU in Pune, and it’s managed by Prof. Dr. S. B. Mujumdar.

The school offers different law courses like B.A/BBA LL.B (Hons), LL.B, LL.M, and a certification course in European Union Legal Studies. To join the B.A/BBA LL.B (Hons.) program, you need to take the SLAT. For LL.B and LL.M, you need to take the All India Admission Test (AIAT). For the certification course, it’s based on a first-come, first-served system.

6. Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat

Jindal Global Law School is a famous school in Sonipat, Haryana, India. It’s part of O.P. Jindal Global University, which is a well-known private university in India. The law school started in 2009 and is highly regarded.

Jindal Global University has 45 programs in different areas like law, liberal arts, life sciences, and business. At Jindal Global Law School, they offer programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in law. For undergraduates, there’s a five-year integrated BA/BBA LLB (Hons.) program, and for postgraduates, they have options like LLM, Executive LLM, and M.A.

7. National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur

National Law University Jodhpur, which people often call NLU Jodhpur, is one of the top five out of 23 NLUs. It started in 1999 because of the NLUJ Act, which was approved by the Rajasthan State Legislature in the same year.

The Law University is part of the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs), acknowledged by the University Grants Commission (UGC), and is also a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

The University offers many different law programs that cover various topics like Constitutional Law, Business Law, Trade Law, International Law, Criminal Law, and Intellectual Property Rights Law. These programs include BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM, MBA, PhD, DLitt, and LLD. This means students have lots of choices to follow their interests and career goals in the field of law.

Also, the University has postgraduate programs available through distance education in partnership with IMTCDL/IMT. They have more than 40 permanent and visiting faculty members, and they organize moot court competitions for law students.