Clockwork
A typical work day of a lawyer is as follows:
10am: Reach office. Check mails. Start work
10.30am onwards: Meetings with clients, discussions
11.30am: Hearings at court and discussions
3pm: Leave court premises for office
5pm: Counsel clients, draft appeals, prepare documents etc
10 pm: Head home
 
The payoff
A fresh independent lawyer earns “zero to Rs. 15,000” a month in litigation. While firms have fewer vacancies, “good” ones noticed in courts get picked by seniors, says Pravin H Parekh, president, Supreme Court Bar Association. Further on, a lawyer’s income depends on factors such as reputation, expertise and kinds of cases handled. There are advocates who are said to charge Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for one court appearance  
    
Skills/TRAITS
* Good communication skills
* Quick responsiveness; excellent memory
* Open, flexible mind 
* Good authoritative leadership qualities
* Logical reasoning
* Good listening and powerful oratorical skills
* Out-of-the-box thinking ability
* Knowledge of all statutes, rules and regulations, and notifications
* Patience - for some cases can drag on endlessly

Getting there
Go for either a three-year LLB programme after graduation in any discipline, or for a five-year integrated BA LLB programme after passing Class 12. Admission to these courses is usually through a written competition, such as the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). You could specialise in a particular area depending on your “interest and inclination,” says Parekh. A number of courses are now available in fields like human rights, intellectual property rights, and cyber law. Ideally, a fresh lawyer should do litigation for five to 10 years, including two-three in a trial court to learn cross-examination, pleadings, drafting etc, says Parekh. “No lawyer can become a good corporate lawyer or even a good lawyer without drilling in litigation though it initially pays less,” he says. "Corporate lawyers get good pay in the beginning — Rs. 50,000, Rs. 1lakh — but it remains at that level unless you become a partner in a firm or start one.” According to Parekh, the foundation of a good lawyer is laid in a trial court    

Institutes and URLs
* National Law School of India University, Bangalore
    www.nls.ac.in
* NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
     http://www.nalsar.ac.in
* University of Delhi
     www.du.ac.in
* Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
    www.bhu.ac.in
* Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
    www.amu.ac.in
* Panjab University, Chandigarh
    www.puchd.ac.in
* Government Law College, Mumbai
    www.glc.edu

Pros and cons
* It’s an exciting and challenging profession
* It can be satisfying to know that you have the ability to save an innocent person from a life in prison or from execution 
* With enough experience, you can have handsome financial gains and social and professional recognition
* Modest salaries and struggle at the entry level 
* It takes time to establish yourself and prosper in independent practice

No lawyer can become a good corporate lawyer or even a good lawyer without drilling in litigation though it initially pays less Pravin H Parekh, president, Supreme Court Bar Association, New Delhi