Part I: Are you cut out for a career in Law? 
Part III: Legal process outsourcing: The next big thing

India has many excellent law colleges scattered across the country. Some of them were created by acts of law, some were founded by profit-seeking individuals but all of them have turn out first-rate litigators and debaters. The exact position of the colleges featured in this section depends on who is doing the ranking but each and every one of them will feature on anyone's top ten lists.

~ The 150-year old Government Law College in Mumbai counts Lal Bahadur Tilak, Soli Sorabjee, BR Ambedkar and Ram Jethmalani among its alumni. It's one of the most affordable law colleges in the country, charging a mere Rs 2,500 per annum.

Competition is stiff as over 1,000 students apply annually for 160 seats, half of them reserved. The moot courts of the college -- competitions involve taking up a case modeled on a controversial one and arguing the matter, just like in a real court of law -- are famous.

The college is very close to the courts and many legal firms. It admits students on the basis of their Class XII marks.

Address: Government Law College, "A" Road, Churchgate, Mumbai 400 020
Phone: (22) 2204 1707
Fax: (22) 2285 1315
E-mail: webmaster@glc.edu
Website: www.glc.edu

~ The Symbiosis Institute, set up in 1971, is one of India's most reputed educational brands. Its five-year course includes a 'Bachelor of Socio-Legal Services' awarded after the third year by the Pune University.

The course costs Rs 50,000 per year. The prospectus for this 240-seat facility comes out in April and admissions are through the All India Admissions Tests held in May. It also offers a one-year diploma course in Taxation for graduates.

To apply, one must have completed 10+2 with at least 45 per cent. Companies that recruit students off campus include ITC, SBI [Get Quote], Wipro [Get Quote] Technologies, Indian Council of Child Welfare and Max New York Life Insurance.

Address: Symbiosis Society's Law College, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune 411004
Phone: (20) 5655114, (20) 565 1495
Fax: (20) 565 17 11
E-mail: symlawplacement@vsnl.net
Website: www.symlaw.ac.in

~ The most expensive college on the list, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research University (NALSAR) charges a whopping Rs 1 lakh per annum as fees. It does, however, offer scholarships and waivers to brilliant but needy students.

It is a fully residential university (meaning: you have to stay at the hostel) with seats for 80 students, 60 of which are chosen through the AIET and 20 to foreign nationals on merit. It also offers a 1-year post graduate diploma course in patents law, media laws, cyber laws, alternative dispute resolution, international humanitarian law and family dispute resolution.

Address: (City office) 3-4-761, Barkatpura, Hyderabad 500 027
(Campus) Justice city, Shameerpet 
Phone: (City office) (40) 27567955 / (40) 27567960
(Campus) 08418 � 245417 / 244461 / 245160
Fax: 08418 � 245161 / 245174
E-mail: admissions@nalsarlawuniv.org
Website: www.nalsarlawuniv.org

~ The 80-seat Amity Law School was set up by the Ritnand Balved Education Foundation (RBEF) and is affiliated with the Indraprastha University, which conducts its annual entrance exam. It requires a minimum of 50 per cent in the Class XII exam with English as a compulsory subject.

Among its recruiters are the NHRC, Indian Red Cross Society, Indian Express and Action Aid (NGO), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, AZB & Partners, North Delhi Power Ltd, India Bulls Company, Sai Krishna & Associates and others.

The annual fees are Rs 30,000 and there are further charges like student activity fees which add approximately Rs 5,000 to the bill every year. It has received recognition from the University of Queensland, Brisbane (Australia) for jointly running an LLM Programme with specialisation in Intellectual Property Law.

Address: Amity Law School, E-27-Defence Colony, New Delhi - 110024
Phone: 011 - 2632 5335
E-mail: admissions@amity.edu
Website: www.amity.edu/als/

~ The Indian Law Society in Pune has different minimum eligibility requirements for Maharastrian and non-Maharastrian students: 78 per cent and 84 per cent in their 10+2 exams respectively.

The admissions are done on the basis of merit (ie your Class XII marks). There are 240 seats available. It's one of the more affordable colleges as it charges a mere Rs 5,000 per year.

Address: ILS Pune, Law College Road, Pune - 411004
Phone: 020 - 2565 6775, 2567 8678
Fax: 020 - 2565 8665
Email: ilslaw@vsnl.com
Website: www.ilslaw.edu

~ The National Law University at Jodhpur, Rajasthan admits students on the basis of their performance in the AIET. It has four new courses: BSc LLB Enviro, BSc LLB Bio Tech, BSc LLB IT, BTech LLB, for which one must have done science in Class XII.

It offers a large number of honours courses. Among the companies that have recruited students through the NLU placement cell are Amarchand and Mangaldas, AZB Partners, ARA Law, ICICI Bank [Get Quote], Indian Oil Corporation [Get Quote], Dr Reddy's Laboratory, ICICI Lombard, Tata Group.

Former students work for SEBI and have won Supreme Court clerkships. Fees are approximately Rs 54,000 per annum, minus hostel costs.

Address: National Law University, NH-65, Nagour Road, Mandore, Jodhpur 342304
Phone: 0291 - 2577530, 5121594
Fax: 0291-257 7540
E-mail: nlu-jod@raj.nic.in
Website: www.nlujodhpur.ac.in/

~ The National Law School of India University, Bangalore was established by the Karnataka government in 1981 under the National Law School of India act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986). The act allows the National Law School to enjoy complete administrative and academic autonomy and today it is one of the premier residential law universities of the country.

The school has retired High Court and Supreme Court judges on its faculty which makes learning there extremely exciting. Companies that recruit students off campus include ICICI, ITC, Infosys [Get Quote], Marico and the Power Finance Corporation [Get Quote] of India among others.

Fees total up to Rs 50,000 annually. It also offers PG courses in Human Rights, Medical Law & Ethics and Environment Law.

Address: National Law School of India University, PO Bag 7201, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore 73
Tel:(00-91) 80 3211303/ 3160/1065
Fax No. (00-91) 80 3217858
E-mail: registrar@nls.ac.in
Website: www.nls.ac.in

Each and every one of these colleges possesses the independence and autonomy to train their students to be intellectually free. Their students have done great things after leaving their hostels and you too could someday make your alma mater proud.

Part I: Are you cut out for a career in Law?
Part III: Legal process outsourcing: The next big thing