CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTORY BRIEF ; RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ; 2. EVOLUTION OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION: A JOURNEY TO THE PRESENT ; EVOLUTION OF LEGAL PROFESSION IN INDIA: A BRIEF ACCOUNT ; A PRELUDE TO THE ADVOCATES ACT ; CONDITIONS FOR PRACTICE: THE ADVOCATES ACT, 1961 ; 3. GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES: AN ACCOUNT ; GATS: A TOUCH OF THE KNOWN ; Modes of Trade in Services ; General Obligations and Specific Commitments ; Most Favoured Nation ; National Treatment. ; Market Access ; Domestic regulation ; Administrative Machinery ; Continuing Negotiations ; CURRENT STATUS OF SERVICE NEGOTIATIONS WITH RESPECT TO INDIA ; TRADE IN SERVICES: THE STATISTICS ; Need for liberalisation.in Trade in Services ; UNDERSTANDING LEGAL SERVICES . ; PLURILATERAL REQUEST TO UNDERTAKE A COMMITMENT ; 4. DOMESTIC REGULATIONS ON FOREIGN LEGAL; PRESENCE: ANALYSIS OF THE SUBTLE ISSUES ; FOREIGN FIRMS IN INDIA: A MERE SHADOW ; Liaison offices ; Tie-ups and Best Friend Arrangement ; Based in Regional Offices ; LEGAL PROCESS OUTSOURCING: THE COVETED INDIAN MARKET ; THE LEGAL BAR FOR FOREIGN LA WYERS: THE JUDICIAL REASONING ; LIMITATIONS OR CONDITIONS IN REGULATIONS vis-à-vis; FOREIGN LA WYERS AND DEVELOPMENT ; Restrictions of Partners to 20 ; Unlimited Liability on Partners ; Limitation on Multidisciplinary Growth ; Ban on Advertisements ; Reticence from the Indian Professionals ; SOCIO-POLITICAL REASONS FOR THE RESTRICTIONS: A CONCISE CRITIQUE; Lack of Competence ; Inability to share Cultural Aspirations ; Cost-elevation of litigation ; 5. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE GATS COMMITMENT; ON AN INTERNATIONAL FIELD ; UNITED STATES AMERICA ; JAPAN ; SINGAPORE ; CHINA ; 6. OPENING UP THE INDIAN LEGAL MARKET TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ; REMOVAL OF THE LIMIT ON 20 PARTNERS ; Limited Liability partners ; AMENDMENT OF BAR COUNCIL RULE AGAINST ADVERTISING ; LIMITATIONS: MARKET ACCESS, NATIONAL TREATMENT; AND ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS ; STANDARDS LAID DOWN BY IBA ; 7. CONCLUDING REMARKS ; 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY .