Super Lawyer

Category: Interviews

  • Shubneet Panjete, Partner, Lall Lahiri & Salhotra, on a career in Trademark law, choosing specialisation, and challenges of being a partner

    Shubneet Panjete completed her graduation from Symbiosis Law College, Pune. She is currently Partner at Lall Lahiri & Salhotra. She heads trademark oppositions at the firm. She has been practicing trademark oppositions and has over ten years of professional experience in the field.

    In this interview, we speak to her about

    • Choosing a specialisation
    • Challenges of being a partner
    • Roles and responsibilities as a partner
    • Importance of grades in law school

     

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    I am an Intellectual Property Attorney, graduated from Symbiosis Law College and have been working with LLS for over a decade. My specialty is in Trademark Oppositions, where I am now a Partner. Being an Army child, I had the opportunity to study in eleven schools in under fourteen years, pretty much in all corners of our country. I got to live in a lot of different towns & cities, leading a fun & adventurous childhood. This gave me the chance to make many friends and develop my social skills.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY AS A LAWYER?

    Right from class twelveth, I knew I wanted to study & become a lawyer. I joined Symbiosis Law College in 2003 & graduated in the year 2008. As an Associate fresh out of college my knowledge was very limited. I was encouragingly guided by my seniors and Partners especially Mr. Rahul Chaudhry, the ‘Sole Proprietor’ of the firm, Mrs. Anuradha Salhotra and Mrs. Veena Poolakal, in guiding me along the way, both professionally and personally, which helped me to firmly establish myself as an Attorney. I count myself extremely lucky for finding my field of choice in the third year of college itself while doing a one year Diploma course in Intellectual Property Rights, during which I interned at various reputed IP firms. Post college I got the opportunity to join LLS in 2008 & became a Partner after 9 years of hard work. It’s been a fun learning experience providing new challenges and growth opportunities at every step of the way. As Mark Twain said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

     

    WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON ACADEMICS? HOW IMPORTANT ARE GRADES IN LAW SCHOOL FOR AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER?

    Academics play a major role in developing any person in any field. Better grades help you in getting better opportunities faster. Also from a hiring perspective, interviewers do see the mark-sheets as a basis of a performance & consistency in the applicants. However, I am a strict believer of hard work coupled with a growth mindset. Even if in college you weren’t a star or a great student, you can always catch up and push forward your career with dedication and commitment. I personally have seen many friends and colleagues with stellar careers who academically weren’t that good, to begin with.

     

    HOW FAR DID YOUR INTERNSHIPS DURING LAW SCHOOL HELP YOU IN YOUR CAREER AFTER YOUR GRADUATION? HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE PRESENT LAW STUDENTS PLAN THEIR INTERNSHIPS?

    As mentioned before my internships helped me find my area of interest. I personally tried interning in different legal fields, before realizing they didn’t appeal to me. My suggestion would be to shortlist your areas of interest, organize them in order of personal preference, and then use the internship opportunities judiciously to focus in on your field of choice. In case you find your calling early, focus on it. In case you don’t find it after a few experiences, keep pressing forward.

    Secondly, internships are extremely important as they help students connect and understand the theory they study with the actual practice of law. Today’s structure of a five-year course offers you the opportunity of at least 10 internships. Even for graduates pursuing a three year LLB, internships can teach and expose the candidate to a lot.

     

    HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZATION? HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT ATTAINING EXPERTISE IN THEM?

    Once I’d shortlisted IP as my field of interest, I interned at many reputed IP firms to gain perspective about the field, and the firms as well. I did my internships in Bangalore & Delhi. I’d shortlisted a few firms where I’d ideally like to start my career. Post college I interviewed & got the opportunity to join LLS, which was at the top of my list. Since then I have been a part of the LLS family.

    My expertise in trademark oppositions came with learning while working on matters and more importantly with the clear, structured way in which LLS operates. The workflow is divided as per functional departments & not portfolios. As a result, my expertise in oppositions grew much faster and in a focused manner than it would have in another firm. With Partners and Head of Departments at the helm providing instructions, explanations, guidance, and encouragement, the learning was easy. With their mix of close management and independence, great work output and attention to client satisfaction got implanted in my daily work life. My seniors saw my eagerness & dedication to work, resulting in the Partners guiding me and helping me reach the position of a Partner myself.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A CAREER IN IPR AND MORE SPECIFICALLY IN TRADEMARK?

    Students who have shortlisted IPR as a career choice should definitely intern in a few IP firms to grasp the practical aspects. I can’t stress enough on the gap in the theory and practical aspects of the law that can only be learned while interning. If you have the interest, aptitude but more importantly are willing to work hard you can succeed in any field, including trademarks. Like all legal fields, reading plays a crucial role. Keep updated on case laws related to trademarks, keep a track of impactful judgments, changes and latest developments helps you being sharper than your competition.

     

    HOW CHALLENGING IS YOUR ROLE AS PARTNER, TRADEMARK OPPOSITIONS? WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

    Being a Partner in one of the best IP firms in the country is obviously a very challenging task, which motivates me to focus, grow, adapt and respond to new challenges and opportunities every day.

    I manage the trademark opposition and rectification practice of the firm for multi-national and Indian clients across all section of the industries. I am responsible for the complete management of all trademark opposition & rectification related work from my team, starting from advising clients on trademark protection strategies, including drafting and filing oppositions, cancellations, preparing evidence in support of proceedings, attending hearings etc. before the Trade Marks Registry and Intellectual Property Appellate Board. All this has to be executed in a timely manner & to the satisfaction of our client. My main job is to guide the team, ensure removal of all bottlenecks that they face in their work, and being responsible for the entire opposition and rectification value chain results.

     

    WHAT ARE THE SKILLS ONE NEEDS TO DEVELOP TO SUCCEED IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION?

    To put this across in a concise manner, you need to develop strong reading and comprehension skills along with a decent vocabulary. Also, objective analytical skills along with good communication skills will go a long way in enhancing your convincing powers towards resolving matters.

     

    WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR A LAW STUDENT TO APPLY FOR INTERNSHIP AT YOUR FIRM? HOW DO YOU SUGGEST THE STUDENTS CONVERT THEIR INTERNSHIPS TO PPO?

    Anyone one interested in interning at our firm can simply send their CV’s via email to gpo@lls.in. The concerned persons will review and get back to the selected applicants.

    Converting an internship into a PPO I think has a universal formula. Work hard, show your interest in the field and connect with the required department head on completion of your internship.

     

    LASTLY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PARTING MESSAGE TO OUR READERS?

    Choose your career as early as you can. Thereafter stay focused, do your best, grab opportunities, work hard and enjoy life.

     

     

     

  • Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri, Partner, IndusLaw on LL.M from New York University School of Law, writing SOPs and maintaining work life balance

    Lomesh Nidumuri is a graduate of Delhi University. He also holds a Masters in Law from New York University School of Law. Prior to joining IndusLaw, he has worked at Bharucha & Partners, and Dua Associates.  Asian Legal Business (ALB) featured him in its annual list of “Forty Under Forty ” lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region for 2017. Lomesh’s current practice involves civil and commercial litigation.

    In this interview we talk to him about:

    • His LL.M from New York University School of Law
    • Importance of higher education
    • Tips on writing SOPs and traits required to  bag a scholarship
    • Maintaining a work-life balance being a Partner

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    Thanks very much for having me here for the interview. I must say that to be featured as a “Super Lawyer” is a bit of a misnomer, as far as I am concerned. I still have a long way to go and there is so much waiting to be achieved. However, I am giving this interview with the hope that students can benefit from my experiences, and perhaps give them some direction.

    I am a dispute resolution partner of IndusLaw based out of Bangalore. I have been exposed to all kinds of litigation and with time I have focussed my practice more on arbitration and commercial disputes. Apart from lawyering, I love playing all kinds of sports (particularly football, cycling, and squash) and spending time with my four-year-old son. I love listening to music – particularly psychedelic rock of the 1960’s and 1970’s, blues, jazz and classical. I try and catch up on general reading as much as possible – biographies/autobiographies of great men tested by adversities, espionage, and politics, are some of the genres of books I like.

     

    WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURSUE A DEGREE IN LAW, AMIDST THE MANY OPTIONS THAT YOU HAD AFTER SCHOOL?

    Growing up, I had a profound interest in a wide range of subjects such as history, politics, geography, civics, physics, and astronomy. I was and continue to be deeply passionate about our defence services. All through my school and college, I was actively involved in extracurricular activities such as debates and elocution, apart from sports. Our education system was a nightmare for someone like me! The choices that are offered in our education system are very rigid and choosing my career path wasn’t easy. I had always liked the idea of being a lawyer in court arguing cases for clients. I was fascinated by the fact that the great freedom fighters of our country were all lawyers and they used their knowledge to ignite the minds of a nation. However, as an eighteen-year-old, just out of Class 12, I wasn’t in a position to firmly decide my career path unlike some of my friends, who somehow had everything figured out!

    While I continued to be fascinated by law, I didn’t want to take a decision that may be influenced by some television drama series or fiction books (which was the case with some of the people I know, who now regret their decision to take up law). It was in my second year of commerce degree that I was finally convinced of my decision to take up law. I realised that no other profession could make me happier and I was more at ease logically analysing the principles of business law (which was a subject we had to study), rather than drawing up balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. I still recall the books of the great Mr. Nani Palkhivala being distributed in my college, which had a very profound effect on me. It also made me realise that law was my calling. I don’t come from a family of lawyers. As a first-generation lawyer, the decision had to be entirely mine. My parents were extremely supportive. In fact, my father later told me that he was sure that I would either become a lawyer or a politician, since I showed keen interest in public speaking from a very early age, which apparently was fuelled by the manner in which I always tried to argue my innocence (though unsuccessfully) before my venerate father! But, he did not let that influence my decision, which he said ought to be entirely mine.

    In fact, pursuant to the campus placement at St. Josephs College of Commerce (where I completed my bachelors in commerce degree), I had got placed into a reputed organisation offering a huge salary (by industry standards in 2001). I turned that down to study further and become a lawyer. My professor pulled me aside and thought I was nuts – because I would be earning more than what he did – after twenty years of his teaching experience! However, by then, I was sure of what I wanted to do and never looked back. I am so glad that I finally chose law as my profession as there are few professions that are as challenging, intellectually stimulating, and give you that sense of independence and ability to make a difference to people’s lives.

     

    TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DAYS IN LAW SCHOOL. IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC ANECDOTE THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU, WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

    I pursued law from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. I am fortunate that some of the best professors in the country (Professor M.P. Singh, Professor M.C Sharma, Professor B.B. Pandey, Professor Kamala Shankaran, to name a few), who later went on to become Deans/Vice Chancellors of other universities, taught me the law. They made me look at law very differently and instilled in me the importance of having a deeper understanding of the principles on which law was founded, and not just superficially. I utilised my time not just by reading law books, but also books about law and general reading, which has held me in good stead even today. I think as a lawyer it is important to be adept not just at law but also other subjects, as this makes a person develop a more rounded personality.

    Unlike the other law schools, Campus Law Centre didn’t pamper us. We did not get much institutional support for internships and placement. We were left completely on our own – and it was up to us to make the most of the time and resources we had. Since nothing would be served on a platter – I had to go out there, express myself, to achieve my goals and aspirations. In the process, I also faced few rejections and snide remarks. These experiences toughen you up as a person and instills a sense of grit and determination to fight against any odds. These are life lessons that no formal education can ever teach.

     

    WHAT WERE THE ACTIVITIES, ACADEMIC OR OTHERWISE, THAT YOU UNDERTOOK IN YOUR LAW SCHOOL DAYS WHICH IN YOUR OPINION HAVE SHAPED YOU AND YOUR CAREER?

    I actively took part in moot court competitions. The thrill of researching deeper into law, developing arguments and counter-arguments, and presenting your point of view before a panel, was exhilarating. I wrote few articles but regret not having written more. I also undertook few projects with NGO’s, which was satisfying, as I could see the profound influence that law could have, in making a significant change to the society. I was just very curious and fascinated about the law in general, and didn’t prepare for exams, merely with a view to obtain good grades. This also helped me a great deal in the years to come. While the law school days lay a good foundation, I truly believe that the education for a lawyer begins when he/she starts practicing litigation. Everybody starts with a clean slate upon graduation. Success in the profession entirely depends not just on your ability to work hard with sincerity and dedication, but also doing it smartly!

     

    WHAT KIND OF INTERNSHIPS DID YOU ENGAGE IN DURING YOUR STUDENT YEARS WHICH YOU FEEL WERE INVALUABLE TO YOU IN REACHING YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

    I took up law for the sheer joy of presenting arguments before a court/tribunal. Therefore, in my first year of law course itself, I was certain that I would become a litigator. My internships were focussed mainly on litigation. I did an internship with an NGO as well. Just to be very sure of my career path, on the advice of my well-wishers, I reluctantly applied for a corporate internship in a reputed law firm in my final year of law. However, in that corporate internship, I was so bored reading only agreements, that I ended up going to courts and assisting the litigation team! I just couldn’t get myself to do anything other than litigation.

     

    WE SEE THAT YOU’VE COMPLETED YOUR LL.M IN NEW YORK AT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW. WOULD YOU SAY HIGHER STUDIES ARE RELEVANT FOR A CAREER IN LAW?

    If the candidate is looking at a career in research or teaching or taking specialised jobs at the United Nations, working abroad etc., then LL.M is certainly important. However, LL.M is not crucial for pursuing a career in litigation in India. For litigation, it is about the relevant experience before courts/tribunals. However, pursuing an LL.M certainly has advantages. It’s the whole experience of living in a foreign country and pursuing masters from a reputed university, which is invaluable and adds multiple dimensions to your personality. One gets to meet and network with students from different jurisdictions and learn from the experiences of other students. This helps in understanding people from across jurisdictions and broadens perceptions. The manner in which law is taught in reputed foreign universities is certainly an experience to cherish. LL.M also helps boost your credentials with clients and people you interact. You must keep in mind that studying abroad is very expensive if you don’t have a scholarship. So, please assess your priorities and the finances, before deciding to pursue masters.

     

     

    WHAT DOES THE CV OF A STUDENT SEEKING ADMISSION IN A PREMIER UNIVERSITY OFFERING AN LL.M PROGRAM HAVE TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE FACTORS LOOKED INTO AND WHAT ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE INTERVIEWERS REGARD FAVOURABLY?

    In addition to a good academic background, the foreign universities take note of the candidate’s extra-curricular activities and the statement of purpose (SOP) which the candidates are required to submit. The candidate must have displayed his/her genuine interest in specialising in that area of law, through academics, publications or relevant work experience. It is also important to highlight how the course would help achieve the future goals and aspirations of the candidate. One must keep in mind that the evaluators probably read thousands of SOP from candidates across the world. It is therefore important to spend some time thinking and writing the SOP and make it as interesting and creative as possible. The originality of thought is the key – as it not uncommon to see candidates writing their SOP after obtaining some templates/drafts from students who have already studied abroad. The candidate must be honest and lucid in expression. It is important to plan and start the application process early. Many times, students miss the bus for scholarships (both at the university that they are applying to and the scholarships granted by various entities in India), since they start the application process late.

     

    HOW IMPORTANT ARE GRADES, IN YOUR OPINION? TO WHAT EXTENT DOES ONE’S GPA AFFECT ONE’S CHANCES OF SECURING ADMISSION FOR HIGHER STUDIES ABROAD, OR SECURING A JOB IN A TOP NOTCH FIRM?

    Good grades certainly increase the chances of securing admission at a premier institution. However, it is not the sole factor. American universities particularly, don’t focus primarily on good grades, and the candidature is assessed more on other factors such as – a quality of the SOP, relevant experience and publications.

     

    WHICH IS THE IDEAL TIME TO DO AN LL.M? RIGHT AFTER UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES, OR AFTER A FEW YEARS OF PRACTICE POST UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES?

    It is always advisable to pursue an LL.M after few years of work experience, to enable the candidate to take a mature decision on the area of specialisation. Quite often, candidates fresh out of law school apply for LL.M, without having a clue about the practical aspects of that area of law. The difference between a candidate pursuing LL.M just after law graduation and a candidate pursuing LL.M after having worked for few years is quite stark and evident at the foreign universities. The only flip side of doing an LL.M after few years of work experience is that there would be a break in continuity of practice, which may have an impact in the short run. However, if the scales have to be weighed, it would be better to pursue LL.M after few years of work experience.

     

    YOU HAVE WORK EXPERIENCE IN BOTH BANGALORE AND MUMBAI. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE WORK CULTURES IN THESE TWO CITIES, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE LEGAL SCENARIO AND WHICH DO YOU PREFER/RECOMMEND?

    The work cultures in Mumbai and Bangalore are different. Each jurisdiction has its pros and cons. I thoroughly enjoyed my stints at both these jurisdictions. Most traditional litigation lawyers/law firms tend to focus more on the legal issue at hand, and not as much on client service. We forget that as lawyers, we are in the service industry, where the interests of clients are paramount. Working in Mumbai taught me the importance of professionally managing clients and servicing them effectively – lessons that have proved invaluable to me.

    For litigation, it is important to work in the jurisdiction that you belong to. This is from the perspective of getting new clients, having the comfort of being at home, and establishing your name in your jurisdiction. However, there is no hard and fast rule, and what you make out of your life is entirely in your hands.

     

    BACK IN YOUR STUDENT YEARS, DID YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF BECOMING THE PARTNER OF A FIRM AS REPUTED AS INDUSLAW, SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE? WHAT DID IT TAKE TO GET HERE?

    I did not think too far ahead. I took it one step at a time. I just wanted to be a litigator and pursue this passion. My goal has always been to excel in what I do. As long as I earn the respect of my colleagues, clients, and members of the profession, I would consider that an achievement. I did not think too much about getting promotions within the firm or earning laurels, all of which, in the greater scheme of things, is rather nebulous and superficial.

    What it took to get me here? – Well, like Santiago in Ernest Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, one just has to keep the faith, work hard, believe in their abilities, and stay the course, notwithstanding the numerous obstacles that life and profession throws at you. I have no Godfather in the profession and I don’t come from a family of lawyers or Judges. Whatever I have set out to achieve in this profession would be on my own merit.

     

    GIVE US A BRIEF CAPSULE OF THE LIFE OF A PARTNER AND YOUR AVERAGE WORKING DAY EXPERIENCE.

    Life as a partner in a reputed firm like IndusLaw is very challenging, and that’s what makes things interesting. Partnership certainly entails more responsibility. I try and do my bit to contribute to the firm and that’s how I look at each day. My working day is like the life of a typical litigation lawyer – attending courts/arbitral tribunals, preparation for the matters including drafting, research, trial, and arguments, meeting clients and advising them on their case, attending to calls and responding to the incessant emails. In addition to this, as a partner, I spend considerable time on building the team practice, the internal processes within the firm and supervising the work of junior colleagues. I speak at conferences and try and find time to write articles. Managing time and priorities is crucial. To keep myself sane, I try and hit and gym and play sports as often as I can! I am fortunate to be surrounded by extremely talented partners, each of who, add unique strengths to the firm. The senior partner in our dispute resolution team Srinivasa Raghavan is one of the most brilliant lawyers that I have worked with. The other litigation partner Nikhilesh Rao is also very competent. The associates who report to me are very talented and hardworking, and I have the greatest admiration for each of them. I am sure they will all go places. I am lucky to be surrounded by such talent, and I relish this huge responsibility to drive the team and the firm forward.

     

    HOW IMPORTANT ARE GRADES, IN YOUR OPINION? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE INDIAN LEGAL EDUCATION SYSTEM IS CONDUCIVE TO ACTUAL LEARNING, OR HAS IT ALREADY BECOME A BLIND RAT RACE?

    More than good grades, I would urge the students to focus more on understanding the law better and spending time thinking about the finer nuances of the law. Getting good grades is only incidental. A good solid foundation would obviously go a long way and help shape a good litigation practice. In my view, even a candidate with average or below average grades can make it big in litigation with hard work, dedication and working smartly. The students today have more access to information and resources, and the opportunities in the legal industry are tremendous.

    I do believe that the education system in India has become a blind rat race. The education system must be robust and conducive to learning. I don’t think the focus of our education is on building leaders. It is not designed for students to think out of the box and be imaginative and creative. The system bogs students down with traditional and regressive thinking and is not aligned with the practicalities of the legal world.

    In my conversations with students and interns, I realise that they are impatient and in a great hurry to achieve success. They are probably of the notion that litigation is a hundred metre sprint, whereas, it is a marathon, where the ones who persevere would ultimately prevail. My former senior and mentor in the profession Mr. K.G. Raghavan (Senior Counsel, Karnataka High Court), who I have the highest regard, admiration, and respect for, always advised me to pursue knowledge and skill, and not chase money, which he said would eventually come. In his words, there are many people who have money, but only the lucky few have money and education!

     

    IF GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IN YOUR CAREER JOURNEY UP TO THIS POINT? WHAT COMMON CAREER RELATED BLUNDERS SHOULD A STUDENT DEFINITELY AVOID?

    I don’t have too many regrets. However, given a choice, and if I can travel back in time, I would have enlisted myself for the Territorial Army just after graduating law, which would have given me the flexibility of enlisting for the armed forces, while continuing with my regular law practice. With family and commitments, it is almost impossible to pursue that now.

    The biggest blunder that you can do is not being true to yourself. As long as you are true to yourself, the career decision and the path will follow. Please don’t decide to take up something because you perceive that to be a commercially viable decision – but take up something that you genuinely are passionate about and enjoy, and the success will follow.

    For the ones looking to litigate, I would advise them to spend the first few years in the trial court and learn the nuances of the procedure, evidence, and trial, before practicing at the higher courts. This will lay a good solid foundation and better equip them in litigation practice. Today, many students are enamoured by arbitrations – they have their own perceptions of what this entails. It is somehow believed that a good understanding of the Arbitration Act, would make them very good arbitration lawyers. This is not entirely true. While knowledge of the arbitration laws is certainly important, one must not lose sight of the fact that arbitration proceedings are nothing but a civil claim that is being adjudicated before an arbitrator, where the proceedings are less formal and more effective. Though the rules of evidence don’t apply to an arbitration, it is the ability to better appreciate the nuances of the evidence and the art of cross-examination that ultimately decides the outcome of the case, and makes you stand out as a good arbitration lawyer.

     

    IS THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR BUDDING LAWYERS?

    Follow your heart and passion, and work hard with all sincerity and honesty. You may not achieve instant success, but with sustained effort and dedication, you will find success and happiness in whatever you do. In this materialistic world where there has been degradation of values and character, and the society filled with naysayers, don’t lose sight of the strength of your own character and integrity, which should always act as your guiding force. Chase your dreams, and no force can stop you from achieving what you want to. In the process, please make some time for your hobbies and interests. Surely, there is more to our lives than just law!

     

     

     

  • Sonal Kumar Singh, Managing Partner, AKS Partners, on managing his firm, studying at Kings College London, and importance of higher education

    Sonal Kumar Singh graduated from CCS University, Meerut, the batch of 2006. He then went on to pursue his Masters from Kings College London. He is currently Managing Partner at AKS Partners, where his work includes business development, to reach out to clients, execute the work and also handle the team well.

    In this interview, we speak to him about:

    • Studying at Kings College London
    • Tips on writing SOPs and traits required to  bag a scholarship
    • Importance of higher education
    • Managing his own firm.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    I am a corporate and dispute resolution lawyer and the Managing Partner of AKS Partners (formerly known as M/s A.K Singh & Co.) My practice area involves Domestic and International Arbitration, Banking & Finance, IPR & Company Law. Law has always been my passion and there is nothing I enjoy more than working on a challenging case or issue.

    The best I could describe myself is as a person who believes that the only essence of succeeding in life is to constantly strive to learn more and more. I am an ardent believer in the saying “Life itself is your teacher and you are in a state of constant learning”.

    Apart from this, I would describe myself as a book lover and enthusiastic traveler.

    My pre-college life was more of fun and less of studies. I did my schooling from Gyan Bharati School, Delhi and opted for commerce as my stream in the tenth standard. I wanted to be either in armed forces or to be a Chartered Accountant, maybe because a lot of my friends wanted it for themselves. I ruled out armed forces as I was unable to bring my weight down from 100 Kgs till the end of my school life. Chartered Accountancy ruled me out when I was not able to clear my Intermediate Exams. At that time “Law” chose me, as while pursuing my LL.B. (which I was doing more as a side subject), I got an offer from King`s College London to pursue my LL.M. Lot of my friends who were also aspiring to do their LL.M. from Kings College London were more excited than me for my offer.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY AS A LAWYER?

    I would say that my journey as a lawyer started right from the day I started my Masters in Law from Kings College London. I always believed that apart from your course studying, it is very important to interact with the dignitaries of the legal fraternity and gain as much practical knowledge and exposure as one can. While studying, I firstly interned with British Institute of International and Comparative Law based in London where my work profile was of a “Researcher”. During this internship, I extensively researched for a book “Damages in International Investment Law” which was published by BIICL. The author was kind enough to acknowledge my contribution to his work and mention the same in his book.

    After this, I started working with a London based NGO which helped the physically disabled people to get their claims and justice. Fortunately, after my course finished, I had the opportunity to work with and assist Professor Martin Hunter, a renowned dignitary in the field of arbitration. I worked with him as a Research Assistant where I was given extreme exposure to legal knowledge, the working strategies, and atmosphere of a foreign lawyer/firm. After this overwhelming experience of mine, I came back to India where I joined the practice and since then have been constantly working as corporate and dispute resolution lawyer. Meanwhile, I also cleared my exam for qualifying as a Solicitor in England & Wales.

    Over the last 12 years of practice, in the capacity of a partner of AKS Partners (formerly known as M/s A.K Singh & Co.), I have had the opportunity to work with and represent few of the top International and Government companies and clients.

    So I would say my journey as a lawyer till now has been incredibly enriching and delightful but it’s just the beginning.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT KINGS COLLEGE LONDON?

    Experience at King`s College London was life-changing for me. It changed me as a person. When I decided to pursue my Masters from Kings College London, the idea was to have a good time in London and also study whenever time would permit. But as soon as I landed in London, I felt differently about myself. On the first day of college, I gave my name for the post of Treasurer for the election of LL.M. Student Committee. I was surprised with my self as I had never taken such initiatives in India. It was just a beginning for me, as I started participating in everything that came my way, be it debating competitions, moot courts, mock courts, student elections and so on. Moreover, I really enjoyed the style of teaching and the exams. For the first time I came across the term “open book exam” and I was very excited and confident as well to top the College as we were permitted to take any book in the examination hall. My happiness was short-lived, as the examination paper was designed in such a manner that it was not possible to find questions in the book and write the paper unless your concepts were clear.

     

    WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION?

    I have always believed that higher education whether in India or abroad gives you better prospects and opportunities. These days in order to have a specialization of a particular law, most people pursue Masters in Law to enable them to choose a particular field of law and getting specialized knowledge in the same. Obviously, great skills and higher education gives a person an edge over others in the job market. But most of all, I believe that if someone, utilizes their time well during the LL.M. it is an extremely useful exposure that anyone can get. Your way of looking at things change. You are completely by yourself and one learns to live life as it comes. Personally higher education drastically changed my personality, perception, and way of working.

     

    WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY TRAITS ARE REQUIRED TO BAG A SCHOLARSHIP FOR LLM?

    Obtaining a scholarship for LLM especially for universities abroad is not an easy task. Scholarships are either given by the universities directly or through other government or privately funded institutions. The concept of scholarship is taken very seriously abroad as they believe that scholarship shall only be given to those who truly are in need of it or truly deserve it. If one aims to bag a scholarship for LLM, it is recommended that they need to start working beforehand for the same. Earlier you start working better it is. In my experience, the most important aspects or criteria for giving of scholarship is the working or internship background of the candidate, grades of the candidate, writing skills such as publications of articles or papers are given extreme importance.

     

    WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND WHILE WRITING SOPS FOR LLM ABROAD?

    While writing an SOP, one needs to be more realistic and clear in their vision. The purpose of SOP is to be explained in brief to the universities as to what is your background, your achievements and your aim in future.

    One should keep in mind while writing an SOP that you should be well able to communicate your thoughts and vision across and also be clear as to what is the purpose for which they want to pursue Masters and career in Law.

     

    AS PARTNER WITH M/S A.K. SINGH & CO. (WHICH IS NOW AKS PARTNERS), WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE BRAND NAME OF THE FIRM?

    I was promoted as a partner of M/s A.K. Singh & Co. in 2010. In the beginning, my core responsibility was to head the Arbitration and Dispute Resolution team with around ten advocates. Being a partner in charge, it was entirely my duty to do business development, to reach out to clients, execute the work and also handle the team well.

    Since then I have grown a lot professionally, as when my father Mr. Ashok Kumar Singh who was the founder of the firm M/s A.K. Singh & Co was designated as a Senior Advocate in 2015, he gave up the ownership of the firm and the working and running of the firm came majorly upon my shoulders. However there were other partners at that time, but we had to step up and jointly take the responsibility of the firm. Now in three years, with the right direction and immense support of my seniors and colleagues, we have changed the corporate name and branding of M/s A.K. Singh & Co. to AKS PARTNERS. There is a specific reason to re-brand which was to actually keep up with the market trends and to align our brand or name with the vision of the firm. Also, with the firm’s growing international practice, it was felt necessary to re-brand and rename the firm.

     

    CAN YOU RECALL THE FIRST TIME YOU APPEARED IN A SIGNIFICANT MATTER IN COURT?

    Yes, I do remember it. It`s still very fresh in my mind. Way back in 2009, I was supposed to appear in a matter with my senior. We were representing a PSU and the legal issue which was involved in the matter was ‘whether the parties are bound by the procedure laid down in the arbitration agreement, even when by subsequent exchange of letters, parties have agreed for a different procedure”. The matter was fixed at 2.15 pm before the Delhi High Court. During the lunch hours, I got a call from my Senior that he will be late and may not reach in time and as the matter is already fixed for 2.15, I should start telling the facts of the matter till the time he reaches the court. I could feel that all the blood drained down my face and my heart started falling in my stomach as I was completely not ready for it. To add to the pain, I saw Mr. Krishnan Venugopal, Sr Advocate, sitting on the other side. Though it was clear that he would be representing the Respondent, somewhere deep inside I was hoping that he is sitting to mention some other matter. I was wrong, he was opposing us in the matter. However, once I started arguing that matter, my arguments went on for almost 45 minutes. I felt relieved once I finished my arguments and turned around to see my senior sitting behind me. He didn’t say anything to me. The other side`s arguments also went on for almost 30 minutes and the order was reserved. My senior went out of the room without saying a word and I was a little confused about his poker face reaction. After fifteen minutes I saw my phone and there was a message from him-“well done”.

     

    HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF YOUNG LAW PROFESSIONALS?

    In the last twelve years of my career, I have had the opportunity to work with young law professionals. Out of that experience and as a general observation I truly believe that the young law professionals are extremely hard working, through professionals and have the zeal to succeed. The qualities are the ingredients of achieving success. So I have no two doubts that the young professionals with their qualities coupled with the opportunities will be extremely successful in future which can be seen from the fact that you would find young professionals in every part of the world in different roles.

     

    WHAT ARE THE SKILLS ONE NEEDS TO DEVELOP TO SUCCEED IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION?

    There is no set formula or skills one needs to develop to succeed in the legal profession. To succeed in anything in life including legal profession one needs to enjoy what they are doing and be patient. As far as the skills in the legal profession are concerned, it is important to have good communicational and analytical skills. An eye of a perfectionist is what makes you stand out from the crowd. You need to know the art of meeting people and communicating with them. Apart from this, time management and the zeal to learn are the most important things.

     

     

     

  • Bhaven Shah, Co-Founder, Presolv360, on entrepreneurship, technology and the future of dispute resolution

    Bhaven Shah, Co-Founder, Presolv360, on entrepreneurship, technology and the future of dispute resolution

    Bhaven Shah is a Chartered Accountant and has completed his law from Government Law College, Mumbai. He is the Co-Founder of Presolv360, which is India’s first homegrown cloud-based dispute management platform capable of preventing litigation, protecting people and businesses from adversities of disputes and resolving them through time-tested dispute resolution mechanisms. Bhaven has previously worked with KPMG in their M&A and tax litigation practice, R. K. Bothra & Co. and Ernst & Young in their tax and assurance practices, respectively. Besides, he has had varied experience before judicial and quasi-judicial authorities including the Supreme Court of India, High Courts of Rajasthan and Bombay, and the erstwhile insolvency boards.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I am no super-lawyer. I am just a super-believer. I believe in our youth and that gives me the drive, I believe in India’s growth story and that gives me reason and I believe in the values passed down by our great leaders that gives me confidence that I am at the right place – ‘India’, at the right time – ‘now’, and doing the right thing – ‘Presolv360’.

     

    PLEASE TELL US WHAT MADE YOU PURSUE LAW?

    Law came to me by legacy. My grandfather was the first in the family to come to the land of opportunities and dreams. Since then, Mumbai was the only home known to him and my entire family. Against all odds, he brewed roaring success in the textile industry and this success was compounded by my father. The business expanded but so did complexities. Opportunities increased but so did opportunistic individuals. The economy was growing but values were rapidly eroding. From property-grabbing to non-payment of dues, from trespassing to cheques bouncing, it became a usual occurrence for many of us. Practices and professions became sophisticated, but law and procedures remained unchanged.

    Crediting my sweet and sour experiences with litigation and courts, I decided to take the law into my own hands. Scratch that, I decided to take the fate of these disputes in my own hands. The only way to begin that was by pursuing law academically, and so I did. After completing my graduation from H. R. College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai, I enrolled myself in the Government Law College, Mumbai.

     

    FROM LAW TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHAT MADE YOU TAKE THIS LEAP?

    In a heavily-litigated personal matter, a Supreme Court Judge (now retired) said to me in open court “Son, your father started this case and your child will have to conclude it.” And these wise words came after 29 years (read 45% of the lifespan of an average Indian) of fighting tooth and nail in Indian courts. The harsh reality is that legal cases in India last a lifetime and have a propensity to wipe out all your resources, and I faced this first hand. I didn’t want to suffer in the future, I didn’t want others to suffer, ever, and so, it was time that India and her citizens were offered a solution that changed the way they insulated themselves from disputes and litigation. Something that was quick, economical, convenient and effective. With this in mind, Presolv360 was born.

    Disputes are inevitable and are inherent to the nature of humans. So, we re-imagined, re-engineered and radically improved the ‘approach’ to dispute management. In devising this approach, the founding team of Presolv360 tapped into all possible learnings and experiences, be it law, chartered accountancy, insurance, management and of course, encounters with realities of life.

     

    WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH PRESOLV360?

    The traditional dispute resolution mechanisms like courts are plagued with a number of serious problems. Where 19th-century laws still dominate dispute resolution, there is a need to provide 21st-century solutions to uproot these challenges.

    Statistically speaking,

    • Everyday 40,000+ cases are filed due to the absence of dispute prevention mechanisms.
    • Approximately 67% disputants do not even attempt an alternative before litigating.
    • 80,000 crores p.a. is lost due to court hearings and loss of business. This translates to 0.77% of India’s GDP and shockingly, this figure is without accounting for professional fees.
    • On an average, it takes 13 years for the final disposal of a civil case lodged in an Indian Court.
    • It is estimated that by the year 2025, there will be 6.19 crore pending cases and at the current rate of filing of new cases against the rate of disposal, it will take 587 years to clear this backlog.

    Believe me, these numbers are not an exaggeration. Let me ask the readers to ponder over three simple questions. If the answer to any is ‘yes’, they will understand the problem we address:

    1. Would you like to enjoy a life free from disputes, litigation, and courts?
    2. Do you want to secure yourself, so nobody drags you to court?
    3. If you have a dispute, would you not like to resolve it quickly, reasonably and efficiently?

     

    DON’T YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THE PENDENCIES AND IS UNCLOGGING THE OVERBURDENED JUDICIAL SYSTEM?

    Undoubtedly. When I first spoke about confidence provided by our leaders, that included our leaders in the profession as well as those in the government. Lok Adalats, infrastructure improvements, E-Court Mission, encouraging ADR, commercial courts, state and national litigation policies, etc. are long strides in the right direction.

    While I believe that India is in extremely capable hands, it is also important to understand that, for India to tackle this grave problem, a concerted partnership is required between all stakeholders – potential and existing disputants, governments, judiciary, professionals and facilitators like us. This will ensure that only those matters worthy of the courts’ attention and judicial resources will find a place on the docket, while the remaining are dealt with in a systematic, civilized and optimal manner. This way, courts can dispense justice, governments can govern, businesses can flourish, and the citizens can enjoy a stress-free life.

     

     

    WHAT IS YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION AND WHO IS IT FOR? WHAT IMPACT WILL YOUR SOLUTION HAVE?

    Presolv360 is a unique dispute management platform that blends technology, human expertise, and innovation to provide effective dispute prevention solutions, collaborative dispute resolution mechanisms, fast-track and cost-effective alternatives to courts and protection from uncertain outcomes and adversities. This makes Presolv360 the first of its kind across the globe!

    Our services include:

    1. PresolvReview: Preventing disputes is one of the key objectives of Presolv360. With PresolvReview, our expert will review your agreement from a dispute prevention standpoint and make suitable suggestions and recommendations so that you can enjoy a dispute-free relationship and a hassle-free life.
    2. PresolvSecure: This is a plan that secures you from adversities of disputes that arise in a contractual relationship. For a small annual fee, the parties can safeguard themselves from prohibitive costs, traumatic experiences, time-consuming processes and ruined relationships, and instead ensure a speedy and effective resolution by our empaneled experts, at no additional costs.
    3. PresolvDirect: We assist parties in resolving existing disputes (whether pending in court or likely to be submitted to the court), in a collaborative environment.

    At the centre of this, all is a seamless, integrated tech platform accessible from your desktops, laptops or mobile devices to ensures affordability, convenience, efficiency, and effectiveness. The beneficiaries of this system are unrestricted, be it individuals, businesses, institutions or even governments.

    This dispute management ecosystem will have a far-reaching social and economic impact.

    – From taking an average 13 years for disposal of a case, to collaboratively resolving a dispute within 3 months.

    – From expending lakhs of rupees in litigation to resolving disputes at a fraction of that amount.

    – From uncertain outcomes and irreparable loss to certainty of resolution and conserving resources.

    – From litigation ruining relations to safeguarding them … this is the impact of Presolv360

    We have also launched the ‘Presolv for All’ Project that extends the services of Presolv360 free of cost to weaker sections and low-income groups to ensure that we, as a community, can enjoy a litigation-free future.

     

    WHAT ALL HAS GONE BEHIND THE MAKING OF PRESOLV360 AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM TO OUR READERS.

    The learning never stops, nor does the evolution of Presolv360 and its team. I can only give you a glimpse of the groundwork undertaken, and I can assure you that our efforts, to constantly improve by reflecting on feedback from our stakeholders and the incessant spirit of innovation, will never cease as it is ingrained in every member working at Presolv360.

    You may know that dispute resolution has its roots in the Vedic age and this has been entrenched in our village system. That’s where we began, our research and studies ranged from India’s gram panchayat system to international diplomacy, from traditional dispute redressal machinery to sophisticated global practices. After this theoretical escapade, it was time to understand contemporary challenges. We undertook an ‘Appeal for Change’ survey where we interviewed over a thousand people from different walks of life to understand all the facets of disputes. It is on this robust foundation that we built and designed the Presolv360 platform.

    Along with me, Namita Shah and Aman Sanghavi are the cornerstones of Presolv360. While Namita is a lawyer, chartered accountant and a CPA from the USA, Aman hails from the insurance and management background and is also a Certified Mediator from IICA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Presolv360 is guided by a distinguished Board of Advisors and Mentors comprising of

    1. Ashok Barat, former Managing Director, and CEO, Forbes and Company Ltd. He is currently on the Board of several listed companies and is passionate about making mediation the primary form of dispute resolution.
    2. Tanu Mehta, Legal Counsel, Mediator and Conciliator recognized by the Bombay High Court and is an MA in Conflict Resolution & Mediation from Tel Aviv University, Israel.
    3. Rajani Iyer has been designated a Senior Counsel by the Bombay High Court and is a Mediator with over 4 decades of experience in dispute resolution.

    Presolv360 is powered by a team of fifteen members (including six dispute resolution and legal experts) with an unbreakable spirit and the determination to change the way India and her citizens deal with disputes.

     

    HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY RECOGNITION SO FAR?

    Presolv360 won the ‘Start-Up Excellence Award for Technology-Enabled Dispute Management & Redressal System’ at the Indian Startup Convention (ISC) 2018. The ISC recognizes those organizations and individuals who have changed or have the potential to change the face of their respective industry. We were also shortlisted for ‘Power of Ideas’ – India’s largest entrepreneurship program. Facebook, Economic Times, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad conducted this program and received over 6500 business ideas out of which 358 were shortlisted.

    The Presolv360 team has discussed the applicability and benefits of its services with officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Presolv360 is privileged to be recognised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, as providers of dispute prevention and protection services, online dispute management, negotiation (online and offline), neutral evaluation (online and offline), mediation (online and offline) and is now listed on the website of the Department of Justice. Besides, Presolv360 has also been recognised as a qualified startup under the Start-Up scheme of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

     

    HOW DID YOU GET THE MINISTRY TO RECOGNIZE PRESOLV360?

    The Presolv360 team made representations to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. To our delight, the officials were extremely forthcoming, encouraging and provided us with insightful feedback. Following these representations, Presolv360 was listed on the website of the Department of Justice, as providers of dispute prevention and protection services, online dispute management, negotiation (online and offline), neutral evaluation (online and offline), and mediation (online and offline).

    ‘Startup India’ is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate large-scale employment opportunities. From tax exemptions to self-certification, from credit and funding access to rebates in patent applications, this initiative is definitely a boost to the ‘ease of doing business’ objective. Presolv360’s application was accepted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion since we are working towards innovation, development, and improvement of dispute management services with a scalable model and high potential of employment generation and wealth creation. If any of the readers satisfy the eligibility criteria, I would recommend they apply under the scheme and take advantage of the benefits of a recognised startup.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PARTING MESSAGE TO OUR READERS?

    We are all ordinary people until we master one extraordinary power – the power of choice. The choice to hold on or to let go, the choice to give up or to be relentless, the choice to follow or to lead, the choice to destroy or to rebuild, the choice to go to courts or ‘to presolv’ – choose wisely.

    You can get in touch with me at bhaven@presolv360.com and visit https://www.presolv360.com/ for more information.

     

     

  • Sameer Tapia, Founder and Senior Partner, ALMT Legal, on starting his own law firm and a successful career in the field of law

    Sameer Tapia is a founding and senior partner of ALMT Legal, which was set up in London in 2000 and now has offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. He has expertise in corporate-commercial matters, dispute resolution with a strong focus on aviation, real estate, and private clients.

    Sameer graduated from Bombay University with a bachelor’s degree in Commerce. He read Law from the prestigious Government Law College, Mumbai.

    He regularly acts for various multinational clients in pursuing their contentious matters in India and has been retained by several corporates where he has advised them on commercial contracts, risk insurance, liability and regulatory matters.

    Sameer has represented clients before various foras including the Supreme Court of India. He has a strong commercial acumen in dealing with disputes in various arbitration proceedings as well. He has also advised clients in high profile family disputes and matrimonial matters and acted as an arbitrator/mediator in settling complex family disputes.

    He regularly speaks at international conferences and has submitted papers on Indian Laws. He is a regular invitee and guest speaker at law schools and other prestigious institutions in India. He has also written articles which have been published in the International Bar News, India Business Law Journal, and various other chamber publications.

    The Indian Lawyer 250, a guide to the leading business law firms of India, has featured Sameer amongst the top 40 individual leading lawyers, under the age of 45 years, in India.

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    Constructive Lawyer, Thinker, Traveler, Foodie, Passionate about Music Art and Culture.

    Pre College – Was an introvert and shy lad, quite an athlete in school, a sprinter!

     

    YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE ALUMNI FROM GOVERNMENT LAW COLLEGE, MUMBAI. WHAT ROLE HAS THE COLLEGE PLAYED IN SHAPING YOUR CAREER?

    A number of Legal luminaries have passed out of GLC which is notably one of the most prestigious and oldest institutions in India. The college had some very able professors and strong faculty during my time that helped me along with my theoretical experience with working as a lawyer.

     

    YOU ARE THE FOUNDING PARTNER OF ALMT LEGAL WHICH HAS GROWN TO BE ONE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BEST LAW FIRMS. PLEASE SHARE WITH OUR READERS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED INITIALLY AND WHAT IS YET TO BE ACHIEVED?

    It was difficult to set up a law firm, though I must say it was the most fulfilling experience I have had professionally the benefits of which I reap today.

    Every generation that goes by, I feel the competition and level of expertise only increase with time. The most challenging experience was to set up ALMT in the UK and then bring our footprints into India.

     

    HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALISATION? HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT ATTAINING EXPERTISE IN THEM?

    It all happened very naturally – Honestly, your first mentor should be the best one! It flows from there…

     

    WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE YOUNGSTERS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO PLAN TO SET UP THEIR OWN LAW FIRM?

    It’s not easy to set up a firm as a young lawyer. You must work and train with a senior for at least 10 years before you decide to take the plunge!

    That will give you a good heads start along with experience for anyone to trust you and come to you for sound advise.

     

    WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR A LAW STUDENT TO APPLY FOR INTERNSHIP AT ALMT LEGAL? HOW DO YOU SUGGEST THE STUDENTS CONVERT THEIR INTERNSHIPS TO PPO?

    They must write to the Office Manager who is also in charge of HR of the firm.

     

    WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE EFFICACY OF INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY CODE. DO YOU THINK IBC COULD HELP THE GOVERNMENT AND BANKS DEAL WITH NPA ISSUE?

    It clearly has helped as we read in the press and companies being taken to task on the basis of their non-performance.

     

    WHAT IS THAT ONE CASE THAT HAS LEFT A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU?

    I cannot put a finger on one! There are so many…

     

    HOW DO YOU THINK WE COULD IMPROVE THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS IN INDIA?

    To start with we need more Courts, Judges and an aggressive judicial system which needs to catch up with the backlog of pending suits – and not allow frivolous litigation in India.

     

    IN YOUR OPINION, HAS THE RERA ACT HAS SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING MUCH NEEDED TRANSPARENCY IN REGULATING THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR?

    Terrifically, but it has its own problems enforcing the Act.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS AND LAW STUDENTS?

    Good reading habit to start with, which most students lack these days, good vocabulary and English if you want to plead and draft documents. Articulate in being well balanced in theory and knowledge of the law.

    There is a right time for everything – Most students try and get into a firm and want to work and miss out on their theoretical experience in College which offers a lot to them by way of bonding studying, moot competition etc.

    They must do a five-year course and temp with firms whilst they study law and then be sure whether they want to pursue law as a counsel or solicitor ( in a law firm ) depending on the field of law they select whilst in college

     

     

  • Kailash Vasdev, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, shares his experience on the struggles, challenges of a career in litigation

    Kailash Vasdev is a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India. He has worked with Senior Counsel Nonit Lal, then Justice BN Kirpal, former Chief Justice of India. He cleared the AOR exam in 1981. He became member executive of Supreme Court Bar Association in 1991 and was instrumental in creating 1st Advocates Welfare Fund in Supreme Court. He was designated as Senior Advocate in 2000. He has a huge number of cases to his name, including sensitive cases like that on the death penalty. He has more than 1400 reported judgements to his name.
    In this interview we talk to him about:
    • Designation of Senior Advocates
    • Qualities expected of a fresh entrant in litigation
    • Importance of mentors at the starting of one’s career.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS? PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE?

    I am a lawyer who respects the law and prefer to discharge my duties without fear. It is a lawyer’s obligation to discharge his professional obligations with promptitude, correctness, and expedition.

     

    COULD YOU TELL OUR READERS ABOUT THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU APPEARED IN COURT?

    Within fifteen days of joining the profession in 1975, we were appointed as amicus to assist detenues under the Detention laws prevailing during the emergency. We were to assist the detenues in obtaining facilities in detention like medical care and other amenities. I knew nothing about detention. The Judge and the Additional Solicitor knew everything about this law. It was challenging for a fifteen days old lawyer to stand frightened in court with a single purpose of getting in client relief. Success came with learning.

     

    HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE MENTORS FOR A YOUNG LAWYER IN STARTING HIS CAREER IN LITIGATION?

    That can be controversial because in today’s professional ethics new entrants necessarily look at high incomes. Good mentors do not have high incomes because they follow ethics both in fees and practice. Youngsters do not accept this. It was after fifteen years that we felt that we had learned some law. Today the feelings are different because all learning comes from behind the screen. Therefore, mentor selection is a choice for young lawyers.

     

    WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO BECOME AN AOR?

    Drafting – learning to draft well because when you draft a petition you learn to be precise on facts and specific on the law. The absence of either kills a good case. Drafting is a learning experience.

     

    DID YOU REQUIRE ANY PREPARATION TO APPEAR FOR THE SUPREME COURT AOR EXAM?

    There is more to the AOR post exam. There is a prescribed syllabus. One needs to follow the syllabus and prepare themselves for the exam. But the real skills are developed post the exam.

     

    WHAT SKILL SET IS REQUIRED FOR A YOUNG LAWYER AIMING TO BE DESIGNATED SENIOR ADVOCATE IN THEIR CAREER?

    There are no more skills set – especially after 2017 judgement laying down guidelines for designation of a senior advocate. Eligibility set down by S.C. contractionary to Advocate Act where seniorship was a privilege by the court.

    After Supreme Court judgement and High Court Rules it requires eligibility and skills are no longer required.

     

    WHAT QUALITIES WILL YOU LOOK FOR HIRING A JUNIOR?

    A young entrant is to learn as he gets along. He must be dedicated. The only single requirement is dedication.

     

    PLEASE TELL OUR READERS OF SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CASES?

    1. Bhushan Singh v. the State of Punjab, 1983 judgment: Three people were sentenced to death; the Supreme Court acquitted one and reduced the sentence of two to life.
    2. R.C. Sood v. the State of Rajasthan: High Court had created false evidence and relied on non-existing persons.
    3. Detention Cases: On false implication, many people were taken into custody. The satisfaction of getting a detenue released on a false accusation is unparalleled.

     

     WHAT WOULD BE YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO OUR READERS?

    Keep money as your last call. It comes with dedication. Most importantly dedicate your time reading, understanding and improving the judicially settled law because you can change the judicial pronouncements.

     

  • Pranjal Sinha, CEO and Co-Founder, ODRways, on startup, college life and JAMS Fellowship

    Pranjal is a fourth-year B.A/LLB student of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata. He is the CEO and co-founder ODRways, one of the top twelve mediation centers recognised by Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. He is also the youngest recipient of  Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship, recognising his efforts in the field of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). He is also a trained cyber law expert and a certified mediator from Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India. Chief Coordinator of Indian Mediation Week, a pan-India mediation awareness campaign, he strongly believes that the Indian Justice System should move away from the contentious procedure of litigation, and towards more collaborative mechanism of mediation.

    In this interview he shares with us:

    • Balancing his startup with law school
    • Being youngest recipient of the JAMS international fellowship
    • His startup ODRways
    • Mediation as a means for dispute resolution

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    A fourth year student from NUJS, Kolkata, with a vision to make mediation the primary method of dispute resolution in India and a startup called ODRways to support it.

    I have been often criticised by my friends for bringing mediation in most of my conversations. Another extremely key aspect of my life, which bores my friends, is spirituality. Although blessed with poor socialising skills, I strongly believe that the secret to a happy life lies in happy relationships.

     

    WHAT ROLE HAS THE COLLEGE PLAYED IN SHAPING YOUR CAREER?

    An extremely crucial role!

    NUJS exposed me to a wide variety of perspectives. When I entered college in my first year, I was told about high paying packages of corporate law firms but I was also told about the prevalence of a strong entrepreneurship culture. I was told about seniors like Tanuj Kalia, Ramanuj Mukherjee, Jay Sayta, Om Agarwal etc who took the road less taken, pursued their interest and made it big.

    In fact, in my second year when I came up with the idea of ODRways, it was Om Agarwal, presently the founder of EazyCoach, who encouraged me to attend a startup event at IIM Kolkata, where I eventually met my co-founder, Vikram Kumar, and started my startup journey. I also had the good fortune to find mentors like Professor Vaneeta Patnaik and Hon’ble Justice Protik Prokash Banerjee who have been a constant support system on every step of this journey. Another advantage about NUJS is the freedom it provides. The academics are not extremely heavy and one gets the time to discover and pursue new interests and hobbies.

    Lastly and most importantly, the brand of NUJS itself has been extremely helpful. We have got to meet and network with so many influential people just by the virtue of being students of this college. This college has definitely provided me the perfect combination of freedom and resources to pursue my interests.

     

    YOU ARE THE CEO AND CO- FOUNDER OF ODRWAYS. HOW DO YOU BALANCE A START UP WITH A LAW SCHOOL LIFE?

    To be honest, I don’t do a great job of balancing it. To clarify, balancing academics is still doable. The real challenge is to maintain attendance. God, the fear of debarment has been a constant part of my college life. So many times, I have missed classes because of mediations being scheduled in the morning or meetings with the parties. However, I have managed to meet the minimum attendance requirement, primarily because of the supportive teachers and roommates who ensure that I reach the classroom.

    My time management skills aren’t that great too. But the technique which has been really helpful for me has been energy management. One of the biggest misconceptions about productivity is that it’s all about time management. The difference has to do with our energy and enthusiasm rather than the amount of time we have. A high state of energy while working not only improves the quality of work but also gets more done in lesser time. Some of the practices which I have imbibed in my daily routine to manage my energy well has been meditation and exercise. It helps in maintaining calm, bumping up the productivity significantly and increasing satisfaction in the work.

    And lastly, one needs to have a clear ‘why’ about pursuing something. I needed clarity in my head about why I am prioritising my start-up and not focusing on academics or co-curricular such as moot courts or debates. I have never interned since my second year but I have always had the clarity about what I want to do.

    I absolutely love the process of mediation. I strongly believe that if the power of mediation is combined with the magic of technology, it can do wonders for the state of access to justice in India. Presently, ODRways has 80 mediators in 22 cities across India. We have dealt with more than 700 disputes in the last year, ranging from small consumer disputes to 400 crore worth mining matters. The Union Ministry of Law and Justice has also recognised us in the list of top twelve ADR centers across India to help cut governmental litigation. The journey has been challenging till now but it has definitely been a worthwhile cause to work for.

    With that clarity in mind and persistence, it is not difficult to figure out a way to balance these two things and make it work.

     

    YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE JAMS INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE WORLD. WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE SAME?

    The JAMS fellowship is an extremely interesting opportunity for people specialising in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. It is annually awarded to ten to fifteen experts in the field of ADR from around the world. Inaugurated in 2008, the purpose of the fellowship is to provide opportunities for qualified individuals from outside the United States to study dispute resolution processes and practices in the U.S. to assist them in their efforts to advance the resolution of disputes in their home countries. The JAMS Foundation approves Fellowships of up to $20,000 in support of projects outlined by fellowship applicants. The Program is intended for individuals who have demonstrated experience with and commitment to the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and who seek to increase the availability of dispute resolution education, training and services in their own countries and beyond.

    Till now, India has produce four JAMS fellows which includes former Justice M.L Mehta, Delhi High Court, former Justice Kannan, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chitra Narayan, former Partner of Jyoti Sagar Associates (JSA), Laila Ollapally, Founder of Center of Advanced Mediation Practice (CAMP), Bangalore.

    The application process is extremely comprehensive with deadline of proposal submission being in mid-September. One needs to submit a proposal explaining their experience in the field of ADR and what they intend to do with the fellowship money. Basis that proposal, candidates are shortlisted for the interview, which takes place in March. In my proposal, I primarily focused on the work my tech-mediation startup has done and how if I need to make it better, it is imperative that I strengthen my mediation skill-set as well as my business management skills. Therefore, I proposed that as a part of the fellowship, I intend on attending mediation training courses at Harvard Law School and shadow mediation at JAMS Mediation Center, and also do executive courses in Business Management at Stanford Graduate Business School and attend Business Development Program at Silicon Valley. On the basis of my proposal and dispute resolution experience, they shortlisted me for the interview stage. It was an early morning Skype interview with a panel of five members from JAMS. It was a half an hour interview where the discussion was strictly restricted to my proposal.

    The results were released in a week and with some good luck in hand, my proposal got approved and I became the youngest recipient of this Fellowship. The entrepreneurship programme at the Silicon Valley and the dispute resolution experience of JAMS will provide me with a holistic skills-set and benefit me in improving the services of my mediation center in India. I am looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.

     

    WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON MEDIATION IN CRIMINAL CASES?

    This is one of the most controversial debates in the mediation circle and I can take a book to answer this question. But, in my opinion, mediation is possible in criminal cases to a certain extent.

    Firstly, section 320 of CrPC allows cases, which are considered less serious criminal offences, to be compoundable in nature. This means they can be settled outside the court with the help of a mediator provided there is consent from both the offender and the victim. Some examples being adultery, causing hurt, defamation, criminal trespass, dishonor of cheques etc.

    For serious cases, it depends heavily on the nature of circumstances. I do not subscribe to the hard line stance that there should be no scope of mediation in serious crimes and the whole matter should be entirely handled by state criminal processes. The process of mediation is often used in criminal cases abroad. According to the Centre for Justice & Reconciliation in the US, there are around 400 Victim-Offender (VO) mediation programmes running in the US and Europe for criminal cases.

    In a VO mediation, it is a pre-requisite for a mediator to ensure that both parties are psychologically capable of making the mediation a constructive experience, that the victim will not be further harmed by the meeting with the offender, and that both understand that participation is voluntary. The parties then meet to identify the injustice, rectify the harm (to make things right or restore equity), and to establish payment/monitoring schedules. Both parties present their version of the events leading up to and the circumstances surrounding the crime. The victim has a chance to speak about the personal dimensions of victimization and loss, while the offender has a chance to express remorse and to explain circumstances surrounding his/her behavior. Then the parties agree on the particular nature and extent of the harm caused by the crime in order to identify the acts necessary to repair the injury to the victim. The terms of the agreed reparation (e.g., restitution, in-kind services, etc.) are reduced to writing, along with payment and monitoring schedules.

    Studies have concluded that these mediation programmes in criminal disputes have high client satisfaction rates, victim participation rates, restitution completion rates, and have resulted in reduced fear among victims and reduced criminal behaviour by offenders.

    Considering the heavy social stratification and unequal bargaining power present in our society, it is needless to say that implementing a V-O mediation programme will be extremely challenging in India. But taking lessons from other countries, it is still possible to implement an effective Victim-Offender (VO) mediation programmes for criminal disputes in India.

     

    PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE MEDIATION COURSE UNDER THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE COURSE TO OTHER LAW STUDENTS AIMING A CAREER IN ADR?

    In 2016, I completed the commercial mediation training programme at Bangalore from Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) under Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The 40-hour training course gives a comprehensive insight and understanding of the mediation practice in India. It has an added benefit of being one of the first government certified mediation training courses in India which can be a brownie point for one’s resume. The faculty includes some leading mediators from India such as Anuroop Omkar, Kritika Krishna Murthy, Dr. Vijay Kumar Singh and usually has some professionals from abroad too.

    The 40-hour training courses are not the end all of learning the skills of mediation. In fact, it is impossible to learn the art of mediation from a five day training programme. These mediation training programmes provides you an exposure and insight to this new field of dispute resolution. It doesn’t make you an expert. Some of the very senior mediators in India have done around 30 mediation training programmes and they still keep attending more. The art of reframing, using metaphors and analogies, active listening etc is something which comes mainly only from practicing and observing mediations. Needless to say, these courses are expensive ranging from 30k-50k.

    So, rather than jumping for a professional mediation training course directly, I would recommend to find out more about this field of dispute resolution. There are some excellent resources available on the internet such as MediatorsAcademy, Mediate.com, Harvard PON Blog etc to find out whether you are interested in this field or not. Afterwards, it makes sense to go for a professional mediator certification.

     

    DO YOU THINK THAT MEDIATION AS A MEANS OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN INDIA CONSIDERING MOST CASES START WITH MEDIATION FOLLOWED BY ARBITRATION AND FINALLY END UP IN COURTS?

    Unfortunately, most cases don’t start with mediation in India. In fact, 54 percent of the population in India is not even aware of the existence of mediation services. They often confuse it with medita’t’ion or think it is the same as arbitration.

    Mediation, unlike arbitration or the system of courts, has the highest party autonomy. Parties decide what they want. The mediator is not like a judge or an arbitrator. He cannot pass an award or a judgment. His job is to ensure both parties have an effective dialogue, they move away from their adversarial positions and underlying interests are figured out. Mediation as a dispute resolution gives parties the maximum control over the procedure and the outcome. Even after 20 mediation sessions, if the parties are not happy with the way the conversation is going, they can withdraw from the process. The nature of mediation is that it is completely voluntary in nature. When parties settle in mediation, they settle for life. There is no winner or loser in mediation, it is a collaborative process where you find a common ground, which is suitable for both parties. There is no loser in this process who will challenge or appeal in a higher forum, unlike arbitration or litigation. It is one of the most beautiful methods of dispute resolution, which ensures highest party satisfaction.

    Unfortunately, we do not have a strong culture of private mediation in India. People don’t approach mediation centers on their own when they have a dispute. Their lawyers don’t recommend it either. The misconception that mediation is not a very ‘legal’ way of resolving a dispute or it is not suitable for complicated matters affects the usage of mediation in the public. We need to understand that mediation is worldwide recognised as a better method of resolving civil disputes. 95 percent of the top 1000 U.S fortune companies prefer mediation to arbitration/litigation. From Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani-Mukesh Ambani dispute to Amarchand – Mangaldas split-off to the recent Raymond family dispute, they have been resolved through the process of mediation. In order to tackle these misconceptions and mindset issues, we recently organised a pan-India mediation awareness campaign in fifteen cities across the country. It was called the Indian Mediation Week and was supported by Government of India and Supreme Court Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC). In two months, 126 mediation awareness drives were conducted with more than 250 student volunteers working in ten cities across India and sensitising over ten thousand people by encouraging them to adopt mediation as a method of dispute resolution.

    Mediation needs to be a first response to a dispute. When you are caught in a conflict, you need a professional neutral that can facilitate communication. You need to call a mediator first. You need immediate ego-destabilisation. The adversarial processes of courts or arbitration can make the relationship worse and turn it into ego battle, where you don’t really win even if you win the case.

    Also, mediation has recently garnered some ground and shown its success as an effective method of dispute resolution in India, with Bangalore and Delhi leading the movement. Bangalore mediation center (BMC) is known to have a resolution rate of 65 percent with one case taking an average of 126 minutes. Mediation centers in Delhi such as Samadhan, Delhi Dispute Resolution Society (DDRS) etc. have shown a settlement rate of 75 percent. The Government of India, in furtherance of the PM Modi’s agenda of improving the ease of doing business rank, is taking active steps to promote mediation. In August 2017, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice released a list of twelve ADR centers across India, which will help government departments in resolving disputes since government is the biggest litigant in India. ODRways is also getting the honor of being recognized in this list by the Government. They have also passed an ordinance on 3rd May, 2018, making pre-litigation mediation mandatory for certain commercial disputes. These developments can give a huge boost to the mediation culture of India.

     

    YOU ARE ALSO A PRACTICING MEDIATOR WITH AN ONLINE MEDIATION PLATFORM. WHAT IS THE SKILL SET REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY MEDIATE A DISPUTE?

    From all the mediations I have coordinated through my platform, I realised that there are many skills, which a good mediator needs ranging from active listening, empathy, subject matter expertise etc. But in order to be a successful mediator in India specifically, I would like to emphasise on two important skills:

    • The Art of Reframing: Reframing means changing the frame of the mind of the party. Parties to a dispute come to us in a lot of stress. They are suffering emotionally, physically and financially. It is the burden of the mediator to bring a change in mindset of the litigant. To make the parties focus more on solutions than the problem. To make the parties value their relationships. To make the parties look at the dispute as a journey or an opportunity to grow rather than a war to win. Reframing is the essence of mediation. In order to reframe well, one needs to develop a strong command over the language, using metaphors and analogies effectively, storytelling etc.
    • The art of marketing yourself: Aled Davis, Founder of MediatorsAcademy, hits the chord, when he says that mediators are not terribly good at marketing themselves because they are generally a humble bunch of professionals who like to remain in the shadows and not make a fuss or song and dance. Marketing is the core of any business, without it the chances of you succeeding are next to nothing. We need to acknowledge the importance of marketing and learn from some of techniques as suggested by him. One that really stuck with me was that while advocating for mediation, we often focus on confidentiality, impartiality, flexibility of the process etc. Parties don’t care about these attribute or that it’s an informal process or that you’ve been mediating for ten years or that you have done N mediation training programme. They want to know that the issue can be concluded in 24hrs rather than six or twelve months of litigation. They want to know that they can protect their public reputation. They want to have certainty over the cost of reaching resolution. In order to convert the enquiries into cases, focus your marketing messages around your client’s biggest needs, fears or pains.

     

    WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

    No one knows if it’s going to work out for you.

    You don’t know what the outcome is going to be of all your effort. Therefore, it’s extremely important to enjoy what you are doing as you are going along. Rejection is okay if you are still enjoying everything BEFORE the final “no”.

    Enjoy the journey, and stop worrying so much about the destination.

     

     

  • Aditya Singh, Founder and Chairman, Alexis Group, on founding Alexis Group, Indian Law Conclave and opportunities for law students

    Aditya is founder and chairman of the Alexis group. He has completed his Master of Science in International Management with Merit from the Department of Strategy and Organisation, and Gold Level Certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Hunter Centre of Enterprise, Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He also served as the President of Bharat Sansthan (India Society) at the university in the year 2014-15.

    He is a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) majoring in Finance and Marketing from the University of Delhi. He has also served as a Teach for India Fellow to eliminate education inequity in India.

    Aditya has also been recognised as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and as a Changemaker by the Global Action on Poverty. He was selected as a Hesselbein Fellow by the University of Pittsburgh, USA in recognition of his exemplary leadership and civic engagement skills and as a Prerna Fellow by the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, one of India’s top b-school in recognition of his exemplary leadership and entrepreneurial skills. He was also conferred the Fellow of CMS Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and community service.

    He has represented India at various International events including prestigious International Youth Forum Seliger organised by Federal Agency on Youth Affairs, Russian Federation and International Youth Forum Mauritius by Konectenu.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • Success of Alexis Group
    • His experience representing India at various International Forums
    • His experience as a TEDx speaker
    • Being a recipient of various Fellowships

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I am an intuitive and inquisitive person with a blend of entrepreneurial mindset. I love to interact with people, discuss ideas, build institutions, and get things done. On professional front, I am a qualified management consultant with specialisation in strategy, marketing, and policy.

    Furthermore, I adore public speaking and speak on wide range of subjects such as Education, Leadership, Civic Engagement, Development, Entrepreneurship, Excellence, Ethics & Values, Right to Information, Research Methodology, Public Accountability, Cross Cultural Communication, Youth Empowerment, Public Policy, Law, and Politics.

     

    PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND COLLEGE LIFE?

    I grew up in campuses of NDUAT Kumarganj, Faizabad and IIM Lucknow as my parents are Professors. I studied at DAV Public School in Faizabad and City Montessori School, Aliganj in Lucknow. Both the schools provided me a very strong foundation of ethics and values and emphasised on the importance of human and divine education along with material education. Overall, I had a very eventful childhood filled with wonderful peers and teachers. I participated in various games, sports, activities and events both in school and campus.

    I pursued Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Ramanujan College, University of Delhi. My undergraduate academic experience was very enriching and I have enjoyed every part of it. It enabled me to become an independent person, interact with diverse set of people, understand multiple perspectives, think out of box and widen my horizon. Alongside with my studies, I was also involved with the National Service Scheme throughout the three years of college.

    Later, I pursued MSc in International Management from University of Strathclyde, UK. My postgraduate learning experience was more about reflective learning, learning from peers and putting critical thinking into action in different projects taken by me. Studying with peers from 25 nationalities was indeed a great learning experience. International Management also taught me a lot about people, culture, leadership and diversity apart from different functional areas of management such as Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy with the International component in all of them.

     

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START THE ALEXIS GROUP? WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED AND WHAT IS YET TO BE ACHIEVED?

    I wanted to create a global youth empowerment platform and develop a pool of young leaders who are passionate about inclusive development, sustainability, and giving back to the society by creating new opportunities and disrupting vicious cycle of poverty.

    I believe envisioning and incorporating an organisation was an easy task (though it seemed very difficult at seventeen). However, aligning my personal and organisational goals, recruiting and managing people, sustaining the organisation, staying true to the vision and creating sustainable positive impact are some challenges faced by me in past and present times too.

    Our motto is Passion for Excellence and remaining true to it, our nine year journey has been a roller-coaster ride. I feel that we have made significant progress in various work areas and empowered several young leaders. However, we still have a long way to go in fulfilling our vision. The journey has just started and I look forward to collaborate with young people from around the world to fulfil this shared vision.

     

    WHAT ARE THE WORK AREAS THAT ALEXIS GROUP FOCUSED ON?

    Broadly, our work can be divided into Advocacy, Awareness, Consultancy, Education, Events, and Research.

    Our focus areas include Agriculture, Economics, Education, Governance, Healthcare, Human Rights, Technology, Law, Management, Public Policy, Rural Development, Strategy, Women and Youth Empowerment.

    PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE REPRESENTING INDIA AT VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL FORUMS.

    I have represented India at International Youth Forum Seliger Russia, International Youth Forum Mauritius, Global Business Studies Programme at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Hesselbein Global Leadership Academy, University of Pittsburgh, USA and Shape South Asia Conference in Dhaka.

    It has truly been an incredible experience. I have always tried to be an energetic ambassador of India by showcasing our rich Culture and Heritage around the world. Travel and experiencing diversity have really widened my thought process and horizon. This has also enabled me to become more conscious about my choices and decisions.

     

    WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR A LAW STUDENT AT ALEXIS GROUP?

    Historically, our leadership team has had 80% people from law background. However, now we have a diverse mix of people from management, technology and law in our leadership team.

    Throughout the year, we advertise various leadership and internship opportunities in the following work areas: awareness, research, education, and events. Furthermore, around 60% of our interns come from Law schools. Over 1000+ law students have interned with us in past nine years.

     

    HOW CAN A LAW STUDENT APPLY FOR INTERNSHIP AT ALEXIS GROUP?

    A law student can fill our Common Application Form available on the Careers page of Alexis Group website: www.alexis.in

    Additionally, they can send their CV to careers@alexis.co.in

    If they have already done some preliminary research and wish to work with a particular member organisation, they can mail their CV directly to the respective member organisation on its official email ID.

     

    PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE INDIAN LAW CONCLAVE. HOW CAN LAW STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THIS?

    Indian Law Conclave is a three day National Conference organised by Adhrit Foundation, INY Foundation and Model Governance Foundation at International Youth Hostel, New Delhi from 29th June – 1st July 2018.

    The Conclave will have delegates from all over India who will engage in three days of rigorous learning, reflection and sharing of knowledge, skills, experiences, and perspectives. Focus areas of the Conclave would be Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism, Constitutional Law, Corporate Law, Cyber Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law, and Maritime Law.

    The Conclave will have both Formal and Informal events. Formal events include Keynote Presentations, Paper Presentation Competition, and Group Discussions. Informal events include Open Forum, Cultural Night and Ethnic Fashion Show, Life Mapping Exercise, Dance and Music performances. Workshops and Mini Bootcamps on Entrepreneurship, Governance, Leadership, Public Policy, Research Methodology, Self-Management, and Social Media will be also conducted during the Conclave.

    Students can participate by applying on the following website: www.indianlawconclave.com/registration.html

     

    YOU HAVE ALSO FOUNDED INDIA LAW FORUM. PLEASE SHARE YOUR VISION FOR THIS FORUM.

    India Law Forum is a community for lawyers and law students committed to empower people through legal aid, legal awareness, and legal education. A concept mind map is available on www.indialawforum.com

    The forum will be formally launched on 29th June, 2018 at Indian Law Conclave in New Delhi. As of now, I am interviewing the potential candidates for leadership positions at the Forum.

     

    YOU ARE THE RECIPIENT OF VARIOUS FELLOWSHIPS. COULD YOU SHARE SOME DETAILS FOR OUR READERS?

    I have received four fellowships:

    Hesselbein Fellowship (2013) – This fellowship is awarded by Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at University of Pittsburgh, USA. Every year, it selects 50 top student leaders from across the world and mentors them to be effective, ethical, and innovative leaders at its Annual Summit.

    Prerna Fellowship (2013) – This fellowship is offered by IIM Lucknow to Top 20 Entrepreneurs every year. It includes an award and 3 day mentorship programme by IIML Faculty and Industry experts.

    Fellow of CMS (2013) – This fellowship is awarded to distinguished alumni of City Montessori School Lucknow who have excelled in their respective fields.

    GAP Changemaker (2017) – This fellowship is awarded by Global Action on Poverty to Changemakers for their ideas and initiatives to eradicate poverty.

     

    RECENTLY YOU SPOKE AT A TEDX EVENT. WHAT WAS YOUR TALK ABOUT?

    My talk was about Demystifying Collaboration. I shared my learning and experiences of working in the development sector for last ten years. Furthermore, I suggested tools and approaches for making the process of collaboration easy and impactful.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO OUR READERS INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER IN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR?

    A career in the development sector is both challenging and fulfilling. It provides you an opportunity to bring social and cultural shifts, create positive impact in lives of large number of people and work for sustainable and inclusive development.

    You must be both mentally and physically prepared before you take the plunge, but once you start your journey, there should be no looking back. On the journey, be comfortable with uncertainties because you will have to improvise and reinvent yourself again and again.

     

     

  • Siddharth Acharya, Independent Counsel, on challenges of litigation, planning internships, and directing documentaries

    Siddharth Acharya, Independent Counsel, on challenges of litigation, planning internships, and directing documentaries

    Siddharth Acharya graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai in 2014. After a very brief stint at Oasis Council & Advisory and Khaitan Legal Associates, started his own independent practice before Supreme Court of India & High Courts and various forums like the National Company Law Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and Securities Appellate Tribunal.

    In this Interview, we speak to him about

    • His formative days as a transactional lawyer;
    • His transition from a transaction lawyer to a litigator;
    • His fondness for directing films and his documentary “The Abandoned Cranes” which received attention across the globe and
    • His inclination towards working for think-tanks on various public policy related works.

     

     

    HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    Rather than calling myself as a Super-Lawyer, I will introduce myself as an independent practising super-struggling lawyer who is out there to carve a niche for himself in the Meccah of litigation which is New Delhi. I am in process of building my practice brick to brick here and intend to become Advocate on Record in future. I take up consumer matters pertaining to Insurance and company matters pertaining to Insolvency and Bankruptcy as I personally believe consumer forum and National Company Law Tribunal are the best places where you shall start arguing and it is quite heartening to see how encouraging Judges these days encourage you to speak in court. It is an organic process and takes time but yes I am out there to work hard and learn something daily.

     

    TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRE COLLEGE LIFE. WHAT MADE YOU DESCEND TOWARDS LAW?

    I was an above average student of Bikaner Boys School. During my school days I had keen interest in quizzing, cricket and debates. I was not a rank holder in my class but I use to get decent grades and use to secure highest marks in History and Political Science. My other interest was the theatre which I used to pursue in my school and read novels and plays of Shakespeare, Munshi Premchand, Anton Chekov, Fyder Dostoevsky and George Bernard Shaw. My great-grandfather was a District Court Magistrate and a prestigious senior lawyer in Bikaner. I still have fond memories of seeing him in the profession. He was a voracious reader and had garnered a lot of respect in the legal fraternity of Bikaner. He used to do a lot of pro-bono work and his stature and prestige stayed in my sub-conscious and has a lot of impact on me even till now. Law as a profession did not come to me as a natural choice, I was clueless and confused after my school on what to pursue. I secured admission in reputed Biotechnology College in South and Agriculture University and wanted to prepare for Civil Services but back in 2009 CLAT was gaining a lot of popularity among the youth in my hometown. My cousin ended up securing job in her campus placement in SEBI after finishing her education from National Law School, Jodhpur and suddenly word of mouth spread in the family that if you wish to have a successful professional life and end up in a dignified post after your graduation then it is the best time to pursue law.

     

    WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR, OR MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION WHO MOTIVATED YOU ALL ALONG THE WAY?

    There are various people who have motivated me in the journey. My initial mentor was Mr. Dinesh Shripat who is my uncle and he had persuaded me to take up law as a career. After I finished graduation, I started working with Mr. Haresh Jagtian in Mumbai. His flamboyance, articulation, magnanimity and charisma is infectious. I really consider him as an institution and one can learn a lot from him be it law or life. His understanding about subjects like Jurisprudence, Evidence and Constitution is exceptional and I was fortunate to have been associated with him directly on PIL which he had filed against the State of Maharashtra on criminalising possession of beef. I got to work with various legal and constitutional jargons of Bombay High Court Bar including likes of Aspi Chenoy and Navroz Seerwai.

    Another person from whom I garner a lot of inspiration is Mr. Sharan Jagtiani and Mr. Somasekhar Sundaresan, both of them are among the most sought after counsels in the fraternity. At their age, if I achieve even a fraction of their accomplishment, I would consider myself successful. Mr. Sakate Khaitan, Managing Partner of Khaitan Legal Associates and Mr.Yogesh Chande from Shardul Aamarchand also have a strong influence on me professionally.

     

    HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AT GLC, MUMBAI? WHAT WERE YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST IN THE LAW? DID YOU ENGAGE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WHILE IN COLLEGE?

    GLC taught me to be independent and courageous. I was a young naive boy who was going through everyday cultural shock as the transition from a small place like Bikaner was a bit painful to go through. I got to intern with various law firms like Junnarkar Associates, AZB and Partners, J Sagar Associates, Luthra to name a few. I found the firm environment extremely challenging and intimidating and to be honest did not really enjoyed it. Coming from a small place and fear of survival mounting on my head in a super-expensive city like Mumbai, I did not have the courage to take up litigation immediately after graduation so reluctantly I decided to join the firm.

    My area of interest was Investment Laws especially Securities as I had obtained post graduation diploma also in it but what really intrigued me was Constitutional Law. I started watching ShyamBenegal’s series Samvidhan on YouTube which covers the constitutional debates that took place in Constituent Assembly before India became Republic in 1950. My love for politics helped me to understand the contemporary political problems of this country along-with nuances and intricacies involved in the drafting of the most sacrosanct document of the nation. The upheaval and challenges which founding fathers of the Constitution must have had gone through. Understanding the entire process made me aware about the importance and indispensability of Constitution to run such a diverse and pluralistic democracy.

    I was engaged in extra-curricular activities like Model United Nations and authored a paper those days on problems faced by Muslim women in India. I also did Moot Courts and Model United Nations. But what I liked doing the most was debates.

     

    DURING YOUR LAW SCHOOL YOU HAD DIRECTED VARIOUS SHORT FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES ONE OF THEM WAS THE ABANDONED CRANES WHICH RECEIVED ATTENTION ACROSS THE GLOBE. COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY AND YOUR CHALLENGES WHILE PREPARING THE SHORT FILM?

    (Siddharth’s documentary The Abandoned Cranesgot screened at the House of Commons and was screened at Brussels in European Union Headquarters. He has addressed the British Parliament and French Parliament on the socio-economic concerns that hound the Kashmiri Pundits. )

    The Abandoned Cranes was a subject which I would say I had lived with for many years before making it. It was a 52 minute comprehensive documentary film based on Jammu and Kashmir conflict. It was an earnest attempt to sneak into the genesis of political problems in the state of Jammu and Kashmir after the rigged elections that happened in the state in 1986. I also traced reasons on how militancy mushroomed in the state thereafter making Kashmiri Pandits leaving their homeland and also analysing Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act. It took me eight months to complete it and interesting fact remains that I did not inform my parents about the making of film and shooting in Kashmir along-with likes of Yaseen Malik and Bitta Karate (dreadful militants of those times) and other surrendered militants. The film was appreciated at various human rights film festivals and I got an opportunity to speak at House of Commons. I came across various challenges as I had literally risked my final year of law in terms of grades and thereafter my career. From shooting till editing I was a learner myself as I did not come from film-making school but I was so deeply entrenched into it that I could not think of anything else at that time. My parents were apprehensive that this would spoil my career as I was not making it with any commercial interest and had abandoned my regular studies for a while. Finishing documentary itself was an accomplishment and I am really glad that it was appreciated by people all around.

     

    WHAT ARE THE CAUSES YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT?

    I am extremely sensitive towards the plight of people who cannot afford basic medical facilities and health care. The State plays an important role in providing free medical services through health insurance cards but under the guise of schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana of States, people have been cheated and most of the premium released by government is siphoned off by the private hospitals and Bureaucrats. The lackadaisical attitude of Bureaucrats in resolving the issue and being insensitive towards them is something I am willing to take up soon in Court of Law.

    I am also extremely sensitive towards what is happening today in State of Jammu and Kashmir. The youth in Kashmir today feels oppressed, marginalised and victimised and rants anti-India slogans. Due to poverty and various other reasons, youth there feels completely disconnected with rest of India. On a personal level, I have taken an initiative where I have hired a law graduate Suhail Ghanie from Kashmir University as my sub-ordinate and in coming years will be giving internships to Kashmiri youth. If my practice picks up more in coming years then I will be doing the same experiment in naxal affected areas and other troubled areas. The time has come where new generation in conflict areas have to be psychologically integrated with our country. If they get exposure to justice mechanism and get aligned to the mainstream which other youngsters do then only they will be able to subscribe to the idea of unified India.

     

    YOU HAVE DONE SO MANY INTERNSHIPS. PLEASE TELL US HOW FAR DID YOUR INTERNSHIPS DURING LAW SCHOOL HELP YOU IN YOUR CAREER AFTER YOUR GRADUATION? HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE PRESENT LAW STUDENTS PLAN THEIR INTERNSHIPS?

    (Siddharth has interned at the Chambers of Mr. Harish Salve, Senior Advocate, Luthra and Luthra (Law Offices), J. Sagar Associates, AZB & Partners, Anand and Anand, Crawford & Bayley Co and various other places.)

    Numerous internships actually helped me to analyse myself. It helped me to understand my mettle as a lawyer. What I am suited for and what I am not suited for? Like for an example during my stint in J Sagar and AZB, I realised I can’t become a good transaction lawyer. Those internships and small conversations with accomplished legal luminaries helped me to unleash my own calibre and understand that everyone here is gifted with some ability or the other. Like I remember this encouraging conversation coming from a Senior Partner of a reputed law firm, where he said these words “Every law firm intern wants to take up a corporate job and gets disappointed thinking he does not deserve it. We hire people not only considering the merits but also deeply pondering on the entire thought process of the candidate as to whether he or she will able to acclimatise to the working environment of the firm. We tend to not imbibe free thinkers in the firm. That does not mean we don’t like the candidate or we feel they are good for nothing. Someone who has it in him or her will definitely find the path and next five to seven years decide whether you have it in you or not.”

    Also your internships dismantle various myths and pre-conceived notions legal career and teach basic jobs like filing, co-ordinating with court-clerk, adapting to the chaotic phases in the litigation. In the process, you learn to value everyone working around you. What it teaches you the most is discipline and if you get the right mentor then there is no stopping for you.

    I would suggest law students to try their hands in various fields in initial years so as to understand and grasp the nitty-gritty of various things and analyse your potential. It will help discovering themselves.

     

    HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE NLU AND NON- NLU DIVIDE? DO YOU THINK IT IS A CONSIDERATION FOR EMPLOYERS?

    It is quite unfortunate that it exists in the fraternity and it is a harsh reality. I am an ardent supporter of non-NLUs as during my own college days, I was a victim of this class divide. Like I remember interning in a premier law firm, the Partner of the firm always use to encourage and delegate work to associates from a specific university where he had passed out from. I am not saying this exists everywhere but employers do prefer N schools and there is a clear bourgeoisie-proletariat kind of divide and they are ruling the roost in firm recruitment. N-school graduates do have an advantage in terms of placement and recruitment but ultimately it is non N-school candidates who emerge more successful in the long run as the vision of N-school alumni do not go beyond campuses and big corporate towers.

     

    HOW DID YOU SECURE YOUR FIRST JOB? HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK A HIGH CGPA IS FOR RECRUITERS?

    All thanks and regards to Mr.Haresh Jagtiani who had given me a chance in his law firm.

    Recruiters and HR in our country feel CGPA is the most sacrosanct thing in a student’s life, securing important CGPA is very important as it shows how diligent and focused a student is.

     

    WHY DID YOU MAKE A TRANSITION AFTER WORKING AT CORPORATE FIRMS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN LITIGATION?

    I would say circumstances got me into private practice as neither I come from an established legal background nor I am a local Delhi boy or Bombay boy. My fate offered me the opportunity and I could not succumb to the temptation. Litigation and arguing in court gives me more thrill than sitting and working for hours on a long draft and activist bent of mind helps you in litigation more than corporate.

     

    WHAT WERE THE STRUGGLES THAT YOU FACED AS AN INDEPENDENT COUNSEL?

    I am facing struggles on a daily basis as most clients do not tend to take you seriously when you are in your twenties. You get to do matters which have small stakes and the appeals which you receive from lower courts and commissions and has already been decided against your clients. These matters are called ventilator matters and they make you an expert at condoling people. But honestly, no fat cheque can match the happiness which you get after a favourable order in the court of law.

     

    WHAT INCLINED YOU TOWARDS PROPOSING, DRAFTING, FRAMING AND SUGGESTING ON VARIOUS PUBLIC POLICY RELATED WORKS FOR THINK TANKS AFFILIATED TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA?

    (Siddharth has worked on various policy related work pertaining to Life Insurance and General Insurance and regularly gives legal inputs to the Department of Financial Services, Finance Ministry and Health Ministry on National Health Protection Policy.)

    What really made me inclined towards public policy was an unfavourable order I got from Chief Justice K.M. Joseph of Uttarakhand High Court. This was a PIL filed in September, 2016 where I had brought irregularities to the notice of the Court about how tender processes are rigged in the health sector and beneficiaries of healthcare schemes are not getting benefitted at all due to poor claim settlement ratio thanks to private hospitals. Uttarakahand at that time did not have any tertiary level treatment hospital which could cater heart transplant and cure for serious diseases. I realised it was the time to take a plunge to counter the nexus between bureaucrats, politicians and businessman who will destroy the healthcare system of the country. Healthcare being dormant yet important sector is the pillar of modern India. If the system fails to provide it to the needy then what is the difference between India and a remote third world country in Africa.

     

    WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF TEN YEARS FROM NOW?

    Honestly speaking I am not that foresighted, I intend to do in what comes to me and rise gradually. I would like to be known as an upcoming lawyer in constitutional courts seeing myself arguing on various constitutional matters.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PARTING WORDS TO OUR READERS, WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY LAW STUDENTS AND YOUNG LAWYERS?

    Have faith in yourself and keep going. There will be moments of highs and lows in your professional career. Stop comparing yourself with your contemporaries or taking a keen interest in their monthly earning and packages and keep experimenting.

     

     

  • Tapasya Parihar, AIR 23, UPSC, shares her experience and advice on cracking the Civil Services Exam

    Tapasya Parihar is a graduate of ILS Law College, Pune in the Batch of 2015. After graduating from one of the most premier law schools in the country, she decided to pursue a career in Civil Services. She shares her valuable insights with our readers on her experience with the UPSC  along with advice on how to crack the toughest exam in the world.

    In this interview, we talk to her about:

    • Her reasons for choosing law
    • Advantages of having law background in CSE
    • Her advice for our readers on cracking the CSE.

     

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?

    I hail from a small village in Madhya Pradesh. My father is a farmer and my mother is the Sarpanch of the village. I did my schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya Narsingpur. Thereafter, I did my graduation in Law from ILS Law College, Pune.

     

    PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRE-COLLEGE LIFE. DID YOU ALWAYS PLAN ON PURSUING CIVIL SERVICES?

    I decided to pursue civil services after I got my 12th board exam results. I had got a good rank in the merit list and that is when I decided that I would prepare for UPSC CSE.

     

    HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE LAW?

    My stream was science in twelfth std., but I didn’t want to go for engineering. Moreover, one needs to be a graduate to appear for the CSE. Therefore, I chose law keeping in mind my long-term goal of joining civil service, as I believed the study of law would facilitate better administration.

     

    WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BACKGROUND IN LAW HELPED YOU IN PREPARING FOR CIVIL SERVICES?

    Yes, it definitely did. Basically, there is an overlap between the law syllabus and the GS subjects. Also, understanding of law helped me understand the newspaper articles better, especially the polity related issues and international affairs. Moreover, a study in law develops a different attitude, which makes a person more aware of the Constitution, rights and duties of the people and various other social issues, which come in handy during the preparation for civil services.

     

    WHEN DID YOU START PREPARING FOR CIVIL SERVICES?

    I started preparing immediately after finishing law school, i.e., in 2015.

     

    HOW DID YOU START PREPARING FOR THE CIVIL SERVICES EXAM? DO YOU THINK COACHING IS A PREREQUISITE TO CRACK THIS EXAM?

    I came to Delhi to prepare for the exam and I joined a coaching class therefor. However, I would not say that coaching is a prerequisite to clear this exam. It actually depends on the person and his/her level of understanding of the basic subjects. And after having a bad experience with the coaching class, I would suggest the aspirant to go for self-study, as the reading material required to study for this exam includes NCERT books and graduation level reference books, which need not be taught in any class.

     

    WHAT WAS THE ROUTINE YOU FOLLOWED EVERYDAY THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF YOUR PREPARATION?

    My everyday plan was part of a bigger plan wherein I had divided the syllabus into different subjects, which were to be completed in a certain number of days. Then, every day I would make a to-do list of all the topics to be covered from that particular subject on that day. Also, to study effectively, I had divided my day into different sessions of 45 minutes each with a break of eight minutes. This I did with the help of an application that has the Pomodoro Clock (I used the Goodtime app, but many more apps like this are available on Google Play Store).

     

    WHAT WAS YOUR STUDY PATTERN, THE MODE OF STUDY (ONLINE, OFFLINE ETC.,) PLEASE MENTION SOME OF THE BOOKS YOU REFERRED TO AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING FOR EACH STAGE OF THE EXAM?

    My study pattern was a mix of both. Some topics I did from the NCERT books and the reference books, the remaining I did from various online sources which include online portals like www.insightsonindia.com, www.iasbaba.com and www.mrunal.org

    Some of the books I referred are as follows:

    • Polity- NCERT (std XI and XII), Laxmikanth and books by Shubhra Ranjan on model questions and answers
    • Geography- NCERT (std XI and XII), GC Leong and Atlas for maps
    • Modern Indian History – NCERT by Bipan Chandra and Spectrum publication’s book
    • Ancient and medieval history- book by NIOS and Tamil Nadu State board book
    • Art and Culture- Nitin Singhania
    • Environment and ecology- Shankar IAS
    • Economy- Vision IAS notes and Ramesh Singh
    • Science and technology- book by Vajiram and Ravi
    • Current affairs- newspaper, monthly current affairs booklets by Vajiram and by Vision and PT365 by vision and revision modules by insightsonindia
    • Security issues – vision notes
    • Social issues- Internet
    • International affairs- monthly current affairs booklets
    • World history – vision IAS notes

    Now, the exam has three stages, which need different approaches.

    • The preliminary examination is objective in nature, thus the focus has to be on conceptual clarity and question-solving aptitude. I suggest one must solve two to three test series and revise the test solutions and take the same tests again.
    • Mains need an analytical approach and the ability to interconnect the various aspects of the topic. Here, answer-writing practice is very important, as that is the only way to fetch more marks and secure a good rank. For this, one again needs to join 1- 2 test series. I also suggest writing daily answers, for which the questions are available on insights and iasbaba and various other websites. I suggest the answers to be written in the pattern wherein it contains the introduction, body and conclusion.
    • For the interview, one needs to know oneself well, keeping in mind the DAF and practice speaking the answers in a coherent and logical manner.

     

    WHAT DID YOU DO TO KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED ALL THE TIME DURING THE COURSE OF PREPARATION?

    Motivation is a very important part of this exam, as the time period of this exam itself is long which makes the whole process tiring. I used to motivate myself by writing a diary, talking to my parents, by thinking about my goal and how important it was to keep going, by thinking about my journey and last but not the least, the idea that I didn’t want to regret not giving my best to this exam.

    However, I generally enjoyed the whole process as I was getting to learn so much and I guess due to this, I did not have too many low points in the preparation.

     

    WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PREPARATION THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE CIVIL SERVICES?

    I believe the preparation that is required to clear this exam needs to be according to the syllabus and one needs to have the conceptual clarity and ability to analyze issues from different perspectives. Preparation requires hard work with complete dedication and honesty.

     

    COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE SOME TIPS TO THOSE ASPIRANTS WHO ARE PREPARING FOR THIS EXAM? HOW SHOULD THEY GO ABOUT PREPARING DIFFERENT SUBJECTS LIKE GENERAL AWARENESS, OPTIONAL PAPER OF LAW?

    The first step is to go through the syllabus and the previous years’ question papers. Then, I would suggest that one should watch a few videos of toppers about their strategy and book sources and then make a customised plan keeping in mind her strengths and weaknesses. For every stage of the exam, revision and test series are the most important factors that need to be given equal weight in the plan. Thereafter, the plan needs to be executed properly.

    For general awareness, newspaper reading is a must. I suggest reading the Hindu and the Indian Express daily.

    For the optional paper, I recommend making notes on all the subjects in the syllabus from the books the law graduate refers to in the college. Along with that, notes on legal current affairs also need to be prepared as the questions are generally related to current affairs.

     

     

    WHAT DID YOU DO TO KEEP YOURSELF ABREAST OF ALL DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS? HOW DID YOU STUDY FOR STATIC GENERAL KNOWLEDGE?

    The NCERT books cover the basic static general knowledge. Some parts of the syllabus can be covered by making use of the vast variety of material available online. I followed the websites like www.insightsonindia.com and www.iasbaba.com, which have been very helpful in the entire duration of my preparation. They have various free of cost initiatives to cover the current affairs, which complement the newspaper reading.

     

    PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEW? HOW SHOULD A LAW STUDENT APPROACH THE INTERVIEW FOR THE CIVIL SERVICES EXAM?

    There are three important things to be done to prepare for the interview.

    • Thorough preparation of DAF related questions
    • Revision of basic mains syllabus, current affairs and the graduation subject
    • Mock interviews

    Interview preparation must be focused on the way one structures her answer and presents the same.

     

    WHAT WOULD BE YOU MESSAGE TO THE LAW STUDENTS WHO WANT TO PURSUE THEIR CAREER IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL SERVICES?

    Be thorough with your optional subject, prepare notes keeping in mind the previous years’ papers and revise accordingly. Work hard with complete honesty and the exam becomes easier to clear. All the best!