Law is a profession with an unusually wide income distribution: litigation begins near zero and can become extremely lucrative; corporate law starts high and plateaus. The decision you make in your first year largely determines which curve you are on, and switching later is harder than it looks. What is common to both is that the degree alone means very little — enrolment with the Bar Council, a specialisation and a track record are what the market actually reads.
The four routes after LLB
Almost all Law graduates end up on one of four paths. They are not mutually exclusive — most people run two in parallel for the first year — but you should know which one you are actually optimising for.
| Route | Who it suits | Time to first income |
|---|---|---|
| Government exams | You want security, a pension and a defined promotion ladder | 1–3 years of preparation |
| Private sector job | You want to start earning and learning now | 1–4 months |
| Higher studies | Your target role has a degree or qualification as a hard gate | 1–3 years |
| Skill-first route | You want the fastest jump in salary without another degree | 3–6 months |
Route 1 — Government exams after LLB
The judiciary is the single most attractive career path available to a law graduate, and judicial services exams are open immediately after enrolment in most states. Start with the live government exam notifications and the exam calendar so you are applying to open forms rather than reading about closed ones.
| Exam | Why it fits you |
|---|---|
| Judicial Services (State PCS-J) | The Civil Judge cadre. The most sought-after career for a law graduate — security, authority and a clear promotion ladder. |
| AIBE (All India Bar Examination) | Not optional. You cannot practise without clearing it and enrolling with a State Bar Council. |
| UPSC CSE (Law optional) | Law is a well-defined and scoring optional. |
| Assistant Public Prosecutor | State recruitment; a route into the criminal justice system. |
| Legal Officer (PSU / Bank) | IBPS Specialist Officer includes a Law Officer cadre for public-sector banks. |
| UGC NET (Law) | Requires LLM; the route into legal academia. |
Browse by category: Judiciary exams · Civil services exam · Banking exams · State government exams. Results and cut-offs for closed cycles are listed under recently declared results.
How to prepare without wasting a year
Nearly every Indian competitive exam tests the same three things before it tests anything subject-specific. Build those first, because the work carries across every exam in the table above:
- Quantitative aptitude — arithmetic, data interpretation and speed. The single largest scoring section in most papers.
- Reasoning and verbal ability — logical, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
- Current affairs and general knowledge — a daily habit, not a last-month scramble.
- Full topic-wise practice across every exam preparation section.
The honest warning: preparing for a government exam with no parallel income is the most common way graduates lose three years. Take a job or an internship, prepare in the evenings, and give yourself a defined number of attempts before you reassess.
Route 2 — Private sector jobs after LLB
These are the roles that actually hire Law graduates in India, with realistic fresher salary bands. Salaries vary by city and company tier — treat the lower end as a tier-3 city or small company, and the upper end as a metro with a funded or large employer.
| Role | Fresher salary | What gets you hired |
|---|---|---|
| Litigation Associate | ₹1.8–6 LPA initially | Starts low and rises steeply with reputation. A long game with a high ceiling. |
| Corporate Law Associate | ₹6–18 LPA | Tier-1 firms pay far above this; the entry bar is correspondingly high. |
| In-house Legal Counsel | ₹6–15 LPA | Better hours than a firm; usually needs two to three years of prior experience. |
| Compliance Officer | ₹5–12 LPA | Banks, NBFCs and fintechs; a large and growing function. |
| Legal Analyst (LPO) | ₹4–9 LPA | Contract review and research for international clients. |
| Intellectual Property Associate | ₹5–12 LPA | A technical background is a strong advantage for patent work. |
Ready to apply? Browse all internships, fresher jobs, entry-level jobs and work-from-home roles. You can also search by employer on the company directory or by role on the role directory.
Route 3 — Higher studies after LLB
Another degree is worth it when it is a hard gate on the job you want — and a waste when it is a way of postponing the decision. Judge each of these by whether the role you are targeting genuinely requires it.
- LLM — Worth doing with a specialisation — corporate, IP or international law — rather than as a general degree.
- Company Secretary (CS) — Pairs strongly with corporate law for compliance careers.
- Judicial services coaching — A structured full-time commitment; treat it as a career decision, not a side option.
If you are still choosing, the post-graduate entrance exams section lists what each course requires, and short online courses let you test a subject before committing years to it.
Route 4 — The skills that change your salary band
This is the highest-return route for most Law graduates, and the most neglected. Each of these can be learned in three to six months alongside a job or exam preparation, and each moves you into a visibly higher salary band.
- Legal drafting — The craft the profession actually runs on.
- Legal research (SCC Online, Manupatra) — Assumed competence from day one at any firm.
- A chosen specialisation — Generalists are the lowest-paid segment of the profession.
- Contract review — The most in-demand skill in corporate and in-house legal teams.
Work through the learning hub and course catalogue to build these, then put them on a resume that actually gets read — the free AI resume builder formats for the applicant tracking systems most Indian employers now use.
A realistic 12-month plan
| Months | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Pick one primary route and one backup. Build a proper resume with the resume builder. Apply to 20 openings a week to calibrate what the market responds to. |
| 3–5 | Start one skill from Route 4 and finish it. In parallel, register for the first exam from Route 1 whose form is open on the notifications page. |
| 6–8 | Take a job or internship even if it is below your target — income and experience both compound. Keep exam preparation to fixed evening hours. |
| 9–12 | Sit your first exam attempt. Use interview preparation before every private interview. Reassess honestly: is the primary route working, or is the backup now the better bet? |
Frequently asked questions
Is judiciary or corporate law better after LLB?
They suit different temperaments. Judicial services offer security, authority and a defined promotion ladder, but require one to three years of dedicated preparation with no guaranteed outcome. Corporate law pays well immediately — ₹6–18 LPA and considerably more at tier-1 firms — with long hours and less autonomy. Decide early, because switching later is genuinely difficult.
Can I practise law without clearing AIBE?
No. The All India Bar Examination and enrolment with a State Bar Council are mandatory to practise in India. Clear it as soon as you are eligible — it is a qualifying exam rather than a competitive one, and delaying it only delays your career.
What is the starting salary for a law graduate in India?
Litigation typically starts at ₹1.8–6 LPA under a senior advocate and rises steeply with reputation. Corporate law starts at ₹6–18 LPA, with tier-1 firms paying well above that. Compliance roles in banks and fintechs start at ₹5–12 LPA and offer a middle path.
Related career guides
- What to do after LLM
- What to do after BBA
- What to do after MBA
- What to do after CA Inter
- What to do after B.E / B.Tech Computer Science
- What to do after B.E / B.Tech Electrical
See all guides on the careers blog, or start applying on MyInternships.in jobs.