Super Lawyer

Author: Richa Saraf

  • Nirupama Jayasimha, Associate, Telecom Media Tech team, Trilegal, on work and LL.M from Stanford Univ

    Nirupama Jayasimha, Associate, Telecom Media Tech team, Trilegal, on work and LL.M from Stanford Univ

    Nirupama Jayasimha is a graduate from Bangalore University batch 2003-2008. Currently she is an associate at Trilegal, working in the Telecom, Media, Tech team. She has had a brief stint with Infosys and then she worked at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati. She has completed her LL.M. from Standford University.  She has also been an Exchange Student at Université Paris X Nanterre. She shares her experience as an Exchange Student and tells us why and how an exchange programme is beneficial for a law student.

    She tells us about JN Tata scholarship application and other procedures for further studies abroad. She also talks about the job opportunities available overseas.

     

    Though it’s one of the most cliché question, but yet, why law? What were your areas of interest while you were studying law?

    I come from a family of eminent lawyers and engineers. Dinner time conversations were filled with stories from the court or the latest developments in technology. This led to an interest in these fields from a very early age. My father thought I would make a better lawyer and persuaded me to take law. In the meantime, the growth of IT in Bangalore presented a unique opportunity to work at the cusp of law and technology. Most of my internships were in the legal departments of technology companies to help me understand the fundamentals of technology, business and its interaction with law.

     

    You have been a part of Université Paris X Nanterre as an Exchange Student. How do you think such exchange programmes are beneficial for a law student? Tell us about your experience there.

    When I signed up for the exchange program, apart from getting to live in Paris without paying for it, I couldn’t think of a single way the exchange program would benefit me. If anything, it seemed like opening a Pandora’s box. I had to attend classes and take exams in a language I didn’t understand well, the college administration was not sure if the courses taken in Paris would count towards graduation and I had to live away from home for eight months which I had never done before. Call it adrenaline rush, or the compulsion to be different, I just signed-up for the program. Apart from learning enough French for a lifetime, there were no immediate benefits I saw from the exchange program. It’s only much later that I reaped the benefits. While at Infosys, I worked closely with clients in France and having an idea of civil law and French was an added advantage. It may have influenced my admission to Stanford as I was one of two students in my university to have done the program. Even today, the networks I cultivated have stood me in good stead. So, I guess, my advice to anybody who wants to take up an exchange program is to go for it! Like Steve Jobs said “its only when you look back that you will be able to connect the dots”.

     

    nirupama-jayasimha-2

    You have studied LL.M from Stanford University, through the J.N Tata Scholarship. Tell us in detail about the application procedure for the JN Tata scholarships and other such scholarships.

    The J.N Tata scholarship requires applicants to submit a personal statement along with their application. Based on the strength of the application, candidates are shortlisted for an interview in Bombay. Candidates are interviewed by a subject-matter expert from their particular background for an hour. A week after the interview, successful applicants are intimated by mail. The final distribution of the scholarships is at a ceremony held at the Bombay House (where you may have a chance to meet Ratan Tata!). The ceremony is also attended by scholarship alumni and distinguished members of the Tata Group.

    The Stanford acceptance letter comes out well past the deadline for most scholarship applications. I just made it in time for the JN Tata scholarship and that’s only because an extension was granted! However, there are a few scholarships that you can apply prior to sending out your college applications. Applying to these will ensure you don’t lose sleep after receiving the acceptance letter.

    In terms of the selection process for the JN Tata Scholarship, it is hard to give a definitive answer of the traits required to bag the scholarship. My advice is that it is good to spend a few days thinking about why you want to do a LL.M, how you would use it to further your career and the interests of the society at large and then present it in your application in a compelling way. This is the most important question any scholarship panel asks and is also a defining part of the application you submit to colleges.

     

    How was your experience with faculty and academics at Stanford University?

    As a law student, I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about technology law issues like net-neutrality, P2P sharing, patent trolls, dispute resolution in e-commerce. Quite naturally, the opportunity to study at Stanford, at the bleeding edge of all the action, was an exciting prospect. And I was not disappointed at all. The Socratic method of teaching is crafted towards making you evaluate these issues by questioning the fundamentals. In addition, hearing perspectives from competing stakeholders on issues they deal with on a daily basis makes you appreciate and understand the different facets of the issue. For instance, in a panel discussion onP2P sharing, we had the ex-CEO of Napster, Hank Barry on the panel and a lawyer from Viacom. Meeting such stalwarts on a daily basis inspired me to contribute to the evolution of technology law in a meaningful way.

     

    How is the recruitment/ placement situation for overseas students?

    Well, it’s not easy to find a job. If you are looking to do an LL.M just so you may work in the US, then it may not be a wise decision. To land a job in the US, an extensive network of contacts will take you much further than a LL.M degree. When you interview for jobs after your LL.M, you are competing with JD’s. A law firm will not want to pick you ahead of a JD unless you have something a JD doesn’t. More often than not, that X-factor could be your ability to bring in work from your home country. As a general observation, I found that the network one has built in India is the most effective tool to land a job in the US.

     

    How did you get a job as a foreign legal specialist in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati? What kind of work did you come across?

    My boss during my stint at Infosys, Samuel Mani generously referred me to a partner at Wilson with whom he worked closely. At Wilson, I worked with the Technology Transaction team which primarily worked in representing technology companies in business transactions driven by the development, use, acquisition, or divestiture of intellectual property, including licensing, mergers and acquisitions and public and private offerings. The most interesting piece of work I was involved in was preparing a memorandum for the Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher foundation on the ethics of web scraping to help prevent child trafficking. Additionally being from India, I helped in cross-border transactions involving Indian clients.

     

    nirupama-jayasimha-3

    Is it easy to have a work-life balance in this profession?

    I think you need to identify as early as possible, the things important to you in life and then prioritize them accordingly. For me, health, family and work are the top priorities. The most important of course is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, without which one can neither do justice to work (no pun intended!) nor spend quality time with your family. If one is disciplined, it is not hard to set aside an hour everyday for some sort of physical activity. I also don’t let work get in the way of having timely meals. As for prioritizing between family and work, it is very contextual and one cannot blindly prioritize one over the other. There are times when you may need to give up working on an important deal because you have a prior family commitment, and there are times when you have to miss a family event because you are committed to closing a deal. I think planning and being organized helps a lot in navigating this tightrope. It is also important that people at work respect your priorities and that people at home understand. I have been lucky to have a very supportive family, and colleagues at work who understand the importance of striking a work-life balance.

     

    Is there any success mantra that you follow which you would like to share with our readers?

    Howard Roark, in Fountain Head (which is my favorite book of all time) says,

    “I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me.”

    This really sums up what I believe. Any work you choose to do, do it to the best of your ability. The rest will take care of itself!

     

  • Arvind P. Datar on the job of a Senior Advocate, taxation law and writing authoritative law books

    Arvind P. Datar on the job of a Senior Advocate, taxation law and writing authoritative law books

    Arvind P. Datar is a prominent Senior Advocate at Madras High Court and one of the finest lawyers in South India. He graduated from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai. He is also known for his books ‘Nani Palkhivala: The Courtroom Genius’, ‘Datar Commentary on Constitution of India’ and ‘Guide to Central Excise Law and Practice: With Accounting Practices’.

    We requested him to share his deep insights on:

    • Being a Senior Advocate
    • Establishing one of the finest litigation practices in taxation
    • Being the author of leading book on Central Excise and Constitution
    • Advice to young law students and lawyers

     

    Please tell us a bit about your pre-college years, you as a student, your ambitions as a kid. Did you have lawyers in your family or among close relatives?

    After my schooling in Pune, I completed my graduation from Bombay University. Initially, I wanted to join the merchant navy but I was medically disqualified due to a surgery. Thereafter, I continued my science degree and completed B.Sc (Hons.) in Physics and Mathematics. I was very active in debates at Bombay and decided to take up law. Accordingly, I returned to Madras and joined the Madras Law College. My grand -father and great grandfather were lawyers in Pune several decades ago. In the recent past, there have been no lawyers amongst my close relatives.

     

    What were your objectives when you thought about law while still in the preliminary years of Law College?

    After I joined the law college, I really enjoyed the subjects. We had wonderful set of lecturers in the first year. On account of the Emergency, [sociallocker]there were no strikes and classes were conducted regularly.

     

    What were your plans after graduation? Did you think of joining the Civil Services ever?

    I decided to specialize in taxation from the first year itself and, therefore, enrolled myself for the course in Cost Accountancy. I had law lectures in the morning and cost accountancy classes in the evening. I thought that this would help me in my tax practice and, indeed, it has proved to be immensely useful.

    From the first year, I had decided to practice as a tax lawyer and have not wavered even once I never thought of taking up any job or joining the civil service even once.

     

    How valuable would you say your legal education was? When did you actually experience the learning curve? What is your opinion when people say that all that they have learnt is in their years of practice?

    My first year in the law college was very useful and, till this date, the lectures on contract law and transfer of property are still fresh in my memory. In the second year, the emergency was lifted and the Janata Party came to power. Once again, we began to have strikes frequently. In the final year, we had hardly 50 days of college. For example, in constitutional law, the lecturer did not even commence Part III which was fundamental rights starting from Article 12. Therefore, the last two years of Law College were totally useless. Therefore, barring the first year subjects, all the students from my college were self-taught.

     

    How was the court atmosphere before, as distinguished from how it is now? Did judges take kindly to new orators? How was your experience in the first few sessions of the court? Do you think it has become more difficult for a fresher to be successful?

    There is no great difference in the court atmosphere prevailing in the 80s and now. Most judges are kind to juniors and encourage young lawyers who are well prepared and make an earnest effort. I was very nervous in my first few appearances but gradually this disappeared. It is not difficult today for new comers. In fact, there are far more opportunities now because of different and newer branches of law, regulators and tribunals.

     

    arvind-datar

    You have a long and illustrious career as one of the most reputed advocates in India. What are the primary soft skills necessary in order to have a successful career in the legal profession?

    I think no one is successful by accident in any professional career, whether law or medicine or architecture: The essential skills are: a thorough knowledge of the subject of specialization, the ability to work very hard, the courage not to take short- cuts, the patience to wait for opportunities to come our way and, finally, the ability to seize the opportunities when they appear.

    It is also essential to carefully set individual goals and then devise a plan of action to achieve them. It is necessary to have clearly defined goals and carefully plan the manner in which these goals will be attained. For a lawyer, a mastery of the English language is an invaluable asset. We have to acquire skills that are necessary to achieve our goals. For example, if one wants to specialize in taxation, a knowledge of accountancy is very helpful.

    Lastly, the most important thing is the ability to say no. To say “no” to activities that are not in tune with your long-term goals. It will be far more rewarding if one relentlessly pursues the long term goal by systematically attaining short-term and mid-term goals that are congruent with our long term goal. It is also necessary to have just one or two goals and not plan for too many things. Once, the long-term, mid-term and short-term goals are set, it is necessary to periodically review them to determine whether we are on the right track.

     

    People have an impression that it is important to know the judge more than the case. How much truth would you say lie in such a statement?

    This is basically wrong and there is too much loose talk and baseless gossip. There may be exceptional instances where this statement may be true but this is really rare.

     

    The judges are known to have a pre-conceived disposition towards being socialist, rightist, etc. How do you say young lawyers can argue for a matter which is against such disposition?

    If a judge has a strong pre-conceived disposition towards a particular ideology, it would be wrong to bring these notions to the Bench while hearing a case. Unfortunately, this does happen and socialist / leftist / rightist notions do influence the thinking of judges on the bench. Not only young lawyers but even senior lawyers will find it difficult to argue before a judge who has strong pre-conceived notions. It will require great skills of advocacy to persuade the judge not to allow his notion or ideology to influence the outcome.

     

    What were the landmarks of your career which led to your designation as a Senior Advocate? Please share with us the challenges and achievements you came across on your journey from being a fresh graduate to a Senior Advocate?

    There have been several cases which were stepping stones that eventually led to my designation as a senior advocate. I had specialized in taxation and company law and I argued a number of cases before the High Courts, Tribunals and Company Law Board. Further, my articles, books on Central Excise and my editing of Ramaiya’s Book on Company Law also helped to substantially increase my practice particularly in the Company Law Board. Eventually, I was appearing in a number of important company law, tax and commercial cases and this led to my designation as a senior advocate.

    The initial challenges were financial in nature and it took me 11 years to buy my first second-hand car. To supplement my professional income, I took to writing of articles, books and also being a part-time lecturer. This, indirectly, helped in building up my practice as well. By writing and giving lectures, one get’s known in corporate circles and this also increases your practice.

     

    How is it being a Senior Advocate? Do you think titles like this can change one’s recognition drastically? Does it enhance the responsibility? How has your work profile changed as a Senior Advocate?

    A senior advocate has great responsibility. The client and the advocate on record place all their trust in you. In most cases, the advocates on record and instructing counsel prepare the case very well and the senior advocate has then to plan the strategy for presenting the case. This has to be done after detailed examination of the facts, the case-law and the statutory provisions.

    My working profile drastically changed as a senior advocate. I was able to argue in a number of cases outside the area of my specialization. This also helped me to learn several new areas including arbitration, environmental law mining and intellectual property.

     

    You have several best-selling legal books like ‘Nani Palkhivala: The Courtroom Genius’, ‘Datar Commentary on Constitution of India’ and ‘Guide to Central Excise Law and Practice: With Accounting Practices’ to your credit. How important is writing for you?

    Writing is extremely important for me. In the earlier years, writing of articles and then writing of a book on Central Excise was critical in building my practice. The writing of books forced me to carefully study the statutory provisions and case laws. You have to understand the entire Act and the relevant subordinate legislation. You have to always keep in mind the object or purpose of the enactment. This understanding will not come even if we prepare extensively for a case. The writing of a book helps to understand the structure of a particular statute. One has to compare similar provisions in other enactments and development of law over several years.

    I have always told young lawyers that they must write a commentary in the area of their specialization.

     

    What do you look for in your interns when they apply for a position to work with you? If there is someone who wants your guidance, what should he/she do?

    Since substantial part of my practice relates to taxation, I insist that the interns should have completed a course in taxation. If they do not have a basic knowledge of taxation, their internship will not be fruitful. Whenever younger lawyers wanted my guidance /advice, I have always tried to help the young lawyers to the extent possible.

     

    There have been quite a few booms and busts in the legal industry. What do you think about the future of legal education in India? How do you say a student can manage to stay ahead of the ‘rat race’?

    I think that the future of legal education is not bright because there are too many law colleges and very few lecturers. It is not possible to have competent lecturers for all these institutions. Earlier, many lawyers were part-time lecturers. We had a number of successful lawyers who taught in the morning or in the evening. This excellent practice has unfortunately been discontinued. There must be a complete halt to any new law college as the supply far exceeds the demand. There must also be a strict entrance exam so that a minimum qualification standard is maintained.

    Students can stay ahead of the rat-race by constantly reading books, keeping abreast of the latest developments. Students must also make full use of their internship so that they can decide their area of specialization.

     

    What would be your advice to young law students? Whether they should join a firm or practice at bar? How should they approach the legal career?

    Young lawyers should join civil offices where there is extensive trial work. In my view, the best thing is to work for one year in civil office and another year in an office specializing in criminal work. This will give young lawyers an excellent foundation in basic civil and criminal laws. Thereafter, he can specialize in any subject. They can choose to become solicitors or focus on chamber practice. Alternatively, they can go into litigation. The two years spent in civil / criminal practice, will be very useful in dealing with a wide variety of cases and should be treated as a long-term investment.
    [/sociallocker]

  • Sapna Sainath on being the Principal of Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and experience as a teacher

    Sapna Sainath on being the Principal of Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and experience as a teacher

    sapna-s-1Dr. Sapna Sainath is an Associate Professor & the Principal of Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies. In this interview we ask her about her story from being a law student to the Principal. She shares her experience as a researcher, a public speaker and a teacher. She also tells us about what is expected out of a student to make the most out of his/her law school life.

     

    Please tell us a bit about your pre-college years, you as a student, your ambitions as a child. Did you have lawyers in your family or among close relatives?

    I was born in Bangalore and have always lived in the old, traditional and conservative part of the city-Basavanagudi. After completing my schooling at Sri Kumarans Children’s Home (SKCH), one of the most well known schools in the south of Bangalore, with a merit scholarship, I did my Pre-University with Science in Vijaya College, again a landmark in South Bangalore. Coincidentally, I am now the Principal of BILS, which is under the management of Vijaya College.

    After II PUC, came the cross roads of professional courses where I had to choose between BE and Dental, as I had secured seats in both. But, I made my choice easily and very fast with Law. The reason being that, my father, Shri. Sainath, is an Advocate who specializes in Tax and Company Law Matters and, on and off, has been to the US to brief cases. It was easy sailing through seven years of LLB and LLM and I secured a First Class First Rank in both, all credits to the utterly law school environment at home. Because, by then, my brother had also joined Law, my mother was no less than an experienced lawyer’s office assistant and there always used to be a big crowd of people, the clients and juniors, with the top floor of our house being converted into another branch of the office.

     

    What were your objectives when you thought about law while still in the preliminary years of Law College? What were your goals after graduating? What were the options available to you? Did you want to practice as an Advocate just like your father?

    My foray into the academic line was simple obedience of my father’s instructions. I joined Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies (BILS) in 1999, an LLM in hand and fresh out of college. I was lucky to have had the initial mentorship of Prof. S.S. Alur, then Principal of BILS and teaching experience with an enthusiastic student community, which has only grown better over the years.

     

    You have pursued PhD from NLSIU. What was your motivation behind pursuing PhD? When did you finally decide that you need to do it? What was your topic of research for PhD? Why did you choose that subject for research?

    The year 2010 proved to be a milestone in my teaching career because that year, I registered for my PhD at NLSIU under the guide-ship of Dr. Sarasu Esther Thomas. Dr.Sarasu, has not just been my guide for my doctorate but a Guru in the real sense who changed my thought process and gave a new direction to my academic career. I worked under her for research papers in Human Rights under the Ford Foundation Project.

    My PhD dissertation topic is titled, “Employment and Related Laws in the Information Technology Enabled Services Sector (ITES) in Bangalore- A Gender Perspective”. My research has adopted a Feminist Methodology and the investigation is on women-centric issues like sexual harassment at work place, gender discrimination etc., I was conferred with a PhD in August 2014. Since then, gender issues have become my core research area and I have also published many articles in this area in Indian Bar Review, International Journal of Law and Policy Review, to name a few, in the course of these three years.

    I have realized one thing; constant, serious research is oxygen if you need to be in the academic field. It’s my passion for research which got me the enrolment in LLD at the NLSIU, even before I was conferred with the PhD degree. My research area will alternate between Institutional Child Abuse or Cyber Crime and Security Issues- only time will tell.

     

    You have taught a number of both traditional legal subjects and the trending ones from Criminal Law to Human Rights to International Law. Which of these you enjoy teaching the most? Also, which other subject would you like to teach?

    Though as a law student, I studied the subjects more from the examination point of view, my real studying and understanding the concepts came only after I started teaching. I have thoroughly enjoined interacting with students on law of Torts (it still remains my favourite subject) and Jurisprudence.

     

    Tell us about your teaching methodology. Do you encourage students to take notes or do you engage your students in active class participation? What advice do you share with your students on scoring higher grades?

    I have adopted a teaching methodology of my own without being overtly formal about the so-called ‘pedagogy’.  I just enjoy communicating and sharing with the students. The different perspectives that pour in from the students have been a great learning experience. Case law discussion figures prominently in my classes.

     

    Please share your journey as an Associate Professor at BILS.

    When I look back at my journey from being little more than a college girl when I joined BILS to being promoted as Senior Lecturer, then Assistant Professor of Law, then Associate Professor of Law and finally the Principal, I only want to thank God for putting me in a place which helped me grow as a person and gave me professional freedom to pursue my career.

    In October 2013, when I took over as the Principal of BILS, the institution where I grew as a person as well as a professional in the last fifteen years, it was my second milestone. BILS had become a second home to me and therefore, on one hand, as its Principal, it was an advantage being on home turf and on the other, it was a huge responsibility to be put at the helm because the aim to do the best and to perfection so, nothing should go wrong for BILS, was a bit of pressure.

     

    You have been a Chairperson of Board of Examination for MG University, Kerala. What was your scope of responsibility?

    I have held various University positions from which, I have had varied experiences in the course of these fifteen years. As an examiner, I have been in a position to tell students the importance of presentation in answering a University Examination. Having evaluated hundreds of answer scripts, I know what makes a scoring paper and what does not. Being on the University Board of Studies many times, has improved my editing skills.

     

    You have been invited to address several seminars and public lectures. Having been a delegate at the Seminar on “IP Management  And IP As A Profession” conducted by United Nations Industrial Development Organization in collaboration with Brain League. How has the experience been?

    Seminars and Presentations in the initial stages used to be on voluntary basis, but now it is on invitational basis as a resource person. Public speaking which addresses a target audience has always given me immense satisfaction and I have always come back richer with experience and contentment. Most of my Seminars are gender thematic which has helped me develop and recognize my own inner voice and strength.

     

    How do you say a student can manage to stay ahead of the ‘rat race’? What are your long term goals as the Principal of BILS?

    The most important milestone has been the establishment of research centre at BILS called- B-CARL BILS CENTRE FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN LAW. As a first project, the Centre will undertake the research into an important area – sexual harassment of women at work place. The objective will be to review the working of the 2013 anti-sexual harassment law. It has already garnered much interest from the Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD), India and we are confident that it will go a long way. As a Director of B-CARL, I will be directly reporting to the Dean of BILS, who will be Chairman of the Centre. His rare mix of an IPS Officer, hard core Advocate and efficient administrator as Vice-President of our Management will add a new dimension because I will, for the first time, be foraying into research on the applied side as against the doctrinaire research which is a dangerous streak for academicians.

    From whatever  little experience I was fortunate to gain over the years, one thing about whichI am now certain- anything done with dedication, diligence and determination will bear fruit. I have been fortunate to find two gurus in my professional life, though a little later in the day- one in the form of my PhD guide and the other in the form of the Dean, BILS from whom I have learnt certain very important lessons and they are-

    • Total Focus & Dedication in whatever you do.
    • Perseverance- never give up anything that you undertake.
    • Most importantly, keep your word once you have given it.

    These are lessons not just for one’s profession but one’s life. They were not difficult for me to follow as I have been brought up with the same values. What it definitely did, was to reaffirm my faith in them that no modern work place or technology can be a substitute for values.

    At BILS we have always stood by these values as the first teaching with academics following next. Today’s students have no doubt more exposure than we did fifteen years back and that again means the competition will be equally high. Let each student remember first to enjoy the college life- it will never come back. Take joy in winning a moot, participating in a debate, presenting a seminar or gaining experience as an internee. Just as a busy man has time for everything, a good law student will have to do everything from internship, to debate, to seminar, to moot court, paper publication et al.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to our readers?

    My message to students is- it’s all about time management. If you want what you want, you have to do what you have to do.

  • Ashok GV, Managing Partner, CorLit Legal, on pro-bono work and striving for success

    Ashok GV, Managing Partner, CorLit Legal, on pro-bono work and striving for success

    ashok-gv-1Ashok G.V., a graduate from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies in 2011. He is currently a Managing Partner at Corlit Legal. He is involved in a lot of social work being the Co-Founder at Crisis Prevention and Survivor Support Centre. He has coordinated cross border trade mark litigation in the United State of America. He has also dedicated himself as a Member of the Ethics Committee, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • His time as an undergraduate
    • His pro-bono and humanitarian work
    • His diverse experience

     

    How did you gravitate towards law?

    I always held a keen interest in writing and debating. During my high school days, I spent a large amount of time debating on the UNICEF Voices of Youth Forum on the internet. All that time spent debating issues of socio-economic interest, made me realise that I enjoyed making an argument. Plus, my father, Mr. G.K.V. Murthy, is a very accomplished Advocate practising in the High Court of Karnataka for more than two decades. I had some confusion as to whether I should pursue journalism or law, but seeing the kind of impact my father had in the lives of his clients convinced me that law is where I wanted to be.

     

    Being from BILS, do you think that a non-NLU made any difference to your career?

    I was always particular about my subject, never about the university. Be it BILS or National Law Universities, they all come with their own strengths and opportunities and one has to try and make the best of what one has.

    At BILS, my faculty members were always very encouraging and supportive of all my initiatives. I found a fantastic business partner with whom I could start CorLit Legal in BILS. Plus, it was only because of BILS that I was able to find the latitude to garner practical work experience of close to five years.  If I had to instead spend five years in a NLU, I would have been confined for the most part to campus life, leading to loss of exposure to the real world of law. That five years of work experience, gave me the skills, experience, platform and network necessary to start CorLit Legal along with my partner Sourabh.

    Of course, some of my friends from various National Law Schools managed to go abroad for prestigious moot court competitions and international internships. I might have lost out on those opportunities. So it does not matter. BILS or NLU, you can still do just fine as long as you are willing to define your priorities properly and make decisions you can live with.

     

    How important is mooting and what effect does it have on one’s CV?

    (Ashok has participated in various moot court competitions like the Raj Anand Intellectual Property Moot and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court.)

    I have always loved litigation. Moot Courts were the only respite in a course that largely emphasises on theory. Participating in Raj Anand Intellectual Property Moot and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court gave me exposure to IPR and International Law and helped me understand what problems in these fields look like. I learnt how to research well from these competitions, a skill that comes in handy for my career now. However, litigation in real life is far more challenging and stimulating than moot court competitions. I would urge law students to look at moot court competitions as purely a learning exercise.

     

    Tell us about your earlier association with Global Law Inc. and Meta Yage IP Strategy Consulting.

    I have found virtually every field of law interesting. Intellectual Property Rights holds a special place, because my first internship was with an IP Consulting Firm, Meta Yage IP Strategy Consulting. One of my assignments there involved drafting portions of a Patent Application and my work received very encouraging feedback. It was the first time I felt confident that I could make a career for myself in the field of law. I continue to remain very good friends with the folks from Meta Yage.

    After I completed my internship at Meta Yage, I went on to work as a Junior Associate at Global Law Inc. My senior there, Mr. M.S. Srinivasa, is arguably one of the sharpest Indirect Tax Attorneys in the country today. I spent a good eighteen months working under him in the field of Indirect Tax Litigation where I picked up critical skills such as drafting and goal oriented research. But the most prized skill from that experience was learning the extent of clerical work that goes into each case and the amount of diligence required to execute it.

    The diploma course was very insightful as it gave us considerable insights into the practice of Intellectual Property Law. The course was designed beautifully and did not waste any time dwelling into irrelevant things. The legal fraternity would be wise to learn from such courses, to make their own syllabus more useful and relevant to a Law Student’s career.

     

    Tell us about the kind of work you do as the Consulting Partner at Startup Amigo.

    Startup Amigo is a platform designed to advise and assist businesses, from the stage of ideation to the launch of the product or service portfolio. It is the brain child of my good friend, Abhishek Raju who has been one of my biggest sources of support and encouragement since the time I entered law school. In the short span of time since its inception, it has forged impressive partnerships with some of Asia and Europe’s leading management institutions and trade bodies. Its sector specialisation includes Space Technology, Water Resource Management, Health care and Defence Consulting, just to name a few.

    My role as a consulting partner, is to help Startup Amigo’s clients understand the sociological context and regulatory framework which exists in India and to help them evolve customised business strategies for the Indian Market. My engagement includes one on one consulting assignments and delivering lectures on relevant areas of law, during seminars and workshops organised by Startup Amigo and its partner organisations.

     

    What does your role as Managing Partner of Corlit Legal entail?

    CorLit Legal is a full practice law firm with practice areas encompassing Intellectual Property Rights, Taxation, Company Law and Food and Beverage Legislations. Besides Sourabh and I, who are its Founding and Managing Partners, we have six other Advocates with over twenty years of experience who came on board as Domain Partners. Clients are usually referred to us by someone we know. There is no secret to be honest. We have tried to get to know people, for the sake of knowing them and we never spoke to anyone with the intention of seeking any business. If the relationship translates into an Attorney-Client relationship, great! If not, we have managed to make new friends who can teach us something about their field of experience. CorLit Legal was never about the money. It has always been a personal journey to become more relevant and useful to the world we are part of.

     

    You are a part of the Ethics Committee, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore. What are your primary responsibilities as such?

    The Ethics Committee is a body which reviews proposals for clinical research involving new medicines and therapeutic processes. Its primary duty is to ensure that the subjects who have volunteered for clinical research are adequately protected and ethical considerations surrounding the same are fully addressed. I was appointed primarily on account of my experience in the field of human rights and my responsibility is to inject that perspective into the deliberations of the Committee.

     

    Our readers will also be curious to know about your publications and your love for writing.

    (Ashok is the author of Harmonizing Internal Policy and Trade Mark Law and Losing Focus-An analysis of the Justice Verma Committee Report. You also have your own blog.

    Writing has been a very helpful companion. I don’t even consider it a hobby, because like how I need to breathe, I feel compelled to write. As an amateur writer, I published mainly in a women’s magazine called Eve’s Times, which provided a platform to unknown writers like myself. Writing has been an introspective process for me and largely responsible for all the progress I have made as an individual. No matter how tiring the profession gets or how demanding of my time it is, I will perhaps never give up writing.

     

    How does it feel to be recognized for the social initiatives taken by you?

    First of all, the ethical obligations for a lawyer make it incumbent upon us to devote some time to pro bono activities. Therefore, I wish to clarify that we are doing what we are duty bound to do as Advocates. Sourabh and I always knew that CorLit Legal was going to be a body that would leverage its business law practice, for the purpose of creating a sustainable pro bono program. We were lucky to find Enfold Proactive Health Trust, with whom we have collaborated to work in the field of helping survivors of sexual violence.

    Having said that, the activists that we have worked with, be it at Enfold or Dr. Ravindranath Shanbhag or Sinu Joseph or Ramesh at the Forward Foundation, they are the heroes who deserve recognition because they have gone above and beyond their professions and duties. Many of them in fact are well known and Sinu was even featured on “Chai with Lakshmi” and Ted for her work in the field of Menstrual Hygiene. Our associations with our clients and these activists are the highlight of our work at CorLit Legal. We are happy to support them however we can, although our contribution, when compared to theirs, fares poorly in comparison. As regards the recognition, Sourabh and I could care less whether CorLit is recognised or not. It’s always about the client and the work, and never about us.

     

    How did you get the thought of forming Crisis Prevention and Survivor Support Centre?

    Sexual violence is violence with a lot of power and control dynamics associated with it. After reading the works of John Douglas and Roy Hazelwood, I knew I wanted to do some work in that field and wrote extensively for internet based publications on the same subject. In 2011, we were approached by someone I knew, stating that she was assaulted and being stalked. By that time, I had a friend, Sahu who is a fantastic counsellor. We both worked together in helping the client and she eventually managed to stand up to her perpetrator and successfully warned him off. We later got in touch with Dr. Shaibya Saldanha at Enfold with the idea of creating a platform where survivors of sexual violence can find legal, counselling and medical intervention in one place free of cost. We have been working together since then.

    It is important to temper down our idealism though. India has a fantastic legislative framework, but lacks the infrastructure, manpower and attitude to implement it. The law can always become better; no doubt, but it’s also quite up to the job even now. On the other hand, the attitudes of the people on the ground are more difficult to deal with.  I don’t have any dreams or illusions about being a change maker. For us, it’s just about doing what we can do to make the life of that one survivor a little less anxious and difficult.

     

    Do you take interns for your firm?

    Well given I myself come from a humble academic background, I would go less by a person’s resume and more by the person. I usually have a chat with students who wish to intern and if I think they will be a good fit at CorLit Legal, I would be more than happy to provide a “call back”. The difficulty for us is how we make the intern’s time worthwhile for him or her. When we are dealing with an intern, we are very conscious of our responsibility to ensure they go back feeling less ignorant and more enlightened about the profession. But with so much of time spent at Court, it becomes a difficult process. So if a candidate shows initiative and respect for his or her own time, it would earn him or her, a brownie point for sure.

     

    Where do you see yourself in the long-run?

    I want to teach. Not just law, but perhaps even the humanities. Therefore, higher studies are definitely part of my plan. I joined the profession, only because I felt this experience would make me a better faculty for my students. 10 years from now, I hope to spend more time on research, writing and teaching.

     

    What all do you consider in making strategic career moves?

    I never planned any of my moves nor did I ever strategise. I have a supportive family and I managed to find the right people at the right time by sheer luck, thanks mostly to being at BILS where I found my collaborators at both CorLit Legal and Startup Amigo. Building relationships based on sincerity and mutual respect is the most important goal for any professional, including a lawyer.

     

    What would be your message to our readers who are faced with decisive choices?

    If I have to dish out advice, then do not follow the herd. Make decisions based on your own introspection and not because of someone else’s advice. Have an open mind. Most importantly, don’t succumb to the fear psychosis that tells you to freak out or get left behind the competition. As my good friend Abhishek at Startup Amigo told me, “Collaborate and don’t compete”. Be nice to everyone, for the sake of civility and you will be just fine. Lastly, remember that Law Practice is a humbling experience. It requires endurance and demands resilience. It’s a 24/7 engagement and the situations you encounter can make you feel profoundly ignorant all the time. Therefore, it’s always important to be open to learning and never assume that one is the best at what he or she does.

  • Pranjit Bhattacharya, Law Graduate, Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies, on mooting, securing top-notch internships and a PPO from Trilegal

    Pranjit Bhattacharya, Law Graduate, Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies, on mooting, securing top-notch internships and a PPO from Trilegal

    Pranjit Bhattacharya graduated from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies in 2015. He also holds a diploma in Entrepreneurship Administration and Business Laws from NUJS, Kolkata. Pranjit received a PPO from Trilegal in his fourth year of law school.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • Mooting and its benefits for a law student
    • Preparing a C.V. and insides of personal interview with tier-1 law firm; and
    • Securing top-notch law firm internships

     

    Tell us a bit about your life before college?

    I have been lucky to grow up in the beautiful picturesque city of Shillong. I did my 12th from St. Anthony’s Hr. Sec. School, Shillong. I have a twin brother who is also, doing law from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. That is as far as law runs in my family. A better part of our schooling was devoted to debating at various inter-school events. Studying at a school where great emphasis was given to extra-curricular activities helped me immensely.

     

    Why did you decide to study law?

    I think it was a de facto choice really. I opted for Commerce during my 12th so chances of pursuing Engineering and Medicine were negated pretty early (much to the dismay of my family). I wanted to pursue something that would give me a rush, a discipline that challenged one’s ability to reason – what better than ‘law’ in that case. I am really passionate about law actually.

     

    How practical do you think are the shows like The Practice, J.A.G., Boston Legal, Suits, etc. and movies like 12 Angry Men, Philadelphia, etc.?

    To be honest, if soap operas were to show the life at a law firm as it transpires on a daily basis –most people would shrug at the very thought of watching it. There is a reason why such shows are meant for entertainment and so, they should be. It would be really naive to be goaded to believe that this is how the legal profession works on the basis of such shows.

    Although, I think there are quite a few good English movies which manage to captivate the essence of law practice quite beautifully. A Few Good Men, To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men are my personal favourites.

     

    How did you secure internships with top tier firms?

    It is important to plan your internships well. At the beginning of each semester I prepared a list of firms that I wanted to intern with. Applying well in advance and setting out the period of internship clearly are recommended. Given that most firms have their own internship application procedure; it is advisable to confirm the same with the HR at the firm prior to sending an application.

     

    pranjit-bhattacharya-1

    Did you pursue your internships throughout law school as part of a deliberate plan or did it all just happen by chance?

    I think I had planned it out fairly well. Almost every semester I knew precisely the kind of internships I was looking at. So in my first and second year I interned at The Hindu Newspaper Publications and under an Advocate at Calcutta High Court (who is presently, a Judge in that Court). Thereafter, I moved to a mid-sized law firm, CorLit Legal for three months during my third year. This was a very enriching experience actually. The kind of exposure I was given at this firm formed the bedrock for my future internships.

    Since, the end of third year my internships were part of a well-thought out plan. So at the end of my third year, I interned at Nishith Desai Associates. Then in fourth year I interned at Trilegal (twice) and at the Law Chambers of International Tax jurist Mr. Soli Dastur, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.

    Unfortunately, there exists a wide gulf between law school education and the work at a law firm. It entails a sound knowledge of different business models; latest regulations / notifications, etc. in different fields of law; market precedents on certain transaction that the firm proposes to undertake in the future; business risks inherent in a particular transaction and the like. In this regard, law school education is woefully deficient in investing the students with the knowledge to deal with such practical aspects of law.

     

    What kind of work did you have to do during your internships?

    It varied according to the place. Drafting client opinions, due diligence, research on multifarious aspects of law, comparative analysis of certain laws in India and other countries, etc. were the major tasks that I was assigned.

    A couple of them actually. On the last day of my first internship with Trilegal, a Senior Associate offered me a second internship at the firm and then said with a smile, “Remember always that there are plenty of good lawyers, but not many good lawyers who are good guys. So do not forget to be a good guy”. This is something I have tried to hold onto ever since.

    Then, on one occasion during my internship with Mr. Dastur, me and my co-intern were working past midnight, so while leaving he quoted Henry Longfellow’s famous words with a beaming smile, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept were toiling upward in the night”. This continues to remain the fondest and most cherished memory of all my internships.

     

    What do you have to say about students interning at law firms  all through their undergrad years?

    Law School life is all about exploring different avenues, particularly, in the first couple of years. Choices to intern exclusively at a law firm right from the start of law school defeats this very purpose. It necessarily means that you shut your mind to other avenues that may be more suited to your acumen and ability. It also, undermines the significance of good litigation internships which unravel the possibility of engaging with some of the best minds in the legal profession and leaves an indelible influence in your career.

    It is quintessential for your wholesome development as a lawyer to understand a particular fact situation from different perspectives. Diverse internship experiences help you acquire this. Thus, even though you may be pre-meditated that you want to work at a law firm in the future, it is advisable to pursue at least a couple of non-legal or socio-legal internships prior to law firm internships.

     

    Tell us about being a member at  multiple committees while in college.

    I have been a member of the Moot Court Committee at college since, the first year of law school. And for some time I was also, involved with the Literary and Placement Committees. I think they enhance your networking and communication skills and organizational ability. In my college though, these Committees are limited both in terms of, activities and impact.

    I was also, a member of an Expert Panel Study on Access to Healthcare in India by IIM-Bangalore and University of St. Gallen, Sweden. The forum involved participants from diverse disciplines of different age and influence. The entire process was immensely rewarding in terms of, quality of interaction, sharing of ideas, discussion on business strategies, etc.

     

    Have you felt strongly about social causes?

    I would be lying if I said no. So I tried to strike a balance between my objectives of working with a law firm and pitching in with some pro-bono work as well.

    During my fourth year, I worked as a Research Assistant for Mrs. Nina Nayak, eminent social activist and former Chairperson, KSCPCR and Member, NCPCR on her book on the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.And I have already mentioned earlier, about my stint with the Expert Panel at IIM-Bangalore.

    Both these opportunities gave me a deeper understanding of the policy paralysis and administrative complacence that pervades our system and the critical role that society needs to play in eliminating the same.

     

    Tell us how important is mooting and what effect does it have on one’s CV?

    (Pranjit has participated in various moot court competitions like Nani Palkhivala Tax Moot, Surana Corporate Moot, NLS Arbitration.)

    At the outset, if you are doing a moot court competition for CV value only then, according to me it is a futile exercise. Mooting is a passion and that is what should drive an individual’s decision to moot or not to moot. This is one experience at law school that I encourage everybody to undertake.

    I started mooting since the very first year of law school. My first moot was on Constitutional Law, organised by Amity University, Rajasthan in which we were the semi-finalists and eventually, adjudged as the ‘Third Best Team’. This moot was my first tryst with law and the romance has continued ever since. My best experience was at Nani Palkhivala Moot Court Competition where incidentally, I was also, the Second Best Speaker.  It ignited in me a passion for Taxation Law that I have pursued keenly ever since.

    Whether it adds value to your CV or not, I cannot opine on it definitively. However, this is the best way to harness your reasoning ability, research skills and ability to make arguments. In fact, most reputed Moots are based on emerging or grey areas of a subject, or sometimes even transactions that are making the news. So the influence of good Moots is all pervasive. I think this may be a reason why law firms may view participation at various Moot Court Competitions quite favourably.

     

    Tell us about the significance of pursuing courses such as Introduction to M & A and NUJS Online Diploma in Entrepreneurship Administration and Business Laws.

    My internships drove me towards this decision to pursue such courses. They made me realise that there are certain practical aspects of law that the academic curriculum fails to address. The problem is accentuated in case of Universities where little or no emphasis is given to acquiring practical skills pertinent for excelling at law practice.

    It is important to know the academic aspect of law, true; but it is also, essential to be skilled at applying it. This is precisely the purpose such courses serve; they equip you with the right kind of skills that help you deal with practical nuances critical for a lawyer.

     

     

    How was your internship experience with Trilegal?

    I interned only once at Trilegal before I secured a PPO. Post my PPO I again interned there. Trilegal has a pro-active mentorship program, whereby, every intern at the firm is placed under a mentor who assesses an intern’s development through the internship. This is definitely, one thing which in my view sets Trilegal apart. And then, the Associate like experience at the firm and the quality of work allotted to interns. In my second internship, I was made to work on two live transactions. These experiences make it worthwhile to intern at such a place.

     

    What are the things you consider sine qua non for positive feedback from an internship?

    I do not believe that there is a hard and fast rule to get a ‘callback’ or a ‘PPO’ for that matter.  Certain things that I believe can trigger a positive feedback is the level of enthusiasm and initiative one shows towards the work assigned like explaining clearly your research to the person concerned and then engaging in a discussion on the same. Also, never hesitate to ask questions even if they appear to be a little stupid. You can prove otherwise, with the quality of your work based on the insights you gain by asking the right questions. These things help you inspire confidence in the members of the firm.

     

    Did you have to undergo an interview before securing your PPO?

    Yes I was interviewed for a PPO. It is an interesting story actually. After my internship at Trilegal, I had gone down to Mumbai for an internship at the Law Chambers of International Tax jurist Soli E. Dastur, Senior Advocate. One evening I received a call from Trilegal, Mumbai that a PPO interview has been scheduled for the next day and candidates would be interviewed over Skype. As I was in Mumbai, I suggested that I would like to come down to their office which they were glad to accept.  I had to request Mr. Dastur for a leave for the next day. My last thought while going off to sleep that night was, “I need to wake up early, be presentable and just show up on time. Rest is up to providence.”

    An initial predicament was to introduce myself to the interviewers because they had never heard of my college. And frankly since, I had never undergone any formal training to tackle interviews, I am personally of the opinion that it is all about presence of mind. Interviews are an opportunity to test your ability to think on your feet. It is also, absolutely vital for you to know your CV inside out. Moreover, a sound grasp of interesting developments in the field of politics, law, economics and general knowledge is essential to ace a law firm interview / or any interview for that matter.

    There are certain pre-requisites of preparing a good CV and any departure from it is unacceptable. The importance of a structured and properly formatted CV without any spelling or grammatical errors can hardly be over-emphasized. What is important is to communicate about four-five years of your activities at law school in two-three pages. The skill sets that you have acquired during your time at law school should be adequately reflected in your CV. Moreover, it is essential to have a tailor-made CV based on the firm /company / any other organisation in which you are seeking a position.

     

    How important according to you is CGPAs in securing a job?

    Let me answer your question in two segments. There is a significant difference between the law school curriculum administered at some of the top NLUs and certain other top ranked law colleges and those administered at colleges affiliated to State Universities.

    The curriculum designed for the NLUs and some other top ranked college reflect a significant thought process to ensure that the academic aspect of law is not divorced from its practice – whether at a law firm / litigation, etc. Despite this concerted effort, there has been a brewing discontent among the legal fraternity that there still remains a wide cleavage between the two aspects. Hence, judging the ability of a student exclusively on the basis of his CGPA is inherently flawed. On the other hand, the curriculum of most of the State Universities is archaic and reflects absolute non-application of mind on the part of the authorities responsible for formulation and evaluation of the entire course.

    So while some credibility can still be attached to the system of evaluating the student in the former case; the latter is a mockery of the ability of students. In all fairness, I have been an average scorer throughout law school and that has in no way hindered my prospects. Having said that the value of a decent CGPA can hardly be discounted because all said and done, every interviewer needs a benchmark against which your ability has to be judged.

     

    What should one law student aspiring for a job at top law firms do?

    The process starts right from your first year. I devoted the first three years of my law school in developing diverse skill sets acquired through academic knowledge, various internships, Moot Court competitions and such other activities at law school. The last two years have so far, reaped me the dividends of my investments in the first three years. So the last two years should be spent interning at the right kind of places keeping two things in mind; first, identifying the practice areas that interests you and second, a place that has a reasonable likelihood of absorbing you into the organisation post your internship through a ‘PPO’ or Campus Placement.

     

    Where do you see yourself five years from now? Would you consider going for an LL.M. abroad?

    I think my goals are more short-term in terms of where I would like to see myself at some point in the future. I still have about a year to go at Law School so as of now I am quite enjoying my time under the sun. But yes, I would definitely want to author a book on any aspect of law; may be in five years’ time that is one thing I would be glad to have accomplished.

    I am quite keen on an LLM from abroad, more for the profound experience that it proffers than anything else.

     

    You being from BILS, do you think that being from a non-NLU made any difference?

    Well, to say that it did not make a difference would be both unwise and inaccurate at the same time. In certain ways, opportunities were in fact, fewer and far between. But then, again may be that was something that motivated me to make the most of limited opportunities. Since, I did not undergo the rigours of a National Law University; the endeavour always was to put myself through a process that ensured I was on par with the products of NLUs. And yes, I had the added advantage of customizing the entire process according to my requirements unlike an NLU where there is already a pre-designed system to which you need to adapt.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to our readers?

    “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”. -Eleanor Roosevelt

    So, keep calm and read SuperLawyer!

  • Nivedita Guha, Consultant, UNICEF, on human rights law, child protection services, and her experience

    Nivedita Guha, Consultant, UNICEF, on human rights law, child protection services, and her experience

    Nivedita Guha graduated in law from CLC, Delhi University, in 2009. Thereafter she pursued her LL.M. from NLU, Jodhpur. She has been involved in a lot of socio-legal work in multiple non-profit organisations. She has worked at HelpAge, Kalyan Ashram, MARG, HRLN and currently she is working at UNICEF.

    In this interview we speak to her about:

    • Pursuing LL.M from NLU, Jodhpur in furtherance to a career in social work
    • Work at different domestic NPOs and at UNICEF
    • Advice to students who want to pursue a career in Human Rights

    How will you introduce yourself to our readers?

    I am a human rights lawyer presently working as a Consultant with the UNICEF office, West Bengal. My area of interest is child protection and women’s rights. Work is my favourite pastime and I believe it is very important to do what you love and not fall prey to the conventional way of life, satisfying societal standards.

     

    How did you gravitate towards law?

    My grandfather was an Income tax lawyer practicing in the Calcutta High Court. I was in awe of him. I was brought up in Chandigarh and as a kid when I used to visit him in Kolkata during my summer vacations, I used to minutely notice the way he talked. His command over language was impeccable. I used to spend hours flipping through the legal journals stocked in his big law library. His personality had a deep impact in my formative years which I think later instilled the desire to pursue the legal profession in me.

     

    Do you think that being from a non-NLU made any difference to your career?

    It did not make any difference to me as I was always inclined to work on humanitarian issues and since human rights law is a very unconventional area of law, I always knew that I will have to carve my own way. There are ample job opportunities for corporate lawyers with companies and firms offering good pay packages to them but human rights law is a less sought after area and it was a struggle to choose the right career path. I do not think my struggle would have lessened if I was an NLU graduate.

     

    How was your experience at HRLN, Kolkata?

    After I left my job in MARG, Delhi, I was looking for jobs in Delhi and Kolkata. A cousin of mine informed me about the vacancy at Human Rights Law Network, Kolkata and I immediately applied for the position. I was called for an interview, I appeared and was selected.

    My work at HRLN involved defending the rights of the victims of domestic violence by filing cases under the Protection of Women from the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, defending the Juveniles-in-conflict-with-law in the legal cases in the Juvenile Justice Boards, I have been in-charge of the Prison Project in HRLN where providing legal aid to the inmates in the prison, parallel to the state machinery, maintaining effective collaboration with the relevant government departments like the Department of Correctional administration has been an integral part of my work. Issues like no physical production of prisoners before the courts, illegal detention of the inmates in Section 107 and 109 of the Criminal Procedure Code 1973 cases in the prisons, inhuman prison infrastructure, improvement of the condition of women and their children in the prisons are some of the issues which have been addressed through fact finding, research and litigation during my tenure in HRLN. I have also trained police officials on the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act, 2012.

    Working in HRLN for three years was very enriching. Though one has to put up with lot of difficulties while working in an organisation solely run by lawyers as administration is not their forte but HRLN surely knows how to extract the best from you and the experience one gains is worth all the struggles.

     

    What was your motivation behind pursuing LL.M.?

    Once I was sure that criminal justice system is my area of work, I immediately started looking for courses on this area of law. I was looking for distance learning courses as I did not want to leave my job and LL.M. in Criminal law, Criminology & Forensic Science at NLU Jodhpur seemed like a very good option. LL.M. from foreign university is there in my mind but only after few more years of work experience.

     

    What brought you into Human Rights?

    Not any incident but the character of Atticus Finch in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee inspired me greatly. Atticus Finch is a white American lawyer who defended a black man who was falsely accused of raping a white woman. He fought for racial inequality during the times of apartheid in America. His character, integrity and principles inspired me greatly.

     

    What inspired you to work with MARG and how did you go about applying to them?

    MARG was my first job after completing LL.B. and I was working there as a legal trainer. I did an internship with MARG as a law student and after I completed LL.B., they approached me for this role which I gladly accepted.

    My work primarily involved training grass root level NGO workers on various important laws in the States of Bihar, UP and Jharkhand.

     

    What has been your most memorable incident working for these Non-Profit Organizations?

    While I was working in MARG in Delhi, I was on a field trip at a village in Haryana. It was a legal empowerment program and I was assisting my senior in sensitising the women of the area to get trained as paralegal volunteers. During the visit, I noticed that in almost every household I went, I met a woman wearing the traditional red and white bangles which is a sign of a married woman in Bengal. They all spoke fluent Bengali and I was told that their parents live in West Bengal and most of them were from the Sundarban area. They were all married to the families in that village of Haryana. I was perplexed as I did not understand the reason why women from the interiors of Bengal will be married to Jats of Haryana. Soon these women cleared my doubts and very explicitly told me that their families in Bengal were poverty stricken and their in-laws in Haryana are providing for their families in Bengal. So basically, by marrying, they are helping their family back home in getting food to eat and also to live a comfortable life. There is a dearth of girls in Haryana so the families in Haryana go searching for brides in Bengal alluring the families of brides with money.

    I was shell shocked to witness the vicious cycle of atrocity occurring so flagrantly. It was my first stint with reality and concept of cross cutting issues. It was an eye opener.

     

    What is it like working for an International Organization like UNICEF?

    It has been absolutely amazing to work in UNICEF as working with organisations like UNICEF widens your horizon as you are no longer look at resolving individual cases but you are thinking about the larger picture. I feel more responsible as I know that my work will now impact the masses and not just two or three people. It is also the first time that I am working with the government as UNICEF is a partner of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and I have to work very closely with the Department of Child Development, Women Development and Social Welfare in West Bengal. It is a very different experience from working with NGOs.

    It has only been four months that I am working in UNICEF, I can handle the stress till now.

     

    Do you think remuneration is a serious impediment to such work?

    Anyone who needs a “higher pay package”, should not even think of getting into the development sector because when you decide to get into this sector, it is not money which drives you but a desire and passion to connect to the masses and serve the people. Yes, initially money is a serious impediment in this field.

     

    Where do you suggest one can intern or apply for an opportunity if she is interested in working for Human Rights issues?

    For lawyers or law students, Human Rights Law Network and Lawyer’s Collective are great organisations to work and learn. The summer and winter internship program in National Human Rights Commission is also very good. Amnesty International India is also a good place to learn and grow.

     

    What is the best possible course of action for a law student who aspires to work for international non- profit organizations?

    I would advise students to involve themselves in various humanitarian causes like by volunteering or interning with NGOs and groups working on human rights issues. This way one understands if working on humanitarian issues is their true calling or not. Thereafter, they should focus on understanding issues and think how as a lawyer they can contribute for that particular issue.

    If one is specifically eyeing for international organisations than a foreign degree might help and one has to keep an eye on international vacancies and opportunities but what I have learnt from experience is that the most important thing is your ability to understand issues and build skills to intervene as a lawyer and activist, which is possible only by working extensively in the field.

     

    Where do you see yourself by the end of the coming five years?

    For the next three years I am solely focusing on my work at UNICEF. I want to complete the work assigned to me successfully. Thereafter, I would want to pursue higher studies abroad.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to people who want to have a career in human rights?

    Please do not opt for a career in human rights because you feel it is glamorous to be working in a NGO or United Nations or any other international organisation. There is much much more to it. One has to survive the initial grill with lot of patience and perseverance but if you are driven by the right reason primarily the desire to serve, it will be worth it. Reiterating, the need for a passion to serve does not necessarily means to work without money but when you are passionate to serve you will understand the importance of what you are doing and the great impact it makes.