New trend: Chanakya National Law University

Aspiring lawyers seem to have lost interest in corporate jobs with hefty pay package and perks. Many final-year students gave the campus placement a miss for a career in the Bar or judicial services for professional satisfaction.

Of the 62 final-year students’ batch (2010-15) at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), as many as 34 have not enrolled for campus placements. They want to join the Bar or judicial services.

Utkarsh Srivastva, a final-year law student at CNLU, said: “Becoming a lawyer or joining the judiciary is more lucrative than working as a clerk in law firms.” According to him, a lawyer or a judge can earn more name and fame than a graduate working as a law officer at a corporate firm.

Echoing similar sentiments as his student, CNLU vice-chancellor (VC) A. Lakshminath said: “It is good that students are interested in joining the Bar or judicial services rather than legal firms. The basic purpose of a national law institute is to produce good lawyers and judges.”

The VC said there were several vacant posts of judges in high courts and the purpose of law schools was to fill up those. In Patna High Court, against the sanctioned posts of 43 judges, nine are vacant. Similarly, at Allahabad High Court, against the sanctioned strength of 160 judges, around 70 seats are yet to be filled up.

Apart from the final-year students, at least 15 students of the first-batch of CNLU (2006-11) opted to join the judicial services after working in reputable corporate law firms. They have cleared the 28th Bihar Judicial Services Mains Examinations conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission. The Mains result was declared on August 23.

Some of those clearing the judicial services examination have been working in public sector banks. Dhirendra Patanjali and Sonu Kumar are two among them.

Lakshminath, a student of CNLU’s first-batch and the president of the Students’ Bar Council, said: “From the beginning, my target was to join the judicial services. I didn’t sit for placement interviews at any law firm.” According to him, becoming a lawyer or joining judicial services is more lucrative and profitable than working at law firms.

S.P. Singh, the CNLU registrar, said: “We have come across many students from our institute who have left their jobs at reputable law firms and are either practising at the Bar or preparing for the judicial services.”

A source said the main reason behind the students’ lack of interest in working at legal firms is the lack of job satisfaction. A fresh graduate’s job at a law firm is confined to preparing case details, research or briefing seniors. They are not allowed to take up cases in courts. Only senior lawyers are allowed to do so.