Mumbai university gets 65% more candidates for master of law entrance test

Mumbai city news: The varsity’s law department is the only centre in Mumbai that offers LLM

Around 2,800 candidates have applied for the University of Mumbai (MU)’s entrance test for master of law (LLM), which will be held on June 3. Last year, the varsity had received around 1,700 applications.

MU had reduced the examination fees for the LLM entrance test from Rs1,500 to Rs650, following a request by the student law council, a city-based student group. (HT File Photo)

The varsity’s law department is the only centre in Mumbai that offers LLM. There are 600 seats available in the first year of the course across six specialisations — constitutional law, criminal law, business law, environmental law, human rights and intellectual property rights.

The surge in applications is consistent with the recent increase in the demand for undergraduate law course — a three-year LLB and a five-year BLS LLB. This year, around 45,000 aspirants had registered for LLB CET, compared to 37,000 registrations last year — a 33% rise.

“The demand for law programmes has definitely increased. New colleges are opening up to accommodate more students,” said Rashmi Oza, head of MU’s law department.

According to professor Ashok Yende, a majority of the students that enroll in LLM are practising lawyers. “These lawyers are looking to specialise in one of the areas of law. They believe that this added knowledge will help them advance in their career,” he said.