The career choices available to hundreds of law students of Pakistan are dictated by law degrees they are enrolled in or have passed. While talking to many students and practicing lawyers, one is bound to reach the conclusion that a foreign LL.B degree or a lack thereof becomes a deciding factor whether a young lawyer will enter corporate law practice or be forever condemned to endless struggle in lower courts to eke out living.
Presently in Pakistan, majority of the lawyers have done their LL.B degree from private and public law universities and colleges mushroomed across the country during the last decade or two. Among the elite lawyers and barristers, all together small stratum among lawyers, entered law practice after getting their degrees from abroad, mostly Bar at Law or LL.B or LL.M from UK or USA. However, of late there are hundreds of lawyers who’ve studied in external programmes of foreign universities and colleges having affiliated teaching centres in big cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
The 3-year LL.B of University of London external programme is quite popular among those who wish to study in Pakistan for a foreign degree. The Institute of Legal Studies, University College Islamabad and other institutes facilitate their students with admission, conduct lectures and provide necessary assistance. However, the price tag of an LL.B degree in these external programmes is astonishingly high.
‘After doing my Intermediate in science, I decided to do LL.B. My father is DSP in Islamabad Police and I am no stranger to law, its enforcement and courts. When I asked from some of my lawyer uncles for best law colleges, they recommended that I do my LL.B from University of London external programme as it will open up more opportunities for me,’ said Waleed Malik, who recently took admission in UCI and currently pursuing his LL.B. When asked around how much the entire degree will cost, Malik said that if one does it properly and without any hiccups like failing in a subject, it costs around Rs 2 million. ‘Including all fees like admission fees, tuition fees, examinations fees and other miscellaneous expenditures,’ he said. Waleed aims to pursue his career as a criminal lawyer with some reputed law firm.
‘The entire fees of 3-year LL.B from Punjab University Law College is Rs 60,000. If a student is availing the facility of hostel, then add another Rs 45,000,’ said Asad Raza Mohal, LL.B Part II student at Punjab University who has previously done his BA Honours in English Literature from GC University. Asad also said that till 2015 Punjab University gave admission to around 700 students in its various law programmes in different timings. ‘From this year onwards, they’ve reduced the number of seats to 100 for 3-year LL.B programme and 100 for 5-year LL.M programme,’ he said. Asad aims to pursue his career in civil services of Pakistan.
Muhammad Majid Bashir, senior partner at ABS&Co, one of the foremost corporate law firms in the country said that a law graduate from local university will find it really hard to make way in any corporate law firm. ‘All the young apprentices working with us, barring one or two exceptions, did their law either from UK or USA or have done it from external programme,’ he said while talking to this scribe.
