The competition to get into NLSIU is very high due to the merit-based system and they have equally impressive placements. IIT Kharagpur, on the other hand, has a very high number of graduates each year, but they do not get offers as high as NLSIU.

But you should be considering which of these colleges would add more value to you. Even if you choose to do an LLB from IIT Kharagpur, you should know that it is the first premier institute for engineering. Whereas NLSIU is one of the best universities in the country for law. 

Do not choose a college just because it has better placement, instead focus on which college is better for your career in law. A degree from NLSIU would always hold a better position than a degree in Law from an IIT. 

There are so many people that drop out of college just because they failed to research better about their career path and what was good for them. 

Both NLS Bangalore and NLU Delhi have their share of advantages and disadvantages. Here I will be listing some of them, to give you a better picture overall.

Advantages of studying at NLS Bangalore –

• Located in Bangalore, it gets all the advantages of being surrounded by opportunities.
• NLS Bangalore was the first law school with a five-year course in the country. They have a top-notch alumni network.
• It is the most recognized law school in the country.

Disadvantages

• Admission to NLS Bangalore is very difficult.
• Bangalore is not the center of law in India, unlike Delhi. You may have less opportunity to make your mark, as you might get overshadowed by others.

Advantages of studying at NLU Delhi –

• It is a new and more dynamic law school.
• Delhi is the best location for a law school. You have the Supreme Court, the High Court well as the District Courts. It is the seat of government and the parliament is situated there.
• You have all the law firms and best lawyers to intern under. Most of your seminars and conferences would be held nearby.

Disadvantages –

• NLU Delhi was established in 2008 and hardly has any legacy to boast of.
• Delhi is not exactly known for its professional culture, whereas law as a profession is very professional and demanding.

One thing you should keep in mind is that while your institute of education makes some difference, the difference is never so big that you cannot overcome it with your hard work. 

Law is a profession that promises a lot of versatility. According to some of my friends who opted for Law, you can pursue a number of avenues if you have a degree in law. Some of them include:

• Judiciary: If you are interested in joining the judicial level then go for IJS. It conducts competitive exams, prelims, finals, interviews and also training. It is very similar to the IAS.
• Teaching: Once you complete your Masters, you will have to crack the NET or the National Eligibility Test which is conducted by the UPSC and start working as an assistant professor in a government college or university. Some private institutes even accept candidates who have not cleared the NET.
• General Counsel: You can also join a company and work as their in-house legal advisor. You will take care of compliance and be in charge of settling disputes faced by the company.
• Law Firm: You can try being a legal associate with a law firm. The compensation you will receive is directly proportional to the reputation of the firm.
• LPO: You can work as an associate of a firm that is involved in outsourcing and caters to high profile clients. This may also include contracts. This can get you international exposure.

Last but not the least; you can try your hand in litigation: This is the most traditional form of law practice. You will have to go to courts, interact with clients, address the jury and judges, etc. This will get you a lot of clout.

CLAT cutoff for the NLSIU basically depends on various factors, one of which is the difficulty level of the paper. Yet, for being on the safe side, you should expect nothing less than 155+ in case the paper is easy and no less than 140+ in case the paper is difficult.

The recent cutoff trend for CLAT is:

However, you should not go by the expected score to get into NLSIU. Work hard no matter whatever the difficulty level of the paper is.

Without any doubt, 7 months are enough for the preparation of CLAT, but it depends totally upon the hard work and efforts that you are going to put. You should refer to some original books instead of the coaching material solely. 

For English, you can refer to banking books and WPM, for Maths and Logical Reasoning refer to CAT preparation books. Read newspaper daily for a comprehensive General Knowledge. For Legal refer to the coaching material or some legal guides from Amazon.

Thus, by studying from the books mentioned above you can score quite well in your exam.

Over the years, the cut-off varies a great deal between 115 to 160. It depends on the difficulty level of the paper set. Moreover, your focus should be on the rank rather than the score. 

You should be able to obtain a higher rank than others in order to secure admission to the top 3 law schools. The cut-off for CLAT (2015) was 125 whereas for CLAT (2020) was 153. Start working in the right direction and you shall achieve it. Try scoring a 140+, as it will keep you on the safer side.