Category: Associates, In-House Counsels and Advocates

Divya Vikram, Consultant, Legal League Consulting, on her experience and the future of Legal Management
Divya Vikram is a graduate from NUJS, batch of 2012. During her time as an undergraduate, she was Director of the Society for Advancement of Criminal Justice (SACJ) for two consequent years. She has also taught at the Adult Literacy and Legal Education Programme, an initiative undertaken by the Legal Aid Society of NUJS. She is currently a consultant with Legal League Consulting, where she handles Strategy and Business Planning, Practice Development, Brand Communications & Client relationships, Law Firm Alliances and Synergies.

In this interview we speak to her about:
- Her experience at LCC and the responsibilities the job entails
- Striking a balance between work and personal life
- The future of legal management
How did you decide to study law? Tell us about your college life

Let’s just say, law was sort of a happy accident. College life in the first year I would say was sort of tough. You had to get adjusted to living away from home, your parents and friends back home, hostel life, hostel food, making new friends, coping with law school in general. However, things got better with subsequent years. Law school shapes you as an individual and professional. NUJS offered me diverse things to do as a student, be it moot courts, publications, managing committees/societies, volunteering in various activities etc. apart from the regular studies and projects.

What kind of internships did you do while you were a student?

After my first internship at Lawyers Collective (NGO), I decided to do my second internship in a law firm. I started with ALMT Legal then subsequently interned at AZB & Partners, Trilegal, Brus Chambers etc. None of my experiences were remarkable as such but each internship taught me something new. However, at the end of 4th year I decided that five years down the line, I don’t see myself working in a law firm. Hence in my 5th year in order to experience the corporate world as well, I interned at a Corporate (SunEdison) and loved it.

How did you decide to work with Legal League Consulting?

The first time I heard about Legal League Consulting (LLC) was in my 5th year when they invited applications through Campus Recruitment Committee. That’s when I checked online about LLC and the managing law firms. Also, I was lucky to find a junior who had interned there and he explained me the nature of work they undertook. From what I learnt about the nature of work I was almost immediately convinced and interested at the prospect of working at LLC.

Can you tell us something about the kind of work LLC does?

(LLC is the first law firm management company in India legal industry.)

Legal League Consulting (LLC) provides Management Consulting to the legal industry. We provide solutions to the legal industry with respect to Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Business Development, Strategic Business Planning, Knowledge Management, Partnership Structuring, Alliance, etc. In a Nutshell, it’s basically a 360* degree management service to the Legal industry.

My role at LLC majorly involves, but not restricted to, formulating policies essential for running of a law firm, undertaking activities to assist firms in developing business. I also assist Law Firms in the implementation of various Human Resource, Business Development and Knowledge Management related systems.

Did you ever hit a rough patch in the beginning of the career?

Student life was fun and apart from scoring good grades and working towards a making a good CV and enjoying college life, there was not much you really had to do. But being a professional is altogether a different ball game. It was indeed a little difficult to transition. Firstly, my transition from a lawyer to a management consultant itself was a difficult one, especially those work involving compensation structuring and other finance related aspects. Learning various management concepts, its application and understanding the rationale behind it. As a Consultant, you are solely responsible for all the clients you handle and the documents you send them etc. therefore the accountability factor is more and one cannot afford to make mistakes. Furthermore, one has to be well informed about not only the Company’s clients but the market and global trends and keep evolving.

What is a typical day at work like?

At LLC I work for the Law Firm Management Team (the other two being Brand Communications and Talent Acquisition Team), where we undertake a wide variety of work starting from HR, Finance, Partnership Structuring, Compensation Benchmarking etc. Hence most of the days, depending on client needs I work on the client deliverables for that particular day or week. Apart from that sometimes I accompany Ms. Bithika Anand, our Founder & CEO and sometimes other seniors to client meetings. In addition to client work we work on developing new products, and other upcoming initiatives of LLC.

What are your thoughts on work-life balance? How do you achieve it yourself?

Work- life balance is definitely of utmost importance to me. I would definitely need a day off from work to clean my apartment, wash clothes, cook some good food, relax, watch television and catch up with friends. At LLC 2nd and 4th Saturdays is off in addition to Sundays, which is good enough for me to relax. However, very rarely, you might have to attend some client meeting on a non-working Saturday or work towards completing some client deliverable… but that’s fine!

What do you think is the future of Legal Management?

The future of Legal Management is bright… in fact very bright. Almost every other day we have a new client (law firms, corporates, LPO’s, recently even an NGO) who has approached us for handling their various management related issues and needs. There is growing awareness and realization on the importance of management in runningone’s organization. As lawyers are busy with execution of law, they prefer to leave the day-to-day running and management of their organization to experts in the Management field.

Where do you see yourself five years down the line? What kind of work will you like to do?

Since I seem to be enjoying my job a lot, I certainly see myself as a Management Consultant… however, a much experienced and evolved professional. As I love doing more of HR work than Finance, I would like to specialize more in the HR related aspects.

What do you do apart from work? How is the life of a law graduate in Delhi?

I would prefer spending my off days at home either watching television, experimenting my culinary skills, reading books and sometimes meeting up with friends and not to forget shopping.

Delhi is a wonderful place for youngsters. It offers a wide variety of options for all kinds of people. There are places to shop starting from your malls to Sarojini Nagar and the old Chandni Chowk, places to eat ranging from your Sheraton, Hauz Village, ParanteWaali gali and other street delicacies. For those who love Indian culture and history, there are remains of the past Mughal Rule in India which can be visited and many other places.

Would you like to work for law firms as an associate in future?

No, not at all.

Last but not the least, what would be your message for law students?

There is no reason why a law student will be interested in a message from me. But then if I had to say something, I would say enjoy every bit of your college life, because they are priceless and they will never come back to you. Once you are a professional you will yearn for that kind of time and fun.

Also, don’t spend law school life just being bothered about internship and grades. Trust me, at the end of the day that hardly matters!
December 1, 2013
Susieben Shah, Founder, Priyadarshini Taxi Services, on being an activist, author and social enterpreneur
Susieben Shah pursued her majors in Economics from Sophia College and obtained her degree in Law from GLC, Mumbai, which she followed up with work as an advocate in the Mumbai High Court. She veered towards social work and activism subsequently, focusing on women’s rights and enabling access to justice for women. She has authored books on the subject and has provided opportunities for gainful and ethical employment of women across service sectors.

In this interview we speak to her about:
- Her inspiration to pursue law and her time in the Bombay High Court
- Her views on the current state of women in the country and the changes that need to be brought
- How she manages her various roles as activist, author and social entrepreneur
How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers who are young lawyers and law students?

I would like to be known as a woman committed to women’s empowerment, with special focus on economic empowerment of women, a social and political activist, not a hardcore feminist but certainly a woman who celebrates womanhood.

What made you pursue Law from GLC, Mumbai, after your Economics major? How was your experience practicing at Bombay High Court?

From the very beginning, my father, Shri B.A. Desai, a Senior Advocate and until recently the Additional Solicitor General of India, was a source of inspiration who continues to be my mentor and guide. As a college going young woman I have seen him passionately arguing in the High Court and Supreme Court. Since then, my mind was made to be a lawyer. He was the reason that I decided to join the legal profession. I did my B.A with major in Economics from Sophia College, an all women’s institution, but we had a great time, created a strong bond and are still friends with most of my colleges colleagues.
Life in, Sophia college was, in short, was serious studies coupled with fun and frolic. I did my law from Govt. Law College, Mumbai. In the Government Law College the curriculum was interesting and interactive. I enjoyed participating in moot courts and from my last year I started my Articleship. It was always my desire to pursue Counsel Practice.

During early days of my counsel practice, I was also assigned to be a Commissioner to record evidence, of a witness who could not attend High Court. As I mentioned earlier my father is a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court and a Counsel of repute, his pleadings across the Bar inspired me and hence I made a foray into legal practice.

What do you think about the current situation on awareness of law, for the common man? How do you think the situation can be improved?

I believe information is the gateway to knowledge. Unfortunately despite various women friendly legislations enacted by the Government of UPA 1 and UPA 2 the women of India across social and economic backgrounds are not aware of their rights accorded to them in the constitution. With that in mind, I penned the book Legal Awareness amongst Women and published it in four languages. I have once again started writing a book on the latest amendments thereon, focusing on the Criminal Amendment Act and Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, which has just been enacted by UPA Government, to protect the safety and dignity of women. It is going to be my sincere effort that these books are available at every bus-stop, railway station and all public places for women to read and make themselves aware of their rights, because it is only when you know your rights, can you enforce them.

Can you tell our reader about the other initiatives you’ve undertaken?

(Susieben has actively participated in and organized a number of political and social-community events, such as Priyadarshini Taxi Services, Rakhis for Jawans and Marathons for causes.)

Priyadarshini Taxi Service was conceptualized and implemented a novel and unique concept by me with a view to economically empower women. It has been very satisfying and exciting journey so far which has been appreciated by one and all. Rakhis for Jawans was our gratitude towards the war heroes of Kargil on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of Kargil War. It was our effort to express gratitude towards our brothers in the army.

The 10km Environment Run was organized to celebrate the 25 years of Priyadarshini Park & Sports Complex, a 22-acre sports complex and community center, of which I am the General Secretary. To know more about the Priyadarshini Park & Sports Complex, kindly visit www.priyadarshinipark.org

How supportive have your family and friends been towards all this?

I have always been committed to the economic and social empowerment women and the aam aadmi. I was greatly inspired by the leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhiji, the Iron Lady of the millennium. I must mention that in all my social and political endeavors, my family, and specially my husband Mr. Vidyut Shah, who himself is a first generation successful industrialist, has supported and guided me in in ever way possible. He has been my strength and guiding force. I would also like to stress here that for a woman to succeed it would be necessary for the family to support and the men in their lives to support them. It is not that women cannot do it alone – but certainly she can do better with the support of her family and near and dear ones.

What has been the biggest challenge that you have faced, and how did you overcome that?

The biggest challenge that I faced was the implementation of Priyadarshini Taxi Service from the Domestic Airport. I had to wage a war with the unions and other vested interests to start our operation under the pre-paid category despite a government notification in our favour. I had to move the Mumbai High Court to have it implemented. The only way to succeed in this man’s world is to believe in yourself, your endeavors and believe that the mission that you sought out to accomplish has to succeed against all odds. In short women entrepreneur has to have a ‘never say die’ attitude.

For more information on all my endeavours kindly visit www.susiebenshah.in and www.priyadarshinitaxi.com.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years, and what are the changes you expect to bring about in society till then?

In the coming five years, I certainly see myself entrenching in the political process, of nation building under the leadership of Shri Rahul Gandhi and Shri Milind Deora, M.P. from South Mumbai. I am a firm believer that for us to bring about the change the political system, to weed out the evils of corruption, red-tapism, we have to plunge ourselves in the political process, else you would remain in the periphery and your ideas and aspirations would not go past the drawing board. As Mahatma Gandhi always said, you must be the change that you want to see in the world”.

We wish you all the very best in your endeavors. What is your message for the youth of the country?

Let us all together, take concrete steps, in whichever field we are involved, in your own humble manner, for the upliftment and development of India. Let us also vow and pledge for the safety, security and dignity for the women of India.
September 17, 2013
Roshan Santhalia, Advocate, High Court, on studying criminal law at Oxford, starting his own boutique firm and plans for the future
Roshan Santhalia graduated from NALSAR University in 2011. He has interned with Hon’ble Justice Madan B. Lokur, High Court, Delhi, Hon’ble Justice J.M. Panchal, Supreme Court of India, UN Anti-Corruption and Crime Prevention Department, and Cambridge Police Executive Programme during his time as an undergraduate. He then went on to pursue his masters in criminal justice at Oxford University, batch of 2012. He is currently a litigator based in Delhi, and primarily practices at trial courts and the Delhi High Court. He also founded his own boutique firm, Santhalia Law Chambers, in 2012.

We have taken this opportunity to ask him about:
- His motivation behind pursuing a LL.M Degree.
- His experience as a student of the Oxford University.
- The recruitment rate for overseas students.
- Means of securing a scholarship to study at a foreign university.
What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.? When did you finally decide to do your masters?

I have always wanted to litigate in courts right from the beginning of law school. My primary and predominant motivation for pursuing an LL.M. was to improve my capabilities as a litigating lawyer. Moreover, I have always believed that as a first generation lawyer, the an LL.M. from a reputed university will help me build my litigation practice. As of now, the plan seems to be working. It was by the end of my second year in law school that I had made up my mind to take up an LL.M. after my first law degree.

How did you choose the university/college?

I believe that choosing the right university for your LL.M is extremely important. I have always advised my juniors to not apply to universities which are average or below average. With the upsurge in the global education market, there have been numerous universities which have come up with their own LL.M programs. It is important that every LL.M aspirant emphasizes on two aspects of the LL.M program. These are the overall brand reputation of the university and the quality of the faculty in the area of your interest. For instance, an aspirant might want to go to Oxford because of the brand name it has, but, if he/ she wants to specialize in Intellectual Property Right laws then Berkeley or Stanford are much better options. The right balance needs to be struck between these two factors and an ideal combination would be one in which the target university has a good brand name along with having a good faculty in the area of the desired specialization of the aspirant.

What did you study? Why did you decide to take up this particular subject?

I took up Criminal Justice at Oxford because I have always wanted to practise criminal law. All throughout my law school career, I have devoted a major portion of education and learning in the field of criminal law. I believe that every aspirant should first locate his or her lead in a particular area of law. An area which interests the aspirant much more than other areas of law and other similar factors should be taken into consideration. It is important that by the end of the first half of one’s law school career, he/ she should decide his/ her lead area so that he/ she can concentrate and build his/ her CV accordingly.

How has your experience been so far? Tell us about the faculty and facilities. Anything memorable that has stayed with you?

It’s been about six months since the completion of my masters. I would say that my experience as a Masters student was a bit poorly balanced. The academic side of my entire experience took away all the time in which I should have probably socialized and done other extracurricular activities in and around the town in which I was living. I was very lucky to be a part of a class at which luminaries like Professor Andrew Ashworth and Professor Lucia Zedner taught. One does not need to worry about the faculty if he/she is going to renowned universities. Professors abroad are extremely professional and diligent. They would never ever give you an opportunity to be critical of them in any form.

How’s the Indian fraternity over there? Are there many Indian students?

Indians are everywhere, aren’t they? I believe that all the good LL.M schools across the world have an excellent Indian fraternity. We have done very well across different disciplines and therefore, one will never find any dearth of friendly and helpful Indian students in any university. Not to forget, the children of Indians who have settled abroad also form a substantial portion of the Indian fraternity abroad.

How is the recruitment/ placement situation for overseas students?

Prior to the recession, I hear that the placement rate for overseas students was good. Currently, I believe that it has become very difficult for anyone who does an international LL.M to get a job in the international market. One needs to appreciate the fact that LL.M is a masters degree and therefore, it is more analytical, jurisprudential and theoretical in nature. As compared to this, the JDs and other undergraduate equivalents in foreign law schools teach the practical aspects of the local laws to their students. Therefore, the undergraduate students always have a better bet with local jobs of that particular jurisdiction. Having said this, I must say that exceptional candidates who do very well in their LL.M programs do end up getting good jobs too.

How is the academic schedule? Is there a lot of academic work?

Yes. A lot of academic work. LL.M programs across the globe are designed in a manner that a huge amount of course content can be compressed in one single year. As I have answered before, a major portion of my time which should have been spent discovering other things around Oxford was taken up by the excessive academic pressure which was exerted by the LL.M course on me. One should be mentally prepared for a lot of academic reading during the course of their LL.M program.

How did you manage food and accommodation?

Accommodation varies from university to university. Oxford and Cambridge have a collegiate system which means that every student will be allotted a college which shall essentially take care of the residence and food for that student. US universities, I have heard have halls of residence within their faculty of law or very near to it.

Tell us about your classmates – is there a predominantly international crowd? What is the general age group of students?

My class had students from all over the world. I had classmates from all the seven continents. The general age group of students is anything between 24 – 30. However, there are certain students who are also more than 30 years old.

How does one go about scholarships? Does the institute offer any scholarship?

Comprehensive scholarships to high quality law schools are very difficult to get. Again the mode of scholarship and the way in which one can get it varies from one law school to the other. The US and UK employ different mechanisms to provide academic scholarship to deserving candidates. One needs to do his/ her research very well to apply for all the appropriate scholarships. You can either get a full scholarship or tuition fees waiver depending on your class rank in the undergraduate law school and the interview which you give to the scholarship committee.

Going forward, how do you expect this experience to influence your career?

I believe that every LL.M has two major components to it. One is the substantive component of the course which basically relates to the substantive law and theories which you have gained from your LL.M course. The other component is the improvement in your capabilities to analyze, think, draft etc. on different legal issues. I believe that my higher education experience has added much more to the second component mentioned above than the first. The first component is primarily municipal/ local in nature as the theories and substantive law which one learns in his/ her masters can be most related to that particular jurisdiction in which the law school is located. In contrast to this, skills of analysis, drafting and how to critically develop a perspective on any particular area of law are skills which are universally applicable in different fields and sectors of law.
February 18, 2013
Khagesh Gautam, Masters in Law, Columbia University, on Comparative Constitutional Law, scholarships, and student debt
Khagesh Gautam graduated from Campus Law Center, New Delhi in 2008. Subsequently he has taught at tutorials which train law candidates for the CLAT. After working as associate for Desai & Dewanji, he went on to pracitise at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He is currently studying at the prestigious Columbia Law School. During his time in Columbia Khagesh has also been documenting his experiences in his photoblog giving viewers a glimpse of life in New York.

In this interview, he talks about:
- His passion for Constitutional Law and the reason he chose to pursue an LL.M.
- Picking the right University for your LL.M.
- His experience at Columbia University – faculty, environment, accommodation and recruitment.
What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.?

I decided to do an LL.M. in early 2011. I made up my mind in April, 2011 and then started looking for law schools that I should apply to.

My motivation to pursue one was strictly intellectual. I wanted to do a serious study of comparative law with particular emphasis on comparative constitutional law. I graduated from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University in 2008 and the seeds of serious study of constitutional law were sown in me in the second year of law school itself. That passion continued with me through the four years I practiced law. I was lucky to get an opportunity to work on some really complex constitutional matters during my practice which helped fuel my passion. Somewhere in between college and work, I also read some books on American history and political science and that got me interested in American Constitutional Law and comparative constitutional law. So I decided to do pursue an LL.M.

How did you choose Columbia University?

I started my research by first, making a list of law schools that I would like to study in. Then I went to their respective websites and looked at the courses they were offering. Any school that was not offering the subjects that wanted to study was crossed off my list. After this, I looked at the professors teaching those subjects and did some online research to find out what the professional standing of these professors was. Following this method, I was able to zero in on a few law schools that were offering the courses that I wanted to study. Columbia Law School was on the top of my list because they had a special chair on Indian Constitutional Law (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair). The faculty there was brilliant. For example, in this last semester, I took a course on Indian Constitutional law that was taught by Professor Sudhir Krishnaswamy. And previously, the same course had been taught by Professor Akhil Reed Amar who is a highly respected name in American Constitutional Law.

I applied to Columbia, Virginia, University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. I wanted to apply to Yale, Michigan and Cambridge but due to professional obligations I wasn’t able to complete the application formalities on time.
I began the process of choosing a University by first consulting with my friends who had done their masters from foreign law schools. They advised me to first, make up my mind as to what I wanted to study and then look for law schools that offered those courses. The idea to research on the professional standing of the professors teaching the course was my own I also spent some time reading the published works of some of these professors.

What are you studying at Columbia University?

I always wanted to study comparative constitutional law. In my first semester at Columbia I took a course in American Constitutional Law and in Indian Constitutional Law. I took a seminar on Regulation of Capital Markets in which I wrote a paper on Credit Rating Agencies and the First Amendment Commercial Speech Defense that they took post the 2008 financial crisis. Even in a Capital Markets course I was doing constitutional law! I took a course in International Investment Treaty Arbitration as well. In the second semester that is about to begin, I am concentrating completely on comparative constitutional law and some more international law. I spend most of my free time reading about competition law (or anti-trust law as it is called in the US).

How has your experience been so far?

My experience has been good so far. The facilities in Columbia Law School are amazing and I have been able to put the resources in the law library to good use. The only thing that could stop you from pursuing knowledge at Columbia Law School is you, yourself, because every single resource conceivable, both academic and otherwise, is made available to you. There are several societies and groups that one can join. I joined the anti-trust group. There are also always some distinguished personalities visiting the University for a lecture or a talk. I attended Justice Aahron Barak’s (former President of the Israeli Supreme Court) lecture on proportionality. There was also a series of guest lectures on monetary systems last semester. I managed to attend a few of them.

On a personal front, I enjoy photography and New York City is an amazing place for virtually every kind of photography. I have spent quite some time walking around with my camera. Living in NYC itself is a unique experience. There is always something going on that you would be interested in, on or off campus.

How’s the Indian fraternity over there? Are there many Indian students?

Apart from the few American JD students of Indian origin that were classmates in the course on Indian Constitutional Law and other courses, and the few family friends that I have here, I can’t really say much about the Indian fraternity. The students that I have met seem to be very hardworking and focused on their studies. I understand that the Indian professionals in USA, most of whom are in the IT field, have done well for themselves.
There are about twelve or thirteen Indian law students in the LL.M. program in the 2012-13 batch.

How is the recruitment/ placement situation for overseas students?

There is a placement office here which is very active and helpful. I have several friends and colleagues, Indian and from other countries in the LL.M. program who will soon be sitting for interviews. I think every major British and American law firm is represented in the placement interviews. Most of the jobs seem to be in the transactional corporate practice areas.

As to how many international LL.M. students will be able to get employment remains to be seen. It also depends on what kind of person the law firms are looking for. For example, if a firm is specifically looking for a Spanish or Mexican speaking lawyer then the potential group of applicants becomes smaller. A few firms seem to be looking for people well versed in public international law for investor-state arbitration and similar disputes but even in these jobs sometimes, there is a language qualification.

How is the academic schedule?

The academic schedule is busy and demanding. The standard objection is that the readings prescribed for a course are unjustifiably more than the credits for the course. Though I concede that in some cases this objection is true, on the whole I am satisfied with the quality and quantity of reading required for the courses that I took. I have interacted with students taking courses in corporate laws and in my opinion, they seem to have been prescribed too much to read. The casebooks prescribed are usually expensive but one can manage to rent them or buy used copies online for cheap.
The academic work depends on what kind of courses you take. For example, if you take a seminar course and have to write a paper for it then things are different. Though the readings for the course might not be much, you would have to do additional research for your paper and then actually write the paper, which is not easy if you are trying to develop or propose a new idea. If you are taking an exam course then things are different because now you may not have to write anything new but you still have to do all the reading prescribed. Even if it is an open book exam, which most of the exams that I know of are, you still have to do your reading thoroughly.

What about accommodation?

Columbia Law School LL.M. students are not allotted accommodation in campus dorms. Most of the LL.M. students live in Lenfest Hall (in either studios or apartment shares), Lionsgate (studios or apartment shares) or other Columbia University Apartment Housing facilities. I was able to secure housing through the Columbia University Off-Campus housing facilities. Housing in New York can be expensive so one needs to be thorough in one’s efforts to find housing close to campus which is affordable and comfortable.

One of the first things I did after coming to New York was to start a photoblog. This is the link to the photoblog. This blog has pictures taken at the Columbia campus, outside my apartment building etc. Some of them are citiscapes and nightscapes of New York. I will continue to post on this blog for the duration of my stay in New York.

Tell us about your classmates – was there a predominantly international crowd? What is the general age group of students?

In the LL.M. course the crowd is truly international and almost all countries in the world represented. The general age group seems to be between 27 and 29. Though I have not been able to interact with all the students every single one that I know of has had some kind of work experience before or is pursuing a Ph.D. in his or her home country. An overwhelming majority of all LL.M. students have an ambition to clear the New York Bar Exam and start practicing in New York.

Do you get time for any extra-curricular activities?

I joined the Legal Outreach program here as a Constitutional Law Debate Coach. In this program they pair high school students with law school students who coach these high school students for their constitutional law debates. I was assigned a high school sophomore student to coach last semester. The problem was based on economic rights. My student won that debate and I had the opportunity to meet her parents, who were very kind and humble people, after the prize-distribution function. It was a great experience overall. This semester I have been assigned another high school student. The problem is on the constitutional validity of the Defense of Marriage Act which deals with the legality of same-sex marriages which is a big issue in America right now. I am having a great time coaching these high school students. This is the only extracurricular activity I am actively engaged in.

How does one go about scholarships? Does the institute offer any scholarship?

Every law school has a list of scholarships available on their website. That is usually the starting point. There are other scholarships like Rhodes and Fulbright etc. which are also available to Indian students. Columbia Law School offers scholarships and fee-waivers. There is a fee-waiver form that one must fill and submit. They consider every application for waiver and decide accordingly i.e. whether or not to waive fees and if yes, then how much to waive. All this information is easily accessible on the internet.

What are your future plans? Going forward, how do you expect this experience to influence your career?

The future is always uncertain. My long term plan is to become an academician in constitutional theory. The immediate plan however, is to find a job that allows me to pay off my student loan as quickly as I can. The way I see it now, I might have to return to practising law but I have no ambition to do so in New York. If I do return to practice, it will be in India.

There are two ways in which I see this experience influencing my career. First is an intellectual influence, as I have had access to a wealth of resources and knowledge that I never had in my life before and have had the opportunity to come across some really cutting edge legal research – intellectual and empirical. Thus, the intellectual influence has been immense. Second is a professional influence as I have met like-minded people from across the globe with whom I share common interests. I have been lucky to make friends with some very intelligent people during my stay here.
January 25, 2013