What is the full form of LLM?
The LLM course full form is Master of Laws also known as Legum Magister. LLM is a postgraduate course that law students can pursue after obtaining an LLB degree from a recognized university.
LLM Course Duration
The LLM course is a one-year duration programme in most cases. However, some law schools also offer two years or three year LLM programmes. The apex law education regulator in the country, the Bar Council of India has recently announced that LLM will be a two-year duration as it plans to scrap the one-year programme.
LLM Specialisation
Students who want to become an expert in a particular subject of Law can do so by pursuing LLM with specialization. Today, as the scope of legal matters has expanded and various industries are looking for legal experts in their domain, LLM specialisation courses have become popular among students. The specialization courses help them in concentrating on a given sub-domain of law.
So, what are the trending LLM specializations? Here is the list of such courses.
LLM Specialization Courses
| LLM specialization | Details |
| Intellectual Property Law | Environmental Law |
| Taxation Law. | Technology/Information Technology (IT) Law |
| Constitutional Law. | Business Law |
| Family Law | Comparative Law |
| Human Rights | Cyber Law |
| Corporate Law | Alternative Dispute Resolution |
| Criminal Law. | Insurance Law |
| Real Estate Law | Maritime Law |
| Labour Law | LLM in Gender Studies |
Where to study an LLM Course?
There are many colleges and universities that offer LLM courses with various specializations. Among the most popular ones are the National Law Universities (NLUs) which offer LLM courses based on entrance examination – Common Law Admission Test. There are several other public and private universities that offer LLM courses.
Top Law Colleges offering LLM Course
| NLUs | NIRF Ranking 2020 | LLM seats |
| NLSIU Bangalore | 1 | 50 |
| NLU Delhi | 2 | 70 |
| NLU Hyderabad | 3 | 60 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 5 | 50 |
| NUJS Kolkata | 6 | 40 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 7 | 52 |
| RGNUL Patiala | 10 | 38 |
| NLU Lucknow | 11 | 24 |
| NLU Odisha, Cuttack | 14 | 44 |
| Panjab University, Chandigarh | 15 | 178 |
| NLU Assam, Guwahati | 16 | 30 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 17 | 60 |
| Indian Law Institute | 18 | 39 |
| Faculty of Law, Delhi University | Not ranked | 131 |
| CNLU Patna | Not ranked | 60 |
| NLU Kochi | Not ranked | 60 |
| NLU Ranchi | Not ranked | 40 |
| NLU Visakhapatnam | Not ranked | 24 |
| NLU Trichy | Not ranked | 20 |
| MNLU Mumbai | Not ranked | 50 |
| MNLU Nagpur | Not ranked | 20 |
| MNLU Aurangabad | Not ranked | 20 |
| NLU Shimla | Not ranked | 40 |
| NLU Jabalpur | Not ranked | 40 |
Popular law colleges and universities offering LLM programme
| Name of College | Entrance exam |
| National Law Universities | Common Law Admission Test and All India Law Entrance Test |
| Law colleges of Telangana | TS PGLCET |
| Law colleges of Andhra Pradesh | AP PGLCET |
| Panjab University | PU LLM entrance exam |
| Delhi University | DU LLM |
| Symbiosis Law School Pune | SLS AIAT |
| Lovely Professional University | LPU NEST |
Eligibility for Admission to LLM Courses
Educational qualification – The candidate must have completed an LLB degree (3-year LLB or 5-year LLB) from a recognized university.
Candidates appearing in the final year/semester of graduation are also eligible for appearing in the LLM admission process. However, they must have obtained the qualification by the time of the final stage of the admission process.
Minimum qualifying marks – The criteria for minimum marks in the qualifying examination may vary from college to college. In the case of NLUs, the general category candidates are required to score at least 50% aggregate marks. SC and ST candidates must have a score not less than 45% marks in aggregate.
Syllabus for LLM Entrance Exams
Being a graduate-level admission test, most LLM entrance exams have a more or less common syllabus. The questions in the LLM entrance exams are generally framed from common subjects of LLB programmes. Some of the topics that are included in the LLM entrance exam syllabus are mentioned below.
Syllabus for LLM entrance examinations
| Constitutional Law | Law of Torts |
| Administrative law | Criminal Law |
| Family law | Labour and industrial law |
| Property law | Public international law |
| Jurisprudence | Company law |
| Intellectual Property Law | International Law |
| Tax law | Law of Contracts |
| Environmental law | |
How to Prepare for LLM Entrance Exams
Candidates who appear in LLM are generally LLB graduates and have a decent level of understanding of the law and related subjects. In order to prepare for the LLM entrance examination, such candidates will have to refer to graduation level books along with legal current affairs. Here are some basic preparation tips for preparing for the LLM entrance exams.
- Check the LLM entrance exam pattern and syllabus before starting the preparation
- Collect the necessary study material – LLB books of graduation level and the standard books for entrance examinations.
- Follow a study routine and try to study for 4-5 hours each day.
- Read a daily newspaper, make notes and revise them regularly
- Check the previous year entrance exam paper for LLM and solve them all.
- Attempt mock test for enhancing your preparation
LLM Subjects
The course structure of LLM depends on the type of specialization offered by the university. In general, the two-year LLM course is divided into four semesters. The subjects included in Delhi University’s LLM course are mentioned below.
LLM Course Subjects – Two Year Duration
| Semester 1 | |
| Comparative Constitution Law and Governance – Compulsory | Legal and Social Science Research Methods – Compulsory |
| Optional subjects (Candidates can opt any two subjects | |
| Law of International Organisation and Human Rights | Corporate Management and Social Responsibility |
| Intellectual and Industrial Property Laws-I | Comparative Labour and Wage Law |
| Comparative Labour and Wage Law | Comparative Law of Marriage, Divorce and Civil Code |
| Administrative Law and Regulatory Mechanisms | |
| Semester 2 | |
| Law and Justice in a Global World – Compulsory Course | |
| Optional subjects | |
| Administrative Action and Judicial Review | Administrative Action and Judicial Review |
| Law of Air and Space | Law of Corporate Finance and Securities Regulation |
| Competition and Consumer Protection Law | Intellectual and Industrial Property Laws-I |
| Insurance Law and Banking (New | Cyber and Information Technology Law (New) |
| Corporate and White Collar Crimes | Law of Torts and Disaster Management |
| Law, Media and Censorship | |
| Third Semester (Three optional subjects) | |
| Interpretation and Drafting of Treaties and Legislations | International Economic Law, Trade & Diplomacy |
| Environmental Law | Tax Policies and Tax Reforms |
| Criminology and Criminal Justice administration | Laws of Inheritance and Succession |
| Law of women and Child rights (modified) | |
| Fourth Semester | |
| Dissertation | |
LLM One year course – Business Laws offered by NLSIU Bangalore (Tri-semester system)
| First semester | Second semester | Third semester |
| Research-Based Learning in Law: Models & Methods | Changing Conception of Justice & Globalised Legal Order | International Trade Law |
| Comparative Public Law and Governance | Taxation Law | Seminar Course |
| International & Comparative Law of IPRs | Seminar Course | Seminar Course |
| Corporate Governance | Seminar Course | Dissertation |
Jobs After LLM
A degree in LLM course opens various career options, in both public and private companies. The government jobs after LLM are in the field of Judicial Services, Legal consultant/advisor, teaching and others. In the private sector, the LLM graduates are offered various job roles such as lawyer, legal advisor, policy analyst, Legal assistant, researcher and others. The salary of an LLM graduate varies as per the job profile. The average salary of an LLM graduate may vary from 6 LPA to 12 LPA.