NLU or the National Law Universities, a term fairly popular between budding and established lawyers and law aspirants; You might hear many of your peers constantly talking about these colleges, showcasing their strong desire to get a seat in one of those; and probably you might be one of them. No doubt, NLUs are considered the Mecca of Law Aspirants, and why wouldn’t they be – they are the best way to kick start your career as a lawyer. What IIT is to an engineer and IIM is for an MBA post-graduate, NLU is to a lawyer. This makes getting into an NLU very tough, but you can opt for CLAT Online Classes to help you with your preparations. To select the right NLU , you need to know these.
However, have you ever thought that if you were to make a choice, which NLU would you opt for? How would you decide which NLU will suit you the best? Will you just listen to your peers and make a choice following the herd mentality, or will you do your own research to investigate the best one for you? A wise move would be to always make an informed decision, but then the question arises, “How would I know which NLU suits me the best?”
In this blog, we will help you in solving this dilemma as we will discuss the eleven crucial parameters through which you can filter all the NLUs to choose the best one for yourself.
- Batch Potential
Batch potential can be indicated by the rank range of the NLU. The students who bag a better AIR choose the better college options. A wide range of ranks might not be a very good sign as due to the huge potential gap; the performance within the batch is not uniform. This means that a healthy and competitive peer pressure, which drives a student to perform better is not created within the batch. The students with higher AIR excel in everything while others keep struggling to cope up with the others. A smaller range means students with similar potential are placed together.
- Batch Demographics
Batch size and domicile reservations are the most common indicators of the batch demographics. If a batch has lesser students, the teachers can focus better on each individual, and when it comes to job placements, the chances of getting hired are higher within smaller batches. Similarly, if there are numerous domicile reservations, it leads to a multi-cultural batch that promotes exposure and learning.
- Better Faculty
You can get information about the faculty of a college through their official website. The teachers and lecturers who have good credentials and have worked in top legal firms or have good exposure to the law are great sources of knowledge. They get to give you insights into the world of law even before you enter it.
Also read: List of 23 NLUs in India 2022
- Alumni Base
By taking a look at the alumni of the college, you can get your fair share of ideas regarding the college’s performance. The more well-to-do a college’s alumni are, the better are your chances to succeed.
- Location
We get it! Five years of law school can never be just about studies and academics. Your college is the time when you spend the most memorable time of your life. The location of the college can play a huge role in determining how your college life will be for the coming five years. In the end, you should have a lot of fun in the process of being a successful lawyer.
- Establishment Duration
The older a college is, the better is its credibility and recognition. Older colleges also have more experienced teachers and have a better experience of handling students, which a lot of new institutions lack. The older colleges also have long term tie-ups with companies, thereby increasing the chances of you being placed in a reputed company.
Also read: Total NLU Seats in India
- Rank Quotient
Well, this is the most straightforward parameter. The college which has a higher cutoff is, by default, better than the others. The reason for having a higher cutoff in itself is better facilities, better results, and better placements. This can give you a clear idea about the institution’s reputation and recognition.
- Job Opportunities
Take a look at the previous placement records of the college. You can easily get this information from the official website of the college. Take a look at the number of companies that visited the college of campus drives in the past few years. This can give you an idea about the college’s job opportunities in the college.
Also read: How to Deal With Ragging in NLUs
- Sector You Want to Pursue
A crucial thing to look for while choosing a college is if the college specialises in the sector you want to pursue. For example, it is better to opt for the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), National Law School of India University (NLSIU), WB National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJs), etc. if you want to pursue corporate law. Similarly, if you want to go for litigation, you can opt for Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), or Chanakya National Law University (CNLU Patna).
- Semester Break
Semester breaks are the time when law students go for internships in various firms. Some colleges have three semesters in an academic year, while some have two. The students from colleges with three semesters a year ( such as National Law Institute University (NLIU) and NLSIU ) have shorter semester breaks, thus not leaving them with any time for internships. Research well about the breaks that you get in a year in a college so that you can plan your internships accordingly.
- NIRF Ranking
National Institute Ranking Framework releases a list every year after evaluating the colleges on various parameters. These rankings are a clear indicator of a college’s reputation and recognition. The NIRF ranking of last year is given below:
| S. No. | Name of the NLU | Location | NIRF 2020 Rank |
| 1. | National Law School of India University (NLSIU) | Bangalore, Karnataka | 1 |
| 2. | National Law University (NLUD) | New Delhi, Delhi | 2 |
| 3. | National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) | Hyderabad, Telangana | 3 |
| 4. | National Law University (NLUJ) | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | 5 |
| 5. | The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) | Kolkata, West Bengal | 6 |
| 6. | Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) | Gandhinagar, Gujarat | 7 |
| 7. | The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) | Patiala, Punjab | 10 |
Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life as it affects the rest of their future. While opting for an NLU, the students must consider all the parameters listed above so that they can make a well-informed decision and not regret it later in their life.
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