Super Lawyer

Category: Interviews

  • Jomol Joy, Associate at Chambers of Geeta Luthra, on experience of Year 1 in litigation

    Jomol Joy, Associate at Chambers of Geeta Luthra, on experience of Year 1 in litigation

    Jomol Joy graduated from NLIU, Bhopal in 2014. Her interest in litigation led her to start her career with practice and is currently an associate at the Chambers of Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra. She has been quite involved in Debating and Mooting as a student. We asked her to share her experiences and strategies she used over the years.

    In this interview she talks about:

    • Her life and journey as a law student
    • Mooting and other co curricular activities
    • Internships during law school
    • A career in litigation practice

     

    What brought you into legal studies? Did you not consider medical or engineering as a career?

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

    Tell us about some of your most interesting internship experiences.

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Jyotika Jain on Judicial Clerkship under Justice S.K. Mishra, Delhi HC

    Jyotika Jain on Judicial Clerkship under Justice S.K. Mishra, Delhi HC

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

    How has your mooting and debating experience been?

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

    What are your future plans?

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

  • Pralika Jain on representing Bollywood celebrities, work at Star India and LL.M in IPR from Georgetown

    Pralika Jain on representing Bollywood celebrities, work at Star India and LL.M in IPR from Georgetown

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

    In this interview Pralika talks about:

    • Work experience at Star and CAA KWAN
    • Choosing Masters over a job
    • Writing an SOP and getting recommendation letters

     

    Most of our readers are law students and young lawyers. How will you introduce yourself to them?

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

    Where do you see yourself five years from now?

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

     

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

    It is a very competitive world out there, so work hard but don’t be too hard on yourself.

  • Sankalp Sharma, Partner at Sankalp Sharma & Associates on How he established an independent practice

    Sankalp Sharma, Partner at Sankalp Sharma & Associates on How he established an independent practice

    Sankalp Sharma graduated from NLIU, Bhopal in 2010. He thereafter joined the Office of Manjit Singh Ahluwalia and then moved on to work with Virender Goswami & Associates. His work at these places spanned a time period of almost 2 years. In June 2012, he started up with Sankalp Sharma and Associates.

    We asked him to share his insights of:

    • Building a career in litigation
    • Building up a firm clientele
    • Challenges of setting up a law firm on one’s own

     

    How did law happen? Did you ever think of alternate career options?

    Law for someone like me, was always the most logical thing to do, the idea was to be someone that is both independent and socially useful. Growing up all that I wanted to be is someone who’s not dependent on others for survival, I guess the idea has stuck and found the basis behind a lot of decisions that I take in life. I believe I was just made for litigation.

     

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    Tell us about your years in law school. Do you believe that excellent CGPA is the key to all success?

    Years in law school can be summarized as the most amazing learning experience both academically, socially, and personally. For a person who comes from a small city, every day spent at the NLIU was absolutely worth it. I took part in almost everything that came my way, be it mooting, client counselling, being part of organization committees of different events organized at the Institute. The idea was rather simple, I wanted to know more and more about different spheres of people in the society, how they function, how do they approach difficulties and these minute observations can only be made when you participate, no matter what event it is, different people that you meet and participate with, each and every one of them will teach you something new. I personally believe mooting definitely made a huge difference. It helped me to learn the skill of penetrative and focused research, structured presentations, anticipation and on the spot witty responses that in a real life court room make a huge difference.

    Whether CGPA is key to all success, the answer is definitely not, however CGPA is for sure key to most of the success. I am yet to find people, out of law school, who have done well for themselves academically and not in professional life. The academic years make the foundation of what you turn out to be later. In whatever little time I have spent in the profession, I can tell you this much, that it does not allow you to rework your basics, you may find people really working hard in professional life and succeeding without having great CGPA’s; however, with same hard work people with good CGPA’s have done wonders. Amongst all the fun and once in lifetime experience at the Institute, we must never forget that the basic reason we are at that place is to learn.

     

    What were your areas of interest during your graduation?

    I fell in love with the constitution, right at the nascent stages of my college life, It was followed by contract, CPC, CrPC, Company Law, Competition law and so forth. The principle that I personally followed with my academic work was to keep it really simple, multiple readings of the bare provision followed by prolonged discussions with professors and my friends. I have found that there is no shortcut to learning, you simply have to study. Participating in events always help and one should do more and more, life post college turns extremely competitive, your participations help you hone your skills, be it speaking, logical thinking and analysis, it also helps you to built connections that help you in later years.

     

    Right after graduation, you joined the Office of Manjit Singh Ahluwalia where you worked for almost one year. How did your appointment take place? Please tell us about your experience working there.

    Mr. Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, is one of the leading advocates practicing in Delhi High Court. I had interned with him during my college years, at the last one, he made me an offer to come and join him, kind of what we call as PPO. Working with him I learnt the basics. The best thing about his office was that he had all sorts of matters, from civil to criminal work at High Court, from arbitrations to hard core trial matters. Personally he is a gem of a person, I would say an amazing defense lawyer, an intriguing legal mind with a knack of just ripping into the opposite side. He gave me a lot of freedom, right from drafting to arguments, and all that he ever said “go ahead and do it, I am right behind you”. The result was, right after passing out from the College, I was independently handling clients, arguing matters. My days with him taught me almost everything that one can possibly learn standing from defense side. He was the one, who taught me the practical fundamentals of independent litigation practice, the difficulties that you face and how to just keep going despite the ups and downs in the profession.

     

    You thereafter left the Office of Manjit Singh Ahluwalia to start working at Virender Goswami & Associates. What led to this shift? How was your experience working there?

    The Shift from Mr Ahluwalia to Mr. Goswami was a planned move. I had worked a lot with Mr Ahluwalia during my internship years as well, and after almost an year I realized that I was getting more and more comfortable, things were getting easier, I have followed a simple formula in life; don’t let yourself get too comfortable, if you are getting comfortable, means that your learning curve is starting to go down. So I decided that it’s time for me to move on, next I wanted to work at an office that has more work from the plaintiff/ prosecution side, I had to learn the art of prosecuting, Mr. Goswami again is one of the leading lawyers at Delhi High Court, I am yet to see any lawyer who is better than him in terms of cross examination of a witness, his was an art that has been learnt from years of practice, at times with him in a cross examination I could see him toying with the witnesses. Even before the cross examinations he would predict the responses to each and every question, the detailed planning and possible tactics were well thought of, the depth and understanding of evidence law that he posses is unmatched, with him I learnt looking at matters differently, more from the perspective of how something gets proved, what facts will make your case and how to put them correctly.

     

    After having worked at Virender Gowami & Associates for one year, you started your independent practice. What prompted you to make this choice and start a law firm?

    I worked with Mr. Goswami for one and a half year, the idea of starting on my own was always on my mind, the plunge was again based on the same fundamental, life getting too comfortable. While working at both the offices, I had already started working on my social contacts, people had started approaching me with small matters, once the number started increasing to a level where I felt I could take the risk of starting on my own, I just went for it.

     

    How did you overcome your initial jitters in a courtroom full of experienced lawyers and judges? Tell us about the highs and lows.

    You never overcome the small amount of nervousness, at least I haven’t , I personally believe that it’s a good thing, it means that you are serious about your job. I was never too overawed by big lawyers and judges, for me they were always people from whom I had to learn, yet maintain my own individuality. My High came in terms of one of the matter that I argued for a socially backward class girl that was thrown out of a school, the matter was greatly argued at the High Court level and ultimately went up to the Supreme Court where it was compromised with school consenting for admission. The low came in terms of a matter in the Supreme Court, The matter was relating to a lady who killed a man trying to rape her, the matter embroiled in a political controversy and resulted in her conviction for life. I tried my best to build a case up In Supreme Court, yet despite my best efforts I could not make a good case.

     

    Did you ever consider a career in the corporate sector? Is it better to work in the corporate sector for a few years before starting litigation?

    I was always inclined towards litigation, I Just loved the feel of court rooms, the big arguments, the entire set up, However, I did my internships on the corporate side as well, just to be sure that I am not made for it. Preferring corporate or litigation is always a personal choice, it is also a personality choice, some of us are simply not made for the rigors of litigation, some of us don’t have the patience to see it though, at times financial reasons don’t allow you to chose litigation as well. Litigation without doubt takes a lot of courage, a little madness, you have to be mentally strong, give up the natural human tendency to go for the comforts of life, money, stability etc. Especially when you know that you too could easily take that route. If you intent to litigate, the early you start the better it is for you, if you enter into corporate world, it makes you comfortable in terms of financial stability, and after that its hard to enter litigation where financial stability is a big question.

     

    Please tell us a bit about “Sankalp Sharma & Associates”. What is a day at work like? Is it easy to have a work-life balance?

    We are a start-up, the idea is to provide professional, honest and comprehensive solutions to legal issues. We are focused in providing legal solutions to our clients that would help them in long term business development as well. Integrity, sincerity and honesty is what we live by. Working at office is based on a simple philosophy of “we do what we say.” The most difficult part is to build up a clientele and fulfil the commitment that we give to our clients. With a start-up your reputation is always tested and is on the line each and every time. The work life balance is obviously not easy to maintain, you have to make schedule and try your best to follow it, at times it works at times it doesn’t and that’s life.

     

    If someone who works with you makes a mistake or an error in an assignment what course of action do you follow as a partner?

    Work culture is simple, be sincere and work hard, in a litigation office, the challenges are never-ending, every matter has its own twist, litigation has nothing predictable, trust me. Mistakes are part and parcel of our lives, all of us make them, and the idea is to learn and not to repeat it again. All that I expect from people who work with me is to give their 100 %, as long as you are doing it, all is fine.

     

    What were the difficulties you faced in the early days of your practice? How difficult would you say it is to build a reputable practice?

    The most difficult part in the early years of practice, especially when you are young is to make your client believe that, though you do not have grey hairs on your head, the grey matter inside is good enough to give the opponents a good run for their money. Initial infrastructure developments, financial managements, building social contacts are obvious difficulties. However, the hidden difficulties that you face is the constant question mark that people around you put up to you about your success, the capacity to keep the fire burning despite a series of bad days, lack of clients and so forth.

    It’s not only about the practice, anything in life that you want to make big, will come with its own baggage of problems, no one will ever say that I became successful in life without going through the problems associated with it. Similarly in practice the problems are many, yet you will always have answers to them, if you are willing to put your heart and soul into it.

    One cannot fix a time frame to build a clientele, for one it’s a continuous process. Secondly it greatly depends on your social contacts and connections with the right people and the hard work that you put in to it. However, in my experience, if you are reasonably active and connected and are working heard and sincere with your work, your practice should start to move in span of two years, a decent clientele would take reasonable 5 to 7 years to build.

     

    What can the law schools do to encourage more people into litigation? Do you think the law school curriculum requires overhaul?

    I personally believe, that no one can encourage you to be in litigation, it is a very personal and introspective choice in life, law schools are not structured to make someone make a certain choice. Moreover, litigation is not merely a profession, it’s how you choose to live your life till the end of days and no law school, no person can make it for you, no one can push you to take it either. It should always be a well thought of decision in life. I don’t think that law school curriculum needs an overhaul, it only needs restructuring. I have a very firm belief that the role of the law school is limited to make a young mind look at the various options he has in life, introduce him to an amazing number of subjects and choice, ,teach him to read law, and thereafter leave him free to make his own path, curriculum etc are very minute things in the bigger picture of life.

     

    Do you take interns? What do you look for in a prospective applicant?

    We do take interns, the procedure is similar to most of the places, you write to us and we respond back with loads of question to see you fit our requirement or not. What we look for is sincerity, hard work and the ‘never say no’ attitude.

     

    What would be your message to law students who dream of having their own law firm one day?

    If you have a dream be it owning your own law firm or any other thing, you have to treasure it, see it as a small plant, that has to be nurtured, protected from the storm and lightning, you have to have that belief in you and your dream to make it a reality. Hard work, sincerity, patience, perseverance, self belief, honesty, integrity and never say never attitude are qualities or pillars on which your dreams will stand.

    For litigation, you should start as early as possible, in law school focus on core subjects like Constitution, CPC, CrPC, Evidence, TPA, IPC and the likes, develop the capacity to study for long hours, develop skills of research and speaking. Participate in as many competitions that you can. Don’t focus on big names while your internships, rather focus on places that have loads of work and less hands, so that you get an opportunity to deal with the real things, work at places where you can see a variety of work, place that gives you freedom to implement your learning and ideas. Start working on your social contacts at a very early stage; decide which areas you are most comfortable with and which city you would want to start your practice at. Work for some time with a good office so as to give yourself sometime to make your presence felt in that circle and lastly, once you have that self belief that you are ready. Take the Plunge.

     

  • Saurabh Kumar on Litigation at Trial and Supreme Courts and an MBA from IIM Calcutta

    Saurabh Kumar on Litigation at Trial and Supreme Courts and an MBA from IIM Calcutta

    Saurabh Kumar is a graduate of the 2004 batch of Amity Law School, GGSIPU. Right after graduation he joined Scriboards and thereafter he took to independent practice at Trial Courts. Later in 2007, he had the opportunity to work for Senior Advocate, H. S. Phoolka as a Senior Associate, and he worked there till 2009.

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

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

    In this interview you will get to read what he has to say about:

    • Choosing law as a career option
    • Litigation experience at High Court and Supreme court
    • Pursuing an MBA from IIM Calcutta
    • Important skills of a Lawyer

     

    What impressed upon you the idea to study law? How was your law school experience?

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

    Strategies for cracking the exam?

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

    I think law is one of the most versatile professions out there. However, it’s also a profession where it is relatively easy to fall behind unless one puts in an effort to be updated with the latest regulations and judgments. Perseverance pays. Keep learning!

     

  • Ashish Singh, Associate at Luthra&Luthra Delhi’s Litigation Team on work profile and higher studies

    Ashish Singh, Associate at Luthra&Luthra Delhi’s Litigation Team on work profile and higher studies

    Ashish Singh is a graduate of GLC, Mumbai. He had interned at Luthra & Luthra’s Delhi Litigation Team as a Law Student, and therefore right after graduation in 2012, Ashish got a job offer from the same team.

    Right from graduation he has continued to work at Luthra, and he had the opportunity to work independently in various high stakes litigation. He has advised clients on legal issues including corporate frauds, civil commercial litigation, Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, Architect Act, 1972, Copyright and Trademarks and Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

    He has also advised an MNC in the recent Common Wealth Games matters, before the High Court of Delhi.

    In this interview we had asked him to tell us a few things about:

    • Experience at GLC, Mumbai
    • Luthra Delhi’s Litigation work profile
    • Expertise in Anti Piracy litigation matters
    • Utility of Higher Studies in litigation

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers who are law students and young lawyers?

    Hi, I am Ashish and I am working with Luthra & Luthra Law Offices in the General Litigation Team at New Delhi. I graduated in the year 2012 from Government Law College, Mumbai.

    I am a go getter who believes that all problems have solution. We only need to find them. Litigation has thus given me an avenue to convert this belief of mine into action. The thrill of arguing in Court and getting relief for my Client is something which keeps me on my toes.

     

    Please tell us about your pre college life and your time at law school. Did you have lawyers in your family?

    Throughout my life I have been in boarding. I joined boarding at a young age of 4 1∕2 (four and half) years. I am thankful to my parents for taking this harsh decision of sending me to a boarding school. I call it harsh because it is one of the most difficult decisions for all parents to send their children of such a young age away from them and let me tell you that unlike today there were no mobile phones at that time and the slow postal services was not of much help either. I still remember that there were times when I used to reach home much before the letters that I had sent asking my parents to take me home for vacation.

    I would say this helped me a lot to shape into a strong, confident and independent person. I learnt that “..there are things which only you can do for yourself no one else can do for you…” You have to learn to do things on your own whatever it is tying the lace of your shoes or the knot of your tie or travelling to an unknown city for the first time (without any technology aid).

    In boarding there are many programmes which are mainly organised and managed by students (of course in the supervision of teachers). I was one of the active participants. This experience not only helped me in my college life in getting sponsorship for different events organised in college but is also helping me now in building Client relationship and even while pitching for new Client.

    My five years at GLC were the most enjoyable and important years of my life. For a boy who comes from Bihar and was under supervision 24*7 in boarding, Mumbai and the freedom at college was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed every bit of it and lived my life to the fullest.

    I am a first generation lawyer. I firmly believe that when one knows what he/she wants from life and is clear about his aim then it becomes totally irrelevant whether you belong to  a family of lawyers or not. What makes you successful in this profession is your grit, determination and the desire to achieve.

     

    You studied at Government Law College, Mumbai, considered to be one of the premier law colleges in India. Please share with us your time in college.

    I feel blessed to have gotten an opportunity to be a part of an institution called Government Law College (GLC), Mumbai. The college was established in 1854 and has given our country some of the most successful lawyers, finest Judges and the first Lady President of India.

    GLC gives you an opportunity to intern throughout the year, thus helping you learn from the experience of seniors in the profession from the day you start your journey to become a lawyer.  Also various competitions that are conducted in GLC throughout the year give you a rounded personality which makes you a better lawyer.

    I actively participated in the events organised in college and tried to intern as regularly as possible.

     

    Apart from getting engrossed with academic work how else did you spend your time in law school?

    GLC has lot of committees to keep you occupied. I was one of the active members of the Legal Aid Committee and our main work was to provide legal help to the poor and needy which ranged from drafting of bail application, complaint before Consumer Forum, etc to coordinating with different NGOs who work in the same filed.

    Apart from studies, I like acting and directing. I was a part of a small theatre group in Mumbai. I used to spend most of my free time rehearsing and performing at different location and often we used to do street play. I love theatre and lot of time was spent at Prithvi theatre.

     

    Please share with us your views on time management in a stressful law school environment.

    Time management is the key to success in all spheres of life. It is important to maintain a work life balance because attending classes, working as an intern, preparing for various competitions and the exams can take a toll on you. It is therefore important to prepare a time schedule keeping in mind the dates for competitions, exams, etc. Ultimately you cannot be a lawyer unless you have a degree. So it is important to clear all your exams in addition to doing internship.

     

    Please tell us about the work environment at Luthra & Luthra. What all do your work profile consist of?  What is a normal workday like?

    Luthra has a wonderful working environment. As a beginner you need a lot of encouragement and support from your seniors. I was lucky to have a few mentors who made the transition from being a law student to a lawyer easier than it would have ordinarily been. One great thing about working at Luthra is the accessibility to both Partners and Senior Partners.

    As mentioned earlier, I work in the General litigation practice and normally my day begins with a visit to Court with my partner. Once I am back, there is enough research and drafting to keep me busy. Also, discussion with the team working on the brief gives you a different perspective to the matter.

     

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    Anti-piracy and Anti-counterfeit issues being a nascent arena of litigation, please tell us how did you get interested in taking these up as your field of practice?

    I began my practice with the Anti-piracy and Anti-counterfeit (APAC) team but gradually was given an opportunity by the firm to work on a wider range of issues in the General Litigation Practice.

    Yes, APAC is a nascent field and there are limited lawyers working in this area. But, it has a huge potential in the coming decade to become a specific practice area. Many counsels who began practising in this new area five six years from now, are now considered expert in the same. I therefore joined an area which had just begun to warm up.

     

    You have had diverse internships. What advice would you want to give to budding lawyers in regard to internships?

    I took whatever internship opportunities I got. Honestly, choosing internships was not a conscious attempt but in the hindsight it has proved to be an enriching experience. It helped me decide that litigation was my calling.

    My advice to law students would be that they should take their internship sincerely. It is the time when one understands the practical aspects of the subject they are studying. They should try to intern in both corporate and litigation practice so that they can decide to choose one depending upon their interest and liking. Also, internship helps one in forging relationship and getting placements. Many PPO’s are given based on the internship performance. I got this job based on my internship performance.

     

    You have been a part of Luthra for a considerable amount of time now. Please share with us Luthra’s expectations from a budding lawyer and what do they look for in the CV of a budding lawyer?

    I think all the law firms have only one expectation from a fresh law graduate that the person should be open to learning.

    In today’s world people prefer to specialise in their areas of interest and pursue higher studies.

     

    What are your views on higher studies? Should a law student pursue higher studies right after graduation or after procuring some work experience?

    I think what you learn from the practical experience can never be learned from books. Though an LL.M does look good on a CV but from a litigation perspective what is more important is your ability to think quickly and respond to situations as they arise in the Court. One has to think on their legs. This comes more by experience than by LLM. LLM from abroad does gives an exposure and broadens ones horizon but the cost at which it comes is a bit too high. Students spending such amount towards LLM also have expectations of high salaries which are little difficult to get in India. This at times, creates disappointment amongst students and they take up jobs abroad resulting in brain drain, and is a loss of brilliant minds of our country. In any case , I think if one is interested in pursuing higher studies it should be done after experience of couple of years as after working for a couple of years one becomes aware about his area of interest and also the industry requirements.

     

    How should we consider choosing a law firm over litigation or litigation over a law firm?

    I don’t think I have chosen law firm over litigation rather I am doing litigation in a law firm. Working with a top tier law firm gives you a chance to do work with big clients on matters involving huge stakes. It also makes you a good team player as a group of people are working on the brief. In addition to the aforesaid, working in a firm also gives you an advantage of seeking assistance of people specializing in specific areas while preparing and drafting matters.

     

    What would be your message to law students who want to have a smooth transition from law student to law professional?

    Don’t get disappointed/disheartened if in case you can’t secure a job in campus placements. I did not get one either. Work hard and be focussed. There is no replacement of working hard. In the initials years try to work on as diverse fields as possible. This will help you have a better understanding of different areas of law which will make you a complete lawyer. There are no short cuts to success. This profession demands a lot of your time, dedication, energy but it also gives you a lot in return. You just need to be focused and patient.

  • Nikita Mamtani, Founder LegalHire talks about being an entreprenuer and the Legal Industry

    Nikita Mamtani, Founder LegalHire talks about being an entreprenuer and the Legal Industry

    Nikita Mamtani graduated in 2012 from UPES, Dehradun. She grooms lawyers for a foothold in the legal industry. She had started working at Thomson Reuters months before graduating. The work profile of Academic Specialist for more than a year in Reuters Legal Education business, bestowed on her the opportunity of interacting with plethora of law students, law college authorities and legal professionals of different segments of the industry. A professional with skills in marketing, networking and building relationships, client management with a flair for sales moving to helping students and professionals grow was a natural progression for her.

     

    When and how did you decide to study law? Which universities did you consider for your legal studies?

    I still remember it was in the year 2006, just a month before my 12th board exams when my father got furious and asked, “what have you thought about your career ahead? What do you want to do in life?” And my sudden answer was, “I want to pursue law, just like you.” So, without even giving it a thought, my unexpected answer made me study law.

    I gave entrance exam for almost all the NLU’s that time and some of the private universities, like Symbiosis. UPES College of Legal Studies was established in 2007, when I gave entrance exams for the second time. I had already decided to switch my field from law to mass media, but then results of UPES were out and I went ahead with pursuing law.

     

    Do you think being from a non-NLU has ever proved to be a hindrance for you? Many non-NLU students complain that they feel being discriminated against during career opportunities. What has been your experience?

    No, not at all. Never did I think I felt discriminated in the industry where opportunities were concerned. The biggest example of which is getting a PPO. I started working before having a law degree in my hand. What I feel is Law colleges do play a crucial role in your overall career growth, but it’s ultimately the individual, who makes his career path. There are extensive and equivalent resources available, one needs to grab the most and achieve the best of them.

     

    Tell us about your internships. Did you get any institutional support for internships from your college?

    I had a varied experience during my internships, from Corporate to Law Firms to NGO’s and last but not the least, Courts. I intentionally chose to intern in different segments of the industry to understand & decide, where I see myself after graduating. Internships made me witness the actual career in law. It was much more than and very different from what we used to learn in law school.

    Although there was a Placement & Internship Cell in the college, of which, I was a part for almost four years, I preferred getting all my Internships personally.

     

    You have done a Judicial Clerkship at High Court of Madhya Pradesh during your graduation. Tell us about your experience as a Judicial Clerk of Justice Rajendra Menon.

    Interning as a Judicial Clerk was a unified experience of both, Bar & the Bench. It was this internship, which clarified the real picture of Indian Courts to me, be it the top lawyers, govt. Advocates or a struggling law graduate. Justice Menon was a great mentor, down to earth, explaining extensively every time I had some query.

     

    Tell us about your work at Thomson Reuters as an Academic Specialist. What were the key responsibilities which you undertook as an Academic Specialist?

    As an Academic Specialist at Thomson Reuters Professional Skills Training business, my experience ranged from handling the Academics of online courses to managing law firms and law colleges. I was also involved in the development & expansion of Professional Skills Training for those legal professionals with work experience who were interested in upgrading their skills. My role required not only sound administration and management skills but also brought to the forefront my skills in sales and marketing activities.

     

    nikita-mamtani

    You started up as a Legal Education Consultant at a very young age. What motivated you to choose this career? Did you aspire to become a Legal Education Consultant?

    I am a PR person. I liked networking, meeting new people, sharing experiences and then bringing out a change, some transformation. At Thomson Reuters, I got it all, but wanted to explore more, which I felt can be done only once I work independently. The decision of becoming a Legal Education Consultant went stronger over the period, with my experiences in the Industry, as and when I used to meet more and more law students.

     

    You have also started your own independent legal practice at High Court of Madhya Pradesh besides your job as a Legal Educational Consultant. How do you manage both at the same time?

    I take up selective cases in High Court. My consulting activities take more of my time than the Courts. So it becomes easy as I prioritise my core working area. At the High Court, I focus on PIL’s and civil matters, mostly arbitration cases. As a consultant, I focus on law students and students who aspire to have a career in law. Outlining their journey from entering a Law School to stepping in the Legal Industry as a professional is my forte. I get to meet all such students in Law Schools and CLAT coaching centres. Consulting becomes much easier through various online platforms where I stay connected with students.

     

    Why did you decide upon opening a Legal Consultancy Firm? What motivated you to start Legal Hire India? What is the story of your start-up?

    Law happened by chance and not by choice to me.

    In my earlier days of preparing for entrance exams and then in my initial years of law school, I always wanted to do something out of the box. Young entrepreneurs in the Legal Education industry always enthralled me. My career objective was then to not only get into the Legal Industry, but to have a diversified profile too.

    Thereon, I wanted all my skills like marketing, networking, building relationships, helping students and professionals grow, to materialize.

    My driving force was the ever stride of doing something different from what is expected of a law graduate, and hence Legal Hire India…

     

    Your consultancy firm also conducts Career Counselling. Have you had students who had great profile but still couldn’t make to any Top tier Law Firms after graduation?

    I appreciate the passion of a law student wanting to get into Top tier law firm and to have that tag.

    But it’s all the game of skill set. You can always play with that and mould the direction of your career path.

    As from my professional experience, I firmly believe it’s always better to be a big fry in a small company, rather than being a small fry in a big company.

     

    Five years from now, where do you see Legal Hire India?

    My short term goal as to Legal Hire India is making it instrumental in the HR and recruitment process of Indian Legal Industry. Every law student should get the best & the most from this industry, be it an NLU graduate or a non-NLU. Our mission also quotes, “Redefining the Legal HR Industry.”

     

    What would be your message to law students who dream of having their legal consultancy firm one day?

    If you have flair of different professional skills and want to get out of the traditional segments after graduating, go for it..!!!

    And in the end, I would say, follow your Heart. Although it’s an old saying, but I feel this is what works well always. One should end up doing what one loves to do as soon as it is discovered, and the path to success automatically becomes easier.

  • Anjali Sheoran on work at LPOs, Ernst & Young and LL.M in Commercial Laws from York University

    Anjali Sheoran on work at LPOs, Ernst & Young and LL.M in Commercial Laws from York University

    Anjali Sheoran graduated from Army Institute of Law in 2010.She then went on to work with an LPO and later worked with LexCounsel and Ernst & Young. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law from University of York. We asked her to share her experiences and strategies she used over the years.

    In this interview, Anjali talks about:

    • Work experience at UnitedLex, LexCounsel and Ernst & Young
    • Choosing Masters in Corporate and Commercial Law at University of York
    • Writing an SOP and getting recommendation letters

     

    Though it’s one of the most asked questions but yet, why law?

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

    anjali-sheoran-2

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

     

    What are your long term objectives?

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

     

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

    I would like to wish everyone, freshers and working professionals, all the very best for their careers and just hope they can be themselves. I hope they try something different and do something innovative in their careers and shape bring the Indian legal community up to international standards. No doubt, many Indian law firms are already setting international standards in India, but I believe it is on us, the younger and present generation, to take those standards to a whole new level such that our law schools, degrees and experience is taken into account at an international platform as well.

  • Praveen Sharma, Business Head at Interactive Media on opting for LL.B after MBA

    Praveen Sharma, Business Head at Interactive Media on opting for LL.B after MBA

    Praveen Sharma is a Commerce and an MBA graduate from Kurukshetra University. Right after his MBA he opted for an LL.B from Delhi University and graduated as a lawyer in 2013. Most of you would know about CAClubIndia.com, LawyersClubIndia.com and MBAClubIndia.com; Praveen is the Business Head of Marketing & Partnership of Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd., the company which runs these famous websites.

    Praveen tells us about:

    • Opting for LL.B as a professional requirement after an MBA
    • The formidable mix of LL.B + MBA
    • Work as a Business Head at Interactive Media
    • Utility of online legal courses juxtaposed with the 3 year LL.B

     

    Please introduce yourself to the readers? Please tell us a little bit about your childhood and your background?

    I’m a traveller, sketcher, stage actor and a football enthusiast who believes that in life “knowing what you don’t want to do is more important than knowing what you want to”. My father was in the Indian Airforce. I was born in Srinagar where he was then posted. Originally from Jind, Haryana, my childhood was spent in Pune and teenage days lived in Ambala. After MBA I pursued LL.B from Delhi University and since then I am in Delhi. Since my childhood days, I am a keen observer of people and nature. Travelling helped me to build my skill of observation & correlation.  Currently I am the Business Head of Marketing & Partnership at Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd (CAclubindia.com, LAWyersclubindia.com and MBAclubindia.com)

     

    Being a Commerce graduate and having an MBA from Kurukshetra University, how did you decide to pursue legal studies? What motivated you to choose law after MBA?

    Hunger of diversification motivated me. My interest areas are varied and the yearning to learn more every day whether it is through experience or academia is always present. Marketing and Legal subjects were always my favourite and so I decided sometime during my schooling that I will pursue both. My inclination towards law and MBA was inspired by my dad who is also both – a law graduate as well as a MBA. I find marketing an expressive and creative medium while law is fascinating and insightful. I believe both if combined make an extremely attractive and great combination of skills.

     

    How was your experience studying LL.B from Delhi University? Being a marketing professional how did you manage to take out time for such an intensive course?

    It was rattling, versed and insightful. Delhi University has its own way of treating things. You will find dramatic political scenario during DUSU elections, debate sessions near tea stalls, Haryanvi tea talks and moot court competitions simultaneously. Everything is so self-driven there. Students are mature and faculties are wonderful and make all efforts to justify the course syllabus. Despite the lack of modern infrastructure, I guess the people who teach and study there make the environment conducive to a holistic education.  In evening class you will find people from different background like CAs, IPS-IAS officers, CS, finance and HR professionals who come there to study law. So you can imagine the level of diversity in one class room for one single objective of studying law. Every single individual has different reason and angle of seeing the particular subject of law – imagine how interesting that is!

    As for time, my boss (Mr. Vivek Jain) has always been very supportive, especially during the course and yes, thanks to Delhi metro which made it possible for me to travel 60 km a day on time. When you have passion for something and desire of doing that you find a way to get it done.

     

    praveen-sharma-1

    You joined Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd., as a Senior Marketing Manager while you were pursuing Law in 2011. Please tell us how did this appointment take place?

    After attaining Management degree, I quit 4 jobs in 2 months, including a campus placement and a job in a PSU. I was reading about some legal topic on the web and found “LAWyersclubindia” link there. I explored the website and it was quite helpful. I joined the website and then sent my CV in careers. After a week I got a call from Interactive Media that the founder wants to meet me for an interview. Initially though reluctant, I went ahead and gave the interview. The meeting was scheduled, I reached there and later Vivek (founder & CEO) came in – a 27 year old, young entrepreneur. We had a long discussion/interview at the end of which he asked me to send a small write-up on the company. I did that and same day got a call confirming my immediate joining. Initially I joined simply to meet my expenses, soon I started getting loads of opportunities to cultivate my skills and learn more- the advantages of working in a start up venture. Vivek trusted me and here I am today.

     

    Please introduce Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd. to our readers. What are the main focus areas, and who form your target clientele?

    Interactive media is a company having three brands (websites) i.e. CAclubindia.com, LAWyersclubindia.com and MBAclubindia.com, these connect more than 1.7 million finance, legal and management professionals. By the end of 2015 we hope to reach out to more than 2 million professionals. Our ideology is to connect users, specifically professionals, to provide a platform to share, exchange and distribute knowledge amongst the fraternity. The registration is free of cost for all and anyone can contribute to the community.

    We have also introduced e-learning classes (asynchronous mode) with CCI Online Classes on CAclubindia.com in 2012, followed by LCIlexlearn  on LAWyersclubinia.com and MCI learning corner on MBAclubindia.com in 2014. Currently more than 15,000 students are enrolled with us across the globe. The main focus area of e-learning classes is to provide value addition certificate courses at affordable price for our members.

    We get some revenue to maintain running cost from our ad sales and our clientele include some of the financial and legal giants like KPMG, CIMA, ACCA, Thomson Reuters, Becker, Microsoft, Intuit, NIIT etc.

     

    Being the Business Head of both Marketing & Partnership at Interactive Media Pvt. Ltd. what kind of responsibilities revolve around your job and what kind of activities do you undertake?

    I am primarily responsible for building business partnerships, strategic alliances and branding & marketing of all three portals and sub-brands. I am also involved in new product development & projection strategies. I represent our company on various platforms and am involved in career counselling, motivational and technical seminars, conducting interviews of stalwarts & taking live hangouts. I also take up training classes of the sales and editorial team of the in-house employees & freelancers. In a nutshell my responsibilities revolve around exploring, strategizing & executing the new horizons for various alliances & partnerships and undertaking the holistic marketing activities for a DotCom and e-learning company.

     

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    How does your knowledge in law help you in your current work profile? How do you think knowing law can help an entrepreneur?

    My studying law has given me a huge advantage at work. Firstly, we have a website ‘LAWyersclubindia.com’, so it’s easy for me to understand and support operational activities on the website. Secondly, we do lots of partnerships with Indian and foreign entities, my education gave me insight and perception to understand the agreements properly, to negotiate fairly, and to be able to ensure that there are no loopholes which might result in our loss and at the same time taking care of the rights and interests of the other party. It also makes it easy for me to handle technical queries and address them effectively.

    As we are a dot-com company and deal with immense user generated content and so we have to deal with copyright related issues, IT laws on content sharing, user terms and conditions etc. When you have one or two lawyers in your team you can be confident while dealing with such issues.

    Whereas in e-learning we deal with content from third party so Intellectual Property Right comes into the play here. My law background helps me to understand and deal with such issues and gain confidence over partners. Thus, having the basic education in law has given me an immense advantage.

    As knowing finance is a must for entrepreneurs so is basics of law which directly affects their business. Understanding the related laws help an entrepreneur to make new product development strategy or starting a new partnership or venture.  It also gives insight in making a marketing policy. New budding entrepreneurs coming up with startups and running SMEs must learn the basics of law and related laws to their business.

    I believe that every individual should have basic education with regard to their rights and duties. For example laws related to protection against domestic violence, rape, road accident. Laws related to insurance, rights of a minor and more. This helps an individual to exercise their rights and get a broader view of the issue at hand. It helps society to mature as a whole. And a matured society develops faster and remains culturally stable.

     

    How do you think this formidable mix of MBA and LL.B can help people working in a similar profile? Would you recommend Management and Marketing professionals to learn the law?

    MBA+LLB is a great combination. It helps you develop a unique skill set which enables you to mitigate complex business situations by understanding the legal issues related to the situation and taking the managerial approach to solve the problem.  It gives you an advantage over your peers. You become aware of the power of words and use it advantageously. There are great career options available in the industry requiring the blended skill set of these two degrees. For example: legal consultancy, social networking, content marketing, legal journalism, business consultancy and many more. I strongly recommend management and marketing professionals to learn law.

    I take care of social media marketing for our brands. Now, I should be well versed with cyber laws, IT and social media laws because I need to deal with related issues in my day to day work. So, one can do small courses to have a better understanding of the areas which deals with his/her job profile.

     

    If there were any part-time online diplomas in Business Laws awarded by one of the top law schools, like the one from NUJS and iPleaders, would you have taken it up?

    Certainly yes! We need to take a pragmatic approach and undertake such certificate and diploma courses to enhance our corporate skills. It is great option for the young graduates and for professionals who are unable to attend full time college due to time and geographical constraints. Online courses are very popular these days and if such diploma course is there online or in my city which gives me flexibility of attending classes I would love to do such course. This kind of certificate/diploma course will have the industry acceptance and it will impart you with updated knowledge and skills.

     

    What are your long term plans? Do you consider getting into a mainstream legal career ever?

    Mainstream legal career, do you mean litigation? 😀

    Whenever you see shows likes Suits, Boston Legal, The Practice, etc. you feel that urge to go into the court house, argue there and win the case with your charming and witty arguments. But frankly, I am quite satisfied with my current job, I love my job and what I get to do. It gives me the space to think out of the box and come up with new things while letting me stay connected to law. I work on numerous projects at the same time, and there is never a dull moment.

    My long term plan is to be happy and enjoy my work… whatever I choose to do or not to do.

    What would be your message to marketing and management professionals who are thinking of taking up legal studies?

    You have to have love for this profession and desire to learn law. Only then you will be able to use the acquired knowledge properly, to grow intellectually, to help others and to share knowledge.

    Marketing and management professionals should definitely study laws which are directly related to their job profile & business. In general also they should have basic legal understanding. For example if you are a social media manager you must understand copyright laws, Social media laws, cyber laws etc. Finally, the core competency for us is to be able to think and work in diverse situations. So it is a must to know something about everything. Don’t be scared to diversify.

     

    काममयएवायंपुरुषइति। सयथाकामोभवतितत्क्रतुर्भवति।

    यत्क्रतुर्भवतितत्कर्मकुरुते। यत्कर्मकुरुतेतदभिसंपद्यते॥

    You are what your deep, driving desire is

    As your desire is, so is your will

    As your will is, so is your deed

    As your deed is, so is your destiny!

     

  • Anant Raje on choosing NUS over LSE, applying for LL.M and writing an SoP

    Anant Raje on choosing NUS over LSE, applying for LL.M and writing an SoP

    Anant Raje is a graduate from National Law Institute University, Bhopal (Batch of 2012). He has an enviable academic record and an excellent series of internships at top law firms. He has multiple publications to his name. Soon after graduation he started working at Samvatsar Advocates and Associates, Indore where he worked for two years. Currently, he is pursuing Masters in Corporate and Financial Services Law from National University of Singapore.

    In this interview, Anant talks about:

    • Quitting job and aspiring for higher studies
    • Choosing NUS, Singapore over LSE, London
    • Writing an SoP and getting recommendation letters

     

    Please introduce yourself to the readers. Tell us a little about your childhood and your background.

    I am from Indore and have spent all my childhood there. I come from a family of doctors but chose a different career path. I graduated from NLIU Bhopal and am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Corporate and Financial Services Law at NUS Singapore.

     

    When did you decide to take up law as a career? Tell us something about your college life. Being a law student, were you only focused on academics? How was the academic pressure?

    I would not say that being a lawyer was a childhood dream. However, since a legal background seemed to be a consistent trend in the modern leadership and because law as a profession requires an individual to develop various aspects his personality, I found this attractively challenging.

    The fact that I would be exposed to various subjects ranging from sociology to corporate law and at the same time get to participate in extra-curricular activities drew me towards the NLUs. This was the reason why I chose to take up mooting in college. I was lucky enough to do well in the internal pool selections and go on to represent the university in Jessup International Moot Court Competition, where our team won a memorial awardin the national rounds and Henry Dunant Moot Court Competition, where we made it to the Semi-finals and won the best memorial award.

    For developing a habit of hard work and critical thinking, I would give credit to such competitions, publishing papers and the rigorous curriculum.

     

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

    Frankly, there were so many subjects to discover and know more about, that having interest in only one was tough. I was attracted to all of them and enjoyed watching them in action in the daily news. I did have some predilection towards Financial Law, Banking Law and Constitutional Law because of their large scale as well as grass-root level implications. It was for the same reason that I enjoyed Public International Law. It is deeply connected to international politics and its function in the international dynamics found my interest.

    As I mentioned earlier, trying to find the application of such laws in the daily news went a long way in helping me understand these fields better. Mooting and internships contributed to a great extent.

     

    As a law student which activities did you participate in? Tell us about your law school journey.

    Apart from the extra-curriculars, I was engaged in several organisational activities in college. These included cultural events and inter-college moots and arbitration competitions. It was always satisfying to work along with my friends towards the success of such events. I also spent my spare time working on publication in law journals, both domestic and international as well as legal magazines.

    I would say that the law school journey was rather enriching and rewarding. Living in a high competition environment teaches a person to work towards their goals even where success is a hard to get.

     

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

    I tried to keep my internships as varied as possible from consumer forums and litigating firms to bigger law firms. One must remember that law is a field with too many options and one must explore them as widely as possible before making a choice. This kind of exploration provides us with a variety of experiences and a wide knowledge base.

     

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    Recently, you’ve joined National University of Singapore for LL.M. in Corporate & Financial Law. When you decided to quit job and pursue LL.M? What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.?

    I had taken up a job with a firm in Indore as it did not have tightly compartmentalized teams and it gave me the option of exploring a variety of fields at the same place. It also gave me some time to prepare for the civil services exam without losing touch with the legal field. I had placed a predetermined limit on the years I would spend on it and although my attempt at the examination was not successful, it was enriching in itself; especially as a lawyer. On the parallel, my job enabled me to zero-in on the field of law that I would like to specialize in. The next step was to apply for LLM. From what I had understood and experience proved me right, was that LLM would familiarize me with the core concepts and principles of the relevant laws with a multi-jurisdictional approach. It increases one’s ability to understand the rationale behind the law and enables a person to apply it with acumen and dexterity.

     

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

    Amongst other options, choosing between LSE and NUS was the toughest. Both the universities had similar curriculums, I was getting the specialization of my choice and the professors were equally accomplished with years of practical experience. Of course LSE also has a bigger brand value. But the fact that many of the NUS modules had an international as well as Asia centric approach attracted me to the curriculum. In the duration of this course, we have been exposed to Asian, European as well as American laws and legal principles. Also, a full scholarship awarded to me by NUS made it the logical choice.

     

    How did you go about writing your SOP? Are there any key factors which one should keep in mind before writing the SOP? How about recommendation letters? Who all recommended you to pursue LL.M?

    I believe the best way to write an SOPs is by avoiding taking a leaf out of other’s books. It just has to be an original and honest statement about one’s own goals, accomplishments and reasons for pursuing the degree. It should, however, not be a baseless rhetoric. One must spend weeks on each SOP, crafted uniquely for each university. It needs to be based in a thorough research on the goals of that university, the background of the professors, their mission statements and the current developments in the relevant fields. Since, LLM courses do not have entrance exams, one’s CV, the SOPs and the recommendation letters go a long way in one’s selection.

    It is best to approach the faculty that knows you best for the academic recommendation letters. It is best to plan it all well in advance and give the faculty enough time to write good recommendations. It also helps to send one’s CV across along with a request for recommendations to give them a reference of your accomplishments.

     

    How different is the style of teaching at NUS? Do they focus more on the practical aspects of the law as compared to the NLUs?

    As I said earlier, the curriculum at NUS is just what I had expected and I am thoroughly satisfied with it. The course always attempts to keep the larger picture in mind while dealing with the depths of the laws. The pedagogy is concept based and very practical. Even examinations require the candidates to write legal opinions and tender advice in hypothetical situations. The classroom environment is vibrant in most of the lectures and requires the students to speak up and analyse constantly. It really coaxes a person to think and not just accept what is being taught. Even in the NLUs some of the good teachers had a very similar approach. They did not care about whether a student is quoting the names of the cases right or regurgitating provisions verbatim. They required students to give logical and legally sound arguments and these are the subjects that I had understood best.

     

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

    The course at NUS offers a variety of modules within a larger area of specialization and within each module there are research papers or assignments that need to be submitted. One has the option of choosing a topic of one’s own liking, subject to the professor’s approval. For example, in one such module I was required to device an enforcement regime for insider trading offences in financial markets and in another I wrote a paper on the legal nature of banker-customer relationship and its larger implications in regulatory laws. I found these modules very educational and thought inducing. They teach us to open up our minds to all the possible perspectives, analyse them and come up with novel arguments and suggestions. It is intellectually challenging and hence stimulating.

     

    Does NUS provide students with scholarships? Are there any other institutions, which provide scholarships?

    Yes NUS automatically considers every applicant for scholarships and awards them on the basis of merit. It is best to keep track of policy changes and exceptions introduced on their website. Apart from scholarships awarded by NUS, Indian students can rely on – JN Tata, KC Mahindra, Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships, Atur Foundation Scholarship, B.D Bangur Endowment (NIRMAN), Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship, RD Sethna Scholarship Fund etc.

     

    What is your view on the latest trend among law students to pursue Masters abroad? How much of a brain drain do you think this is?

    People choose to take up masters for a variety of reasons. The most common trend is to seek opportunities abroad. One must, however, consider that law as a field is rather tightly knit in every country. It is rare, although not impossible that it would open up to an immigrant lawyer. An LL.M in itself would have some value but it is not a sure-fire method of finding jobs. It is best that it be complemented with clearing internationally respected Bar examinations for example the England and Wales Bar or the NY Bar. One could also consider examinations for Solicitorships or the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme and its equivalent in such jurisdictions. To be able to manage this within a year, one must plan it in detail before setting out to do an LLM.

     

    What are your plans after completing Masters?

    I wish to come back to India to work, preferably, in the field of banking and financial law.

     

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

    It is best to take time in discovering what they truly want to do. Some figure it out sooner than the rest but one must not rush into the rat race. In the formative years as a lawyer, it best to seek experience and knowledge. They are the strongest assets that a legal professional can have.