So you think you can be a Bombay solicitor? Try out 12 past exam papers

Exclusive Featured
Tuesday, 15 October 2013 By Legally India Graduates & Bar Exam

Can you beat the horrible stats of the Bombay Incorporate Law Society’s (BILS) solicitors exams?

So, who wants to be a Licitor?
So, who wants to be a Licitor?
The pass rates at the harrowing Bombay Incorporate Law Society’s (BILS) solicitors exams have stayed stubbornly in the single digits for the past several years.

But is that a sign of the high level of the exam paper or of the quality of candidates?

In any case, despite the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) having come up to allow young lawyers to test their legal mettle (to a rather limited extent) the Bombay solicitors profession doesn’t appear to have suffered.

2013 has seen a record rise in test takers, and more than 270 candidates have been sitting in the BILS exam halls since Monday, where they will have to score at least 360 marks out of 600 in six subject papers.

So, at popular request from budding solicitors as well as those just wanting to show off, BILS has sent us 12 papers from previous years.

Try some of them and share how you fare.

Previous stories on Bombay solicitors

Some more sample papers and more information

Bombay Incorporated Law Societysolicitors

Comments

2 cents 15 Oct 2013, 12:47
+15 -6
With all due respect, this exam should be scrapped. The questions undoubtedly test the legal quotient of candidates but why a lawyer should be required to take this exam is moot. The concept of "high street" solicitor practice is not the same in India as compared to the UK and the exam takes one to once upon a time in Bombay (Independence and maybe the following decade), when chamber and solicitor practice was completely different.

The Advocates Act provides that there shall be only one class of lawyers, namely advocates.
Hoodibaba 15 Oct 2013, 13:23
+12 -6
Can some one give me the reason so many take the Solicitor Exam when it essentially has no statutory backing ? I absolutely have nothing against this exam but wondering what are the advantages of some one spending 3 years article ship and then taking the tough exam to become a solicitor.

Is there some benefit for going through this process which I am missing ? (Other than knowledge ofcourse and to challenge yourself).

I dont understand the show off too. How would some one showoff ?

I ask this for I am not from Bombay so hoping some one can help me figure this out.

Thanks to all in advance.
guesterator 15 Oct 2013, 14:06
+8 -4
[quote name="Hoodibaba"]Can some one give me the reason so many take the Solicitor Exam when it essentially has no statutory backing ? I absolutely have nothing against this exam but wondering what are the advantages of some one spending 3 years article ship and then taking the tough exam to become a solicitor.

Is there some benefit for going through this process which I am missing ? (Other than knowledge ofcourse and to challenge yourself).

I dont understand the show off too. How would some one showoff ?

I ask this for I am not from Bombay so hoping some one can help me figure this out.

Thanks to all in advance.[/quote]

Great question and a genuine question with many of us from other jurisdictions who ask this with highest respect for the institutions in place in Bombay, Bombay folk and solicitors please help us elucidate...
An answer 15 Oct 2013, 15:02
+39 -5
Valid set of questions - as a solicitor, and currently working with a corporate law firm, without trying to be controversial or getting into the debate of solicitors v. law schools, let me try and answer:

1. Agreed, it has no statutory backing. It serves as a useful additional qualification - all other things equal, while consider two (non-law school) applicants for a job, a solicitor is usually preferred as clearing the exam requires both calibre and substantial preparation stretching over many months. The LLB from Mumbai University is not exactly a sign of quality recognition. Being a solicitor is not a sign of being a great quality lawyer (neither is qualification from any school, with due respect) - its just an additional CV booster that can help, and definitely doesnt harm. The day recruiters and students stop giving it importance, it will die a natural death. The idea is, this is a means to differentiate yourself.

2. It gives students the flexibility of living and working in Mumbai, and making their own money for 3 years. It is not a waste of time, as 2-3 years is usually the minimum time you spend in your first job. Also, most students start the 3 year clerkship while studying in a law college in Mumbai, and hence are bound only for 1-2 years after graduation. While some old firms had a system of discriminatory (lower) payments to articled clerks, most firms pay the same to articled clerks as well as other (normal) employees. I can say that I got paid the same as everyone else (non-articled clerks) while pursuing my clerkship.

3. In case you wish to quit, there are provisions for transfer of your articleship, and also terminating the same and re-starting it. Not sure about how easy it is to accomplish a transfer though.

4. A lot of leading Mumbai lawyers today are solicitors, and know the effort required to obtain the qualification. Hence, in my view, they would consider a solicitor with some respect. In any event, after a few years of work experience, your graduation school and qualifications hardly matter - its all about your work experience then.

5. It also serves as a useful network with other solicitors - similar to law school network that most graduates most law schools use quite frequently
Hoodibaba 16 Oct 2013, 02:20
+11 -4
Thank you. Atleast now I can make some sense out of this exam!
BILS is a guild 17 Oct 2013, 04:50
+2 -0
Note this -
[i]Closely linked to the Bombay Bar Association is the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. This is an association—again, [b]not statutory[/b], but [b]like a guild[/b]—of advocates ...[/i]

http://www.bombaybar.com/bar_association/court_associations.php
Guest 15 Oct 2013, 16:45
+1 -8
quality of the paper sucksssss...why cant they just scarp it!
anon 15 Oct 2013, 16:45
+0 -8
where is analysis?? quality of the paper sucks..need to be scrapped.
MU grads... 15 Oct 2013, 19:07
+1 -14
Paper meant to select best out of Mumbai University law grads... Hope National Law grads don't start attempting this paper as well since any fresher amongst them will easily clear if not ace it...
guesterator 16 Oct 2013, 05:52
+1 -0
[quote name="MU grads..."]Paper meant to select best out of Mumbai University law grads... Hope National Law grads don't start attempting this paper as well since any fresher amongst them will easily clear if not ace it...[/quote]
not necessarily.. the paper does need brushing up solid basics and having attentive access to them.
Guest 16 Oct 2013, 11:58
+9 -0
[quote name="MU grads..."]Paper meant to select best out of Mumbai University law grads... Hope National Law grads don't start attempting this paper as well since any fresher amongst them will easily clear if not ace it...[/quote]

For clarification:

There are lot of students who passed out from National Law Schools and are continuously sitting for the BILS Solicitors exam and still not able to clear the exam. Don't be sarcastic Bro.

This exam is not that easy so please try to see the other part of the world as well. As you can check the passing percentage of this exam is very less and if at all in your career you will be able to meet a solicitor of BILS who will see the amount of knowledge they carry along with the huge bag of experience.
@ 5.2 18 Oct 2013, 12:03
+1 -2
[b]Why the hell will a lawschool grad take the BILS exam? Law firms promote them to partnership [u]without[/u] such qualification anyway. [/b]

One does not need to pass this kind of an exam to prove that they are skilled at analysis of facts and application of law to facts. One does not need to memorize law in the fashion the exam expects, if one has studied reasonably well in lawschool. Lawyers need to know how to locate and apply the relevant law as opposed to carrying around a legal encyclopedia in their head.
Guest 18 Oct 2013, 18:33
+3 -0
[quote name="@ 5.2"][b]Why the hell will a lawschool grad take the BILS exam? Law firms promote them to partnership [u]without[/u] such qualification anyway. [/b]

One does not need to pass this kind of an exam to prove that they are skilled at analysis of facts and application of law to facts. One does not need to memorize law in the fashion the exam expects, if one has studied reasonably well in lawschool. Lawyers need to know how to locate and apply the relevant law as opposed to carrying around a legal encyclopedia in their head.[/quote]

Kids of solicitors who studied in NLUs do give the exam. Apparently something to do with not getting rid the 'Solicitor' tag on their nameplate. And something to do with subtle nepotism in our little fraternity. And something to do with what's stated in 2.1.1 above.
royz 14 Aug 2014, 18:55
+2 -0
Law school fachaas take easy route solicitor England and Wales.

Law school bachas can't even clear MBL forget bils solicitir exam.
Query 16 Oct 2013, 05:39
+0 -1
Are there any textbooks to prepare for this exam and, if so, is any of them better than the rest? It would be interesting to have a look at one.

[b]Bombay solicitors, please respond. Thanks.[/b]
Anon 16 Oct 2013, 12:31
+2 -2
No textbooks. You need to study from the standard commentaries for each subject.
Query 16 Oct 2013, 05:50
+0 -0
Alternately, any book with past years' papers with solutions?
Guest 16 Oct 2013, 06:58
+1 -1
Nope.You have to find your own solutions!
Query 16 Oct 2013, 07:16
+0 -0
Are you being smart here? Regardless, are there any question bank of previous papers?
Guest 16 Oct 2013, 15:05
+1 -0
No. Was just stating the facts. You can get a copy of the question papers of the past 10-12 years from the BILS. You then need to solve each of them yourself.
full disclosure - lawschoolite 16 Oct 2013, 06:11
+3 -5
1. law schoolites have a headstart when getting jobs in a law firm which ppl from GLC and other general colleges try to make up by get the solicitor tag; 2. the usage of the term "solicitor" is not anybody's fiefdom - its an english term which means lawyers who do not advocate in court and actually describe most corporate lawyers. If anybody suffers from the miisconception that usage of the term is based on passing an exam by a prvate archaic body then they are sadly mistaken; and 3. it is a well established fact that most ppl who pass the sols are kids of bombay sols who somehow get access to the papers - not saying that is the rule - but it is quite rampant.
AC 16 Oct 2013, 10:47
+4 -2
Corporate Law paper was not difficult.
Exam taker 16 Oct 2013, 14:21
+1 -1
Was a bit.. Open book.. What was that derivatives v options? You don't ask that in open book..
MU grads... 17 Oct 2013, 17:33
+1 -3
[quote name="Exam taker"]Was a bit.. Open book.. What was that derivatives v options? You don't ask that in open book..[/quote]

Proves my earlier point... NLU grads need to stuff like derivatives v options without open book... The BILS Corporate Law isn't that difficult nor is that practical oriented...
Exam taker 17 Oct 2013, 19:19
+19 -0
Arre ha bhai, tum nlu vale mahan ho.. You'll are the only brilliant lawyers that are around, rest everyone is an idiot..

You'll know everything that is to know about the law, you'll are brilliant with your research, with your drafting, with your copy pasting, formatting etc..

Surely you remember every provision that you studied in law school.. You don't need to refer to books ever, the library in your firm is filled with dust because you don't have to ever refer to those books.

So beta tell me without looking or researching, what is provision that deals with conditional competing offers under takeover code? Please don't open the book.. You don't need it.. Lol
@ Exam taker 18 Oct 2013, 12:07
+5 -8
Every lawyer needs to consult books. We oppose this exam because it focuses on rote, not application. Why should a lawyer memorize every aspect of a legal proposition when a general idea is enough? The lawyer will need to consult books anyway before giving a balanced opinion.

The dust in the library is due to online tools and commentaries.
S 18 Oct 2013, 12:17
+10 -0
How exactly does this exam focus on 'rote' learning? Am I missing some thing in your comment?
Exam taker 18 Oct 2013, 17:13
+5 -0
My comment was primarily to tell you that it is now pointless to have any debate on nlu v. solicitor.. the exam is not compulsory, you do it because you want to.. it tests you on certain concepts, which some universities don't... the open book was not easy, may be easy for some, may not be easy for others.. also the example of the question i gave in the previous post was from the open book asked in the paper on wednesday (competing conditional offer)

secondly, it is a fact that it increases you job market status whether one believes this or not. yes, over the years work experience will be everything not degrees. more importantly on an all together different point, in modern day corporate law practice, at times, partners making the most money are not the ones who are brilliant with their corporate law but at times, those who are bringing in the clients, i believe eventually that will also be very important.

good luck if you are still going to be commenting sols v. nlu..
Guest 22 Oct 2013, 13:37
+2 -3
Most of the questions that I saw merely tests your memory power rather than one's analytical abilities as is done in most good law schools across the globe. I wonder what is the use of such exams for which one is required to cram in, which one is bound to forget soon. It would be worth the while if the applicant's logical and analytical abilities were tested.

Also, not to forget that this exam has not been prescribed under any statute.

What a waste!
R.I.P. 24 Oct 2013, 05:18
+5 -4
Here's a Gem from one of the papers:

QUOTE

The exception under Section 16 (1) of the Sale of Goods Act, 1930 is not available, where..

UNQUOTE

So someone thinks remembering by rote, 16 (1) of the SOGA, makes for a better lawyer?!?

BILS is just another "gora club".. which will soon meet its natural death. And for good reasons too.

And there shall be Dhansak no more.
Commenting is closed for this article.