LLB (3-Year Bachelor of Laws)

The three-year LLB is the classic route into law, taken after completing any bachelor's degree. It remains fully recognised by the Bar Council of India and is, in enrolment terms, exactly equal to the five-year integrated degree: graduates of both routes enrol with a State Bar Council and clear the AIBE to practise. The three-year route is the natural choice for graduates who discover an interest in law after college, working professionals seeking a career change, and civil-services aspirants who want a legal qualification alongside their preparation.

The curriculum compresses the professional law content of the integrated programme into six semesters, without foundation-discipline courses: constitutional law, contracts, torts, criminal law and procedure, civil procedure, evidence, family law, property law, company law, jurisprudence, administrative law, and clinical papers in drafting, professional ethics and moot court. Because entrants already hold a degree — often in commerce, engineering, science or the humanities — three-year LLB classrooms tend to be more diverse in age and background, and many students leverage their first degree into specialised practice (an engineer moving into patent law, a commerce graduate into taxation).

Institutional reputation matters as much here as in the integrated route. The Faculty of Law at Delhi University, Government Law College Mumbai (one of Asia's oldest law colleges), ILS Law College Pune, and Banaras Hindu University are among the most sought-after names, with intense competition for seats and very low fees at government institutions. The degree qualifies holders for the same careers as the integrated route — litigation, judicial services, corporate practice, in-house roles — though large corporate firms historically recruit more heavily from five-year campuses, making internships and networking especially important for three-year LLB students targeting firm jobs.