LLD or Doctor of Law is the doctoral degree course in the area of law that one can achieve after the completion of an LLM/Ph. D. degree from a recognized university or institution. The candidates are also required to have relevant work experience in the related field. The duration for this course ranges from three to five years. After this course, students will be equipped to pursue their career in the field of law, especially in the teaching field. It involves specialized research in the topic related to the subject chosen by the students themselves along with a detailed study of an extensive syllabus that includes fundamentals of research methodology, significance of legal research in India, preamble and writ jurisdiction, etc. This is one of the highest degrees one can achieve in their career if researching is their area of interest.
The doctoral degree in law can be pursued by those students who have successfully completed a Ph. D. degree in a relevant area and a postgraduate LLM degree from a recognized university. They are required to obtain a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in the qualifying examination by a recognized board or university. Some colleges and universities require the candidates to have a minimum of six to ten years of working experience in the field and some other institutions require them to acquire five to ten years of teaching experience in the relevant field. All of them require students to mandatorily pass their respective entrance examinations to gain admission into this course.
Most of the well-known colleges and universities in India offer this doctoral degree, including National Law School of India University, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, National Law University, Mansarovar Global University, Sangam University, NMS University and Banaras Hindu University. Admissions are given to students on the basis of an entrance test. The entrance tests are followed by a round of personal interviews in several of the universities. The overall course fee for this doctorate degree ranges between INR 12,500 to INR 5 lakhs.
Employment opportunities can be found in most of the corporate firms, legal consultancies, law enforcement agencies, law institutions, etc. The degree-holders can acquire job positions such as law professor, judge, compliance officer, general counselor, legal researcher, etc.
LLD: Course Details
| Course Type | Doctoral Degree |
| Course Duration | 3 to 5 Years |
| Course Examination Type | Semester System |
| Course Eligibility | Minimum qualification of a Ph. D. degree along with relevant work experience in the required field |
| Course Admission Process | Entrance exams followed by personal interviews |
| Course Fee | INR 12,500 to INR 5,00,000 |
| Course Average Salary | INR 20 to INR 25 lakhs per annum |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Corporate Firms, Legal Consultancies, Law Enforcement Agencies, Law Institutions, etc. |
| Job Position | Law Professor, Judge, Compliance Officer, General Counselor, Legal Researcher, etc. |
LLD: About the Course
LLD is a doctoral specialization degree of a minimum of three years in the field of law. It is basically a degree programme that focuses on research. This is offered to students who already have a Ph. D. degree.
Admission into this course is usually highly competitive. This course emphasizes a detailed study into the areas of Constitutional Law, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Concepts of Possession and Ownership, Union State Legislative Relations, Jurisprudence, etc.
The LLD degree is highly useful for those candidates who wish to pursue their career in the academic field or in the teaching field. They are also given greater preference when it comes to jobs like judges. Likewise, various economic sectors and both private and public sector companies recruit candidates with an LLD degree.
Students are required to have a well-equipped skill set that includes inquisitiveness, fluency in language, interest in detail, good writing capacity, persuasiveness, good at research, clarity of speech, confidence, integrity, self-motivation, keen observation, mental and physical stamina, intellect, ability to argue on a topic, hard-work, dedication, good presentation skills, objectivity, organization and an interest in research.
LLD: Admission Process
The admission process to this doctoral degree is based on the results of various entrance examinations conducted by institutes or colleges or universities that offer this course.
Many of the universities and colleges in India that offer this doctoral degree in law have started their admission process to this course.
Universities and colleges offer admission to students based on their performance in the entrance examinations on the clearing of which students are required to attend a personal interview. The following procedures are generally involved in the admission process of various universities and colleges:
LLD: Entrance Based Admission
All universities and institutions that offer admission to this course provide seats to the students on the basis of entrance exams.
- Students have to register themselves online in the respective websites.
- They have to fill in the application form with no errors.
- Entrance examinations will be conducted according to the convenience of the university authorities.
- The results of the entrance tests will be published, after which the rank list of the students will also be put up on the website.
- After obtaining the minimum marks required in the entrance test, students will be asked to appear for a personal interview which will decide the final merit list.
- Eligible students are then admitted to the course.
- After getting qualified into the course, students are required to submit a research proposal of around ten to twelve pages. The research proposal should have a proper title, a statement of purpose, background details on the subject, a hypothesis, methodology for research as well as a research design.
LLD: Eligibility
- Candidates must have a Ph. D. degree in the required field.
- They are required to have completed a four or five-year long LLM degree from a recognized university.
- Top universities and institutions prefer candidates with a minimum of six to ten years of work experience in the field.
- They should have passed their LLM final examinations with a minimum aggregate score of 50%.
LLD: Entrance Exams
| Exam Name | Registration Date | Exam Date |
| AILET | 17 January 2022 – 7 April 2022 | 1 May 2022 |
| CLAT | January 2022 – April 2022 | 8 May 2022 |
| BHU RET | 15 February 2022 (last date) | 16 March, 2022 |
| NLSIU | To be announced soon | To be announced soon |
| SUAT | To be announced soon | To be announced soon |
Entrance examinations conducted by various institutes are as follows:
- National Law School of India University, Bangalore Entrance Exam:
The National Law School of India University at Bangalore conducts its own entrance examination but also accepts other major test scores as well. Their entrance test is in total of 150 marks and tests the students on their research aptitude, knowledge in areas like law, MPP, MBL and contemporary developments in law and society.
- AILET (All India Law Entrance Test):
This entrance test is conducted by National Law University, Delhi. It is conducted nation-wide to offer admissions into B.A., LLB, LLM, and doctorate courses in the field of law. The test will be of 90 minutes duration, conducted offline with multiple choice questions.
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi RET Entrance Test:
Their test covers a variety of subjects including research methodology, logical capabilities, subject knowledge and analytical capabilities. The entrance test is in a total of 100 questions, all of which are multiple choice. The total marks for the exam is 300 and the duration of the test will be 120 minutes.
- CLAT (Common Law Entrance Test):
This is conducted at a national level to offer admissions into various courses of law across the country. This entrance test comes under the jurisdiction of the National Testing Agency.
LLD: Syllabus
The syllabus of this doctoral degree in law covers a wide variety of topics that enable the learners to take their career forward in an academic level in the discipline of legal studies.
The students gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the areas of present-day governance and law making.
This course also enables the students to gain a research-centered experience and a thesis development towards the end of the course to obtain an in-depth study of any topic that the students are free to choose themselves.
While the topic might differ from university to university, a general understanding of the following topics is required for a study of LLD:
| Research Methodology | Family Law and Business Law |
| Significance of Legal Research in India | Constitutional Law |
| Preamble and Writ Jurisdiction | Legal Research as a Profession in India |
| Union State Legislative Relations | Fundamental Rights and Duties |
| Judicial Process and Social Transformation | Emergency Provisions |
| Options for Areas of Specialization and Social Service | Public International Law and Law of Torts |
| Law of Contracts: General Principles | IPR and Human Rights |
| Environmental Law and Cyber Law | Concepts of Possession and Ownership |
| Judiciary and Nature and Source of Law | Law Reform Research |
| Need for Legal Research and Importance of Interdisciplinary Approach | Jurisprudence |
| Law of Crimes: General Principles | Judicial Activism and Rights and Duties |
| Amendment to the Constitution of India | Directive Principles of State Policy |
| Types of Research | Relevance of Legal Research |
| Social Justice |
LLD: Top Colleges in India
A variety of colleges and universities in India offer this doctoral degree in law. Many great people in this field have gained their degree from most of the following colleges given below:
| College Name | Average Annual Fees |
| National Law School of India University, Bangalore | INR 1,75,000 |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata | INR 67,000 |
| National Law University, Jodhpur | INR 65,000 |
| Mansarovar Global University, Sehore | INR 1,50,000 |
| Sangam University, Bhilwara | INR 1,78,000 |
| NMS University, Jaipur | INR 1,25,000 |
| Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | INR 3,900 |
| National Law University, Delhi | INR 1,15,000 |
LLD: Jobs
After the successful completion of a LLD course, students can either go for various employment opportunities provided by corporate firms, legal consultancies, law enforcement agencies, law institutions, etc. or opt for research and development.
The students can find jobs with the local, state or federal government or engage in jobs in the legal field or other institutions. They can also start their own legal firms as well. Law professor, judge, compliance officer, general counselor, legal researcher, oath commissioners, legal advisors, solicitors, legal executives, notary public, etc. are some of the job positions that students are offered after this course.
Online certification courses can also be pursued in related legal areas and enhance their skills and career prospects. The average salary a graduate can hope to obtain spans a scale from INR 20 lakhs to INR 25 lakhs per annum.
| Job Profile | Average Annual Salary |
| Law Professor | INR 11,50,000 – INR 34,00,000 |
| Judge | INR 12,00,000 – INR 45,00,000 |
| Compliance Officer | INR 6,00,000 – INR 10,00,000 |
| General Counselor | INR 8,00,000 – INR 15,00,000 |
| Legal Counselor | INR 9,80,005 – INR 23,40,000 |
LLD: FAQs
Ques. What is an LLD degree and what is the scope of it?
Ans: LLD or Legum Doctor (Latin for “teacher of the laws”) or Doctor of Laws in English, is a doctoral degree in the discipline of law. It is one of the most sought-after doctoral degree programs after a Ph. D. in law. There is a high chance that one can obtain a highly paid job after this course. There is also the prospect of developing research abilities in this field and safeguarding future issues and challenges in the fields of contemporary legal studies and law making. It can also find you research jobs in academia. Moreover, the skills you learn are also in high-demand nowadays.
Ques. What is the difference between a PhD in law and a LLD?
Ans: A Ph. D. in law is a research degree that students pursue after the successful completion of their LLM course. A LLD is a higher level research program that can be pursued only after obtaining a PhD in law.
Ques. Are JD and LLD the same?
Ans: Yes. The Juris Doctor degree is also known as the Doctor of Laws degree or the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.
Ques. What is the average salary of a person who has been awarded a Doctor of Law?
Ans: The average salary of a LLD holder ranges between INR 20 lakhs and INR 25 lakhs per annum.
Ques. What is the job description of a law professor?
Ans: A law professor is someone who has relevant work experience as a lawyer and who is occupied as a teacher of advocates of justice.
Ques. What is the duration of a LLD degree?
Ans: Normally, three to five years is the course duration of a doctoral degree in law.
Ques. What are the major entrance exams that are to be passed for admission into a LLD course?
Ans: NSLIU Entrance Test, CLAT, SUAT, BHU RET and AILET are the various entrance exams conducted for admission into this course.
Ques. What is the eligibility for a LLD?
Ans: Students are required to have completed their Ph. D. in law and a four or five-year long LLM course with a minimum of 50% or more aggregate marks in their final examination.
Ques. What are some of the topics covered in the syllabus of a doctoral degree in law?
Ans: Research Methodology, Preamble and Writ Jurisdiction, Judicial Process and Social Transformation, Law of Contracts: General Principles, Judiciary and Nature and Source of Law, Law of Crimes: General Principles, Types of Research, Family Law and Business Law are some of the topics covered in the syllabus of this course.
Ques. Which job after Phd. Business Economics is provided the highest salary?
Ans: A judge is given a salary of around INR 45,00,000 while a law professor has an average salary of INR 34,00,000. These are some of the highly paid jobs a LLD graduate can hope to achieve.

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