Category: Associates, In-House Counsels and Advocates

Savni Dutt, Associate at Saikrishna, on copyright, patents and authoring a book
Savni Dutt graduated from NLUJ in 2013. She has represented her college at prestigious moot court competitions like the ICLN ICC Trial Moot Court Competition where her team went for the International Rounds. Apart from being a part of the Editorial team during her internship with the Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy, she has also published her book, ‘Freedom to Publish’. With her specialization and interest in Intellectual Property Law, she joined the litigation team at Saikrishna & Associates and is now working there as an Associate.

In this interview we asked her about:
- Graduating from NLUJ and working at Saikrishna & Associates
- Importance of Internships, maintaining grades and experience at mooting
- Approach to Academic Writing and publishing a book
How would you introduce yourself? Could you please share a little bit of what motivated you to pursue law as a career?

Throughout my time at school in Gurgaon, I was mostly involved in academics. Other than that, my interests were dance and theatre, and they continue to be. I studied law at National Law University, Jodhpur and now work as an Associate in the litigation team at Saikrishna & Associates. My interest in the study of law stemmed from the many stories I had heard of my late grandfather who was a practicing lawyer in Delhi. However, I was always inclined towards a career in research or policy and studying law seemed to be the most appropriate step towards achieving that. So while I knew I wanted to study law, the decision to actually practice law as a career only came about incidentally.

Tell us a bit about your days at National Law University, Jodhpur?

NLU, Jodhpur is a fully residential university that allows its students to make it their own. It gives its students a lot of time and flexibility. There is an active and competitive mooting culture at NLU Jodhpur. Most students seem to gravitate towards it but there’s enough time for other things like writing and sports to name a few, if one is interested. I chose to spend my time in helping organize our college fests as also other intra-university events.

How were you internship experiences?

Internships play a huge role in helping a law student find his/her area of interest and are the best source of learning. The kind of hands-on experience that a good internship can provide is unbeatable. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right kind of place for an internship to suit your interest and then to give it your best. As a student looking to learn at the job, I tried to do as many different kinds of internships as I could. My main goal was to use the period of 5 years to experience as many different kinds of legal work as I could to be able to make an informed decision about what I wanted to do once I graduated. I interned with an NGO, a research organization, with a trial court lawyer at the Tiz Hazari district court in Delhi, as also some corporate law firms. I also briefly interned with the in-house legal team of an international company. But it was the brief encounter I had with litigation during my internship at Saikrishna & Associates, which gave me the opportunity to assist on some very interesting cases, and helped me finally choose litigation over other options.

You’ve represented your university at prestigious moot court competitions in India and abroad. How significant do you think mooting is for law students?

I think mooting is something that all students must participate in at least once during their law course. While mooting might not be a reflection of what courts are really like, the lessons that one learns from the process and approach followed in moot courts are helpful even professionally. To me the most important things about mooting are working as a team and working within the limitations of time, pages, format, etc., that can truly be very stressful. Moot Court Competitions are a great way for students to push themselves into thinking out of the box. These are the important skills that according to me have been the handiest while drafting pleadings for court, often on short deadlines and appearing before an actual Court.

At the 2012 ICLN ICC Trial Competition your team was one of the two that qualified from India. What was the experience like?

The 2012 ICLN ICC Trial Competition was a surreal experience from the time our entry, for the qualification round, was scored the highest amongst the Indian entries. The format of the competition is very different from other moots and it was nerve-wracking because each speaker was responsible individually for each round. The subject matter of the moot is international criminal law, which was a big challenge for us because we had to start our reading and research on the subject from scratch. As part of our preparation we had completed a certain amount of reading even before the topic for our written assignment was sent to us. After our qualification to the international rounds and the submission of the memorials, it was a series of oral practices that continued for around two months to perfect the structure of our speech, timing and modulation.

Please tell us about your book- ‘Freedom to Publish’. How would you recommend that law students approach academic writing?

‘Freedom to Publish’ is a primer aimed at an audience of authors, publishers, students and professionals to empower them with basic knowledge of possible legal issues that one must be wary of when publishing something. The book has been published by ‘Manas Saikia Foundation’ and is distributed free of cost in public interest. Mr. Saikia had the idea for the book in the wake of the growing number of instances where books and publications were being abandoned or withdrawn because of potential legal actions. The book has been kept short and simple to increase its accessibility and utility to someone who isn’t a lawyer.

An academic piece should appeal to a wide audience. Thus, it is imperative for an author, to put ideas and research in a coherent and streamlined manner. There is also an additional responsibility to check, recheck and be absolutely sure of what is being published. These are important skills for any lawyer, and with each academic piece, one perfects them. Law students, interested in academic writing, should ensure that their publication is focused on a specific issue instead of it being on a broad subject. It is also important that the publication proposes a solution or an alternative or a concrete conclusion to explain, to the reader, the purpose that has been achieved by it.

You’ve been a member of an editorial team as well. Please tell us about the experience. What are the things you get to learn from such an experience?

I got an opportunity to work with the editorial team on the Policy Booklet for Parliamentarians on Millennium Development Goals and Gender Budgeting in India, during my internship with the Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy. It was an interesting experience though short lived, as it was limited to the duration of my internship. Nevertheless it was an enriching experience that taught me the importance of compartmentalization of work while working as a team. It also taught me how I can filter my writing and appropriately convey my ideas by making them crisp and easy for the reader. This proved very helpful in the process of writing the book.

We would love to hear about your work profile. What made you choose this particular avenue?

After studying a course on IP, I realized that there was no other subject that came as naturally to me as this one. I also believe that our professor of IP, at the time, Mr. Yogesh Pai had a role in making the subject that much more interesting. Eventually, to test my interest I chose to intern at Krishna & Saurashtri in Bombay but I was convinced only after gaining some litigation experience at my two internships with Saikrishna & Associates in Delhi.

I work with the litigation team so my work primarily involves cases dealing with issues of copyright, patents, trademarks along with some cases relating to media law, personality rights and tort law in the form of unfair competition and commercial misappropriation. Additionally, I’ve been lucky to be involved in the series of ongoing litigation concerning the possible overlap between the competition law and patent regime. An ordinary day at work is a balanced mix of court action, drafting, researching and brainstorming with other associates.

What were the biggest hurdles and challenges in the first few months? How did you deal with them?

The first six to eight months of my career were exciting, intimidating and annoying all at the same time. They were exciting because I was finally doing what I had been waiting to do from December 2012 to August 2013. It was intimidating because my actions now had consequences. One of the biggest challenges for me in the first six months of my career was coming to terms with the responsibilities that come with being a professional. Finally, I use the term annoying because for the first few months it felt like I knew nothing, which made it harder to focus. While I am still trying to figure out how to deal with being both happy and angry about work at the same time, there is one thing that I have learnt. I have learnt that things will get done.

What, according to you, are the skills required of an advocate aspiring to build a successful career in intellectual property law?

Every time I have been in doubt, I have been told that to be able to do build a successful career in law, one need not be a genius. Average intelligence with hard work is all one needs to become a successful lawyer. Whatever be the field of law, there is no substitute for hard work. For those interested in IP as a potential area of practice, I would suggest extensive reading on the subject. IP is vast, it is growing and most of it is still unclear, so there is a lot of room for different views. If there is a topic that interests you, read about it as much as you can but importantly write about it too. I also feel that we focus a lot on the concepts in IP and forget the procedure. One must pay equal attention to the filing and procedure for grant or registration of an intellectual property.

How important do you think that extra-curricular activities are to a law student?

Any extra-curricular or co-curricular activity is extremely important for a law student simply because it adds value to one’s time and experience as a student at the same time developing some skill or characteristic. It is also a great way to begin networking, which is extremely important for any lawyer/law student. Through law school, it was my attempt to choose a different activity every semester. So if I chose to participate in a moot one semester, the next semester was dedicated to a sports fest or a parliamentary debate. This way I was able to give importance to academics, participate in events and have some spare time at college.

As a concluding message, what would be your suggestions to law students?

Law students must remember that it is very important to maintain a good grade and to participate and to intern but it is equally important to enjoy law school. I borrow here the unconventional yet inspiring closing words by Judge Kozinski from Mattel v. MCA Records, Inc.,

“The parties are advised to chill.”
December 26, 2014
Jomol Joy, Associate at Chambers of Geeta Luthra, on experience of Year 1 in litigation
Jomol Joy graduated from NLIU, Bhopal in 2014. Her interest in litigation led her to start her career with practice and is currently an associate at the Chambers of Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra. She has been quite involved in Debating and Mooting as a student. We asked her to share her experiences and strategies she used over the years.

In this interview she talks about:
- Her life and journey as a law student
- Mooting and other co curricular activities
- Internships during law school
- A career in litigation practice
What brought you into legal studies? Did you not consider medical or engineering as a career?

Even though I believe that no one knows you better than yourself, but when it comes to answering the question, it is always a challenge. I’m an advocate by profession, who in her little time of her own likes organising events only as a matter of interest. I like clicking pictures, cooking, teaching and dancing. If asked to describe myself, I would say I’m an energetic, hardworking, ambitious, tolerant, adaptive, and a positive social butterfly who believes that your happiness is in your hands.

I’m answerable to my conscience, I have had a vision and for many years to come the only set goal and desire is to be designated as a Senior Advocate from the Delhi High Court. Back in college, I was given the title of ‘Joan of Arc’, which I believe suits the fighter in me. Maybe it is the same tendency that brought me to this profession. I’m a believer of the saying, “Everything happens for a reason”. My decision to pursue law was certainly not a result of an in-depth introspection, even though many factors were responsible for the decision.

The most honest and genuine reason was to explore the option of studying in a national law university in my own hometown. Another predominant factor was CLAT. It is only after solving a mock test paper at one of the coaching centres did I get an idea about the legal studies and it was only after that I decided to do law. However, till date I have never regretted my decision to pursue law, in fact from the very first year of my law school I have felt that I belong to the profession, and as time passed and I gradually unfolded the new faces of the legal profession, I was always more excited for the next. I did consider engineering at the first instance, as I always had an interest in programming, but when it came to choosing either of the two, I chose law.

Tell us about your years in law school. What made your journey with NLIU worth it?

Five years is not a very long period according to me, but even those five years of time spent at NLIU had been the most remarkable and life changing years of my life. Each passing day at NLIU had only been a new learning experience for me. Not even a single day would pass when I had to sit idle doing nothing.

Today as a litigating lawyer when I have to work even 20 out of 24 hours mostly on a daily basis, I do not find it burdensome or unusual as NLIU has prepared me for this right from the beginning. Be it moot courts, debates or client counselling, or activities of different university cells, NLIU has honestly played a major role in my overall grooming as a lawyer and has equipped me to adapt to the lifestyle of a lawyer. With each passing day, my decision to pursue law has only become stronger, because had it not been for the co-curricular activities I would not have got a platform to mould my legal aptitude.

In the first two years I experimented as much as I could and by the third year I streamlined my schedule and devoted my time to those activities which I thought were more pertinent to my career in litigation such as moots, client counselling. Also in our university, activities of all kinds are student prerogative mostly, so that always gave us a room for exploring and experimenting new things, and fortunately our faculty members have always supported our, so organising university moots or other competitions in the University were always fun and easygoing.

Also being a part of the NLIU fraternity has only opened doors to more and more opportunities for me, be it receiving invites for some of the most reputed law schools of the country or the respect one gets by virtue of being a part of the NLIU family has always boosted my spirits.

Tell us about the trimester system at NLIU. Any improvements you feel it could do with?

As the popular opinion goes, trimester system is demanding and taxing, to an extent true, especially in a law school. One has to work their way up to be consistently able to regularly perform the balancing act where on one hand you need to meet your deadlines for both academics as well as co-curricular activities. But by the end of these five years at NLIU I have realised that the trimester system had played a very crucial role in preparing my work schedule. I can draw several similarities between the trimester system and my work schedule.

Tell us about some of your most interesting internship experiences.

I cannot grade my internships, but I can say one thing that every internship has helped me grow, be it an NGO or chambers of an advocate or a corporate firm, every place has played a major role in helping me decide my future. Unless one explores all the options at ones disposal, one cannot make an informed choice so according to me internships were highly instrumental in my decision making.

However my internship at the chambers of Advocate Satish Tamta has developed my interest in criminal law. I believe Satish sir is one of the very few advocates who would take pains to take time out from his busy schedule and discuss law with his interns which made that internship an extremely enlightening experience. Also it is very important to have an experienced yet approachable mentor who believes in sharing his valuable understanding of law with his juniors.

You have participated in various moot court competitions and have also won few of these competitions. What is your advice to budding mooters?

Mooting for me had become a passion so much that in the last few months of fifth year when most of the students prefer chilling and partying, I chose to do a last moot of my law school life which I was adamant on winning as a tribute to my law school. It played a huge role in inculcating my interest in litigation, and which by God’s grace we won.

You have joined the Chambers of Geeta Luthra as an Associate this June. Did you ever plan to join a corporate law firm? Do you plan to pursue litigation from now onwards?

Litigation was not always on my list nor did I pursue law to litigate, in fact like any other student of law, when I joined the law school only thing I was sure of was that I want to do law but what after that was something I had figured out only in the due course. And when you are not sure as to where you have to head, the best thing to do is to explore and experiment as much as you can in the time available and I did exactly that. Starting from Human Rights Commission to NGO to litigation firms to corporate, I explored quite a many of them and by the end of my 3rd year I was clear about one thing, which was that corporate law practice was certainly not my cup of tea, the very thought of not going to courts, not being able to argue, not being able to practice made me more inclined to litigation. I wish to set up my own practice independently. I had always been in awe of the profession, especially the work style of a litigating lawyer, from soliciting to counselling to arguing, the joy of being known for your work, being known for your work as an attorney, the pride of being designated. The power, the respect the profession gives you is unparallel.

How did your appointment at the Chambers of Geeta Luthra take place? What would you say clicked in favour of you in getting to work with her?

I had applied at the chambers for an internship in my fourth year during the summer break in the month of June, but unfortunately as the courts had closed, I only had the opportunity to assist Geeta Ma’am for only four days on two bail matters, and thereafter some of the associates at the chambers, including Sanjeev sir and Harish sir with some drafting. But it was only during this internship that I realised that quality does matter, more than quantity. If your work has quality, it can make an impact, and that too a long lasting one.

Since by the time the courts opened and work resumed I had gone back but even in that short time, Geeta Ma’am and other associates had acknowledged my work and recognised me for it which gave me a great boost.

Thereafter, I was offered a place in their chambers, however to get a little more acquainted with the work culture and to be sure about my decision I had a call back internship in October for another 15 days, and it came as a surprise to me that Geeta Ma’am was kind enough to recognise me and appreciate me for the work I did for her and the entire office welcomed me back and it was then I realised that this is where I belong to. So the best thing about this office is that it has young minds, some of the best in the profession with great calibre which keeps the healthy spirit of competition on at the same time a warm and friendly environment thus making it a family which stands by each other. If you have the ability then you will be rewarded with opportunities, you will be guided throughout, shielded and most importantly your work will be rewarded.

A lot of law students prefer corporate jobs over a career in litigation. Is it better to work in the corporate sector for a few years before starting litigation?

To each his own, but it is true that there is an increasing trend to join corporate jobs over the traditional litigation practice. According to me, the biggest factor that influences the decision is the quick earning and perks corporate offers right after your studies. Everyone aims at a comfortable secure life, especially after college, one would not want to burden their parents or ask them for money, so it is natural to have money factor playing a predominant role in deciding and shaping ones career choices.

Not everyone is fortunate to be able to afford a luxurious lifestyle and still be doing a job of his own choice. However, for those who wish to secure their finances before stepping into litigation, and who wish to try their hand at corporate, it is always an option. However, as my little understanding goes, both are two distinct fields of practice of law so it is not necessary to begin with corporate, however as I said it is good to experience everything, depending on the time and opportunity one has. For me, doing what I wanted mattered more than money because when you are living your dream any sacrifice you make, any hardship you go through gives you a great sense of pride and not misery. Moreover, hard work and smart work never ditches you, so if you do your bit, money is certain to follow.

Do you think top notch grades have given you an advantage over others in your arena of litigation? How useful would you say would be being a topper for people who want to practice?

I was never among the toppers of my batch and to be honest, I did not even make an attempt to. That however does not mean I had a casual approach about law or the profession, our system is such where good grades and consistent good performance is given importance, and in that process very often the importance of quality education and in-depth study is lost, at least I felt it on many occasions.

So those who topped the batch they certainly put their best foot forward and their efforts are worth appreciating and they have their own priorities, but as far as I’m concerned I believed in doing a holistic study not just for the sake of scoring well but as a matter of learning, so I scored decent enough. As far as litigation is concerned, I haven’t come across a situation where I had to prove my grades; however excellence and brilliance is appreciated everywhere, even in litigation. There it is more about proving your mettle in court appearances, earning the confidence of the client and that of the judge, making a place for yourself in the bar and getting favourable orders.

What is your workday like? Are there new challenges every day or did work fall into a predictable pattern?

Workday here at the Chambers of Sr. Advocate Geeta Luthra is a new challenge every day. Presently I’m doing a potpourri of matters ranging from bail petitions, suits, writs, SLPs and many more matters ranging from criminal law to matrimonial law to service matters to land acquisition matters. For someone who is barely 6 months into the profession, having exposure to such a variety of matters is indeed a blessing.

How necessary is it to have a mentor/guide to handhold a young lawyer while still in the formative years of litigation?

I’m a person who believes that everyone has something to teach, irrespective of his age or experience. I’m not of the opinion that one needs to have a designated senior as his/her mentor in the initial years of litigation, but I believe to have someone who can handhold you in fact supervise your actions and not spoon feed you is who you need. Someone who gives you enough room to experiment, who wishes to see your growth with his, who trusts you with his work at the same time keeps a close watch on your work just in time to salvage in case of a faux pas.

Thus, what one needs is a vigilant yet a comforting senior. And I must mention, I’m in the right hands, if you are looking for a vast exposure, from civil to criminal law, increasing opportunities to argue, in an office where you are assigned matters and are expected to handle it fully from handling the clients to getting it filed and to argue the matters and it goes without saying, opportunity to work on some fine cases, work with some of the best legal minds in the profession are few of the many perks you get while working at the chambers of Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra.

How difficult would you say it is to build a reputed practice?

Well it is too early for me to answer this question as I’m still in the “early days of practice” as you put it. But having seen many others who have set up their full fledged practice in the profession, I can only say it is very unpredictable, it highly depends on the career decisions you make, your performance, your social skills, it differs from person to person and even law to law, I have heard people say that it is still easier to make a standing in civil side but to develop a clientele on the criminal side and to make a standing there can take even more time than what it should take on the civil side. I’m yet to explore this aspect so maybe I’m a little too young into the profession to answer the question.

Do you think your experience in mooting shall help you in your litigation career?

My answer is a big yes to this question. In fact, I realised it in my last two years of law school that my mooting experience had been a great help, I could myself sense a drastic difference in my internship performance post the increasing moot exposure. Even though there are many factors which affect the mooting experience such as the kind of moot one decides to go for, the issues of law involved, etc., but moots of all kinds do play a massive role in grooming the lawyer in you. There are several things which I find are in common between a moot and real practice of law.

Approach to a given problem, applying one’s mind to it, analysis and digging the issues involved, strategising the arguments and then drafting a foolproof written submission, addressing the court and putting forth your submissions in a way that you get your arguments across in the desired way are challenges which I face even today as a practising advocate. Thus, moots are an excellent platform to hone your advocacy skills, thus winning or losing does not matter, what you take home is more refined better prepared lawyer, therefore in a moot everyone is a winner.

What can the law schools do to encourage more people into litigation?

I guess law schools should understand the relevance of internships and inculcate the practice of interning at different places right from the beginning of their law school. College administration should facilitate students with as many opportunities to intern as many law schools have a student run PCC which needs to be backed by the university administration so that the internship and recruitment of the students gets a boost.

It is also important to guide students into selecting the right kind of internship at the right time, for instance internship in a top tier corporate firm in your very first year of law education might not do as much help as an internship with probably a district court or an NGO. Thus, this is where the law school needs to chip in. Also, law schools should facilitate interactive sessions of students with some of the inspiring minds in the legal profession so that they could make informed choices.

What would be your parting message to law students who want to litigate just after graduation?

I would say, go for it. If you wish to practice, and this goes without saying; sacrifices and hard work are quintessential for anything one decides to go for. People often start with a career in corporate fearing the initial financial burden that one might face in litigation, but at the end I have seen many switch to litigation for want of interest to work in corporate. Thus, striking a balance between what you want to do and your other considerations in life is a must.

Even though some of them who are quite focussed and have already planned their career to suit their needs, my advice is not for them, as there happens to be many out there initially wish to pay off their education loan or wish to build a bank balance for their initial years of litigation struggle. But most important is to have your priorities set straight, and the determination to sustain. Many a times into the profession one might lose patience and feel low, but one must remember that only temporary, hard work and good work is appreciated and rewarded everywhere, sooner or later.

In fact there are many litigation firms that pay decent remuneration to freshers also, considering you perform well. If you feel for the profession with utmost passion, all these sacrifices would only make you a strong person and more importantly give you a sense of pride. Working hours and remuneration all seem small before the joy of getting favourable orders from the court, at least that is what my little experience says. So, according to me right after graduation is always a better option as then you have the energy the zeal at its peak which could help you sail through the tough building years of litigation.
December 25, 2014
Jyotika Jain on Judicial Clerkship under Justice S.K. Mishra, Delhi HC

Jyotika Jain is a graduate of 2010 batch of Amity Law School. She has publications in renowned journals to her credit and has extensive experience of the Supreme Court & Delhi High Court atmosphere. She is currently working as a Judicial Clerk in Delhi High Court. In this interview we asked her in depth about her experience of working as a judicial clerk under Justice S.K.Mishra, the application procedure and the future prospects of her legal career.

Given that most of our readers belong to legal fraternity, how would you introduce yourself to them?

I am an accidental lawyer. Law had never been one of the options that I had narrowed down to while choosing a career path. I wanted to pursue medicine. After my board exams in class 12th, the next thing I knew was that I was sitting in a class of Law of Contracts.

Legal studies are still only a backup option for quite a lot of students. What motivated you to choose law as a career? How did you get through to Amity Law School?

I never gave law a serious thought. Medicine had always been on my mind. That’s what you would expect in a class with students who have taken Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology, as their chosen subject combination. However, one of my batch-mates, did want to pursue Law and she was perhaps the only one. At present, she is pursuing her PhD, and that isn’t remotely in any legal field. Hers and mine is only just an example. There are a lot of students who choose law, and end up in law school. But, I believe ultimately what happens is destiny. No matter how many plans you have in mind, or the amount of preparation you go through, things happen differently.

Coming to Amity Law School, was another chance. I decided to drop a year after 12th so that I could join one of the many coaching institutes and give a good shot at PMT. In the meanwhile, I needed admission in some college as a back-up. I chose Amity over a course in physiotherapy. At the time when I was getting into law school, CLAT had not yet been introduced. Every university had its own entrance examination. I believe that coming from a ‘pure science’ stream, helped me develop an analytical bent of mind. Therefore, without much preparation I was able to clear the GGSIPU’s common entrance test for Law.

What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

A lot of decisions that I made through law school, whether for the best or not, were somehow still revolving around science. My favorite subjects were criminal law, mainly due to forensic science, and IPR within which I was fascinated by Patent Law. I always had an interest in these areas, so reading articles or blogs, came as a natural interest. In fact, my dissertation was based on ‘Patenting of Transgenic Animals’. When it came to criminal law and criminology, I just went with my gut and all the information I had absorbed through TV series such as Medical Detectives and Criminal Minds. The key lies in keeping yourself updated. I would never miss out an article with a scientific theme in the newspaper. Somethings just catch your fancy.

In retrospect, things could have been different. The advise that I can give to the next generation of law graduates is; read, read and read. Make a database, make an index for legal areas, and just read a lot. Keep yourself updated with the latest legal principles. You’ll do yourself a favour if you start this exercise now. You’ll find yourself relying on this database very often.

As a law student which activities did you participate in? Did you have any guidance on how to go about your academics, co-curricular activities and internships?

I am a first generation lawyer. Throughout five years of law school, I learnt from observation and from my own mistakes. I didn’t receive any guidance, and I didn’t have anyone’s hand over my head. That hand over your head will make your life much easier throughout law school and later as well. There is no hiding from this fact or being ashamed of it. That’s how it works. At the same time, the other side to this is that, if you don’t have a support system, you can manage fairly well by just working hard. It pays off, and it did in my case.

First year for me was just exploration. It was a new world. So many new faces and a lot more stories about the ‘cool’ seniors we had, who I would say were ‘mooting studs’. Since the very beginning there was this mystical power one would get if they were a mooter, and this is what attracted a lot more people to the arena. My first moot, an internal one, made me cry from the inside, and I ended up with a resolve, not such a firm one, clearly, that I would never moot again. But it was this first moot itself that made me realise that I had a natural gift for research work. As time progressed, I started participating in moot court competitions throughout India, voluntarily choosing to go as a researcher. Believe me.

Around the time I came to third year, I was introduced to Parliamentary Debates (PD). The adrenaline rush in that is much more than moots. In moots you have a lot of time to prepare and furnish your research work. Preparation for PD can never be complete. You can’t know what motion would be thrown at you. The only preparation you can possibly have is, just reading up on current affairs and having bills/propositions prepared before hand, but whether that is used or not is another question. It was this rush, that finally pushed me to go for a moot as the second speaker in my final year at law school.

I never missed a chance on any kind of extra-curricular activities. Moots, Parliamentary Debates, and Essay competitions. One should try for everything. These days there are a lot of colleges that have taken the initiative for letting students present papers at conferences and other events. Which is a good opportunity and one should try and present a paper, or at least try and get two publications.

When it came to academics, I didn’t have a problem. It was as simple as that. I did not shy away from giving my notes to my batch-mates or my juniors. During exams, I was perpetually surrounded by twenty people. Twenty people who had just opened their books hours before the exam. Explaining concepts, and helping them made me revise my course over and over again. Throughout five years, I held the top three ranks in my class. Academics is something I didn’t consider as something that I had to work for. Moots and PDs on the other hand required work and effort. It didn’t take much to recall things from class lectures, or remember case laws. The fact that I could understand legal principles easily can be attributed to my science background, which helped me analyse propositions. As I said before, a lot of what I did revolved around science. Of course, this is not a rule, I am an exception.

What kind of internships did you do while you were a student? Any remarkable experiences during your internships that shaped your career choices later?

One thing that I didn’t skip or compromise on was internships. I didn’t while away time during June and July, the months when we had vacations. June is the worst time to try for litigation internships. Courts are shut. There is hardly any work before the vacation benches, just one or two odd matters.

Looking back, there are two broad areas in which I can divide my experience during internships; Litigation and Research.

I’ll start with the research based ones. The first one was with the National Commission for Women, followed by Centre for Policy Reasearch, where I got the opportunity to work with Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, on his book on Constitutional Law. After which, I worked with Mr. Shyam Divan, Senior Advocate on the third edition of Environmental Law and Policy in India. This book has been authored by Mr. Divan and Mr. Armin Rosencranz, and is perhaps the only such book available that covers the legal and policy aspects of the environment. In all these three internships, there was a lot to read on legal aspects. Digging and sifting through thousands of precedents, cherry picking applicable areas and then presenting them in a sumarrised form. Although, with Mr. Divan, this wasn’t limited to just precedents, but also covered other literature, where topics related to the environment were being discussed. Imagine in 2009, I’m reading something about vendors on the street, and it is now that the Street Vendors Act got introduced. There were many ancilliary things which were related to the environment that I read about. This helped me build a strong foundation, which helped me later when I interned with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, when Mr. Ramesh was holding charge.

When it comes to litigation, I worked with counsels and in firms. I worked with Mr. Sushil Kumar Jain, who has now been designated as a Senior Advocate and with Mr. Shyam Divan. I went twice to Karanjawala and Co., once in 2010 and before that in 2008, and I also worked with Vaish Associates Advocates.

Ministry of Environment and Forests wouldn’t per se qualify as a litigation based internship, although I did work on some legal briefs there. This was heavily based on policy work and the new amendments that were going to be introduced in the Wild Life Protection Act. It was around this time when the idea for NGT and NEPA was being talked about. There was a lot of interaction with the members of the civil society and also with citizens who had grievances with the proposed amendments. Generally we are used to saying that the government doesn’t really work, but here we went through emails and queries from citizens and also gave them personal hearings. Every day was a different day, and most days had frenzied activity. One of the richest experiences from this internship that I took with me, was working on the Gola Elephant Corridor issue. Having a ground zero and hands on experience with the conflict between man and environment was a very unique experience.

Did you find that your law school education had prepared you sufficiently for the many tasks you were required to execute during your internships?

I believe that what you do in law school and what you do in the field are two entirely different things. Keeping in mind the existing law school curriculum, there isn’t any law school that can prepare you for the world outside. Law school revolves around books, and extra-curricular activities. The life outside these books is another dimension. Well, using research databases such as SCC and Manupatra, is something that you would do in law school and also outside while interning or working. Books would provide a settled principle of law, litigation is on grey areas. Therefore, no law school can prepare you for internships or work. If I could draw an analogy, it is like saying I read Grey’s book on human anatomy and then I performed an autopsy. Practical experience can never come from books.

You have published a lot of papers in various prestigious journals. Can you give us a few tips to ace the art of paper writing?

Art of writing. Well that’s a tough question. You can’t be perfect, there is always something that you can do to make it better. To develop some sort of mastery would require 20-30 years. Writing requires a lot of revision as well. Especially, legal writing, where you can say the same thing in twenty different ways, but the best way would always be the way in which a lay man understands what you are trying to say. Grammar is another area which requires work. I still have a Wren and Marting with me, and a book that tries to explain the usage of punctuation marks on my desk. Understanding rules is one aspect, the other aspect is to read. I stopped reading in between thinking that reading someone else’s work would take away my own unique writing style. I know a lot of people who have gone through this phase. I was wrong. There is a lot you can discover through someone else’s work, and you can learn a lot.

How has your mooting and debating experience been?

Mooting experience, that was a joy ride. As I said, I voluntarily chose to be a researcher mostly, till I chose to finally go as a speaker. All the moots that I participated in, I never got anything back. As a researcher, I could only pass ‘chits’. It was my last moot that changed everything. My team was awarded the prize for the Best International Team in IICLAM. This was also my college’s first ever international trophy. It is something that will always be memorable.

PDs on the other hand, I picked up on faster. It was in my second PD in NLSIU Bangalore, which was organised by Allen and Overy, in which I came runners up in the Novice Championship.

Every student should at least participate in one. There is so much you can learn, and you also get to meet new people during these competitions, people you can learn from as well. Don’t worry about messing it up, or worrying about not getting any awards. The first moot or PD will always be an ice-breaker.

How helpful do you think is mooting for a law student? Does it serve a real purpose or is just another way to crowd up the CV?

Mooting will help you build up on your confidence. It will teach you to not lose your composure when the judge tries to heckle you on a point. I have also judged few moots, and I know why judges try to heckle. They want to see if you break under pressure. It is nothing personal. Most judges heckle those who are good orators. If you are missing the law point, or are fumbling, or don’t understand the question, the judge knows, and they won’t bother with asking you questions and waste time. It’s the good ones whose mettle we try and test.

I don’t think moots should be used to crowd up your CV. You should use it as a means to grow and learn. The purpose it will serve is that it will help you think on your feet, come up with ingenious arguments and at times will also help you in becoming witty.

Currently, you work as a Judicial Clerk at the Chambers of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sudershan Kumar Misra, High Court at New Delhi. What had contributed towards this appointment?

After law school, I decided to sit for the Civil Services Examination. I believed that having a background in law would help me. I didn’t clear my exam, and I had to start from scratch. I started the process for rebuilding everything. A judicial clerkship is a very good beginning. Although, it is quite unfortunate that in India the value attributed towards this is comparatively quite low as compared to other countries. Even within the legal fraternity here, a clerkship is never viewed as a crowning glory.

One thing that helped me was that even though I have a huge gap on my CV, I still had numerous internships, and extra-curricular activities on it. Getting into law school and sticking to it is not a hard and fast rule. Your life won’t come to an end if you decide to try something else. You should try it, and it is better than living with the regret that ‘I wish I had given this a shot.’ My past work experience and my overall performance in law school helped me immensely.

How did you obtain the Judicial Clerkship? What is the standard procedure to do so?

Every Judge in the High Court and Supreme Court is allowed two law clerks. Generally, one comes through the Registry and the other one is based on the discretion of the Judge. The standard procedure is to go through the Registry.

Did you ever consider a career in the corporate sector? What influenced your decision to work in this sector?

I considered working in the Corporate sector. I don’t have hard and fast notions about careers within the legal field. A lot of decisions depend upon experience and your level of comfort in that field. Ideally, one should try everything, you never know what would click. I haven’t had the chance to work in a corporate environment, so I can’t say much. However, when it comes to litigation, I like the frenzy of the courtrooms and the rush of adrenaline.

What does your current work profile consists of? What is your workday like? Are there new challenges every day or did work fall into a predictable pattern?

Work can be challenging on some days. Employees in the High Court, leave at 5 p.m. Filing counters, Registry etc., shuts in the evening. By 7 p.m. the Court is deserted. But you’ll still have a few Stenographers working, and one or two law clerks that you’ll bump into. I leave when I finish my work. Even though Courts adjourn at 4;30 p.m. there are days when it is not adjourned till seven in the evening. In the evening there are no fixed timings. You’ll leave when you are done for the day. On the other hand, my day at work starts at 9:30 a.m.

Working on the other side, and this is no exaggeration, that at times over 120 matters are assigned to a Judge. The Court timings are from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and in this short period of time, it is not possible to adjudicate upon 120 cases. Judges try their best, and I have seen that. Every person wants a fair amount of time to be heard, and the judges try and give them the time. But honestly, they are just overburdened. We need to at least double the current strength of the High Court Judges. 60 would be a good number to start with.

As a law clerk, one duty which is common to all clerks is to ensure that there are no errors; typographical or grammatical, in the Order or Judgments, before those are given to the Judges. These errors are mostly human errors, which inadvertently creep in when the orders are typed. The court rooms are packed and at times the level of noise is a little high and when the orders are being dictated in the courtroom, some word is missed out by the stenographers. Even a single comma can drastically change the meaning. It is something I have learnt working with Hon’ble Justice Mr. Sudershan Kumar Misra, and he has been a wonderful teacher is this process. His guidance has been invaluable.

Second common task is research work. Your research skills should be very strong, and you’ll sharpen them while working with a judge. The point of law that is being debated upon, is so fine at times, but you need to find something, or be enterprising an ingeneous and try and relate several points together to get to it.

Reading files and making short notes, or as it is called ‘peshis’ is something which other clerks do as well. Making short notes helps you learn how to sift through information and get to the point. Summarising one file into one page is an art and it requires practice.

I don’t think there is a predictable pattern, but yes there are some very slow days at work as well. However, one interesting case will make up for it.

Tell us about your work mantra? What do think are the most essential things required to excel in clerkship?

Everyone has their own personal shortcomings or weak areas. I would only say that you should not shy away from it and work towards improving yourself. My work mantra, or rather mantras would be; work hard, drop your ego, learn how to listen, and always strive towards learning more.

Do you consider pursuing an LL.M abroad? A lot of LL.M aspirants opt for judicial clerkship before higher studies; what is your thought on this?

I would say that if one wishes to pursue an LLM, doing a clerkship is the right thing to do. As I mentioned earlier, in India a clerkship doesn’t hold much value, but for example in USA, a clerkship is viewed as a valuable experience.

What will be your suggestions to our readers who wish to be a judicial clerk?

My suggestion would be that one should seriously consider this as an option. There is a lot you can gain from a clerkship, and these are things that you will realise later. It is a good stepping stone.

What are your future plans?

I wish to continue into litigation. In fact from my batch there are only a handful who chose to be in litigation. Losing possible litigators to easy money is a loss to this field. So, for now my eyes are set here and my feet are firmly planted in the court.

December 24, 2014
Pralika Jain on representing Bollywood celebrities, work at Star India and LL.M in IPR from Georgetown
Pralika Jain is a media and entertainment lawyer with about three years of experience in the broadcasting and entertainment industry. She graduated from GLC, Mumbai in 2011. Thereafter she worked at Star India Pvt. Ltd. for one year and then with a Talent Management Agency, CAA KWAN as a lawyer to Bollywood Celebrities. Currently, she is pursuing Masters in Intellectual Property Law at Georgetown University Law Centre.

In this interview Pralika talks about:
- Work experience at Star and CAA KWAN
- Choosing Masters over a job
- Writing an SOP and getting recommendation letters
Most of our readers are law students and young lawyers. How will you introduce yourself to them?

I would say I am a media and entertainment lawyer with about three years of experience in the broadcasting and entertainment industry. In an informal setting I would say that I have been a lawyer for the past three years, worked mainly in the media and entertainment industry, tried experimenting in the start-up space and have a passion for technology and still trying to find a way to amalgamate all of that.

How did you gravitate towards law? Why law and not engineering or medical studies?

The fear of Math made me gravitate towards law. Being inherently inquisitive growing up, I assumed engineering would be the apt choice for me, but then I realised that, only being a lawyer will give me the opportunity to explore all the facets of this world, be it business, media, technology, health care/medicine or aero-space. Being a lawyer would give me the opportunity to learn everything there is out there to learn and what better way than to get paid for it, right?

How would you describe your time at GLC, Mumbai? What sort of internships did you do while in law school?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at GLC on and off campus. The first two years at GLC were spent being involved in committees, as most GLC students do. This is where I think we all built our soft skills that no one teaches you in college. Directly connecting with senior lawyers, judges and other eminent personalities to be a part of our college’s activities taught us a great deal about communicating with people, respecting their time and gave us an insight to their work. This was my first preview into the world of law.

I also enjoyed attending lectures (definitely a few) by Professor Pithawala, Professor Ratho, Professor, Professor Chuganee to name a few. From around the second year onwards I started interning full-time, like most GLC students do. Although I had a fair mix of corporate, litigation and firm internships, my internship at Disney introduced me to the world of media and entertainment, more particularly the role lawyers play in the media and entertainment industry. This internship amplified my interest in the industry and led me to pursue another internship at Viacom. I believe both these internships played an instrumental role in introducing me to an industry I never would have considered pursuing much less enjoy working there.

You worked at Star India Pvt. Ltd. for a year and at CAA KWAN as a lawyer to Bollywood Celebrities. How would you describe your experiences working there?

While I had secured a job from the on-campus recruitment at a corporate law firm, I was inclined towards media and entertainment. So I started connecting with lawyers working at various media and entertainment companies and as luck would have it, the then VP of Star and now the General Counsel of Snapdeal, Mr. Ashish Chandra responded to my cold email on LinkedIn.

I had a quick conversation with him which led to an interview and then my first job at Star. My experience at Star set a strong foundation of law as well as the media, entertainment and broadcasting industry. Using my experience at Star as a springboard, I joined CAA KWAN as the legal counsel.

Here, I discovered the media and entertainment industry from the other side which was an exciting experience. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work on Bollywood as well as a few deals in Hollywood. Working with celebrities was exciting at first, but it soon lost its charm, as they are your clients at the end of the day. The time spent working will be a memorable one, as I worked with a team of people who were not only brilliant at what they did but also were great mentors to me. The other thing about working in the media and entertainment industry is the informal environment, which I think contributed a lot to my growth there.

Do you think courts in India are equipped to handle entertainment and media law cases?

With the increase in entertainment and media litigation I think the courts are getting better at handling those cases. To answer your second question, I think law is never up to date with technology. Technology is growing at a rate faster than expected and no legal regime in the world is equipped for it yet.

Were you in double minds before joining Georgetown University Law Centre? How did you prefer Masters over your job?

I knew that I always wanted to pursue my masters, but choosing to study after working for three years was the most difficult decision to make. Once you are used to working and have a comfortable lifestyle it is difficult to get dissuaded to pursue further education. The reason I chose to pursue my masters was because my employers at CAA KWAN were very supportive of it and helped me realise the value any higher education would bring to me. I realised that if I missed out on pursuing the opportunity to study now I would get sucked into the black hole of being employed and would regret not pursuing my masters. I would encourage every student who has the opportunity to pursue their masters to do so. It is an invaluable experience and having good education has never and will never be a waste.

How did you choose Georgetown University over others? How did you go about choosing a university?

Georgetown Law did not seem an obvious choice to me at first, but after I got admitted I researched the faculty and the subjects offered which drew me towards Georgetown Law. My professors are a mix of Judges, Practitioners, Congressmen and Law Makers. I doubt I would have had an opportunity to be taught directly by the law makers in any other school.

How did you go about writing your SOP? Are there any key factors which one should keep in mind before writing the SOP?

Writing the SOP was the most difficult bit for me. I was lucky to have a bunch of my seniors from GLC who had followed the same path help me figure how to write a good SOP. I think speaking to people who know you and have been through this process is a good start. Getting your drafts reviewed by others is also very important, as we tend to miss out on a lot of mistakes when we try to proof read our document. Another thing that is good to keep in mind while working on your SOP is being a true reflection of yourself. Writing achievements and stories that do not have a substantial background do not sound convincing.

How about recommendation letters? Who all recommended you to pursue LL.M?

I got recommended by my professors and employers. Most foreign law schools would specifically state how many letters of recommendation they want and from whom.

How is your experience so far? Tell us about the faculty and facilities. Anything memorable that is stuck in your mind?

My experience so far is great, and people don’t lie when they say the LL.M is going to be the best year of your life. I have made some great friends; I am enjoying the quality of education as well as the campus located in the heart of D.C.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I hope to be following my passion in the technology world in the entrepreneurial sector or attempting to decipher the media and entertainment industry, all of it as a lawyer.

Lastly, what would be your parting message for our readers?

It is a very competitive world out there, so work hard but don’t be too hard on yourself.
December 23, 2014
Saurabh Kumar on Litigation at Trial and Supreme Courts and an MBA from IIM Calcutta
Saurabh Kumar is a graduate of the 2004 batch of Amity Law School, GGSIPU. Right after graduation he joined Scriboards and thereafter he took to independent practice at Trial Courts. Later in 2007, he had the opportunity to work for Senior Advocate, H. S. Phoolka as a Senior Associate, and he worked there till 2009.

In 2009, he started up his own litigation practice with a team of four lawyers mainly practising in Economic Offences and IP matters. In 2013, he secured himself admission in IIM Calcutta for an MBA and on graduation from there he was appointed as a Senior Manager of the Legal Team at Marvel Realtors in 2014 He has since then been given additional responsibility of all Marketing activities, heading a team of 10 and is also responsible for sales performance audit as part of the CEO’s office..

He is currently a professional with a dual profile, one of that of an MBA and another of a lawyer, with a keen interest in technology, and in-depth understanding of various business and legal processes.

In this interview you will get to read what he has to say about:
- Choosing law as a career option
- Litigation experience at High Court and Supreme court
- Pursuing an MBA from IIM Calcutta
- Important skills of a Lawyer
What impressed upon you the idea to study law? How was your law school experience?

I had a pretty circuitous route to law school. I had joined the National Defence Academy right after my school. After about 2 years, I had to leave the course on medical grounds probably making me one of country’s youngest pensioners at the age of 19!

My father then encouraged me to prepare for law school. At that time, Amity was starting their first five year law program in Delhi. I did well at the entrance exam and secured admission. At that time, my parents were a bit reluctant to send me to another city to read law. So studying law as a day scholar was the option for me. I really enjoyed my tenure at the law school. I had the privilege to be the first ever representative of the law school at National level moots. I absolutely loved moot courts. If I can single out one memory/ one method of learning law, it would be moot courts. Apart from Moots, I was also into quizzing and I won a few competitions there at the law school and later even at IIM Calcutta.

A lot of law students promise to take up pro-bono work and do some socially relevant work. Have these ideas ever crossed your mind?

I think at one level it is fashionable to say that as a lawyer, one is doing pro-bono work. But just because there are no financials involved between a lawyer and client, the level of legal effort involved does not reduce. I had the privilege to work with Mr. H.S. Phoolka senior advocate, who does a lot of social work with his heart and soul. To be honest, that was one of the points that attracted me to him and his practice and a chance to be part of it. I was also part of the Delhi High Court legal aid committee. I did some matters there. It was a mixed bag. While some clients were indeed grateful, some others were probably the most demanding clients I have ever dealt with. At present, I assist some smart entrepreneurs, but mostly those who are at present operating out of the incubation centre set up at IIM Calcutta and at IIT Madras. It is more out of friendship though. One must, as much as one can, do some pro-bono work. But how much would depend on one’s personal bandwidth.

Soon after graduation you joined Preconcept, (Now called Scriboard) as an Associate. How did your appointment take place?

I had interned a large part of my college days with Lex Orbis. Prof. Balachandran was kind enough to introduce me to Manoj Pillai (Partner, Lex Orbis). I absolutely loved the place. Whatever little I know about IPR, are from my learnings there. It made me extremely confident of what I can achieve as a lawyer (maybe overconfident J ).

Rodney was starting off own his own. At that time, I felt, it would be a good idea to join a start-up. We did not really have structured placements at that time at Amity, Delhi. It was more as to who knows who. Rodney was a visiting faculty at law school. That is how I knew him.

Generally the first year after graduation is the most defining time of a fresh law graduate. What would you suggest a fresh law graduate should do to hold spirit and utilise the opportunities available?

One word: Learn. While law school gives you the depth. Practicing law gives you a totally different approach to law. Suddenly you see law affecting real people, real situations and you, as a young lawyer are in the middle of it. Personally, it took time for me to grasp this difference. (between court room law and class room law). If I could go back in time, I would perhaps try to reduce the awe I had of the interaction between law and real life and focus more on the learnings.

Another thing: while at law school, we majorly study substantive law. In the real world, practice has a lot to do with people management and legal procedures. It takes time to learn both.

After working at Preconcept for a year you left it to start practice at Trial Courts of Delhi and started working with Mr. Prashant Mendiratta. How did that go?

I was always keen on trial court practice. At that time Prashant Mendiratta, from the first batch NLS, Bangalore was looking for a junior. I had worked earlier with Prashant as an intern (from Prof M.K. Balachandran’s reference, a former professor of NLS Bangalore and now the director of Amity Law School) Since I was keen on trial court practice, it was a no-brainer to start work with Prashant.

What did you gather from your experience at the trial courts?

Trial court practice opens up your mind to the real aspects of law. What are pleadings and why are the way they are , the value of evidence, the way documents/events are proved, What and the whys of proof, dealing with varied personnel, be it the court staff, police, opposing counsels and of course the Judge. The way the various applications are filed and arguments conducted. In short, how a court actually functions. I learned a lot, about law and procedures working with Prashant.

Later you had the opportunity to work with Sr. Advocate H.S. Phoolka. How did the appointment take place? How did your stint at trial court prove to be helpful here?

I got in touch with Mr. Phoolka through his nephew who was undergoing a Pilot training course with my father. Since I was keen on learning High Court practice and procedure, I was looking to work with a senior advocate in the High Court and Supreme Court. I met Mr. Phoolka, introduced myself, shared my resume and that’s it. After a few weeks, if I remember correctly, Mr. Phoolka’s immediate junior was going independent and that is when he called me to join his chamber. That’s where I learned most of High court and Supreme Court practice and procedure.

Thereafter you prepared for and joined IIM Calcutta. How difficult would you say it was?

Actually, I had my eyes on Indian School of Business and not the IIMs. I felt that I would not even be selected for the IIMs. IIMs being too Maths oriented. Nonetheless, I applied.

To be honest, it is not a difficult paper to crack. All you need is practice and consistency. And a clarity as to why MBA when the faculty grills you in the interview. I had thought of working at a big law firm. And I felt that the management education would be an added advantage for my candidature.

(Saurabh has since been made part of the CEO’s office. He is now looking after legal, Sales performance audit and has been given the overall charge of the Marketing division at Marvel Realtors.)

What are the tips and strategies you which you would like to share with other law students which you followed and developed in order to achieve success in the exam?

The most important question / clarity that one must have is why. Once that clarity comes in, motivation follows and rest all becomes secondary.

Strategies for cracking the exam?

Well, hard work. And better get used to that. Because the quality that is there inside such campuses is quite intimidating. If you are not the kind of person, who does not like to put an all-nighter on the law subject you hate most, or have a mortal fear of deadlines, chances are, you will not be able to do justice to yourself with relatively alien management subjects.

So for you, why did you feel MBA is a good option for a lawyer and why now?

Well, for me personally, I had reached a point where I felt that working in chamber has its own benefits, it would be better to work in a firm with multiple lawyer setup. Approaching firms without any value add would not make me stand out from the multiple applications that firms receive on a daily basis

One option was to study Masters from US/UK, but the reason I preferred management education was that primarily I could showcase myself as a candidate who brings on the table, knowledge and skill set that would be a different point of view on the table. At the end of the day, even firms need management. Secondly, I believe that as a lawyer grows in profession, while he keeps getting better and better at his technical legal skills, managing the legal practice become important. Ergo, a management education.

How was your experience of IIM-C? Please comment on the faculty and facilities.

Our very first class was taken by Prof Sougoto Ray, perhaps one of the finest strategy teachers in India, today. It was an absolute privilege to be taught by some of the finest academics in the country, if not the world. If I would have to zero in on the finest learnings in my life, I would perhaps rate the education at IIM and the Army discipline at N.D.A. at the very top of the list.

Needless to say, the faculty is absolutely top class. They expect you to challenge the theories in class and corner them. One professor – Prof. Rohit Varman, taught us consumer behaviour. He is perhaps the most theoretically immaculate professors out there. On the very first day he said, “Look, I don’t have all the answers”. The guy had all the answers! He even has a fan club on Facebook!

Another professor, Prashant Mishra, who taught us Marketing and some electives, would summarise the entire Indian economy from the days when Bajaj Scooters were available only in US dollars to the present day E-tail economy succinctly in 15 minutes flat.

The finance professors. One word: wow! People speak languages. Those guys spoke numbers!

You go to the famed IIM Calcutta library, pick up a book on economics, chances are, if its’ an Indian author, he is a professor who would be teaching you the subject tomorrow. Rule of the class: “Ask me a question on economics, I cannot answer.” “You can read the book, ask me something on economics not covered in the book.”

Professor Balram Avitathur, who was one of the faculty who taught us operations, actually gave us articles from Economist to read and understand SCM (supply chain management) So what’s so the big deal? Major portion of the end term paper was based on those articles! Not on textbooks. Not on some journals. Not on case studies. But on articles in a news weekly! I would never look as Zara as only a fashion store now! I could go on and on regarding the professors and the subjects. Every single one of them be it in People Management to Finance to Marketing to Statistics, were masters of their own field. Not to mention the brilliance of the class I was part of. To be part of a select gathering that consists of the finest brains from fields as varied as Automobiles to Chemicals to IT to Construction and know that they are in as much awe of you as you are of them. It is an absolutely wonderful feeling. Not to mention friends for life. In fact, in our first class itself, the professor stated- learnings aside, the friendship and the bond that people make here at IIM, – you would keep that for life.

When did you realise the importance of an MBA in your professional profile? How do you think an MBA can prove to be useful in a lawyer’s career?

I honestly feel that one can learn business practicing. The world’s biggest businessmen are not MBA from Tier 1 institutes, rather they have learned on the job.

In my opinion, business education teaches, amongst other things two major elements. One: how to learn from others experiences so that you don’t make mistakes and learn from others. And two: how to remove personal biases, via proper usage of statistics, data tools, and subject specific knowledge.

The main motivation for me to do an MBA was to in addition to the reasons stated above, was to showcase my academic rigour and to use the network built at the Business school and the alumni network professionally.

In retrospect how do you think an MBA from one of the most reputed B-schools has strengthened your career opportunities?

The quality of young lawyers graduating from the top law schools is and will only go up from here. My batch was the first of the five year law school graduates (in Delhi) and the quality is for all to see. But what happens a decade of legal practice down the line. We will have some fantastic and quality lawyers, arguably the best in the world. But these very same immensely skilled professionals would have to learn managing the “business of law”. Some will excel, others will prefer to stick to their technical expertise, which is all good, but as one progresses up in career, management becomes imperative. For any recruiter looking at my profile, management education would only make my candidature stand out. At mid-level at least, People & business management and business development starts to become all important. In my opinion, therefore, the rigours of an MBA education from IIM, will only add to the legal skills I have developed.

How did your appointment as a Senior Manager of the Legal Team at Marvel Realtors take place?

This position at Marvel was via the campus placements at IIM.

Your current work profile is quite different from that of the profile of a trial advocate. How did you decide to adapt into this requirement of completely new set of skills?

It is not actually in terms of the technicalities. Yes, I don’t prepare evidences or go to court on a daily basis. In trial courts, to be honest there were far too many independent variables, acting totally independent of each other (sometimes, unpredictably so). In my present profile, apart from handling legal, I also look after Sales audit, and am responsible for almost all marketing initiatives as part of the CEO’s office here at Marvel.

At the end of the day, there is a team, a competent team that does more of the jobs well and successfully. It becomes more of a team handling role than out and out sales and marketing or legal. The end goal is that the team achieves its targets and performs competently. Be it in Legal, Sales or Marketing. A large part of the role also involves co-ordinating activities with vendors.

Does your current work profile include any scope of litigation? Do you plan to return to mainstream litigation in the long term?

There is litigation at the present role. There is also a lot of drafting, conveyancing and real estate due diligence that is involved. I do plan to work in legal field, albeit with a focus on managing legal practice.

In between all these commitments, you have managed to teach as a visiting Faculty of Law in Amity University. What has your experience in teaching been like? Do you look forward to such opportunity in future?

I love teaching. But in all honesty, teaching requires full time commitment. In law, no question is wrong or out of scope of any discussion. It is refreshing to interact with budding lawyers and some of them can challenge you on what is law. I do look forward to such opportunities where I can balance teaching and my professional life.

You have made several decisive career moves in the last ten years. What all should one consider while making such decisions? What are the primary goals which you want to achieve?

Decisive? The only decisive career move that I felt I had to make was to do this MBA from IIM Calcutta. What was my goal? – To be a kind of a lawyer who brings added value to any discussions & argument and the follow-up action, than what only a lawyer would bring/do. It is but obvious that as one grows professionally, management become extremely important. My goal was to be of value both in law as well as in management.

What would be your message to our readers who are law students and lawyers?

I think law is one of the most versatile professions out there. However, it’s also a profession where it is relatively easy to fall behind unless one puts in an effort to be updated with the latest regulations and judgments. Perseverance pays. Keep learning!
December 21, 2014
Anjali Sheoran on work at LPOs, Ernst & Young and LL.M in Commercial Laws from York University
Anjali Sheoran graduated from Army Institute of Law in 2010.She then went on to work with an LPO and later worked with LexCounsel and Ernst & Young. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law from University of York. We asked her to share her experiences and strategies she used over the years.

In this interview, Anjali talks about:
- Work experience at UnitedLex, LexCounsel and Ernst & Young
- Choosing Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law at University of York
- Writing an SOP and getting recommendation letters
Though it’s one of the most asked questions but yet, why law?

I believe the best decisions of one’s life are the ones that are spontaneous. Going to law school was one such decision for me. I did not pre-plan my future in law at all even though my maternal grandfather was an advocate. However, once in law school, I adapted quickly to the field and it stuck with me ever since. What I love most about law is its ability to create a ripple effect; of course a lot of laws in the society are influenced by the needs of the society but it still fascinates me how one regulation or law has repercussions across different sectors, be it social or economic or even political.

So, in answer to your question why law, the answer is simple; law is anything but boring. Its dynamic nature keeps you on your toes all the time and there is something new to learn every day.

How would you describe your time at Army Institute of Law, Mohali?

Army Institute of Law is still a fairly new law school and I believe it has much potential that is yet to be exploited. Having said that, my time at AIL was one of the best experiences of my life. Academics wise, it was mostly DIY (which is the case with most law schools) but nevertheless, combined studies and rigorous note-taking got us all through to the other side. Also, staying at one place for five years in a hostel was a fascinating journey for me; it is true what they say about college friends. They are indeed friends for life.

The internships I did during college ranged from litigation to corporate laws and from advocates and law firms to companies in the end. These internships were extremely instrumental in shaping my legal career when I look back now. My first internship was with a Supreme Court advocate and although I worked with him only for about 3 weeks, I understood that litigation was not for me. Although I did not give up that easily and did two more internships in litigation before I decided it was not something I see myself doing in the future. Corporate and commercial laws always attracted me since the beginning. However, the most important thing I learnt from my internships was that it was not easy to make a mark for yourself in law firms. This is because the partners take a long time in trusting a resource and more often than not their commitment to the job is measured by the hours they spend in the office instead of their work. Also, in my experience, young lawyers or interns are not given the respect or the space to work. This is the reason, I chose to intern with Bharti Realty in my last year of college. Companies have a process of doing everything and it keeps everyone in check. In addition, seniors are much more willing to delegate their work to their junior colleagues. I say colleagues because that is how interns and young lawyers are treated in companies.

After graduation, you started working at UnitedLex Corporation where you worked for one year. What had contributed towards this appointment? How was the experience working there?

UnitedLex is an LPO (Legal Process Outsourcing) and unfortunately in India LPOs are taboo for young lawyers; or at least that was the reaction my friends gave me when I told them. However, LPOs provide a great exposure to international laws and dealing with overseas clients. It also enhances your cultural quotient on the whole and exposes to international working and quality standards. While my internships during law school helped me decide I wanted to work for companies, working with ULx made me realize my natural potential and interest in commercial law. This is where I realised and decided I want to specialise in commercial law.

ULx specialises in contract management and litigation support and has its headquarters in UK. I was part of the contract management vertical and worked with the global counsel team of British Telecom. I’m not exactly sure what contributed to my appointment with the organisation, as I was a fresher and had no experience, so to say, in commercial law. However, once I joined the team, I worked hard and with the support, training and encouragement provided by my manager, Karma Bhutia (who is now working with GM), I was able to exceed expectations and carry out my own assignments with minimal supervision and received many great reviews from my clients.

My experience with ULx gave me a professional foundation, in terms of both technical and transferrable skills that I used and built on in all other endeavours ever since. Working with overseas clients was a great experience as well because their style of working and the space and trust they provide to their employees and service providers is absolutely amazing. Also, working with international and UK commercial laws gave me a unique edge over my counterparts as it enabled me to comment and compare laws from different jurisdictions to advise my clients. I brought the exposure to international and EU law in my next job with LexCounsel as well and was appreciated many times for my valuable inputs on commercial law matters.

After having worked at UnitedLex for one year, you joined LexCounsel, Law Offices as an Associate. How did you secure your appointment? How would you describe your experience working there?

After having worked with ULx for more than a year, I thought it would be a different experience to work for a mainstream law firm as one of the main issues with securing a job with the law firms (without a reference) was that I did not have any experience. I applied to many law firms and secured my position at LexCounsel Law Offices in 2011. Because I already had work experience the interview was very straightforward because I had already gone through the process before and was also much more mature, in terms of my conduct during the interview.

My experience at LexCounsel, to say the least, was a reality check. Although I excelled at contract management (which was recognised as my niche area), I had no experience in other commercial laws, like customs and excise laws, SEC regulations, FDI policies, etc. that affected commercial decision to such a great extent. Hence, LexCounsel was the organisation where I learnt a great deal about the research and interpretation of law that goes into making the final decisions that businesses make. In addition, I also dealt with many smaller businesses (as I first client in ULx was a well-established organisation) and the legal and commercial issues that they deal with in the current scenario of Indian laws.

How did the shift to E&Y’s Global Counsel Office as a Senior Associate take place? Did you get an offer or did you apply for EY? Tell us about the nature of work you were entrusted with therein.

My shift to Ernst & Young or EY (as the current brand name of the organisation stands) came about as a personal choice that I made between working with a law firm and a company. Law firms are a great place to work but over the eight months I spent with the firm, I realised there was no work life balance. Companies are much more structured and have a process or procedure for everything which makes the employees’ lives much easier and as a result provide better work life balance; which is extremely important for me.

I was invited for an interview by EY as one of my previous managers was able to circulate my resume to the organisation. The role with EY was quite similar to my role with ULx but the difference was that, although it was outsourcing, but instead of a third party, the outsourcing was done in-house. EY global shared centre is a part of the EY organisation but our team was outsourced to other EY entities which represented the organisation in the global setup. Our team was considerably new and was handling contract management for different departments’ vendors. These vendors ranged from website and online tool development companies to event managers to companies seeking EY’s sponsorship of their events. In addition, we were also responsible for all the contracts that had to be finalised for EY’s re-branding project that was launched last year. This project was important and a great professional experience as the organisation’s entire identity (including its virtual identity) were set to be overhauled right from its logo to tagline and its mission statement.

I had a great experience working with the UK GCO team and was appreciated by many clients for being a proactive and dedicated resource. I also received many appreciation certificates for providing consistently high quality services to my clients. I was, not only given the space to work but was also entrusted with many important projects, like overhauling of the standard form contracts of the organisation and developing a new process that we had added to our portfolio. I was also responsible was training the team in the new process; in fact, our first delivery of the project was completed in record time and the clients were extremely so pleased with our performance that they even proposed giving us more work.

Recently, you’ve joined University of York for Masters. Why did you prefer Masters over your job? How did you choose University of York over others? How did you go about choosing a university?

After I left EY, I did look for other jobs. However, I felt that my resume was slightly limited because, though I had international exposure, I did not have much experience in working as an in-house counsel for an organisation; this limited my options in terms of the kind of jobs that were being offered. Therefore, after going through a series of interviews for similar profiles, I decided to take a break from work and come to the UK for further studies. I chose UK because I have always worked with UK organisations and have a fair experience with UK and EU laws; that exposure has in fact added value to my course as well. Also, because I had worked, I knew exactly the subject I wanted to do my masters in, which was commercial law.

To be very honest, when I started researching the options I had for masters in corporate and commercial law, my first choice was the University of Edinburgh. However, my consultants, The Chopras, helped me a lot through this process and gave me several options so that I make the best choice available to me. I think, when choosing a masters course, on must keep in mind what he/she wants out of that course. For me, it was to enhance my current professional skills set but I was sceptical about going back to school and being a law student again. Therefore, when I looked at the modules offered by various universities, University of York made the most sense. Not only is York Law School among the most highly regarded law schools in the UK, its unique Problem Based Learning (PBL) programme sets it apart from the rest of the law schools in UK. Yes, other law schools as well have some or the other form of PBL in their courses, but what is unique about YLS is that students are treated as colleagues, instead of students and we are given our space and time to get used to the process. We all had different experiences with PBLover the last term but one thing common to all of us is the environment that PBL provides to learn from each other. Even the seminars and plenary sessions by the lecturers are open to all kinds of discussions and critical analysis of the issues at hand, which is something, at least I did not experience when I was in law school and a lot of my classmates share my views on this.

I think the most common mistake students make when selecting a University is to look at the location of the University instead of the modules available. I made the same mistake too when I initially looked at the options available to me; and this is why it important to talk to a consultant, like The Chopras, when one is thinking about overseas education. The consultants will guide you through the options that are available and the ranking of different Universities; but most importantly being experts in education consultancy so they make your life so much easier in terms of completing your applications (including advising you on the quality of your SOPs and recommendation letters) and taking you step by step in the visa process.

How did you go about writing your SOP? Could you please share your SOP with our readers? Please give few tips to make one’s SOP standout. What about recommendation letters?

My consultants provided me with most of the tips for the SOP and recommendation letters and in fact even reviewed them before they were finalised to ensure their quality. There is no set format of writing an SOP and it’s really something that reflects your personality. I believe what Universities are looking for in SOPs is how well a person can articulate themselves on paper and how or why the person will be a welcome addition to the University’s portfolio. The point is not to list all your achievements but articulate your achievements in such a manner that the positive attributes of your personality shine through. So it’s not enough for you to write that you were a hostel prefect in college or school but rather write about what qualities put you in that position of responsibility and what you learnt from the experience. Also, personal statements must include the extracurricular activities you participated in as overseas Universities are inclined towards people with a well-rounded and grounded personality.

As for academic SOPs, what needs to be highlighted are your academic achievements, again in a manner that your professional personality shines through. For example, you may say you were a topper of your batch in your undergrad but they might prefer if you write about the qualities you possess that aided you in topping your batch (like your ability to critically analyse legal issues or your class participation, etc.). Similarly, you might want to talk about any certificates or awards you may have received while working but highlight your professional attributes that lead to you receiving the appreciation.

Recommendation letters are usually upto the lecturers or previous employers and students have very less or no say in what they will write about them but many a times, they might not have time (especially lecturers) an they might ask the students to prepare a rough format for them which they modify on their own.

Which non-academic activities make the biggest difference to an applicant’s chances? With a record number of students applying for Masters in Law, how can a candidate distinguish himself/herself in a crowd of applications?

Non-academic activities or extracurricular activities form the most important part of a student’s personal statement when applying to an overseas University. However, the nature of extracurricular activities does not make much difference; what is important is your role therein. For example, you may just have been a coordinator in an event and another time you may have led an event organisation or be part of a larger team with a small role to play. The different roles you may have played in these activities, big or small, may show your adaptability to different situations. I talked about my training experience while I was working and my experience as a trainer, actually helped me in securing a teaching assistant position with my department. Therefore, it’s not the activity but your role in the activity that is most significant for Universities because your role and how you handled and completed reveals your qualities and that is what they are interested in.

Further, as for distinguishing yourself in a crowd, the only thing I can suggest is “be yourself”. If one tries to follow the crowd in how to write the SOPs or recommendation letters, you would probably be selected just out of luck instead of merit. If the student wants to be selected on merit, the student must fully participate in the application process and complete all stages (like the IELTS exam, running around for the visa application, etc.) themselves instead of depending on their parents and siblings. It is only when you experience this phase that you will be able to pour out your heart and soul when writing the SOPs because you will appreciate how important that statement is for you.

Also, some Universities have a requirement of providing an academic writing piece with the applications so it is worthwhile to research on the referencing style used by the law school and also possibly research some tips on academic writing. If you already have work experience though, this might be quite easy but it is still extremely impressive if provide them with a written piece living upto their standards of academic writing, especially in terms of paraphrasing, referencing and variety of sources.

What is your topic of research for LL.M? Why did you choose that subject for research?

I’m pursuing LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law and although we have not finalised our topics for our research dissertation, since I specialise in contract management, my research topic would most probably around the limitation of liability under contracts or the role of negotiations and standard form commercial contracts between a global organisation and a smaller vendor. The reason why I would like to look at these research topics (which will obviously have to be further developed than these rough ideas) is so that I can draw on my professional experience and tie that up with academic evidence.

What advice would you give to people that are trying to decide which area of law to specialise in?

Whenever my younger colleagues ask me this question, I always advise them to work for some time and then revisit that question. Like me there are many freshers who have no idea what field of law they are interested in when they look for work and that awareness can only come after working for at least 3-4 years. You might find your niche in the first job itself or you might have to change your job more than once to see what you want to specialise in and what kind of organisation you would want work with. So, my advice would be to take a step back, work and gain some professional experience and then think the area you might want to specialise in. One strong piece of wisdom I would like to pass down is not to follow the herd; I know of people who have done a masters in IPR just because it is a popular course and right now they are dealing with civil and criminal cases that have no connection with IPR. Hence, instead of rushing into your decision, take some time to work and then decide.

Skills-based learning and specifically writing is as an important skill that young lawyers need. What are some of the other concrete skills that students should look to develop, both as they go into their law school and during law school, as they prepare for their legal career?

One of the most critical skills that every law student and lawyer must possess is critical analysis. Academic/legal writing is a crucial part of your legal career but if you are unable to critically analyse issues and provide quick and innovative solutions, you cannot excel at what you are doing. The other very important skill is that of reading; I know it sounds like a basic requirement but it is an acquired skill. Be it at work or during law school and masters level, law is about reading and researching and if you take more than an hour to find an answer (you usually get only about 15 mins if you are working), you have already lost the opportunity. You must know exactly where to start your research and develop the skill of skimming through bulky documents (like cases and articles) at an efficient speed. This is the one skill (if you are able to develop it) that will be especially very beneficial at masters level.

Is there anything else you think a law student should know before applying for Masters or that you wished you’d know before joining University of York?

First step is to get in touch with an education consultancy. Thereafter, research as much as you can about the University you are joining and the city where it is located and ask your consultants about every possible scenario before you come here. If you are coming to UK, be sure to open your bank account as soon as possible and get pocket money for at least the first term because finding part time job may be challenging. Also, arrange for a local number before you reach (Matrix is a good service) but change the number into some local service ASAP and you must get a railcard if you want to travel around UK (it gives you 30% discount all year round and if you play it right, you might be able to secure it at a discounted price in the freshers week).

York Law School is one of the best and the most innovative law schools I have come across and I’m glad I made this choice even though some people did suggest London is a better place for masters.

How is your experience so far? Tell us about the faculty and facilities. Anything memorable that is stuck in your mind?

As I said earlier, York Law School is an unconventional schools I have come across and what has really stuck with me here is that not only do they say but they also treat students like young colleagues. This culture is absolutely amazing because it sheds the junior and senior and student and lecturer barriers and just encourages creativity and critical awareness about each other. The law school teaches and learns from its students simultaneously and its process of reflective writing once a module or term is over and feedback on each module after its completion provides room for constant improvement. In fact, that is the culture all around this University, every department conducts feedback surveys to constantly improve the experience of the students here.

The faculty here is young and vibrant and very approachable; there are no constraints in walking up to the lecturers and have a chat with them about any issues you may be facing. Every student has a dedicated personal advisor who helps them throughout the course, be it academically or personally. There is a centre for English language which provides tips and workshops on how to improve your communication (especially when in an inter-cultural group) and improving your academic writing skills, including technical errors with regard to referencing and plagiarism.

The facilities at the University are endless. It has a separate area for postgraduate students in the law school as well as the library, which is great for group study sessions. Also, the library has a wide range of books available and there are dedicated subject guides for each field where you can access over a million journals, legal websites, international law websites, local jurisdictions, and so on and so forth.

What are your long term objectives?

Although I don’t plan that ahead but since I’m a hardworking and driven individual, I see myself as an expert in commercial lawyer and an exceptional manager. I will of course eventually, if the time is right, move into starting my own company where I will not only provide exceptional client service but also be responsible for shaping young legal minds and providing them with international professional environment that I wish I had when I started working.

Lastly, what would be your parting message for our readers?

I would like to wish everyone, freshers and working professionals, all the very best for their careers and just hope they can be themselves. I hope they try something different and do something innovative in their careers and shape bring the Indian legal community up to international standards. No doubt, many Indian law firms are already setting international standards in India, but I believe it is on us, the younger and present generation, to take those standards to a whole new level such that our law schools, degrees and experience is taken into account at an international platform as well.
December 19, 2014
Arijeet Mukherjee, Associate at Khaitan & Co. on being an ideal student and law firm atmosphere
Arijeet Mukherjee graduated from Symbiosis Law School, with a gold medal as the class topper of his batch (batch 2012). While maintaining Rank 1, he won various moot court competitions and has multiple publications to his credit during his five years in law school. As a law student he has been quite active and participated in many debates, MUNs and conferences.By the time he graduated, he had received a PPO from Khaitan & Co

We have taken this opportunity to ask him about the several decisive moments in his career amongst other things including:
- Maintaining grades
- Acing moot court competitions
- Securing a PPO at Khaitan & Co.
How did you gravitate towards Law? Tell us about your college life at Pune. What all activities did you partake in?

I had a keen interest in matters that impacted the society and law was simply one of them; an option which I could take up as a profession. Looking back, the choice of going to law school was more than anything else, a leap of faith and as it turned out it was an excellent experience.

Pune is one of the most fun cities to be living in as a student and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. College life was not just about academics at any point of time, the whole experience of living independently with friends and making the most of it was extraordinary. All in all, college life at Symbiosis was definitely an exciting and memorable one.

I was involved in various extra-curricular activities and represented the college in Philip C Jessups, Raj Anand and M S Rammiah moot court competitions. I also participated in the HR and RCPNE Model United Nations. However, the activity closest to my heart was the Make a Difference project, which I was involved in as a part of the Human Rights Cell of the college, wherein I used to teach drawing to children who used to live in a nearby slum.

What were your areas of interest during your graduation? How did you go about developing expertise and knowledge in these areas?

I was in a peculiar position where I did not have any one particular area / subject of interest per se, some aspects of quite a few subjects really interested me. For instance, I was not particularly keen on intellectual property rights law, but the aspect of pharmaceutical patents was something that really evoked interest. Overall, I can say that no one single area interested me the most, it was eclectic mix of subjects, topics and ideas which fascinated me.

In this regard, to develop a better understanding of my likings and gain experience, I interned at quite a few places. These internships gave me an exposure to different fields and organisations. I learnt as much in my internships as I did in college, perhaps even more.

You were one of the most exceptional students at Symbiosis Law School. You bagged a Gold medal for being the batch topper. Please give us a few actionable tips on managing higher grades.

Grades are an important part of law school life, particularly if you are looking towards a future in corporate or law firms, so grades were definitely on my priority list. However, the cliché law exam clearing method of mugging answers never appealed to me. I had quite a few friends in law school, who spent months and weeks mugging answers and more often than not they were successful in getting good grades, but that was not something that I could have ever possibly succeeded in doing.

My method of achieving high grades was simply studying smart. It is not the volume of materials that you study that can help you get good grades, but it is your understanding of the concept that matters the most. The way I used to go about preparing for my exams was to first identify the important topics, then conceptually understand those topics and create my own answers in plain and simple language, rather than repeating text book answers. This not only helped me get good grades but also made me conceptually stronger and most importantly, reduced stress levels before exams.

One has to realise that the manner and method of studying is a personal matter and what suits one in all probability will not suit the other. No one can claim that one method is the best and the other a failure, I believe that everyone should find a way to study that they are most comfortable with and not get tensed over what others are doing. In these matters, it is best that you prepare on your own terms and not let others stress you out.

You have been the Recipient of various scholarship and awards including Ram Jethmalani Scholarship for Excellence in Law of Evidence, Advocate S K Jain scholarship for topper in B.B.A.LL.B, Advocate Nani Palkhiwala Memorial Trust Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law. How did you go about achieving this?

As far as the Ram Jethmalani scholarship and Nani Palkhiwala scholarship go, I had developed an interest for topics of constitutional law and evidence law. It was due to this interest that I ended up studying these subjects in greater detail and that was perhaps the reason I was able to receive these scholarships. For the Advocate S K Jain scholarship, I owe it to the study pattern I followed throughout law school of studying smart and not mugging. I must admit that achieving these accolades was not an easy task, but then when one is interested in it the task does not seem uphill.

You have publications in various renowned journals. How should one go about writing papers and getting the same published?

Publications are definitely a way to gain visibility and put out your work for others to view. However, the trend of publishing something for having a fuller CV is not something I believe in. One should not write for filling up columns in one’s CV, but one should most definitely put pen to paper if one is genuinely interested in the topic.Needless to say that the quality of the article depends on the research one puts in. One important thing to bear in mind is that the articles written should not be generic “gyaan”, but the topic should be distinct and innovative, such that it arouses interest. Even if the topic is general in nature, strive to put that one additional thing that will make your article different from the others.

As for publishing the articles, there are immense opportunities available online, I highly recommend a thorough regular check on the internet for publication opportunities. The regular publishing hotspots usually have an overflow of interest but the unconventional ones or ones lesser known in India are the ones which must also be explored.

Soon after graduation, you joined Khaitan & Co. as an Associate, how did your appointment take place? What worked for you in securing the job?

I was selected for a one month internship at Khaitan & Co, Mumbai through college. I had interned in the month of March, which typically is a mad rush season for corporate law firms as it is the financial year end. This effectively meant that even as an intern I was exposed to some big ticket transactions and got opportunity to work on some quality matters. I thoroughly enjoyed my internship experience and based on the feedback, after a brief interview, I was offered a PPO in my fourth year.

Some of the most important factors that helped me get the PPO were my internship feedback, my grades and my previous internships experiences. As an associate now, I think one additional factor which is considered deeply is one’s attitude. Usually interns are simply judged by their sincerity at work, this sincerity only comes if you are enjoying the experience of interning. My earnest advice in this regard is to enjoy the internships as an experience and you will in all probability do well.

Any tips on how one should go about framing a C.V. and prepare for an interview?

Keep the CV short and simple, usually no one reads more than a page. Highlight what you think are your big accolades / accomplishments and sieve out the minuscule ones. It is wise to tailor your CV as per the organisation you are applying to, so that the potential employer sees synergy between what they do and what you can offer.

As far as an interview is concerned, in my experience the most important factor is likeability. One must come across as a likeable person, whom the potential employer would like to hire and make a part of his existing team. This likeability can never be faked, so one must not try to appear something he is not and one must be absolutely comfortable in one’s own skin. Confidence is another appealing factor, if one is not sure about one’s own answer, rest assured he is paving a way for a few very difficult questions ahead. In case you do not know something, admit it and tell the interviewer your limited knowledge on the topic in a confident manner. Some basic technical skills must be polished before the interview, which would off course depend on where you are interviewing.

Many lawyers would say that the actual learning takes place in the years of practice. How far would you say it is true? What was the case in your situation?

Unfortunately, it is absolutely true generally and specifically in my case as well. You soon realise that what you learn on internships and on the job was nothing like what you were taught in law school. This gap between class room teaching and real life practice is unfortunate and the system of theoretical teaching has to undergo a change so that we have more street smart lawyers. Till the time the system changes, as a student one can greatly enhance one’s learning curve by interning as much at as many different places and organisations as possible.

It’s been more than two years of your work experience in corporate law. What would you say contributes to the high attrition rate of the top law firms?

There are many factors such as stress, pressure, seniors, larger life callings etc. However, the biggest factor that pushes one over the edge is when one stops enjoying what one does. So work in an organisation as long as you enjoy working there, else move on to what you like doing.

In these two years you must have guided a lot of interns at Khaitan & Co. What do you think differentiates a good intern from the rest? How can an intern make a positive impression in the limited time they have?

I believe that a good intern is different from the rest on account of his sincerity. This is not to be confused with face time or perceptions, when intern is given a task he should try doing it to the best of his abilities and that all there is to it. Interns are allowed to and even expected to make mistakes.

I personally have worked with quite a few interns, and have a personal liking for those students who are here to have fun and enjoy their internship experience. I think a fun and relaxed working attitude definitely creates a positive impression.

Life for lawfirmites can be very hectic at times. What is your take on work-life balance? How do you unwind?

I have to admit that I am struggling with that. As is well known, college life at Symbiosis is very different from work life and it takes some time to get used to working in a law firm. Work levels and stress levels cross danger marks quite often,so one really needs to take a break regularly. As far as unwinding goes, college life at Symbiosis has equipped all of us pretty well on that front.

What would be your parting message to law students who want to be successful in corporate law?

For being successful in corporate law, you do not need to dwell yourself in books, enjoy the experiences of interning and learning new things. Look out for stuff that interests you and pursue them, and most of all do only those things that you like. This quotation from Warren Buffet pretty much sums it up:

“There comes a time when you ought to start doing what you want. Take a job that you love. You will jump out of bed in the morning. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don’t like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isn’t that a little like saving up sex for your old age?”
December 15, 2014
Divya Mehta, Senior Consultant at Legal League Consulting on Legal Recruitment industry and being a Certified Life Coach

Divya Mehta graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, in 2008. Soon after graduating she joined Dua Associates as a Trademark Attorney and worked their for about three years, thereafter she left Dua to work at Lall, Lahiri & Salhotra. After working at these two firms she had the opportunity to work as an in-house counsel at Genpact and General Electric in their trademarks and IP department.

She quit her mainstream career in law and joined LegallyIndia as their Legal Recruitment Head. Currently she is a Senior Consultant at Legal League Consulting and is also a certified Life Coach.

In this interview Divya helps us to realise the answers of some intriguing questions about legal hires and recruitments.

How would you introduce yourself? Could you please share a little bit of what motivated you to pursue law as a career?

I have always been intrigued by human behaviour and trying to analyze someone’s thoughts is what drove me to study law. I found it exciting, challenging and was adamant from the age of eleven to pursue law as a profession. Although I didn’t quite zero down on a particular field of law back then, I was willing to take the risk and knew that I would eventually figure it out.

Please tell us a little about your law school days at Symbiosis Law School?

I wasn’t too enthusiastic a student, I rather took a back-seat when I went to law school and a large part of my law school days went in introspection and self-reflection. A part of me felt lost and unsure, that is when I realized, the only way to decide what I really want is to explore different fields of the legal profession. I used to spend a lot of time in Delhi interning in various law firms and independent practitioners, in order to gain clarity on what really interests me.

How were your internship experiences? How do you say interns can get positive feedback in the limited time they have?

All my internship experiences were diverse and varied from litigation to arbitration, corporate laws, intellectual property, human rights, banking laws, matrimonial laws to infrastructure and so on. My mind suddenly opened and I realized the difference between text books and the practical world of law and sure enough, there was a huge difference! I interned in some of the top firms like AZB & Partners, Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, with some Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court, High Court and made appearances in the lower courts, as well as an NGO – it was all very exciting!

My experience as an intern taught me that good work never goes unnoticed. As interns we may feel we cannot add value to a firm or an organisation, however, there is always a thirst for good talent and hard-work. The best way to get a positive feedback is to be self-motivated and display enthusiasm towards the work you are given, and if you feel you do not have enough work, don’t feel shy to ask for work, also never say NO to work. The right attitude helps you go places.

What were the biggest challenges in the first year of your graduation? How did you deal with them?

It was surely challenging and intimidating at the same time to take a decision on either taking up a job or pursuing higher studies. I graduated in the year 2008 and was keen on going to London for an LL.M, however, that was the time the recession impacted the U.K and it wasn’t the best decision to make as there were a serious dearth of jobs back then and I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, so I dropped the idea and instead took up my first job in 2008 as a Trademark Associate with Dua Associates in Delhi.

You worked for a significant amount of time as a trademark attorney. How did you develop interest in the field of intellectual property law?

I worked as a Trademark attorney for 3 years + in firms like Dua Associates, which was a multi-disciplinary law firm, and then moved to a boutique IP firm, Lall Lahiri & Salhotra which was more niche and specialised. I also got an opportunity to briefly work in-house at Genpact and handled the Trademarks of GE world-wide. It was a great learning experience for me and I got exposure on various facets of Trademarks.

Tell us about the shift from being a Law Firm Associate to an In-house counsel. How different were the two experiences?

A law firm is very different in culture and work per se from working in-house. Law firms are more focussed on the ground work and are in constant touch with the law itself. The difference between working in a law firm and working in-house is probably the same as “doing” and “getting the work done” i.e. actual work and supervision of work in most cases. However, there are companies that get a majority of their ground work done in-house. Law firms fall short in terms of designation, salary, and structure etc. However, working in-house ensures transparency and a fixed methodology and constitution, therefore, brings about job stability and predictability in long-term working.

Subsequently, you turned into a legal recruiter and headed legal recruitment at Legally India. How did you decide to make this transition from being a lawyer?

I believe our profession and the kind of work we do, should resonate with our personality and our passion. I am a people’s person, social, outgoing and love interacting with different people. When I was offered the role of developing the legal recruitment business of Legally India’s jobs portal, Legally Jobs, it immediately excited me and I felt it was the right move for me to make.

Although I was told by many well-wishers to be cautious about my frequent career moves and I was warned enough that this risk could leave a black spot on my resume, however, a deeper knowing or intuition told me to go ahead with this and it was probably the best decision I have made for myself, in retrospect.

Having worked in the legal recruitment industry what are the challenges you have faced?

In India, legal recruitment is still a niche concept. Barring a few well-known specialised legal recruitment consultancies, our minds are still not fully open to the need for specialised legal recruitment professionals in India. A law firm or a legal department are nothing without it’s resource. In order to comprehend the requirement of human resource for law firms and corporates, there is a greater technical understanding and research that is needed, which is why the law degree is extremely useful to work in the legal headhunting industry. However, the value of a specialised legal recruitment consultant is appreciated more overseas and unfortunately, has not fully sunk in with the mind-set of lawyers in India, although, there is scope for it to change in the future.

Would you say an LL.M from a foreign university would increase the probability of getting absorbed in the top law firms?

I strongly recommend an LL.M should be pursued only if the line of work you choose eventually, should commensurate with your specialisation, although a degree from a foreign university definitely looks fancy. However, to get into a top tier law firm, your LL.B grades and law school ranking matters the most.

What would you say contributes to the high attrition rate of many top law firms?

Long working hours and the lack of reward and appreciation is how of a lot of lawyers feel. When you sign up to be a lawyer, late hours is also what you sign up for. The concern is the lack of empathy your boss may have towards your hard work which can be a huge de-motivating factor and is one of the major causes for high attrition rate in many top law firms. After realising that burning the midnight oil did not really get them where they want to be, the next ideal move which is preferred is usually an in-house job.

How do you balance your time as a Senior Consultant and a Certified Life Coach?

My primary work is a legal recruitment consultant. However, life coaching is more of a hobby for the time being, which I pursue during my spare time on weekends mostly. I love meeting new people from different countries and understanding the complexities of human nature.

As a concluding message, what would be your suggestions to law students?

Thank you Ramanuj and Donnie for reaching out to me and making effort to set up this interview and I thank all your readers for taking out time to read this interview.

I would like to give one small message to all your readers and all law students especially – it’s okay to be confused! Do not let uncertainties cause hindrance to your goals and career aspirations. Explore as much as you can which you’re in law school whether it is interning in different fields of law, or participating in extra-curricular activities such as moot courts or doing something completely different than what you imagined yourself ever doing, even if it does not pertain to law. That is the only way you will get closer to understanding yourself better. Once you know yourself, the path will automatically be clear. Wishing all the budding lawyers a fantastic and bright future ahead!

December 13, 2014
Deborshi Barat, Actor and capital markets lawyer on passion for theatre, corporate law and LL.M from Tufts Univ
Deborshi Barat is a professional actor along with being a corporate lawyer. He had graduated from NUJS, Kolkata in the batch of 2008, thereafter he worked at worked at S&R Associates, Delhi for a little more than two years. Most amazingly he took out time between all these and pursued his passion for acting and theatres.

His first break was in a national award winning movie ‘Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona’ thereafter he has acted in many Bengali Megaserials. He is currently pursuing an LL.M and MALD (Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy) from the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is also an author having his first book in Magic Realism already published!

Let’s ask him about:
- His law school experience at NUJS and work at S&R Associates
- His passion for movies and theatre, and receiving the first break
- LL.M experience from Tufts University and future plans
How would you introduce yourself? Could you please share a little bit of what motivated you to pursue law as a career?

I was interested in the humanities subjects in school, History, Pol. Science, Civics, the social sciences. In the latter half of my studies at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, I was involved in debates and public speaking. Various things converged at a definite focal point, and suddenly I was giving the law entrance exams.

How did you make the initial shift from a science background to law? Would you say it was difficult settling in?

Not at all. I wasn’t cut out for Science. After a few months into the stream, I realized I would make a shift to something that augured well both for my skill-set and interest. Law was a much better fit for me.

Please tell us a bit about your time at NUJS. Please tell us about the manner in which you approached academics while in college.

NUJS was a lot of fun. I approached the academic aspect of law through logic, common sense, and understanding the broader concepts. Getting to the theories and tenets was half the job, obviously requiring further embellishment, but then what are photocopied notes for? Jokes apart, the environment in a lot of classes was one of inquisitive pedagogy, learning through questions, the old Socratic method, and that helped immensely to sustain interest. Other than academics, debates and dramatics kept me occupied.

You had scored an amazing 119/120 in the TOEFL, bagging the scholarship. How much effort would you say it had required you for this achievement? What prompted you to take this test?

It isn’t very difficult for someone who’s been taught in English through school and college to secure a high score in this test. It’s designed in such a way that Indians, who are better in English than most other nationalities, can perform well. I was applying for a masters degree and so I took the test. Later, when I was looking for funding, I stumbled across the TOEFL scholarship and applied for it.

When did you start pursuing acting? Was it one of your childhood dreams to act in movies, or did it materialise while at NUJS?

I’ve been acting on and off through school, especially in the last two years, but it was only after I entered college that I started acting with professional theatre groups. NUJS itself wasn’t a catalyst to pursue acting. Since Calcutta is my hometown and I was enrolled here, I had a lot of time to act, rehearse. Acting in movies wasn’t really a dream, it happened accidentally. I’m mainly a theatre actor.

You have acted in the National award winning movie, Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona, and many other movies and series. Please share with us how all of this happened. When did you receive your first break?

I was working at S&R Associates in New Delhi for a little over two years, mainly doing capital markets work. I quit my job around the end of August 2010 to process applications for higher studies in U.S. universities for the next year. Since I was applying for Policy studies as well, I was required to give the GRE. Around the time of the test, the Airtel Theatre Festival was happening in Kolkata and my friends persuaded me to be a part of it. A panel discussion was organized to promote the festival, exploring the intersection of theatre and films. A friend of mine was moderating the discussion, and reputed director Anjan Dutt was a speaker on the panel, while I was a speaker too. Later, Mr. Dutt approached me to cast me in his next film, which was Ranjanaa. Subsequently, on account of certain pressing personal circumstances, I was forced to defer my admission abroad and stay on in Kolkata. During this time, I got a few more offers in a couple of other films and some megaserials. However, I did these projects as a pastime, not as an active pursuit of the creative arts.

You are the author of a book, ‘The Hunter of Pigeons’, published by Partridge, a Penguin Random House Company. What is this book about? What made you write it?

This book is a thriller. As a genre, I’ve been deeply fascinated by magic realism, and accordingly, I’ve tried to incorporate elements of it. The book, however, is a fast-paced mass market work of fiction. During the time that I was in Kolkata, after I’d quit my job and was waiting to go abroad, I had some time on my hands and began working on the book.

Please tell us about your experience with FeminIjtihad as a Supervising Lawyer. What were the responsibilities you were entrusted with?

A friend of mine at the Fletcher School connected me with Natasha Latiff, the founder of Femin Ijtihad, who was then working on a project in Afghanistan. With her, I render legal opinions aimed at strategic advocacy of human rights, especially for women in Islamic countries. I presently work as a Supervising Lawyer.

How was your work as a corporate lawyer at S&R Associates between 2008 and 2010. Please tell us a little about your work profile while working there. What were the responsibilities you were entrusted with?

I completed an internship at S&R and Mr. Sandip Bhagat, partner at S&R, offered me a job while I was in my last year of NUJS. I greatly enjoyed my stint there. Most of my work involved Capital Markets, with some litigation and M&A work. S&R has a superb work culture, with a special emphasis on quality, attention to detail and thoroughness. I learnt a lot on the job.

How did you decide to quit your job and start up with your independent practice?

My plan was to process applications for higher studies abroad after I quit and leave the country. However, I was constrained to stay back in Kolkata for a couple of years thereafter. Apart from certain medical issues, I was helping out my family with some legal matters related to property and allied concerns. This prompted me to practise independently for some time, mainly liaising with other lawyers, briefing counsel, drafting, etc. Not only were the skills required for practice entirely different, the motivation and environment of work was different as well. Among other things, the process was far less efficient, slow, ridden with procedures, frustrating delays, etc. One had to get used to a slow-moving dynamic after the deadline-driven corporate culture of a firm.

How is Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy along with a Masters in Law from Fletcher School, Tufts University. Please tell us a little about your course structure. What made you choose this programme?

I wanted to use my law degree and training as a base and explore the Policy paradigm, including International Relations. Hence I applied to the Fletcher School where the keystone degree, the MALD, suited my needs perfectly. Once at Fletcher, I spoke to a few of my professors and they convinced me to apply for a joint LL.M. degree as well. The International Law course structure at Fletcher is one of the best in the world.

How did you go about the admission process? What are your career plans after the completion of your joint degree?

The admission process was long and arduous. I took a lot of time picking and choosing the universities/courses for which I’d apply, speaking to many people, researching. The process can be a lot quicker if one knows exactly what he/she is looking for, organizing the paperwork accordingly, focussing on the next step. I have a few career plans, but I’m happy to surprise myself!

Is there a stark difference in the teaching pedagogy between the teaching model followed in law schools abroad and those in India? What are your views on this?

In principle, they are the same. In effect, it’s quite different. The Socratic Method is followed more strictly in U.S. universities. The reading materials for each class are usually substantial, and one is required to have reviewed them thoroughly before the class, such that all students can engage in a discussion during the class which the professor moderates. Issues and questions are raised, clarified, argued upon. This may also be a reflection of education at the masters level, which assumes a level of maturity. I can’t vouch for all law schools in India, but from what I’ve heard, the teaching model in the country involves a lot of in-class lectures, where the professor ‘teaches’ (as opposed to leading a discussion among students) and students listen.

What were the biggest hurdles and challenges in the early days of your career as an actor? How did you deal with them?

I’m still dealing with them! A career as a ‘professional’ actor is one of extreme frustration and patience. Acting is only part of the job, it involves networking, knowing people, haranguing directors, agents, showing up for umpteen auditions, etc. No matter what people say, there’s a huge element of luck. Acting merit is, I think, a very small component of the deal. I am quite bad at networking and following up, so I didn’t do any of it. My bad. My friends and family say I should push more, but I tell them that I didn’t sign up to do all that. I’ve been lucky to get the few projects that I did. Once in them, I tried to do my best. In movies and serials, I haven’t done a major role. So yes, they also serve who only stand and wait.

How do you manage to divide and manage your time effectively? Have you thought of pursuing a career in acting fulltime?

If there are multiple interests, one usually finds time for each of them. Of course, one has to have the right circumstances, and I’ve been lucky that way. Often, the time is divided into stages. For example, when I was working at S&R, I didn’t do any theatre. After I quit and I was on my own, I had more freedom, more flexibility to dabble in other stuff, things of interest, writing, acting, theatre. I’ve thought of pursuing acting full-time, and upon careful deliberation, I’ve decided against it. Eventually I would love to be a full-time writer though, god willing.

As a concluding message, what would be your advice to law students who would innately want to try their time in acting?

Law and acting have very little in common. It’s tempting to draw parallels but it isn’t true. Courtroom dramas are good for books and movies. If anyone wants to pursue acting, one should be prepared to give it a lot of time. Besides, law students already have the option of lucrative careers, meaningful work, by dint of their education. In that scenario, it is even more difficult not to crack in the middle of a frustrating wait for acting projects to come along.
December 11, 2014
Subhojyoti Acharya, Team Manager at Credit Suisse Trust on work with Clutch Group, LPOs and HSBC

Subhojyoti Acharya graduated from Faculty of Law, University of Calcutta in 2008. He is a Certified LPO Professional (CLPOP) from Lawave. He is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Expert (CAME) and Forensic Accounting (CFAP) from Indian Forensic. Additionally Subhojyoti is member of ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiner, TX, USA) and member of ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist, FL, USA). He is also member of Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA) and Bar Council of India (BCI).

He started his career with Clutch Group LLC in Due Diligence services, Legal Research and Compliance, Legal Off-shoring, Document & Contract Review, Contract Management, Legal and Compliance Research & Writing, Litigation Support, ediscovery, Document Redaction, KYC research, Due Diligence and Legal & Regulatory Compliance Services, Competitor Analysis, Anti-Fraud Investigations and AML compliance.

Later, he joined HSBC ‘s Global Banking & Markets acting as Senior Associate in Due Diligence & Regulatory Compliance Service (KYC) on behalf of HSBC Bank globally.

Now he is associated with Credit Suisse’s Private Banking Wealth Management Division catering Credit Suisse Trust as Team Manager. He is responsible for Legal Research, Market intelligence, regulatory, legal and tax environments, AML and Anti-Fraud Analysis.

He is familiarized with Legal and Regulatory Compliance (KYC / Due Diligence) norms, Legal & Regulatory Research and Analysis. Anti-Fraud and Anti Money Laundering monitoring, Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Sanctions Reporting, PEP Screening etc.

Tell us a bit about your childhood. How did you decide to study law? Did you have lawyers in your family?

I belong to a closely-knit Bengali family in Kolkata, I have always fancied the idea of becoming a wildlife photojournalist contrast to any sort of corporate captive, not to mention my keen interest in the outdoors and nature’s wonders. However, my ideas changed with time and maturity. I was enlightened further by an article ‘Career in Legal Industry’ sometime when the national law schools were making their way into the legal education system – I was hugely motivated by the fact that studying law not only meant a career in litigation in the courts, it’s far beyond, it’s open and high-minded.

I will also like to include here my grandfather who was a renowned advocate in the Calcutta High Court which, I assume, to have further contributed to my thin line of inherited passion for the subject eventually leading to a career choice.

Do you think having family members or mentors with a legal background help in this profession?

Strictly speaking having a strong legal background, although is not a condition precedent to excel in this industry, nevertheless it is always a cushion of comforts for the individual planning to embark on an independent practice to have a legacy to fall back on, in terms of knowledge, exposure and ready-reckoners during the initial rough days. Standing at this juncture of time, I strongly feel that the time has come when law is not just a profession; it is a challenging career option requiring demonstration of high entrepreneurial abilities and resourcefulness.

You have graduated with B.A. LLB.(Hons.) degree from Calcutta University in 2008. Tell us about your law school experience. Share some highlights from your college days that shaped you as a lawyer.

Like any other govt. funded institute, Department of Law, University of Calcutta had its own pros and cons. But I had been extremely fortunate to rub shoulders with rather a few well-versed lecturers and some highly ambitious and well-informed fellow mates who were keen to explore the diverse career opportunities after graduation from a global stand point.

As a student, I voluntarily pursued a number of internship opportunities in various environments, like, law firms, NGOs, corporates, IP attorneys and finally in the Supreme Court of India. This not only provided me with the required level of perceptibility and confidence but also helped me to align myself to a specific career objective that I was not too certain of, until then.

What do you feel about the perception that students of certain ‘elite’ NLU’s have a much easier time in kick-starting their career as compared to law students from other colleges? Is this true at all?

Even in the era known for the thriving presence of various National Law Schools, I consider myself privileged to be part of Department of Law, University of Calcutta. There were definitely challenges with regard to infrastructure, quality of academics, overall growth and development as compared to National Law Schools or any privately managed institutes; conversely these have always helped me in becoming a thoroughly self-motivated, highly innovative and painstakingly diligent – I could discover myself having stupendous entrepreneurial abilities at a grass root level.

After graduating from University of Calcutta, you joined Clutch Group as a Legal Associate. How did the appointment take place? What comprised your work at Clutch Group?

After graduation I had almost made my mind to be a part of the dynamic corporate world and to achieve this I was looking for a global brand, something that would provide an exposure and some networking opportunities with legal attorneys outside India.

In 2008, LPO was still a developing concept in India but I thought to take a plunge and taste the untasted. One of the project leaders of Clutch had come across my profile in LinkedIn and put up a call with me for an evaluation discussion which resulted into her being persuaded by my enthusiasm, interest and hunger to learn.

In Clutch, I started with document reviewing, much later, I shifted to contract management, legal research and quality analysis of perennial projects as a part of pre-litigation motions in US court of Law.

It was my first company and I was overwhelmed with the opportunities to work closely with US licensed attorneys (as I initially thought, or rather dreamt) and I was learning to understand their code of professional ethics and culture.

Thereafter you worked as a Senior Associate in the Due Diligence & Regulatory Compliance Service at HSBC Bank. What was the nature of your work over there?

HSBC was a giant leap – indeed a turning point of my career, which in due course mended ways for me to venture into the world of regulatory compliance and Anti Money Laundering framework – something I find hugely interesting.

The business, at that point of time, required a legal expert who could leverage upon his analytical and logical reasoning skills requiring a lot of decision making in the end. The role demanded attention to details, strong networking abilities, unparalleled risk assessment skills, a thorough understanding of various international and well as local policies, rules, legislature and global economy.

My role revolved primarily around Client Due Diligence, KYC Screening, AML Checks and Risk Analysis for the investment banking clientele of the bank. The clients included a diverse list of body corporates, FI, NBFC, ministries, funds, SPV, trust, partnerships, charitable units and etc. across various jurisdictions.

In the meantime, you have pursued two Diploma courses. One is from NALSAR, Hyderabad with a Post Graduate Diploma in Media Laws and another is from Symbiosis, Pune with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. What is the reason behind pursuing these courses? Was it a professional requirement to enhance more in your career?

In short, as a professional from a dynamic industry, one always needs to constantly update and upgrade his skills, level of specialization and expertise in order to fit into any competitive environment and from a business perspective, to maintain a consistent edge over the others. A modern day business demands a multitasker along with specialised and diversified knowledge.

You did couple of certificate courses throughout your career. Do you think these certifications have sharpened your skills more as an LPO professional? You are also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Expert. Please tell us something about this certification in to our readers.

Any certifications have two fold objectives. Firstly, it upgrades your basic knowledge to a specialised skill and secondly it presents one’s specific potentials under an acceptable standard to the rest of the world.

LPO certification was achieved during my last leg of graduation which I believed to have provided some kind of superiority at the time of my on-boarding procedure in the very first organisation.

I am a Certified Anti Money Laundering Expert (CAME) from India Forensic and also I hold individual membership at Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) from the U.S. This is closely related to what I do now and it has helped me developing my improved understanding on the subject.

Currently, you are pursuing a Certificate course in Wealth Management. Please tell us about this certification to our readers.

I have completed my Certification in Wealth Management from the Association of International Wealth Management of India (AIWM).

This certification may help the professionals (who are part of NBFC or Banking Industry) to understand the financial market and the nature of various products that are on offer, regulated and used from a general standpoint in order to be familiar with the wealth planning industry and requirement of HMWI/UHNWI.

You thereafter left HSBC to start working at Credit Suisse in their Legal & Regulatory Compliance Research, Private Banking & Wealth Management as Legal Head. What prompted this switchover?

As mentioned earlier I was catering to the Investment Banking sector in HSBC and was curious to understand the Private Banking landscape of a global financial service sector. As all know Credit Suisse is world’s most admired private bank hence I considered myself blessed to get an opportunity to exploit the area, to know the spirit and functioning of a Swiss Bank and the legal and regulatory environment in which the business operates.

This was again a calculated risk to relocate from Bangalore to Mumbai, which eventually paid off in style.

What does your current work profile at Credit Suisse consists of? How is a typical workday like?

Currently, I lead a team of lawyers from Mumbai office of Credit Suisse Trust, which is wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse Group head quartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Credit Suisse Trust a is part of Private Banking and Wealth Management Division of the bank which provides tailor made inheritance and tax planning services to its HNWI/UHNWI clientele.

The team collaborates with trust lawyers and legal & compliance officers of the bank and supports them with complex tax research, AML alerts, trust legislation updates, data protection and privacy laws monitoring, FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) legislation implementation and in the area of AEOI (Automated Exchange of Information).

You are a certified LPO professional. Would you say that the work environment at an LPO is completely different from a Law Firm?

LPO is a complete different set up as compared to a regular law firm and therefore drawing a comparison chart between these two industries will be unfair and unjustified. A young law graduate before choosing from either of these two dimensions needs to decide how he or she wants to shape up a career in law. A frequent switch between these industries may make one’s career foundation frail, therefore not advisable.

Any plans for an LL.M abroad? What are your long term goals?

Right now I don’t have one as my current area of expertise and specialities may not demand the requirement of a LL.M degree, but I have kept the option open for future and would love to do that from a foreign university, but of course on a distance learning mode.

Lastly, what would be your message for our readers?

Well, from whatever I learnt and experienced from my six plus years of professional career is if someone can identify what he loves doing and if he can transform that dream to reality as a source to earn his living hood then sky will be the limit for him and happiness would know no bounds.

December 9, 2014