In case you are a Class 12 student and you have not yet decided on your next move then you should look into studying law. One of the most reputable jobs in India is law which is also very well paid. The legal profession is expanding at an alarming rate and it is better to plan in 2026.
The legal business is on the rise in India. The Bar Council of India has over 1.5 million lawyers. Law graduates may make between 2.5- 6 lakh rupee per annum because law schools have offered fresh graduates, and experienced lawyers in corporate firms may make 80 lakh rupee.
In case you studied Arts, Commerce, or Science, you will have the chance to find the law courses after 12th that fits you. The demand of the services of corporate lawyers, cyber attorneys, and criminal law practitioners is increasing every year, and it is high time to decide to be a lawyer.
Growing Demand for Legal Professionals
The Indian corporate culture is expanding, and there are more disagreements concerning technology and regulations. This generates a high demand of professional attorneys. Other emerging fields like cyber law, intellectual property and environmental law are developing at a rapid rate in 2026. This is a career and good job security to students considering law after 12 th.
What Are the 4 Types of Law?
There are four branches of law – Criminal, Civil, Corporate, and Constitutional. Over 60 percent of the Indian law graduates will be in the area of corporate or civil law in 2026. Criminal law has to deal with crimes against the state. Constitutional law deals with rights and the mode of government. These four areas should be known by the student who considers law courses after 12th before making a choice in the field.
Also Read: Private Law Colleges in India
Which Law Course is Best After 12th?
1. BA LLB (Most Popular)
The most important law courses after 12th to take is BA LLB. It combines arts courses with law and it is a 5-year course. BA LLB students take over 70% of NLU seats in 2026. It is suitable to the students who like history, political science and social studies. Nlu graduates who have a Bachelor of law Bachelor of Legal studies (BA LLB) are paid between 7 and 15 lakh rupees in a year as their starting salary.
2. BBA LLB
BBA LLB is an amalgamation of business management and law hence suitable to those students wishing to work in companies as corporation lawyers. It ranks among the most popular law courses after 12th due to the demand of the skills by many companies. The BBA LLB graduates in 2026 will earn between 6 to 10 lakh rupees annually in the corporate law firms primarily in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
3. BCom LLB
BCom LLB is available to the students of Commerce who prefer to study finance and law. It serves well both in tax law and company law and banking law. The course is undertaken in 5 years and on completion the graduates receive an income of 5-12 lakh rupees per annum as legal consultant, tax consultant or compliance officer.
4. BSc LLB
BSc LLB mixes science and law. It is well liked among the students who wish to pursue law in cyber law, environmental law, or in intellectual property. It is a specialty course yet quite useful in the current technological world. Due to the increased rates of cybercrime cases in India with annual rates of over 15 percent, graduates of BSc LLB acquainted with cyber law will be in high demand in 2026.
5. Criminal Law Specialisation
Criminal Law specialization is selected by students who are attentive to justice, criminal reform, and working in a courtroom. In the list of law courses after 12th, there is BA LLB, which can take you in this direction with a specialization in criminal subjects. Prosecution in India also makes it a good money job as the public prosecutors earn between 8 and 15 lakh rupees annually.
Also Read: Government Law Colleges in India
List of Law Courses After 12th for Different Streams 2026
Law Courses After 12th – Arts
BA LLB
BA LLB is a five year course which combines arts (including political science, sociology, history and economics) with law subjects. The students are educated about constitutional law, criminal law, contract law and jurisprudence. It develops critical thinking, research, and reasoning on the law. It equips graduates to practice as professionals as advocates or judges or legal officers or policy advisors. The program has moot courts and real life practice through internships.
Duration: 5 Years
Salary: INR 4–15 LPA
Criminal Law
Arts-based law Programs In criminal law, a specialized mentoring focuses on crime, trials, evidence, and procedure. Indian penal code, code of criminal procedure and cyber crimes are studied by students. The course prepares them to be either defenders or prosecutors of the people. It includes bail, sentencing and witness investigation. In India, graduates are employed in criminal courts, police, or legal aid organizations.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated) / 3 Years (PG)
Salary: INR 5–15 LPA
Constitutional Law
The Specialization Constitutional Law pays close attention to the Indian Constitution, fundamental rights, directive principles and portrayal by the court. Students get to know about the working relationship of Parliament, the courts, and the executive by constitutional guidelines. It is fundamental to BA LLB, and relevant to those students who desire to become judges, civil servants, or constitutional lawyers. The course provides a discussion of the great Supreme Court cases and their implications to the rights of the government and the citizens.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated)
Salary: INR 6–20 LPA
Law Courses After 12th – Commerce
BBA LLB
BBA LLB is a two-degree course in which there is a combination of business and law. Students acquire knowledge of contract law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and of resolving commercial disputes. The course can assist students of commerce to shine through in the legal career of corporations. Having both a legal and a business training, law firms, banks, and multinational firms are highly demanding of graduates. Corporate legal department internship is normal in the program.
Duration: 5 Years
Salary: INR 6–18 LPA
Corporate Law
Corporate Law is an area of study entails the establishment of corporations, company arrangements, intellectual property law and security legislation and amalgamations. Students get training on how to control business legal issues, which include drafting agreements, enforcement, and litigation. This course is related closely to business and commerce. The graduates have an option of career paths as a corporate lawyer, compliance manager, or a law advisor in-house with large corporations. One of the best paying export of law specialties in India is corporate law in 2026.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated) / LLM (2 Years)
Salary: INR 8–25 LPA
Taxation Law
Taxation Law is the direct and indirect taxes, the GST, income tax, customs duties and international taxation. Students get to understand the effect of tax laws on individuals and firms and how to defend clients before tax tribunals and courts. It is a good specialization among the students of commerce who aspire to apply their financial expertise in combination with the knowledge of law. Graduates have an opportunity of becoming tax lawyers, chartered legal advisors, or auditing and accounting firm consultants in India.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated) / PG Diploma (1 Year)
Salary: INR 5–18 LPA
Law Courses After 12th – Science
BSc LLB
BSc LLB is a 5 year course comprising of the integration of science courses; biology, chemistry, physics or computer science with the conceptual elements of law. It is geared towards the students who seek to apply science in legal dilemmas. Some of the subjects are environmental law, patent law, forensic science, and cyber regulations. In 2026, this course is becoming extremely on-demand due to the presence of higher demand of legal professionals in fields like, technology, pharma, and in environmental areas in India.
Duration: 5 Years
Salary: INR 5–16 LPA
Cyber Law
Cyber Law deals with the legal matter concerning the internet, privacy of data, e-contracting, internet hacking and e-commerce regulations. The students get to know about Information Technology Act, 2000, and international cybersecurity structures. This specialization will particularly come in handy when the students of Science venture into law. As cyber crime incidences are on the increase in India, cyber law experts will be one of the sought-after experts in legal specialties in 2026, as firms will go online and will require legal securities.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated) / PG Diploma (1 Year)
Salary: INR 6–20 LPA
Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual Property (IP) Law concerns trademarks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets. Students are taught patent registration, court defense of IP rights, and licensing contracts. Students who have a background in Science or engineering, and know the technical innovations and can transform them into legal regulations are good in such a course. The startup scenes in India are thriving in 2026, leading to a massive demand of IP lawyers to ensure that the product designs, software, and pharmaceutical formula are not stolen.
Duration: 5 Years (Integrated) / LLM (2 Years)
Salary: INR 7–22 LPA
Law Courses After 12th – Duration
You can choose law courses depending on their duration after the 12th grade. Class 12 students are usually taking integrated 5-year programs such as BA LLB, BBA LLB and BCom LLB. These 5-year degree programs are available in over 25 National Law Universities in 2026. Courses lasting 6 months -1 year may be short diploma or certificate courses, and a stand-alone 3-year LLB requires a previous graduation degree.
Percentage Required for LLB After 12th
Students typically require minimum 45-50percent marks in Class 12 final exams to pursue courses in law after 12 th. In the case of the best NLUs and leading private colleges, the percentage is normally 55 percent and above. This requirement is frequently relaxed by an amount of 5-percent in 2026 with SC/ST candidates. The percentage rule is universal among streams, namely, Arts, Commerce, and Science.
Is LLB Possible Without CLAT?
Yes, 12th-wise, it is possible to pursue law courses even without CLAT. There are a number of privately operated colleges and state universities that are open to LSAT, SLAT, AILET, MHT CET Law and university specific entrance examinations. According to 2026, previous admissions, over 600 class 12 based or internal test based direct admissions are offered by privately run law colleges in India. There are also other universities that provide merit system without having any entrance examination.
Salary & Job Scope After Law Courses
Salary earned after doing the law studies in the 12th is very different. Entry level lawyers have a salary of approximately INR 3 6 LPA and the same professionals with experience of 5 0 years earn INR 10 20 LPA. Top law firms Senior corporate lawyers and partners will be earning up to INR 80000 P/A or more in 2026. These are such roles as advocate, corporate counsel, legal advisor, public prosecutor, compliance officer and judge.
Law Courses After 12th Fees
The cost of law courses after 12th depends heavily on the type of institution you choose.
Government Colleges
The lowest cost among the law schools is the government law colleges, where students pursuing the law courses after 12 th. Normally, the annual charges range between INR 10,000 and INR 50,000. India Faculty of Law at Delhi University has an approximation fee of INR 13,000 per year to play its LLD program. These colleges usually tend to provide good education at a fraction of costs in private colleges.
Private Colleges
There is much higher charges in private law colleges. The cost of law courses exceeding 12th of the year of joining in a privately run institution may be as much as INR 1 lakh to INR 4 lakh/year. In the case of full 5 years course, it may cost up to INR 15–20 lakh. Nevertheless, numerous privates colleges have scholarships, EMI, and support of the education loans to make the cost lighter to the students.
NLUs (National Law Universities)
In India, NLUs become the most reputed in law courses after the 12 th. They charge intermediate to high and range between INR 1.5 lakh to INR 3.5 Lakh a year (INR 8 lakh to INR 500000 in total 5 years). Nevertheless, the expense will not stop the NLU graduates who continue receiving the best placement offer on average campus earnings of least INR 12 to 18 LPA in the best NLUs in 2026.
Conclusion
One of the most significant decisions one will make in life is the selection of the appropriate law courses after 12th. You like working in the criminal justice system, boardrooms or hacking cases, the law industry has an avenue to you. The 2026 options of BA LLB are wider and richer than ever before, with advanced straight FT, Cyber Law and Taxation Law, being on demand.
The right preparation of the entrance exams, the right percentage in Class-12, and a specific objective, your post-12 th career course in law would be fulfilling and earning a good pay. It is not too late to start your career in the legal world, just plan ahead.
FAQs
1. Which is the best law course after 12th for Arts students?
BA LLB is the most preferred option. It is a 5-year integrated course that one may obtain in any National Law University (NLU). It has numerous courses in the law, as well as those in the humanities.
2. Can Science students pursue law courses after 12th?
Yes. Students can do BSc LLB, Cyber Law or Intellectual Property Law. These studies fit better with a science degree and they are marketable in 2026.
3. What is the minimum percentage required to get into a law course after 12th?
A majority of the colleges are demanding 45-50% in Class 12. The best NLUs and other high-end colleges privately owned might demand 55 percent or more to be admitted.
4. Is CLAT mandatory for all law courses after 12th?
No. CLAT is necessary in case of NLU admissions only. Most other good law colleges in India may accept LSAT, SLAT, AILET or even state exams.
5. What is the average salary after completing a law course after 12th?
The new lawyers do make between 3-6 lakh rupee annually. Experienced and specialized professionals may get 15-80 lakh rupees a year, particularly in law fields relating to corporations or intellectual property.
