Observing the changed employment options, it seems the law graduates are no longer confined to practicing as advocates, Supreme Court Judge AK Patnaik on Saturday said that law graduates get jobs with fairly reasonable packages in the private sector.
While addressing the NlIU’s fifth convocation here on Saturday, Justice Patnaik said, “A large number of graduates particularly from the National law Institute University, Bhopal have been competing for judicial service which offers salary and allowances even more than the All India Services.”
He said that this was made possible because, the recruitment rules relating to judicial services have been amended after the directions from Supreme Court. The earlier requirement of the minimum period for practice for the eligibility of a law graduate's appointment to judicial service has been changed.
Pointing out that some law graduates are also selected in public sector units, Patnaik said that very few law graduates, who have special interest in litigation, join the bar. He said that law practice was no longer confined to traditional criminal, civil, service and tax matters. Besides, re-structuring of economy has helped in opening new areas of practice in electricity, telecom, private professional colleges, etc.
Patnaik said that the university expected its students to contribute to national development and serve society through the knowledge of law and skills acquired during their study and training in this university.
lamenting that some sections of legal practitioners and law officers think that their job was to advise their clients and employers how best to evade the law, the senior jurist noted that such advice may bring short-term benefits but leads to disastrous consequences in the long run.