The Evolution of Law as a Profession in India and the Need for CLAT

Bykamal nayan

The Origins

Lawyers are fundamental to uphold justice, equality, honesty and truth. They are advocates of the system which help the society to understand the vitality of the rules established by the policymakers of the country. His skills in persuasion and effective communication have resulted in impartial judgments of various magnitudes in the legal realm. But how did this profession get a strong foothold in India? How was this career introduced to the world and in a country that is home to over a billion citizens who seek their help for a variety of reasons?

Let’s go back a few steps to the 11th century. During the reign of Edward I in England, two types of lawyers were introduced into the judicial system, sergeants and solicitors. Sergeants were lawyers who spoke for clients while lawyers handled procedural matters. Later, lawyers also appeared on behalf of the plaintiffs. These individuals developed expertise over time as a result of their experience and were sought after by litigants, while they also began to charge for their services.

Making Justice (a) Right

Now, when it comes to the induction of lawyers in India. Surprisingly, the legal history of India dates back to the Vedas. It maintained itself as a type of civil law system that may have existed during the Bronze Age and the Indus Valley Civilization. However, the history of a well-organized judicial institution goes back to 1672. During this period, the first British Court at Bombay was introduced in 1672 by Governor Aungier. Attorney’s entry was placed in the hands of the Governor-in-Council.

Before the establishment of the Mayor’s Courts in Madras and Calcutta in 1726, there were no licensed legal practitioners. Today, the Indian judicial system has the largest number of lawyers in the world, who maintain the foundation of the country’s democracy.

Moving towards the creation of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court in the country. The first step towards the establishment of a nationwide body to administer justice in India was taken in 1774 when the Supreme Court was established in Calcutta. The Regulating Act, 1773 empowered the Supreme Court to make rules of procedure, as were necessary for the administration of justice and the proper performance of its powers.

Two other Supreme Courts were also created in the Bombay and Madras constituencies. Thus, of the three Supreme Courts, only British Barristers, Advocates and Attorneys were allowed to practice. Indians had no right to appear before these courts. This situation persisted during the existence of these courts. While this was initially the case, many Indians who had been educated in legal courses abroad soon had the opportunity to represent Indians in such courts.

After independence, a Supreme Court, the grand and splendid structure in New Delhi was the only institution that oversaw the cases nationwide. The High Courts in the newly demarcated states changed their rules and made justice more accessible to the growing number of the poor and the underprivileged.

Also Read: How much time is required to prepare for CLAT 2022

Law Today – The rise of newer aspirants and the beginning of CLAT

Decades after the country gained independence, many students realized the potential of giving back to the community and making society a more just and harmonious place to live. And with the revised system since the departure of the British, the judiciary faced a severe shortage of lawyers. Various forums – environmental, criminal, etc. These positions were soon occupied by candidates who had returned from a period of their education abroad, as well as graduates from universities that offered  CLAT courses in legal studies.

In the 1980s, the then-existing National Law Universities, or NLUs, conducted their own entrance examinations. The candidates appearing for the exam had to prepare separately for each of these tests which were strictly marked. Years later, petitions were brought up nationally, citing conflicts in the dates of these tests being conducted at other universities and colleges such as IITs. The case attracted national attention when a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court of India in 2006 by a student named Varun Bhagat, against the Union of India and various national law universities. The Chief Justice of India directed that the Union of India shall consult with the National Law Universities to prepare a common test. The Bar Council of India also strongly supported the move. Thus came the Common Law Aptitude Test (CLAT).

It was to be conducted every year by each law college and the responsibility of conducting the examination was to be given on the basis of seniority in the establishment in turn. Nevertheless, the matter was not fully resolved till 2015 as there were other national law universities that were not participating in CLAT. Later, a new MoU was signed by 16 National Law Universities, to accept the CLAT scores of the students equally, except the National Law University, Delhi.

To further accelerate the development of a common, easy way to join NLUs (and some non-NLUs), the chair authority of the Consortium of National Law Universities, came up with the idea of a priority list. Here, every student fills the college wise preference list as per their wish. On the basis of these preferences and ranks obtained, colleges are allotted to the students.

Also Read:  What strategy I must follow in my CLAT Mock Test to get good marks?

CLAT 2022

CLAT 2022 22 is a national level entrance test for admission of candidates to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law courses in NLU and several other colleges/universities.

CLAT is organized by the consortium of National Law Universities headed by NLSIU. The exam is conducted for admission to UG and PG programs offered by the National Law Universities. Being a pioneer in law entrance preparation.

CLAT 2022 Preparation Tips

To get a fair idea of how to prepare for CLAT i.e. Common Law Admission Test, we have listed below the important points for CLAT 2022 Preparation Tips:

  • Be well versed with CLAT Exam Pattern and CLAT Syllabus
  • Practice CLAT Online Mock Tests and CLAT Sample Papers to get a good grip on CLAT Exam.
  • Study diligently and study smartly
  • do regular revision
  • A Study of the Best Recommended Books for CLAT Exam

Best of Luck for CLAT