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  • Arush Sengupta, counsel based out of Delhi on college experience, CGPA and career on litigation

    Arush Sengupta, counsel based out of Delhi on college experience, CGPA and career on litigation

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    Arush Sengupta is an alumnus of Symbiosis Law School Pune, Symbiosis International University who graduated in the year 2012. Currently working under Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Advocate on Record at Supreme Court of India, he can be best described as a practicing counsel based out of Delhi.

    In this interview he talks about –

    • His college experience
    • The importance of CGPAs and co-curricular activities in shaping one’s career
    • His take on litigation
    • Preparing to shape one’s future career while still being in college.

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    Arush Sengupta, SLS Pune Batch of 2007-12, currently pursuing litigation in New Delhi.

    What is your work profile like?

    I work under Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court and have been exposed to a wide variety of matters under his guidance and supervision. My work profile involves assisting him with research, drafting and framing of arguments in matters at the Supreme Court, High Court of Delhi, the Central Administrative Tribunal and the National Green Tribunal, among others. The issues we deal with range from disputes arising out of rules governing government servants to border disputes between states, and a number of things in between.  While most of this is in the capacity of a junior, on occasion there are briefs which my senior lets me handle with a great degree of independence and autonomy which exponentially increases the rate of development of one’s skills. Additionally, I try to freelance and get my own matters and clientele, which is challenging work with uncertain outcomes but integral to the process of becoming an independent practitioner.  Out of the latter category, an interesting matter that I am currently engaged in arises out of discrepancies in export documentation under the Customs Act wherein a senior official has been implicated by the CBI and various proceedings connected with it are underway at diverse forums, ranging from the CBI Court to the Rajasthan High Court. Taking up this matter has resulted in fantastic learning, since I got familiar with several laws and procedures that I was not previously aware of.

    What would you say sets SLS, Pune apart from the other law schools in the country?

    I suppose strictly in terms of academics there would be not much to choose from between a set of similarly ranked institutions. However SLS did not provide accommodation within the old campus on SB Road, and consequently we started living independently in the city from the day we landed in Pune. In retrospect, this made a massive difference since we were exposed to the legal aspects of day to day living such as rent agreements, motor vehicle rules and so on. Every now and then one had to deal with the friendly neighbourhood policemen when music at house parties got too loud or when bikes on the way home from the said parties were too fast. If one was fond of such activities invariably the need for finding loopholes in attendance rules, exam rules, etc. would arise. While we were in college it was all part of the fun and games associated with student life out of one’s home town, but I realise now that these experiences equipped a lot of us with problem solving skills, the ability to think on our feet and  familiarized us with the patterns and systems of various laws, rules and regulations. All these soft skills gained inadvertently have helped me immensely and I daresay that had we been a part of a regular residential campus these experiences would have been hard to come by.

    How much do moots, research paper publications impact one’s employability or desirability?

    These activities are very helpful. Perhaps, the value addition that takes place from participating in a moot or writing a research paper is not immediately tangible; except for those who apply for higher studies after college. However, mooting helps in developing public speaking skills, framing logically consistent arguments and the ability to research on tricky topics and obscure points of law. Paper publications create awareness of issues which may not be covered in great depth in the mainstream curriculum. At the very least, mooting and paper publications would definitely help students who have participated in these activities approach real life cases and legal issues with confidence. Personally I draw from my mooting experiences when it comes to figuring out where to look for relevant material or applying arguments and analysis to different matters. Interacting with fellow students, teachers and legal professionals at inter-college moots and other similar events is a good way of getting to know people from the legal fraternity and my inter-personal skills improved as a result of these interactions.
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    Do additional qualifications like LLM, MBA, CA, CS, Diplomas help in getting the Job or getting promoted?

    Yes they do. All other things being equal, additional academic qualifications help to distinguish a resume’ from others to a great extent. The potential of an added degree or diploma is maximized if it largely compatible with the areas of interest and work experience on the resume’.

    What will be some challenges faced by freshers and how can they grow within the profession as a lawyer?

    On the basis of my limited experience, I would say that a big challenge is to cope with the sheer magnitude of the legal profession in terms of the number of areas of specialization that one can opt for, the levels and rungs of the court structure, the breadth of knowledge that is required (and should ideally be aspired to for its own sake also) as well as the seemingly innumerable channels of being recruited. It is difficult to make optimum career choices on being faced with such a wide range of options, especially since the information available about the various dimensions of the profession is at times skewed and prone to a high degree of subjectivity, especially for first generation lawyers. As is said often, there is no uniform and standardized method of achieving success as a lawyer. Common questions like whether one is better suited for law firms or litigation, what area of specialization to opt for, whether an MBA is preferable to an LLM in certain cases and so on; are best answered keeping in mind one’s unique strengths and weaknesses rather than on the basis of the conventional wisdom of the day.

     

    Tell us about your internship experiences. How did you choose your internships? How early did you apply? Are there any things that an applicant must keep in mind?

    I never had an overwhelming preference for any one dimension or branch of the legal profession, so the motive behind my internships was to explore as many different kinds of work environments as I could so as to be able to decide what suited me best. I did 5 internships, at Sanderson & Morgan-a prominent law firm in Kolkata, Price Waterhouse Cooper (Kolkata), under Advocate (Justice) Sandip Mehta at the Rajasthan High Court, at APJ-SLG Law Group- a firm specialising in WTO legislations and international trade in Delhi and finally under my current senior, Advocate Anil Shrivastav at the Supreme Court. I really enjoyed my stint with APJ since I am fascinated by international trade, the WTO and other aspects of international trade and economics and laws relating thereto. However I concluded that it might limit the development of my skills if I entered full time into such a niche branch of law at the very outset, especially without a relevant post grad degree; since the level of academic know how required seemed to be marginally greater than in other branches of the legal profession. That being said it is a field I would be interested in entering at some stage in my career, upon becoming qualified to do so. My final internship under Mr. Shrivastav was also very fruitful since he constantly encouraged me to think and form opinions about a case independently and even allowed me to draft and frame arguments for certain matters, which are responsibilities that seniors are usually hesitant to entrust interns or even associates with. After graduation, I also worked at the chambers of Sr Adv Tilak Bose in Kolkata and as an associate at the firm R.L. Gaggar & Co, which allowed me to gain an insight into the difference between practicing as a litigating lawyer and working at a law firm. Applicants should keep in mind that it is equally important to experiment and get exposed to different kinds of work environments and at the same type keep looking out for places which might have potential for longer term employment and strike a balance between the two.

    How important is a CGPA for recruiters to assess students? How did you maintain a balance between a good academic record at university and your extracurricular activities?

    The CGPA is actually a good indicator of a student’s performance as far as corporate recruiters are concerned since it provides an indication of the academic merit of a potential employee in relation to his entire peer group, as opposed to isolated grades or percentages. This is true especially in the phase immediately after college, when applicants for entry level posts have no substantial work experience to speak off. However it is by no means the only criterion used to select candidates and a good track record vis-a-vis moots, paper presentations, internships and so on also help strengthen one’s candidature for recruitment. Later on, prior work experience becomes a more important factor. Most litigating professionals on the other hand believe, with plenty of justification; that real learning begins after college so it is relatively less of a determining factor if one opts to work at the chambers of a senior after college. Coming to the second part of the question, while my grades are not abysmal, I could have probably balanced co-curricular activities and academics much better than I did. For everyone in law school who is as into moots, MUNs and debates as I was, there will sometimes be at least a slight trade off between grades and pursuance of co-curricular activities, unless you happen to be one of those rare geniuses who excel at absolutely everything. However I wouldn’t exchange the skills and experience I gained from taking part in these events for a few extra decimal points on the final mark sheet, and to the best of my knowledge the same would hold true for most people who pursued similar interests. Most of us who spent a lot of time debating or mooting and MUNing have been fairly well rewarded for the value addition that took place as a result.

    What has been the driving force behind choosing litigation over a well-paying corporate job?

    I enjoyed taking part in moot courts, debates and MUNs in college so in a way a career in litigation is a natural extension of that since it involves elements of public speaking, framing arguments and researching on various issues to a far greater extent than a corporate job. I also feel that the best way to utilise a five year undergrad law degree is to be working in the courts as a practicing advocate. Despite the initial phase of struggle with low pay that it usually involves, it maximises the potential for professional growth. However this opinion is purely personal and subjective and others may have equally or even more compelling reasons for opting for law firms, companies etc. Also, I haven’t ruled out an MBA later on. If I eventually do one, I will re-assess my options since at that stage I could look at corporate jobs beyond the somewhat limited spheres of a legal officer or an executive in a company secretarial role.

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    The alumni of any college are often regarded as one of the reasons behind the institute’s success. An active alumni base being of utmost importance, how closely does SLS work with the alumni and in what ways?

    We have a very active alumni network, with frequent reunions and alumni meets. Outside the formal channels too, we have a strong alumni network and I have found seniors and even batchmates and juniors to be extremely helpful and supportive. As far as working closely with SLS goes; from helping students during moots to assisting graduates who are new in the profession with career choices and decisions, the alumni plays an important part in ensuring that the transition from law school to the legal profession is smooth. The legal profession can be intimidating for newcomers and it is always comforting to have people one was at college with as your colleagues in the profession.

    Lastly, do you have any suggestions for students on how to deal and pick from the pandora’s box of legal specializations?

    In as much as choosing an area of specialisation goes I would say keep an open mind and keep learning about various spheres of law. It is important to go beyond the surface if one is to make an informed decision in this regard. For instance, when we first entered college, a lot of people were fascinated with IPR laws and wanted to explore career options in the field. However some of them later discovered that patent laws involved dealing with complicated industrial designs, chemical compounds and other things which require one to be comfortable with physics, chemistry and so on in addition to just the law. On the other hand, tax is a subject that many people find distasteful in college because it is assumed to be a lot of maths, but now I see a few of my friends as well as seniors in the profession who practice tax law and find it fascinating as well as lucrative.

    How would you advise a law student if one has to start on to preparing for a career while in college? Any parting words of wisdom to our readers?

    I will repeat that there is no fixed or ‘one-size fits all’ way in the legal profession, so there is a strong case to be made for assessing your strengths, weaknesses, areas of interest and then moulding your career accordingly. For example, sports law (often coupled with sports management), media law and laws relating to international relations and global governance are emerging fields and involve work in spheres that many people are inherently passionate about and even though they may not yet be conventional areas of practice, I see colleagues do really well at these because they were already interested in the subject matter. Some of my seniors have advised me to not limit myself in the initial stages and gain diversity of work experience, because only thus can one get a grasp of the full spectrum of opportunities that a career in law affords. This approach has worked for me, and I would recommend it especially to those who are inclined towards litigation.

  • Ajar Rab, Partner, Rab & Rab Associates, on Dual degree LL.M. and MBA from Germany, NLSIU graduate, on setting up Uttarakhand’s first law firm

    Ajar Rab graduated from National Law School Of India University, Bangalore(2006-2011). At present, he is a partner at Rab & Rab Associates LLP, Dehradun and his work ranges from civil litigation, arbitration and corporate transactions.

    He is also an international policy consultant at Lexidale and a Non-Resident Expert at Vidhi where his work includes review of existing laws, policies and regulations, drafting of policy documents, amendments, rules and regulations and research on comparative policy.

    In this interview he talks to us about:

    • His experience at NLS, Bangalore.
    • His decision to pursue with a dual degree- LL.M. and MBA from Germany.
    • Skills one must require to become a legal consultant.
    • His views on how Indian Universities may improve the education regime.

    How would you like to introduce yourself? Tell us a bit about your childhood and pre-college life.

    I am a lawyer who grew up in the small hill station of Mussoorie where I studied at St. George’s College. My school lay great emphasis on extra-curricular activities and I was an active debater and loved playing sports. I was very lucky to find good friends with whom I have the fondest memories.

    What motivated you to choose law as a career?

    My parents are also lawyers. My father is a designated senior advocate at the High Court and my mother has spent over 37 years at the trail courts. I guessed I absorbed things like a sponge, never really seeing the big picture directing my interest in law. Though my parents never told me to become a lawyer, somehow their experiences and narrations about court cases and clients generated a keen interest in law.

    Please share your experience at National Law School of India University, Bangalore, especially as the first student to be elected as President of the Student Bar Association in absentia.

    I feel very lucky and privileged to have had a chance to study at NLS Bangalore. The place changed me for the better and I feel I am an entirely different person, pre and post college. One of my seniors, Nizam Pasha, who was in his final year when I joined, told me “Law School is a land of opportunity” and I don’t think I have better words to describe the place.

    My election to the SBA, while I was on exchange, was sheer benevolence of my batch and my close friends. I am truly grateful to all of them for believing and in me and convincing the others who did not at the time. My term at the SBA was full of various highs and lows. I have no hesitation to admit that it changed my world view forever. I learnt a lot about strategy, politics, negotiation and public perception – something we have to deal with daily as lawyers.

    Why did you decide to pursue higher studies? What was your motivation?

    Working for the general corporate team at Amarchand, I developed an interest in corporate law and transactions. During my time at law school, I always believed I wanted to do only litigation but after working for year, I realized I did not know enough about transactional lawyering so I wanted to pursue higher studies to educate myself.

    Why did you pursue with a dual degree- LL.M. and MBA from Germany? Why Germany and not some IVY League University?

    I chose the Master of Law and Business program at Bucerius Law School/WHU Otto-Beisheim School of Management, which to my mind, was a unique blend of law and business management, geared towards international commercial transactions. The faculty profile included some of the biggest names in academics and industry and the course outlines were structured as practical applications of concepts rather than mere theory. I guess that seemed like the right fit to learn more about the ins and outs of transactions, both from a legal as well as a commercial perspective.

    Do you think that the Indian Law Universities need a change to match up to the standards of foreign Universities? What can be done in order to make NLUs more conducive for learning? How do you think Indian Universities may improve the education regime?

    Definitely, the gap between Indian Law Universities and foreign universities is quite big. I feel our traditional style of classroom instruction is out dated with the dynamic application of concepts we learn in class. Exercise oriented class room discussions are far more fruitful for understanding the theory and applying them. At my masters, our professors gave us case studies which are used in IVY league institutions and we were tested on our analysis and conclusions, rather than simply answering theoretical questions in an examination. I think our universities can adopt a similar approach, but my caveat is that our system of school education should also change to accommodate that kind of learning.

    What are the skills one must acquire to become a legal consultant?

    I think every lawyer is a legal consultant to some extent. The distinction here is more on lawyers who handle litigation in Courts and those that are involved at policy levels or at the level of legal strategy. I don’t think the skills required to become a legal consultant are very different or unique, just that as a consultant, especially a policy consultant, needs to have the broader picture in mind with respect to the ramifications of their advice in various areas.

    Share your work experience as the first law firm of Uttarakhand.

    I consider myself lucky that our firm has had very versatile experience, in terms of the nature of work and the kind of clients. It is not so say that we did not struggle at the beginning but my seniors and friends have been very kind to refer various matters and as a result though it has been only 5 years since my brother setup the law firm, we have represented some of the biggest names in the country such as the Aditya Birla Group, Birla Tyres, Hyatt group of hotels, Rakesh Roshan, Viom Networks etc., for litigation as well as corporate transactions.I guess the cliché holds true “I get by with a little help from my friends”.

    What were the reasons behind leaving Amarchand&Mangaldas and moving to Dehradun?

    I learnt a lot at Amarchand but left to pursue my masters. Moving back to Dehradun is a question I am regularly asked about and have been defending since the time I left Amarchand. My brother had already setup a law firm,Uttarakhand was a promising State and there was scope of transactions here. With my experience, I felt moving back would add to our areas of practice and we will be able to service clients within Uttarakhand and outside if we provide quality legal advice.

    What kind of work you are entrusted with as a non-resident expert?

    My stint with Vidhi has been brief but I was part of a team which was drafting amendments to the Food Safety Act and its Rules.

    Many law students aspire to secure a job. What do you think most are doing wrong, from your observation? Please give our readers some tips to nail an interview.

    I think sometimes we tend to over sell ourselves and also forget that the person who is interviewing us has also been on the other side of the table. There is no substitute for sincerity and honesty in an interview. One other thing is that students tend to estimate their value by the size of the pay package being offered. I don’t think that is necessarily true. A pay package is a management decision considering various other aspects and costs than just someone’s qualifications and value. Moreover, freshers applying for a job tend to forget that even though they did really well in law school, practicing law in real life is a different ball game altogether – an experience they definitely lack. The aim early-on should to be take a job which allows maximum exposure and experience, rather than a fat pay cheque.

    Lastly, what would be your message to our readers who are mainly young lawyers and law students?

    Law is a field which requires immense patience and experience. We all aspire to be like Mr. Nariman, Mr. Singhvi or Mr. Rohtagi, but we forget how long they have been in practice. They have a name and charge a fee after decades of being in practice. Students today tend to want a similar lifestyle straight out of law school, which leads to frustration. If the aim is to grow your knowledge of law day-by-day, be better lawyers and work towards your clients’ best interests with utmost dedication, I think we all may land up being where the big names are, but only in due time.

  • Saptarshi Banerjee, counsel at Calcutta High Court on litigation after graduation

    Saptarshi Banerjee, counsel at Calcutta High Court on litigation after graduation

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    Saptarshi Banerjee is an alumnus of School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru who graduated in the year 2013. During his college days he was interested in many things, few of them being Chess, Politics of India. Like a Bengali,he is quite fond of the trademark and Quintessential Bengali “Adda” and is a connoisseur of food, especially anything that is deep fried. Unlike many others, he was part of various cells and committees of his college in order to satisfy his interest in multiple law subjects. From an early stage of his career he has had an intention of joining litigation. Starting under the tutelage and watchful eyes of Advocate Ratnanko Banerjee, currently he can be described as a practicing counsel based out of Kolkata.

    In this interview he talks about –

    • His career in litigation
    • His work experience
    • His take on litigation and life
    • His future career plan

    HELLO SAPTARSHI, BEING A LAWYER, I GUESS YOU ARE NOT ALIEN TO THE CONCEPT OF THE SUPERLAWYER AND ITS READERS. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF?

    For the purposes of this interview, let me introduce myself as an extremely surprised (pleasantly though) person as well as extremely humbled on being asked for this interview.

     

    TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS.

    Oh! As a child I was someone whose guardians have been called innumerable number of times. The kind of child whose pranks and mischief are renowned subjects in the neighbourhood. Often, I was regarded as a rebel for my affinity with logic.

     

    DID YOU TAKE PART IN THE MOOT COURT ACTIVITIES?

    Yes I did. My first year was horrible and from second to my fifth year I have always been within the top five teams in our internals but believe it or not I could not go to any of the moots. I did get the runners up trophy in the Rizvi college moot in my second year but I had not been able to go for that either. It was my team that went and I researched. It’s most unfortunate and possibly one of the rare things in my life I would change, if I could live it again.

     

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    TODAY EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE OFFICE OF RENOWNED LAW OFFICES AND MNC’S, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE LITIGATION? DID YOU GET ANY MOTIVATION FROM SOMEONE TO JOIN THE LITIGATION?

    Too many questions there! Yes I did have motivation. My maternal side of the family always wanted me to take up the mantle from my grandfather. They had tried it with my uncle, my mother, my elder brother and the result was never quite to their liking. I was their fourth attempt and I too had passed on the idea quite early. I like the profession but hated the big fat books from an early age. It was rather in the final year of school when my school counselor impressed with my analysis and my keenness at debating prompted the idea. And it was at this time that the idea stuck around with me. I too had my moments of wanting to repeat a Sachin Tendulkar or take up flying kind of ambitions but then law happened and I am very happy about it. In fact another major factor that drove me towards a career in litigation is my intent to join politics at a latter part of my life. I believe a successful career in law is an ideal stepping stone to a second innings in politics. Well the job thing was never really a factor; I did not even take my placements seriously. The one interview I sat for, I had clarified to them that I was not interested to continue unless they were involving me in real time litigation. In fact ever since the first day at law school, or rather from the first moment I decided to settle for law school, I knew I wanted to see myself arguing in that black robe before a judge. And also knowing full well that every word I speak can either make or break someone’s life, someone’s fortune.

     

    IF COMING TO LITIGATION WAS A PRE-DECIDED CAREER OPTION, HOW DID YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE SAME? WHAT ARE THE SKILLS THAT YOU LEARN BEFORE JOINING LITIGATION? WHAT ACCORDING TO YOU ARE THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BECOME A LITIGATOR?

    There is no standard rule for litigation. No thumb rule at all. To me it’s a lifestyle and you better figure out your own set of lock and keys to that lifestyle. Fali Nariman in Before Memory Fades, gives a sound piece of advice for juniors at the bar. He advises one to think more on a matter than he reads up on it. Litigation is actually dealing with people and words. And every matter, every argument is slightly different from the others. It’s really who thinks of it differently and with more clarity. One cannot have a set rule for that.

    KINDLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH THE BAR EXAM.

    That’s one exam I wouldn’t mind appearing for another time as long as time is not a consideration. It can be described as absolute circus, pure entertainment, invigilators quite insecure in front of the invigilated. It’s a classic example of how to waste time and public money because the people at the helm have to once in a while create the illusion of them being at work. Whether such work achieves the purpose or not is the least of their consideration.

     

    HOW IS YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE SO FAR IN LITIGATION? HOW ARE THE SCOPES OF LITIGATION AT THE PRESENT SITUATION?

    It is humbling, satisfying, intellectually stimulating but at the same time very grueling and at times ruthlessly heartbreaking. The scopes are as broad as they can get in a recession free industry, but one has to have the gut for it or should have parents to be able to pay for all the hardships. Whether you are successful here or not does not depend on the industry. It depends on how industrious one is and broadly speaking three other things.

    1) The senior you chose and if he/she believes that you are one of his/her responsibility

    2) The family you come from. Not because without one you are destined to fail but exactly because of the opposite. With one you are destined to be safe and sound for the rest of your life.

    3) Your own ability to fall back and get up on your feet. I don’t mean it in the romantic way that it sounds but more in the brute way that it is.

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    HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH THE CHAMBER OF ADVOCATE RATNANKO BANERJEE?

    I am very proud of my association with his chambers. He has been extremely kind to me and I find myself privileged to work under him. I have no hesitation in accepting how much I owe to him. Very honestly, he is a strict mentor, sometimes extremely scary. But during the few lighter moments that we share as a chamber I see that he does it mostly with a feeling of affection. He will make me feel like terrible news and sometimes I will actually in the heart of my hearts hate him for that. But I know that tomorrow if I do well and if I have it in me to do well at the bar, he will be proud.

    CONSIDERING THE HUGE PENDENCY OF CASES IN COURTS, HOW DO YOU THINK THE PROBLEM CAN BE MITIGATED, IF NOT SOLVED?

    I think it’s a downward slope, especially under the current political disposition. After the emergency this is the first time we hear so much clamor in the judiciary as well as in the media. It’s high time to speed up appointments throughout the judicial structure and encourage the use of technology in all departments. If this does not happen soon we will be at a point of no return. I am a firm believer of the fact that this country has gone through many upheavals and one of the few institutions that have held it up from breaking away is the Judiciary. No point in blaming certain individual judges. They come from within the collective that we are, and they are as good or as bad as we get. Sometimes slow, sometimes arrogant, sometimes even ignorant. But there has always been the will and the bar too has played a responsible part so to speak. But nowadays no one is paying attention to the need of speedy appointments. I say the bar associations have a responsibility and must bring the government down to its knee unless all courts have 95% of vacancies filled. Off course I am not advising that bar should influence appointments but the bar should indeed act as a pressure group to ensure that the courts are optimally functional. It’s not the battle of the judiciary alone.

     

    WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU FEEL IN WORKING AS A JUNIOR LAWYER IN KOLKATA HIGH COURT?

    Honestly money. And I think there is a strong contingent of old school believers who don’t expect a junior to do well unless he is five to seven years into the bar. So the first five years are a struggle.

    WHAT IS YOUR AVERAGE DAILY WORK-TIME LIKE?

    I am not as diligent as many. I survive. But when I am in full swing I am easily working fourteen to sixteen hours in a day. First, court then the chambers and finally your own research or your own drafting. You cannot neglect your independent work. In fact you hope that the independent work increases because that is what you are ultimately going to ride on.

    CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH OUR READERS THE INTERNSHIPS YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN DURING YOUR COLLEGE LIFE? HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FIND INTERNSHIPS UNDERTAKEN IN YOUR COLLEGE LIFE IN YOUR LITIGATION CAREER?

    I knew I would be in litigation and I knew I would start from Kolkata. Most people do not know of it so early and it makes sense for them to go out and try variety. But with my conviction in the things I wanted to do, I interned in Kolkata all through and all of them litigation based. I never sent out a single CV to any law firm. Much later in my life I have kind of toyed with the idea of trying something different but I could not give up on litigation. Let’s see what follows next. Because now I am also kind of open to the idea of trying at Delhi but I guess I will focus on building something in Kolkata first. But that too has to be a good lit based offer that can make me leave Kolkata.

    DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIALITY IN YOUR PRACTICE? OR IS IT GENERAL PRACTICE?

    As a junior counsel you don’t have any expertise and you should not have a speciality. You must do everything. I certainly do. But yes more often you will find yourself more exposed to the branch your senior is an expert of and hence I do end up doing more commercial litigation than any other.

     

    FROM A LAW STUDENT TO LAWYER, HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE THE TRANSITION?

    A lawyer is as much a law student just that he starts to learn the art of teaching himself.

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    RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS –

     

    ANY RED-LETTER DAY IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR –

    Yes when I took up this matter pro bono for a govt employee who had superannuated under suspension and had a stiff situation at home. He himself was a heart patient and had a specially abled son and his medical expenses to take care off. The family of four was living out of an income of eight thousand rupees a month along with all the hostilities life had to offer them. His daughter had approached me through Facebook. With the help of a senior I did get him all his arrears which amounted to something around Rupees fifteen lakhs and that was huge for him. A month later he visits me with five thousand rupees and a box of sweets. Initially I declined the payment but later realised that it means a lot for him to be able to pay me that money and so I humbly accepted. Till now one of the best moments of my life.

     

    IS THERE ANY CASE THAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION ABOUT LITIGATION AND ALSO ABOUT JUDICIARY?

    Yes the Hok Kolorob case. Having organised the students and having shared in their expectations it was most unfortunate to see and be a part of it the way the entire thing transpired. However I shall not say anymore on this because it involves a lot many other issues too.

    MOST CHALLENGING SITUATION OR CASE FACED –

    A case is not challenging as such based on the merits. At least for me as a lawyer, I believe that my case is my case and my client is my client. I have to do the best I can do with that. But the challenge is often in situations inside the courtroom and your ability to muster enough presence of mind to see the situation through. For example when you are supposed to be led by a senior and he gets caught up in another court. I have faced that challenge a couple of times and have fared decently. In fact on both occasions I got the orders my client was looking for.
    But yes the Hok Kolorob case and the ongoing Writ Petition of Calcutta Stock Exchange against SEBI are two matters that have given me insights I will treasure.

     

    ANY UNPLEASANT SITUATION –

    Many but not fair to float them in public space. Either I will have to blame an individual or I will have to end up explaining my own actions. Neither of which I enjoy. So I shall pass.

     

    DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN OF PURSUING HIGHER STUDIES IN NEAR FUTURE?

    I always wanted to study in JNU may be get a masters in Political Science. But that’s more for the experience. I think student life in Delhi is worth the years that it takes.

     

    WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOURSELF 5 – 10 YEARS FROM TODAY?

    I don’t know. Honestly don’t want to think about it. I just want financial stability, a few opportunities to be able to contribute to the society and do cases that leave one with a sense of satisfaction and feeling of content. If I can do the above I am sure riches, glamour and luxury will follow in due course.

    ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE READERS?

    If by readers you mean law students then I would really not want you to read this expecting to gain unforeseen insights. May be the trick is to understand that life as a lawyer is full of reality and chances. It’s not as funny as Vinny’s cousin but it surely is a lot of fun. It will disappoint you immensely if you take up this life expecting to consistently close like Alan Shore or Harvey Spectre. But if you let this life dawn upon you with a feeling that you do know a bit and there is still much more to know, you will enjoy the ride.

     

  • Gautami Raikar, Founder and CEO, Lawmate, on her journey from practice to entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs

    Gautami Raikar, Founder and CEO, Lawmate, on her journey from practice to entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs

    Ms.Gautami Raikar, founder of lawmate.in, graduated in law from G. R. Kare College of Law in the year 2013 and thereafter she started working as a project Coordinator at the Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (C.I.B.A) and is currently pursing her Masters in law. In 2016, she launched the website www.lawmate.in which provides services to entrepreneur and business startups to navigate the law and set up their businesses.This interview has been taken by ANANT DABHOLKAR of G.R KARE OF COLLEGE OF LAW

    IN THIS INTERVIEW SHE TALKS ABOUT:

    • What motivated her to enter the legal industry

    • Entrepreneurship skills

    • Challenges faced by Entrepreneurship and

    • The need to reform Law

    1. COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE LEGAL INDUSTRY?
    I am born and brought-up in Goa and have graduated from G.R. Kare College of Law in the year 2013. The reason I joined law is because I always wanted to be an advocate since my childhood.

    I always thought of doing something different than getting into the routine practice, and so soon after my graduation I joined practice for some considerable time but it didn’t interest me much so I started getting into various other sectors which would get some interest in my profession. That is how where I am today.

    2. WHAT COMPELLED YOU TO STUDY LAW?
    I always thought of law as something good. I always had the passion to do law and I wanted to study laws which govern us so that’s a major reason. Further, I did evaluate my qualities as well and found that I am much of an outspoken person and I thought I will be able to deliver well for people considering the problems faced in the society, so that’s one reason why I always felt that I will do something in the field of law.

    3. HOW WAS YOUR LIFE AT THE LAW COLLEGE?
    Fantastic, right now I am more into dual job, where I am also an Alumni of G. R. Kare College law and I am currently working here as a junior executive, besides being a student of L.L.M course pursuing my second year in this college. The experience has been really good; I think the place where I’m today is only because of the faculty of the college, who have always given me the backing and motivation.

    4. DO YOU THINK MOOT COURT COMPETITIONS THAT ARE ORGANIZED BY LAW COLLEGES, REALLY DO HELP THE LAW STUDENTS IN MAKING UP THEIR CAREER AS AN ADVOCATE?
    Yes it does help and it does play a big role. Particularly in respect of the skills that are involved in advocacy, moot courts do play a very important role in polishing them. I think the students from first year itself should get themselves exposed to various national and international level moot-court competitions, since you gain a lot of experience.

    gautami-raikar-25. DO YOU FEEL SUCH EVENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTREPRENEURS?
    Yes indeed, events such as not only moot-court but also other events like elocutions, essay writing also play a vital role when considering entrepreneurship skills. You need to know what are the possibilities and the problems the sectors are facing around you that is something where entrepreneurs play a major role.

    So being a legal entrepreneur, it does play a very important role because you not only learn the skills required to be an entrepreneur but also you know the problem that are faced which helps a lot and really good to scale up the business in future.

    6. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO ENTER INTO THE FIELD OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
    Well, last year in 2015, I was working with Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (C.I.B.A), Where I worked as project coordinator and I was helping entrepreneurs with workshops and was also helping them understand various legal concepts there.

    During that journey I felt that the entrepreneurs did not have a platform where they would get all these legal requirements and that was a major hurdle which everyone faces but none of them knew what was the best and suitable form of entity for their business.So that’s how I started doing research and I felt that in Goa there are engineering colleges that have entrepreneurship cells so I thought why not device the same in G.R. Kare College Of Law.

    Right now G.R. Kare College of Law is the fourth institute if I am correct in India which is having an e-cell, so that’s how again it motivated me to initiate this in the year 2015 itself and by November 2015 I was ready with my business plan in C.I.B.A itself when I was working there and soon when I joined Kare law college as junior executive, I participated at Gujarat National law university for a business plan competition in the domain of law , where I won 2nd runners up, that was the motivational factor and in the month of may I launched my Business lawmate.in.

    7. WHAT ACCORDING TO YOU ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED BY NEW ENTREPRENEURS WHILE BUILDING UP AND ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES IN THIS CAREER?
    Various challenges that would be you identifying various problems that are faced in the legal sector in Goa or anywhere which you want to focus on and getting the research done for that area. Then the investment involved in it, what are the business plans , what will be your marketing segment all that plays a very Important role once when you start up.

    But once you actually enter the line, I think it is pretty comfortable to go ahead as you have planned to do it, though scaling-up the business is quite a challenge considering the market and how you pick-up the clients.

    8. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE LAWS RELATING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP? IS THERE A NEED TO REFORM THEM?
    Yes definitely. I have taken the same topic for my dissertation in L.L.M. Lesser legal compliance by M.S.M.E in Goa due to inadequate state section.

    Now M.S.M.E laws are dependent on states, who do not have central legislation like micro medium and Large scale Enterprise Act, Factories Act are there, I do agree with that but In Goa I also noticed that though we have a Goa Investment Promotion Board, which solely looks into the Business sector for giving them the investment for their business but that’s more into a large scale enterprise.When you consider the micro or the small medium enterprises they are not given much support by the government I terms of schemes as well as understanding the legal compliance.

    Now if you consider in Goa, I think if you ask any of the entrepreneur what is the difference between a sole proprietorship and one person company or L.L.P and partnership none of them are able to understand it because most of the senior advocates and C.S or C.A they do not give them this information so law mate will play this one query as an important role on Goa’s part to help the entrepreneur.

    9. WITH RESPECT TO THE PRESENT STATE OF LAW AND MOST SPECIFICALLY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, DO YOU THINK THAT THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN COMPROMISED?
    Yes, I do agree with that and that is one major reason why I left my practice because I thought that law is pretty well compromised in India.

    I do not blame the judiciary for that, as a lawyer I have to respect it, but it doesn’t fall into my conscience to get adjournment when the matter could have been resolved within time so that is one major reason why I left my practice and I thought of getting into sectors which can do well in legal industry. So that is how I thought of becoming an entrepreneur.

    10. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR NEW AND UPCOMING YOUNG ENERGETIC LAWYERS?

    There are lot of problems faced by people particularly in the legal field so new upcoming lawyers have to think and focus in that particular area too.I would say they as students of law should not only restrict to practice, you need to think out of the box. I think there are many avenues which law students can do. The concept is being coming up in national law schools and I really want this to come up in Goa, I am looking forward to more legal entrepreneurs from the state of Goa.

  • Shikhar Thukral, Legal Officer, Bharat Petroleum, on LL.M from Boalt Hall and work experience at a PSU

    Shikhar Thukral, Legal Officer, Bharat Petroleum, on LL.M from Boalt Hall and work experience at a PSU

    Shikhar Thukral graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai in 2013. Upon graduation, he joined Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai as a legal officer, and has stayed in that position since. In 2015, he completed a Professional LL.M programme from the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California. He has interned in leading law firms such as Crawford Bayley & Co., and Luthra and Luthra Law Offices while pursuing his LLB degree.

    In this interview he discusses:

    • Law as a tool of social change and his motivation for pursuing it
    • The reason why knowing corporate laws is important even from a social perspective
    • His experience with pursuing a Professional LL.M
    • His publication on Section 377 of the IPC.

     

    Tell us a little about why you decided to pursue Law. Has this always been your career plan?

    I come from a family of doctors, which would make one presume that the medical profession was my natural calling. However, of my own volition I decided to ‘don a black coat’, as I always believed in law as an agent of social change. I would like to share a story from my school days which I believe is a precursor to my decision of choosing the legal profession. During my 12th standard I was actively taking part in heading the student body and making representations to our Principal for our needs. We came across an instance were some of the school faculty were offering private tuitions to the students. The students who were availing those tuitions had secured good marks in their pre-board terms and other students, though meritorious, were deprived of marks. I personally brought this to the notice of the school management with a detailed written representation, and finally a decision was taken that such tuitions should be stopped. I chose to study law in the hopes that I will be able to represent the community at large for more such social reforms.

     

    You have worked with several top tier firms. How do you think your experience with them has shaped your approach to the profession?

    Working with law firms gave me a firsthand knowledge of how to deal with clients in a professional manner. I still leverage that experience in my current role dealing with in-house clients. Moreover, in a law firm environment you cater to different industries whereas working for a company restricts you to a single domain. The law firm paradigm helped me understand that the legal profession is very competitive. However, there is scope for everyone to reach up to a certain level. Beyond that, earning a good reputation chiefly depends on your networking skills with clients.

     

    Have you always been interested in Contract Law and Corporate Law? How did you choose your specialisations?

    shikhar-thukral-2As I have stated earlier, that my ultimate ambition to pursue law was to necessitate advocacy for social change. However over the years I have learnt that it is also important to know the other side of the story. We often keep hearing that “big oil”, “big tobacco”, and “big bank” companies control the economy of the country. A reform, however laudable its social objectives are, cannot disjoint itself from economic objectives. To accomplish such objectives, it was vital for me to engage my faculties in corporate and commercial laws too. Also, I must candidly admit that as an immigrant in Mumbai, my survival from a fiscal point of view had to be taken care of and the pursuit of noble objectives of socio-economic reforms were not rewarding financially. Hence, my decision to engage in studies of Commercial and Corporate law are attributed to both these reasons. Nevertheless, I have not deterred from my initial ambition. I intend to do more social studies and ultimately work towards achieving social reforms. What I am doing currently is only a stepping stone to what I intend to accomplish later

     

    You presented a paper on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. What is your stance on the issue as it currently stands?

    Now, a great deal depends on the outcome of the curative petitions which are currently pending before the Supreme Court of India on this issue. I have always maintained the stand that a person’s orientation is a basic liberty which should be protected by the contours of fundamental rights in our Constitution. It is quite heartening to see that conservationist groups are also now supporting this position. I was disappointed by the outcome of the efforts undertaken by Shri Shashi Tharoor when his proposal to strike down the provision failed in the Union Legislature. However a new CJI has given us hopes that the LGBT community can survive in the society without any fear of persecution. I must add here that there are some pragmatic limitations on every liberty. I believe in decriminalization but that should not lead to glorification. “Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.”

     

    You have worked extensively with Public Sector Undertakings as an in-house-counsel. Can you tell us about your experience with that? What do you think young lawyers aspiring for the same should always keep in mind?

    It is indeed a very good environment to work and the work load is fairly manageable. Your innovativeness in providing legal solutions, especially in supply chain/product companies would be greatly rewarded.  There is tremendous opportunity to learn and you will also be exposed to important and high stake matters from the very start of your career. I remember giving advice on a 100 Million USD transaction in the first three months of my work. You will also be subjected to soft skill trainings on a regular basis to develop your personality. As an in-house counsel for a Public Sector Undertaking, one must keep in mind that you are discharging a public duty and it is enjoined upon you to be fair and impartial in all your dealings. You will undoubtedly be bound to support the Corporation’s stand, but counsels must be firm in their advice to deter certain practices. It is indeed quite a tough call to make and sometimes your advice will be superseded. I would advice my brethren intending to join a PSU to be accommodating and tolerant in such scenarios. Your passion and devil’s advocacy may be put to test.

     

    As a lawyer, it is very important to be able to negotiate with clients. How do you build the rapport required for that?

    I have always felt that a personal connection with the client aides towards that end. Before meetings, I usually research on the participants and I try to engage in informal conversations on their likes and dislikes by relating them with myself. Try to exhibit a personal interest in your clients as it helps in building trust. I must also modestly admit that I have a very good sense of humour and that comes in handy while building connections. Even if someone is sitting across the table in the capacity of an opposite party, there is no harm in making an enquiry into their character, business and whereabouts. You never know they may be your client tomorrow

     

    Tell us a little about your time as a Law Student. How did you prioritise your time?

    I must state that I have been a good student, though I spent most of my time as a vagabond in Mumbai. The hostel life caught up to me and I thoroughly enjoyed the same for the first two years. After my pre-law (B.L.S) years, I engaged myself in internships as at that time I thought that in this profession, experience counts more that education. However I never stopped studying and devoted my nights studying the subjects. I also engaged myself as a remedial lecturer in the Government Law College, teaching the pre-law subject Logic to students. I prioritised my time to ensure that my days are devoted towards internships and nights for studies. The weekends were always devoted to leisure.

     

    After pursuing your B.L.S. and then LL.B from Government Law College, Mumbai, you went on to obtain a professional LL.M. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. Tell us a little about the application process, and how you got in.

    The application process was indeed a harrowing experience as a lot of things had to be arranged over a short period of time. Apart from the application form, you needed a Statement of Purpose, Reference Letters (academic and professional), transcripts, college degrees etc. At the same time I was also working in my current role and so was overwhelmed initially. However when my Corporation supported me to pursue this, I left no stone unturned to ensure that I got through. I was chiefly selected on my academic performance and my SOP for which I was also awarded a tuition fees scholarship. I would recommend that readers aspiring to join the University do their research on the programme as this is a programme split over two summers and is meant for working professionals. The readers may please refer to llbguide.com to know more about the programme and make an informed decision. The application process is clearly explained on lsac.com and the applications can be made from there.

     

    In your opinion, how exactly did an LL.M. from abroad benefit you? What was your thought process in deciding to go abroad?

    Doing an LL.M. from any foreign University completely changes your perception of studies as compared to India. Speaking from my experience at Berkeley, I must say that the manner of education abroad is far superior. An LL.M. from a foreign University indeed helped me in my current role as I am regularly applying the knowledge gained therewith to my current work-profile. Moreover, it increases your marketability in India and abroad as a candidate for jobs, though not initially but after achieving 3-5 years PQE. Also, the connections that you make there will benefit you and your organization greatly. Today I can safely say that I am in touch with a lawyer in every major city in the world and my Corporation is also availing their facilities. I chiefly intended to go abroad to experience a full-fledged University style of learning. As I mentioned earlier, I did not attend much of my college in Mumbai as I was busy in internships. Coupled with the scholarship, it was a win-win situation and I was able to gain a firsthand experience of learning in one of the most prestigious law colleges in the world.

     

    For other aspiring students with their sights set on foreign universities, what do you think is essential for them to keep in mind?

    Foreign Universities are meant to impart learning and should not be viewed as an investment to secure better job prospects. There are many benefits you can gain from foreign Universities. One should experience learning in such an environment to assess where they stand as compared to the world. I understand it is a time consuming and costly endeavour, however for students who really wish to understand law from an international perspective must pursue such opportunities. One must also keep in mind that the experience itself will change how you think about the legal profession.

     

    The progression of your career seems to be a constant upward slope. How did you plan it? Did you have a set plan from day one?

    You are very kind to have made such an observation. I must admit that I never planned how all pieces will fall into place, but yes I had a broad plan in mind from day one. Like I said earlier, my ultimate ambition is fixed and I am working in a phased manner to achieve that objective till date. It involves both learning and working simultaneously. I am still in the nascent stages of my career and I hope that I continue on the path of achieving my dream. What is important to set your eyes on an objective and pursue the same diligently.

     

    What do you think are the key elements to focus on with regards to planning one’s career?

    The elements will keep on changing with passage of time. First and foremost comes your education which will give you merit to enter into your career. Selecting the right educational path will determine where you land up ultimately. The second is your working. One must decide whether they wish to work for someone or work for oneself. In practical terms for our profession the same translates to working for a law firm/company or working as a practicing advocate. Self-assessment is very important to decide on the two aspects and making the correct choice. In working, the most important element especially for the legal profession is sincerity. In this profession a lot comes from experience and one can only accomplish the same through sincerity.

     

    What message would you like to give our young readers?

    Experience everything that life has to offer you. The good, the bad and the ugly. Keep an open mind always.

    I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to Super Lawyer for considering me for this interview and I wish them and their readers immense success in all their ventures. It is really encouraging to see profiles of so many people from our profession and learn from the same. Keep up the good work.

     

  • Ojasvita Srivastava, Senior Manager – Legal, Reliance Communications, on LL.M from QMUL, writing journals, and Project Abhimanyu

    Ojasvita Srivastava, Senior Manager – Legal, Reliance Communications, on LL.M from QMUL, writing journals, and Project Abhimanyu

    Ojasvita Srivastava graduated from V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Goa University (2005-2010). She is a qualified lawyer and an experienced in-house counsel with experience in litigation, arbitration and corporate compliance. She is presently a Senior Manager in the Legal department at Reliance Communications where she deals with Telecom Litigation.

    She pursued an LL.M in Commercial and Corporate Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, where she served as the Communication and Media Coordinator of her specialisation- Commercial and Corporate Law.

    Ojasvita was also the Co-Founder and Chief Editor of the ‘The Sophists’, Queen Mary Law and Business Journal, which publishes articles on Law, Business and Politics. She contributes articles on Indian economy and legal developments to this journal. She also edits and contributes articles to the monthly Postgraduate Newsletter of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, London.

    In this interview she talks to us about:

    • Challenges associated with being an in-house counsel.
    • Project Abhimanyu – providing free guidance to law students who do not come from a law background.
    • Services provided under the project “Abhimanyu”.
    • Skills and qualities that helped her achieving the current position.

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I work as a Senior Manager in the Legal and Regulatory Department at Reliance Communications in New Delhi. I handle cases related to telecom, broadcasting and infrastructure disputes before the Supreme Court, various High Courts, the Telecom Tribunal (TDSAT) and various arbitrators, while occasionally getting involved in M&A work and contract vetting. I have a keen interest in litigation and have previously practiced before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, and various District courts in Delhi.

     

    What made you choose the legal profession as your career option?

    Pursuing law as a career was a last minute decision. I was a student of the Science stream till class XII. Like the rest of my class, I too wrote the AIEEE and did well. I had a state ranking of 37 in Engineering and 7 in Architecture. However, I disliked Chemistry and didn’t want to read a word of it ever again in my life. As I was trying to figure out what to do with my career, I met my mentor, Adv. Vilas P. Thali. He is the former Additional Advocate General of Goa and is a specialist in election laws. After meeting him I was inspired to pursue law. I wrote the entrance exam for V. M. Salgaocar College of Law on 14th June, 2005 and joined his office as an intern on 15th June, 2005. I interned there for more than 3 years spending close to 6 hours a day in his office and visiting courts, meeting clients as well as attending sessions of briefing senior counsels (even though I was just a 12th pass student). I topped the entrance exam at my college and continued to perform well. As a result, I was awarded the merit scholarship throughout my LLB course and paid nothing in tuition fee! Although the joy of saving money was more than offset; thanks to my LLM at Queen Mary, University at London.

    As I am a first generation lawyer, my family was not in favour of me pursuing law as a career. However, I convinced them otherwise and became the only girl in my entire batch at school to join law.

     

    What were your objectives and plans in the preliminary years of law school?

    Right from the first year, I had a deep interest in litigation and I had a clear mind that I wanted to make a career in this field. Therefore, in my initial years at law school, I aimed at participating in as many moot courts as possible and gave every moot court my best. I won the best lady advocate at a national level moot court competition and the best memorial award at an international moot court, while doing fairly well in all moot courts that I participated in. My mooting experience not only helped me hone my research and oratory skills but more importantly helped me develop a keen attention to detail, which is absolutely essential to win any case.

    Besides this, I interned throughout the first three years of the course; part time when the college was in session and full time during vacations. As my college timings were from noon to half past five in the evening, I could easily dedicate three hours in the morning and in the evening. During the morning sessions, I usually attended proceedings at the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court or the District Court, where I gained practical experience in court skills and procedure. Evenings were usually dedicated to practising legal research, drafting and attending client meetings. Often students learn these essential skills only after passing out of law school. So I am very grateful to my mentor for hand holding me and making sure that I learnt these skills while still at college.

     

    What are the challenges associated with being an in-house counsel? How do you handle them?

    There are in-house counsels specialising in various areas of legal practice. I will only talk about the challenges faced by in-house counsels working in the dispute resolution field.

    As an in-house counsel specialising in dispute resolution, the volume of work is more though the in-depth involvement in legal research is limited. Also, one is involved right from the pre-litigation stage of litigation-avoidance correspondence till the execution of the decree, including serving notices, drafting, vetting and settling petitions, briefing senior counsels, attending arguments and then following up for the execution of decrees. During this process, one also needs to keep the management of the company informed about the on-going proceedings almost like the eyes and ears of the management in the court (AKA Sanjay from the Mahabharata).

    The challenge revolves around balancing the volume of work. As an in-house counsel, I have been assigned more than 65 cases. My colleagues, who are senior to me, handle even more cases than me. Thus the responsibility is to keep a tab of all your cases in all the courts across the country and to make sure that the interests of the company are effectively secured. Further, as an in-house counsel, one also needs to understand the technicalities of a case well enough to be able to explain them as her own case. Thus I, for example, have to understand complex science revolving around telecom engineering to be able to explain it to the external counsels on behalf of the company.

     

    Tell us something about “Project Abhimanyu”.

    ‘Project Abhimanyu’ is a pro bono and voluntary initiative that I recently started. It aims at increasing access to career opportunities in the legal industry by providing free guidance and career counselling to law students who do not come from a law background.

    It endeavours to increase awareness about career options available in the legal profession to students. It works assiduously with students from colleges that do not have a fully functional placement cell and also assists and contributes to the existing services available at academic and professional institutions that are working towards guiding students. It does so by sharing knowledge and seeking guidance from highly trained and experienced professionals in the legal industry who are willing to voluntarily mentor students in their free time. In the long run, Project Abhimanyu will work towards enriching the talent pool available to the legal profession.

     

    Why have you named it Project ‘Abhimanyu’?

    Abhimanyu was Arjun’s son from the Mahabharata. On the 13th day of the Mahabharata war, he successfully intercepted the Chakravyuh formation created by the Kaurava army, and saved the Pandavas from imminent defeat. What is particularly interesting about this episode though is that Abhimanyu obtained this knowledge of penetrating a Charavyuh formation as a foetus in his mother’s womb. Thus Abhimanyu was born with the knowledge of how to penetrate a Chakravyuh.

    The legal industry is like a Chakravyuh, complex and vast. It would be Project Abhimanyu’s endeavour that, just like Abhimanyu, law students graduating from various colleges must learn to successfully navigate the legal industry. They should be able to make informed career decisions and achieve success proportionate to their calibre and hard work; and they should never get left behind because of a lack of guidance.

     

    Why inspired you to start this initiative?

    To answer this question, I would first like to give a little context. I graduated in law from V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Goa in 2010 and later acquired an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary, University of London in 2014. In the intermittent period, I worked at a multinational French Pharma company in Mumbai and later practised at the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and District courts in Delhi, while simultaneously writing the civil services examination. In 2013, I appeared for the interview round of the civil services examination; however, I missed by a narrow margin and thereafter decided to continue my career in law.

    All along this journey, I had little guidance in terms of how to go about making my career in law. As a result, my career grew more in a trial and error fashion. Thankfully, I have reached a comfortable place now, and therefore I want to help other students who are in a similar position.

    Law is a difficult profession not only because it is a complex industry but also because it requires one to really slog to climb up. That said, it becomes all the more difficult when you are a first generation lawyer. The idea behind Project Abhimanyu is to guide first generation law students so that they get a better shot at making a smooth transition from being a law student to becoming a lawyer. Over the past few years, I have been guiding students studying in various colleges in Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Patna, Mumbai and Goa. But there are still a lot of students who need guidance and this is what got me motivated to start this platform to reach out to more students across the country.

     

    How difficult was it for you to connect and convince different lawyers to register on this project?

    It wasn’t difficult at all. Everyone I approached has been very receptive and appreciative of Project Abhimanyu. We have the GCs of MNCs, law firm partners and highly successful litigators on board as Mentors at Project Abhimanyu. In fact, most Mentors at Project Abhimanyu had already been guiding and mentoring students. Project Abhimanyu is only providing them a platform to reach out to more students from across the country. I am very grateful to everyone who has joined this initiative and is sparing time from their busy schedules to help the future generation of lawyers.

     

    What kind of services do you provide under this project?

    Students can write in to ask any query related to the legal career. These could be about improving their CV, internship applications, job applications, career guidance, civil services examination, higher education abroad, CA/CS courses, working in-house or any other information related to law. They simply need to drop an email to project.abhimanyu@gmail.com and they would be assigned to a mentor who would answer their queries.

     

    Where do you see this project five years from now?

    In five years, I want Project Abhimanyu to be a self–sustained, fully automated system. We are working towards building a network of lawyers specialising in different areas of law who are voluntarily willing to guide students. Eventually I want Project Abhimanyu to develop into a platform where any law student from any corner of the country could just go to our website, choose a Mentor in a particular field of law from an entire range of specialists and write a message that would directly be received by the Mentor and answered by her/ him. We are also working towards compiling and publishing the advice given by the Mentors for the benefit of other students. I want the advice to be free and fair and therefore, Project Abhimanyu shall always remain a pro bono, voluntary and a not-for-profit organisation.

     

    What skills and qualities do you think have helped you achieve your current position?

    I think hard work, attention to detail and a passion for reading are essential qualities for anyone aspiring to make a career in litigation. Besides that, the training I received from my mentor and the guidance of my teachers has helped me tremendously. I will be failing in my duty if I forget to mention the complete liberty and unflinching support given to me by mother in shaping my career.

     

    What would be your advice to our readers?

    An ex-President at Reliance, whom I respect like a father, once passed a remark that struck the very core of my conscience. He told me that ‘your profession (the legal profession) is rather feudal’. What he was inferring was that it is easier for people from a law background to excel in this industry.

    Project Abhimanyu is trying to break free from this notion about the legal industry in India. I would advise every student reading this article to take full benefit of Project Abhimanyu. It is an opportunity for everyone to get a fair shot at law and to make informed career decisions. I would also request every legal professional reading this article to join Project Abhimanyu and help the future generation of lawyers in our country become more productive and efficient.

     

  • Aditya Bhandari, Counsel, Reliance Jio, on internships and work experience as a corporate lawyer

    Aditya Bhandari, Counsel, Reliance Jio, on internships and work experience as a corporate lawyer

    Aditya Bhandari graduated from the Institute of Law, Nirma University in the year 2014.  His wisely chosen internships coupled with his interest and market scenario led him to grab a job at Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited which is a part of Reliance Industries Group. He is certainly an inspiration to young corporate law aspirants as he explains in this interview that internships play a vital role in shaping one’s career by exposing one to confront the challenges of practical aspects of that career and are as imperative as an Educational Institution itself. In this interview he tells us about:

    • His satisfactory working experience as an Assistant Manager in the Legal – Litigation team of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited.
    • His strategy of choosing internships and thereby substantially enriching his practical knowledge.
    • How to choose a career stream and get successful regardless of the so-called NLU tag.

    Please share with us about your life journey so far and graduating from the Law School of Nirma University.

    I am currently working as an Assistant Manager in the Legal – Litigation team of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (part of Reliance Industries Group). I have graduated from Institute of Law, Nirma Univeristy (ILNU) in the year 2014. Growing up in Jodhpur (Rajasthan), I was always inclined towards the world of accountancy and since then I made my mind to study Financial Subjects and be a professional Chartered Accountant. However in my school days, I was expressive and had my own opinions about every aspect which was particularly not liked by my teachers (Though I enjoyed it). It was then when I realised that it is a quality of being assertive and argumentative which I could use in the other facets of my life. Though the act of argument leads a student into trouble when he does that with his teacher, or a child when he does that with his parents, but when the same is done by an advocate for his client, with all rigour and vehemence, it takes him to the pinnacle of the profession and that’s what makes one a good and great lawyer. Thus, my journey of being an advocate started from that very moment, and my instinct of being argumentative brought me to Institute of Law, Nirma University where my skills were honed and nurtured to the optimum.

    Why did you choose corporate law as your specialization course and how do you feel a confused law postulant should manoeuvre his/her area of study for a successful career thereafter?

    India, the largest and the youngest economy of the world had open its gate for the MNCs in the year 1991 when Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then Finance Minister of India put forth the LPG in the House. Since then India has become a hub for MNCs and it was then the corporate law came into prominence.

    During my internships, I had an opportunity to intern under the ages of Corporate Stalwarts. It was then when I realised that I wish to dip in the ocean of Corporate law as I could figure out it had immense career opportunities in the coming time. Thus the impact and the nature of work I had done during my internships helped me choosing Corporate Law as my specialization course.  As far as the second part of the question goes, in my opinion it relates back to classroom studies, internships coupled with the interest and market scenario. But one should understand that nothing comes easy in life so the choice of subject should be realistic and not driven by others. In the end, it’s the student who is the George and he should be able to ascertain which avenue is going to be fruitful for his or her life in terms of intellectual and financial outcome. Something which is opted or chosen by an individual on the basis of his/her instincts and interest will, in my opinion, would not lead to any confusion.

    How do you think the curriculum including specially the internships proved to be an indispensible factor in enhancing your knowledge about the practical intricacies of the field of law?

    The purpose and object of internships, which in my opinion is a great boon to the 5 year law students, is to acclimatise an upcoming advocate to the realities and pragmatic aspects of the profession, and to understand the difference between academics and the applicability of academics in the real world of law. It just works as pilot training process for the law students before they step into the real world of law. My internships were very fruitful in terms of exposure, amount of work and working for different areas of law. I did my internships with some reputed law firms and few corporate houses like Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe Limited, DSK Legal, Economic Law Practices and Reliance Industries Limited etc.

    My internship with Reliance Industries Limited was timed perfectly when I was in seventh semester of my 5 years law course where I had an opportunity to assist the legal eagles of India, It was a surreal experience seeing your mentors arguing in front of your own eyes for your own matters with your own assistance. This triggered my focus on corporate law and working for a corporate house and that’s where today I am.

    I must say, CHOOSE YOUR INTERNSHIPS WISELY!

    Please share with us your working experience until you decided to settle with Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Reliance Industries Limited Group) and how did it help in edifying your career?

    It has been a year since I joined Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. I have previously worked with Thomson Reuters (TR) where my profile as an Associate in Corporate & Compliance Department was majorly related to Contract Review, Research and Drafting of Agreements. Work at TR offered me great intellectual freedom wherein I got several opportunities to handle projects solely and interact with the top managerial officers of TR’s leading clients globally (Multinational Financial Services Holding Companies International Law Firms).

    During my work at TR, I was awarded as the best employee of the month which motivated me to keep up with my hard work. It helped me in enhancing my way of working in a corporate culture.

    Please tell our readers about your current working experience at the Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited in Mumbai and other prospects of your career ahead.

    Working with a corporate giant which is second to none in the country is itself a matter of pride and satisfaction. You are not only working with the best of the professionals in the country but also you become a part of the system and mechanism which has been adopted by the company to continue to be at the top. Even the Fortune Global has recognized RIL as No.1 Indian Company by profit, which itself gives immense satisfaction to me as I am a part of the same. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) is a company which provides telecommunication services having the largest infrastructure base.

    Talking about my profile here at RJIL as an Assistant Manager in Legal Department entails various responsibilities coupled with authority as well. I am taking care of Legal issues faced by the company ranging from big time arbitrations and the pettiest litigation matters. In my brief stint at RJIL, I have been fortunate enough to work with a dedicated team of intellectuals working in different fields such as Construction, Finance, Technical, and Marketing & Business Team. Being an advocate helps me to help the other teams with day to day operational issues faced by them. Also it is important to mention that since the company is in its project phase, we at the legal team work as a catalyst in the process of development of the project and bring it to the operational stage which in itself would bring a revolutionary change in the Telecom industry. The present project I am working on is a state of the art project relating to lightning fast internet services (4G) to be provided to the customers at an affordable price making the concept of Digital India a reality.

    What challenges have you faced during all these years of working and how it affected your career?

    Challenges are an integral part of any profession, personally for me, challenges make me strive hard. It makes me work with more proficiency. Talking about my challenges at work, the transition is initially difficult when you have to manage the different teams and have to bring them on a common platform. Every Human being is different in his own sense and dealing with them is a challenge in itself presently I am working in a manner where I have to deal with all the facets of the company be it Technical or Mechanical. One must never doubt his abilities as doubts have killed more dreams then the failure has and hence each and every challenge should be treated as a lesson and to come out winning from those challenges takes a lot of hard work and perseverance.

    Someone has rightly said that the biggest room in the world is a room for improvement and challenges channels your energy to improve yourself. I have always kept faith in my abilities and this is how I tackle challenges and convert them into opportunities.

    What would you like to explain to those aspirants who have been sceptical about working with a corporate entity and look at it as mere 9 to 6 desk job without any independence or additional learning?

    Profession of law is much more and over and above the word ‘job’. In my opinion any person who takes the profession of law merely as a job is not befitting for this profession. Further this is one such profession wherein one should inculcate the habit of leaving the watch behind and to work in the manner of 24*7.

    The only role a watch plays in a lawyer’s life is to show how prosperous a lawyer is and the more prosperous lawyer the more the working hours.

    The main distinction between a job and a profession is that of addition and multiplication. In a job, the emoluments as well as the quantum of work keeps on adding with every passing day. Whereas in a profession, it though remains stagnant for a particular gestation period but thereafter it multiplies and then sky is the limit.

    What would you like to tell to our young law aspirants when it comes to pursuing specialization in corporate law and following the career ahead in that stream?

    There should be a consensus of heart and mind when it comes to choosing any particular stream. If one is zealous and ready to toil hard in whatever field he chooses, he is bound to succeed irrespective of the stream he chooses. I would not deviate from the fact that the specialisation course keeps you focused and gives you an insight of the nitty-gritties of that particular stream.

    With regard to the corporate law, I would like to reiterate that there are immense possibilities, opportunities for young lawyers who are willing to work hard but not otherwise. It’s not a fancy job but requires lot of intellect and zeal and a go-getter attitude. So if you think you have these traits, corporate law is for you.

    Do you feel that not having the so called tag of an NLU ever proved to be a hindrance in your professional career?

    A lawyer is not bound or curtailed by any tags or nomenclature. I would not completely rule out the fact that the better the tag, the better the chances for an initial opening. However the profession of advocacy is a synonym of art of convincing, with the blessings of god and my elders, I never had to face any such difficulty and rather I would state that the tag of NLS proved to be an asset to me.

    In the end, what would you like to communicate to our readers?

    There is no mantra for success but for continuous hard work. One must choose the correct path in a correct way. This is for my reader friends to understand that you have chosen the career which is full of opportunities and learning. All it requires is hard work and fun when you are at it.

    It is very important for legal professionals or students to understand that Litigation or Corporate law are not the only options for their future career. Knowledge and dedication can take you to a level of sky high.

  • Andrea Chavarria, Founding Attorney at The Chavarria Law Firm, Dallas, on practicing in international immigration law

    Andrea Chavarria is an American lawyer and business owner who works on immigration issues at the Chavvaria Law Firm in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. Andrea after completing her Bachelors on Journalism in 2004 from University of Texas, went ahead to pursue a year long masters program in International Law and Diplomacy from Schiller International University. Thereafter Andrea joined the Juris Doctor programme at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and qualified in law in 2009.

    Andrea pursued a few more short term courses at University of Geneva, the Hague Academy of International Law and at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

    In this interview, she speaks to us about:

    • What motivated her to pursue law and take up immigration issues
    • How her experiences at the Hague, the University of London and the University of Geneva impacted her
    • Her pro bono work with CARA
    • Her views on the immigration issues and refugee laws, as well as her expectations about the evolution of policy in those areas

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

    I was born in Mexico and raised in the United States. I am an attorney and business owner in Texas. I love traveling, reading, listening to live music, and tacos.

     

    Growing up in America, what motivated you to take up and pursue a career in law?

    As a kid, I would watch my mother help out people in our community. They were usually people who had just moved to the United States or who didn’t speak English. I knew that I wanted to help people as well. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized that I wanted to become a lawyer. As an immigration attorney, I have the opportunity to help people in a way that positively changes their lives.

     

    What prompted the switch from journalism to law? How do you think the two professions differ with respect to the impact you can make towards social justice and change?

    I originally wanted to become a journalist so I could write about politics, laws, and human rights issues. I was taking a lot of political science classes in college and that’s when I realized that I wanted to work directly with people and the law rather than write about it.

    The two professions differ but both professions are necessary in order to have an impact on social justice and change. Immigration attorneys can have a direct impact on someone’s life, which in some cases can be a matter of life or death. For example, I represented an individual who, if returned to his home country, would be persecuted by his home country because of his religious beliefs. We won the case and the individual was able to remain in the United States where he can openly practice his religion.

    Journalists are important. They can have a broader impact because they are able to present an issue to a wider audience. There was a particular judge in an immigration court who was known to be ruthless towards children in removal proceedings. Complaints were filed by several attorneys, but nothing changed until a newspaper published an article about the behavior of the judge. Soon after, all of the children cases were removed from the judge’s docket. That’s just one example of how journalism can have an impact on social justice and change.

     

    Consequently, how did your experience as a legal assistant/intern change your views on the ground realities of the practise?

    It wasn’t until I worked as a legal assistant and as an intern that I realized how much work goes into one case and how important it is to have a good team working together. Attorneys generally get the credit, but assistants, paralegals, interns, and other staff members deserve credit as well. It really is about teamwork.

     

    Your extensive work as a volunteer covers refugees, family detention, mentoring, etc. What motivated you to take up these causes?

    Through my practice, I realized that there was a great need to help certain individuals who were fleeing their countries, but who did not necessarily have the funds to hire an attorney. In the United States, individuals who are in removal proceedings are not afforded an attorney. Even children as young as three years old are not provided an attorney. These individuals are often seeking asylum. Having an attorney can often make a difference in someone’s case. Everyone deserves to have the right to put forth the best case possible. That’s one of the reasons why I am an advocate for volunteering and working with refugees and fighting against family detention centers.

    I also do volunteer work through the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Hispanic Bar Association. I enjoy volunteering with these organizations because I get to help my local community. It’s important to give back to your community.

     

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    To what extent did your education at The Hague Academy, the University of Geneva, and the university of London augment your perspective on the immigration laws and other related issues within the U.S.?

    My time at those institutions has taught me how intertwined the U.S. immigration laws are with international laws and human rights principles. When working on an immigration case, it’s important to not only look at our current U.S. immigration laws, but to also look at our international principles and obligations. In the immigration field, we have seen situations where the United States failed to adhere to its international obligations. We’ve recently seen this happen with the detainment of Central American women and children. The institutions mentioned above have helped me gain a better understanding of our international laws, obligations, and the complexities of enforcing these laws and obligations.

     

    What would you like to tell the readers about your pro bono work with CARA?

    I previously did some volunteer work with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. CARA was created due to the Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) significant expansion of its family detention centers in Dilley, Texas and Karnes City, Texas. Women and children, who are often seeking asylum, are being detained in facilities that are inhumane and inconsistent with a fair and just legal process.

    andrea-chavarria-1I spent some time at the detention center in Dilley, Texas where I assisted in representing women in their bond hearings, preparing them for their credible fear interviews, and informing them of their legal rights. All of the women I spoke to fled their home countries because they feared for their lives or the lives of their children. Some of the women had been in the detention center for months because they could not afford to pay the bond the immigration judge issued. Some of these bonds were as high as $15,000. Many of the women felt hopeless. A majority of them were traumatized. Others were stressed and worried about their children who were also in the detention center. Some children weren’t receiving adequate medical care. Other children weren’t eating properly and losing weight. It was shocking and heartbreaking to see women and children, who had fled their countries due to fear, be treated in such an implacable way. Unfortunately, these family detention centers still exist. Women and children continue to be detained in this centers. If it weren’t for CARA and the help of volunteers, many of these women and children would not know their legal rights. To learn more about CARA visit their website: http://caraprobono.org.

     

    What drove you to establish your own firm in 2010?

    It was a culmination of things. I was working for a particular law firm and realized that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I wasn’t sure what to do next, but I knew that I still wanted to work in the immigration field. I relocated to Dallas and soon after I realized that there were many people who were in need of immigration assistance. Both of my parents are business owners so I grew up with a business owner mentality. It was with their help and support that I made my decision to start my own practice.

     

    Given the socio-political atmosphere within the country owing to the upcoming elections, how do you think immigration and refugee law and policy will evolve in the near future?

    I would like to think that in the future we will have sound immigration laws and policies, but I don’t foresee it happening in the near future. In the last couple of years, I have seen how fear and xenophobia have affected refugees and immigrant communities. The state of Texas tried to block Syrian refugees from entering the state, which the federal government said it can’t do. That’s just one issue, but there are so many other issues that we have to deal with in the immigration field.

    Overall, our immigration laws are complex. Advocates have been trying to push for some type of immigration reform for more than ten years. Congress has repeatedly failed to pass any type of immigration reform. The Obama Administration has deported more individuals than any other president. Recently, the United States Supreme Court issued a 4-4 split decision in U.S. v. Texas, which was a lower-court challenge to the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). The deadlock means DAPA and the expansion of DACA will not move forward.

    There are numerous issues that need to be addressed within immigration law and the outcome of our next presidential election could gravely affect how our laws and policies evolve. Depending on who wins, we may see harsher policies and more deportations or we may see a push for comprehensive immigration reform. At this point, I’m unsure of what our future immigration laws and policies will look like.

     

    As a lawyer, do you believe that it is a responsibility of those well versed with the legal statutes and policies to aid those without the resources to access this due procedure?

    Yes, I strongly believe that individuals, such as attorneys, who understand the law have a responsibility to provide assistance to those without resources. One of the best ways to assist is by providing pro bono services through a non-profit organization or local bar association.

     

    Summing up, what do you believe are the main obstacles to progressive immigration laws?

    One of the main obstacles is Congress and its inability to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Congress has been deadlocked over the issue for the last few years. On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced his executive action plan, which would grant deferred action to certain individuals. Some members of Congress believed that his actions were beyond the scope of his authority. His plan to bypass Congress was met with some controversy and once again, Congress killed any chance of passing a sensible immigration reform bill. Will Congress remain at a standstill? Only time will tell.

    Another major obstacle is the misconception of immigration laws. There’s the rumor that giving birth to a child in the United States grants automatic citizenship to the parents. It does not. I’ve been asked why undocumented individuals don’t just get in line to obtain legal status. There is no one line. Some individuals may not have a qualifying relative to petition for them. In other cases, it can take more than 20 years to obtain legal status through a family member. The process isn’t as quick and easy as some might think. Another common myth is that most immigrants are in the United States unlawfully. While there are some undocumented immigrants, there are also various other immigrants who are legally residing in the United States or who entered the United States lawfully. All these types of misinformation are harmful because it undermines public support for immigration reform.

     

    How do organizations such as AILA help change the status quo?

    Change comes through advocacy. Organizations, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), play an important role in advocating for reasonable changes in immigration law. In April, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in AILA’s National Day of Action. Several AILA members and I visited Congressional offices to explain why comprehensive immigration reform is necessary. This type of advocacy is important because it’s an opportunity to highlight the problems plaguing our current laws. It’s also a chance to give members of Congress and their staff examples of how our existing laws have affected immigrants, their family members, and their communities. Since it’s the role of Congress to pass legislation, it’s crucial to inform its members why certain laws aren’t working.

     

    Finally, do you have any other advice for our readers, most of whom are college students?

    You will make mistakes. We all make them. However, learn from your mistakes and always own up to your mistakes.

     

  • Shubhi Sharma, Freelance Social Media Expert, Cartoonist on law school and pursuing LL.M from King’s College, London

    Shubhi Sharma, Freelance Social Media Expert, Cartoonist on law school and pursuing LL.M from King’s College, London

    Shubhi Sharma graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Pune in 2007. She then completed her Master’s with a focus on competition law, arbitration and finance from King’s College, University of London. She worked at Vahura as a Talent Management Specialist and a Social Media Artist before moving on to working as a freelancer creative social media manager. In this interview, she talks about:

    • Her decision to pursue law
    • Experience at Symbiosis Law School and Master’s at King’s College
    • Exploring her creative side and eventually taking it up as a full-time profession
    • Decision to not pursue a traditional job in the legal profession
    • Balancing work with personal life
    • Following her passion against all odds

     

    How would you introduce yourself to our readers in one sentence?

    I am the ‘mother of Egg-Heads’ (popular name for my cartoon characters), who, after a law degree from Symbiosis Law School and a master’s degree from King’s College London, is now practicing the humorous side of law.

     

    What made you choose law for your graduation? Was there any pressure to join this field?

    Will you believe me if I say that it was an influence of movies and TV shows?  From ‘Meri Jung’ to ‘Ally McBeal’, I was influenced by all of them. However, it was probably my genes that pulled me towards law. My father still is my biggest inspiration and I grew up watching him practice. As a matter of fact, I grew up in an environment where intense discussions were a part of our daily routine. As kids, we were expected to be aware – socially and politically. In addition to that my time at Welham Girls’ School, further enhanced and shaped my debating skills. After winning series of awards in both debating and dramatics, I felt the next best thing was to study law. To be sure, I underwent the necessary career counselling sessions, and my choice of profession seemed in sync with my attributes.

     

    Tell us about your life at Symbiosis Law School, Pune.

    One thing about the five years at Symbiosis Law School, Pune is that they just flew by. We were the first batch of Symbiosis Deemed University and our management wanted us to have the best of everything. The batch of 2007 was extremely special, each one of us came with our own special traits – focused, diligent, unconventional, highly ambitious and a lively bunch.

    Our classes usually got over by noon, which left us with ample time to do things we liked. This was one of the advantages of a non-residential college. While most of my friends spent time in the library, I was busy converting our study material into humorous study notes- something like a story made from the content of the subject. That was my unique way of preparing for exams. In retrospect, I guess that’s where the seed was sown. This content was an excellent way to study, and was often used by my study group as the last minute resort to memorize for exams – you know – no-body forgets a good joke! Probably it was this interesting style of preparation that helped me win the prestigious Ram Jethmalani Award for Excellence in Law of Evidence.  On the other hand, I also utilised my free time by opting to help a new advertising firm with their IPR queries, but instead, ended up working with their creative team.

    Another interesting thing about Symbiosis was its campus. We had other courses running on the same campus. That gave us the opportunity to befriend students pursuing other courses and expand our knowledge.

     

    How involved were you in co-curricular and extracurricular activities?

    A lot more than I was involved with books! I did a lot of theatre and debating in my early years.  Being on stage brings out the best in me, it is therapeutic. I wasn’t called ‘Drama Sharma’ for no reason. On the other side, I was very active in contributing ideas to an advertising firm. I can proudly say that my ideas were used in various ad campaigns in and around Pune.

     

    Why did you choose King’s College, University of London for your Master’s? What was your area of specialisation?

    I was always keen on doing my higher studies outside the country, UK being the priority.  It was about gaining international exposure, meeting fellow students from across the world, and experiencing a different education system. When I was shortlisting colleges, my priority was the ranking of the college, curriculum it offered, and its faculty.  KCL is not only the one of the top ranked colleges, it is also known for its incredible faculty –  Prof Richard Whish, Prof Tennekoon, Toby Landau QC, to name a few. I consider myself lucky to have studied under their guidance.

    My LL.M. was focused on competition law with additional subjects of arbitration and finance.

     

    How was your experience there? What was your biggest learning experience?

    My LL.M. at KCL not only taught me the intricate details of syndicated loans or gave me the in-depth insight on per se rule in EU Competition law, but it also changed the way I thought. The pedagogy followed at King’s is different from the one in India. It forces you to think beyond the regular. It was intriguing to observe the mix of minds in the class; everyone came with their own opinions, experiences and perspectives. Unlike my previous batches from school and college, my class at KCL had a few students who were way senior to me. Learning about their professional lives and experiences made me realise that we, at the start of our careers, restrict ourselves to walk down a particular paved path. Today, when I look at a few of my class mates from KCL, I see a Competition Law lawyer turned into a full time travel photographer and an associate from a Magic Circle law firm as a legal journalist. To cut the long story short- KCL and the people I met there taught me one thing –  to think beyond the regular.

    My LL.M. was not all about the curriculum, it was an overall experience.  My stay in London gave me the opportunity to travel. I backpacked across half of western and southern Europe with students from across the world!

     

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    After completing your Masters, you started working with Vahura, a legal talent specialist firm. Why did you choose to move away from pure law work in a law firm?

    The original plan was a regular one –  apply to the law firms and make a career. Luckily, I came across Vahura. What really attracted me was their business offering: they are unique in their solutions and the best in the industry. When I met Ritvik Lukose (CEO, Vahura), I was floored by his sense of vision. The concept of Talent Development Service excited me. It was relatively new at that time, and I knew I could contribute a great deal there. I felt I could use my creative side to this project too, which I did. The best part about Vahura was that I could retain my creativity and identity. Ritvik gave us complete freedom to run the show our way and that helped me grow personally as well as professionally.

     

    Did you ever contemplate joining a top corporate law firm, or even become a litigation lawyer, while a law student?

    I suppose we all grow up the same way and compare ourselves with what our friends or seniors are doing. ‘Career’ becomes all about taking up a secure job. I too belonged to this line of thought.  I would be wrong in saying I am not ambitious, it is just that with time my goal changed. I wanted to be successful and be known for what I do best. Even though I tried, I didn’t see myself fit into closed spaces and a structured environment. I needed the freedom to explore and shape my own identity.

     

    Please tell us about your work as Talent Management Specialist & Social Media Artist at Vahura.

    At Vahura I worked for the Talent Development Service, now known as the Mentorship programme. This programme is a series of end to end recruitment preparatory services for law students and young professionals, to help them improve their recruitment potential, and make the right professional choice. Something, we all needed during our final year at law school. We created detailed, comprehensive workshops catering to the core needs of students. These workshops were not long, monotonous, yawn-inducing training sessions. In fact, we made sure that there was a good balance of knowledge, psychometrics test, interview snippets of seniors from the industry, and humour – that’s where the Egg-Heads made their first appearance. I enjoyed this role thoroughly, as a major part of this profile included intense market research, interviews of luminaries from the industry, preparation of accurate content, design and presentation.

    My role with Vahura also evolved. As a team, we regularly plan or modify the strategy. My main deliverable is comic banners created under the pen name Pen-Ultimate. It has been two years since we started! Over this time, Vahura gained immense visibility and Pen-Ultimate & Ultimate Lyre gained popularity.

     

    Why did you leave Vahura?

    The decision to leave Vahura was a difficult one, but necessary at that time. I had started to feel the need of getting into the creative field completely. Although, my profile at Vahura was giving me enough opportunity to pursue that, I wanted more. Honestly, I did not have an immediate plan. But I knew I had to get myself out of my comfort zone to take the step, which, at that time, was completely unknown to me. I was confused but, I never lost focus. I took a much needed break from work, and started figuring out my next career move. I was looking at something where I could use my knowledge of law more creatively. I used this time wisely; I connected with people from the creative industry and took their advice, researched on various options, took a few online courses. Ritvik and Balanand (from Vahura) played a major role in this decision making.  It is they who planted the idea in my head.  Sketching, doodling or just scribbling stick figures has been my stress buster since childhood, and those little puzzles started to fit in together. The creative bug had bitten me by then, and I figured out how to put my artistic brain to good use.

    Currently, I am a freelancer, working as a creative social media manger. I provide creative marketing solutions on various social media platforms. My clientele is mostly from the legal industry, who are either looking at increasing their visibility or targeting to be known in a particular segment of services.

     

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    You are known for your satirical cartoons on the legal field. What is your source of inspiration?

    I don’t have to look for inspiration. It’s all around me- friends, family, former batch-mates, ex-colleagues, former students and my husband. I am a good listener with decent observation skills. I have a mind which sees humour in almost everything. Every work of mine is associated with a real life incident. I use Egg-Heads for my legal cartoons.  I try to depict a general life of a lawyer- working during holidays, dealing with a demanding boss, appraisals, legal subject matter, courts, love lives – and so on.  Other than the usual legal cartoons, one of my personal favourites is a series called ‘Legally Ever After’, showing famous fairy tales with a legal twist. ‘Bollywood’s Special Procedural Laws’ is another very popular series by Pen-Ultimate. Keeping the look and feel of Bare Act, I draft imaginary sections applicable to (in)famous legal system of Bollywood. And they come with case laws too. Chadhha vs Govind 1993. DAM. 32 (Tareek pe Tareek case), State of Bollywood vs Dr. Asha Mathur 1985. MeriJung. 11 to name a few.

     

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    How do you prepare these cartoons?

    Preparing a comic isn’t as easy as it seems.  Thinking of a concept, preparing a script, working on illustrations, all are very time consuming tasks with their own challenges. A lot of research goes into figuring out a concept. Never had I thought that I would be reading articles on legal maxims to get a gag out of it. Once the idea is ready, I write the script. Writing dialogues is a delicate task. A shabby punch line kills the joke completely, and I cannot risk that. Once I have my script in place, I start working on the illustration and presentation. This is the part I enjoy the most, specially working on the character’s expressions. I make sure I add a new style of presentation with each comic. I went from regular one frame cartoon to three-five frame comic.

     

    Are you planning on developing your cartoons into other forms?

    Yes, there is a lot lined up. A full comic book is my next aim. Other than that, I will be soon launching GIFs of my cartoons. Long term plan is to have animated videos of them. I am currently working on other forms of humorous illustrations, with different characters, pertaining to non-law fields. If all goes well, you will soon be seeing Egg-Heads merchandise as well.  Fingers crossed!

     

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    Did you face any problems?

    Of course! It is not easy to make a lawyer laugh. As soon as they saw a cartoon on legal set-up, they jumped into the technicality of it. It took me some time to understand the right kind of humour and presentation to tickle their funny bones. But this was a part of the learning process.

    The real problem I faced is an artist’s worst nightmare. There was a time my cartoons and banners were being used by others. The tragedy was that they would ruthlessly remove my logo and put theirs. It was very disheartening to see my own comic, which took days of hard work, being circulated with someone else’s logo on it.   There were times I received my own work on WhatsApp! I used to be happy and disturbed that the same time. Luckily, things have changed now. Egg-Heads have found their own identity and so has their original creator-the mother of Egg-Heads. Also, my IPR is in place now. So logo-removing thieves, beware!

     

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    You also freelance as a social media expert. Tell us more about your work.

    Well, it is more of a blend between social media marketing and creative marketing. It’s a digital world today, and everyone is looking for ways to utilise it to their benefit. But, with everyone doing similar kind of marketing, the purpose is somewhat lost. That is where I come into the picture.  I prepare a strategy for my client which enhances their USPs and aims at a good rise in their visibility among the target audience. This mostly comes along with creative content. Keeping in mind the target market, client requirement and the social media platforms, I prepare the content. The basic idea behind this is to get the attention of the viewers and to create an image of the client.

     

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    How hectic can this get? How do you ensure wide publicity?

    Oh! It gets hectic. It is a one-man show as of now. I have to do everything by myself- researching, preparing the plan, its execution, communication with clients, artwork, finances, and also getting myself a cup of tea in between work.  The good thing is that I didn’t have to worry about business development. My work did that for me.

    Honestly, I haven’t felt the need of serious publicity for my work. It is getting attention organically. So far, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even LinkedIn have been working well. I am looking at a gradual growth. Today, people have a very limited attention span, it takes a minute to get noticed as well as fade away. I ensure to have active engagement with the audience. I have also gradually started creating more presence across various platforms.

     

    How do you manage it solely by yourself?

    As of now only one brain is working on this. But with increasing work, I am looking at hiring virtual interns soon.

     

    You have now completely shifted out of the legal profession. Did you face any opposition or dissent from your family regarding this? How easy a decision was this to make?

    It wasn’t easy, not even close to being easy. I was thinking of moving out of a highly sought after career line. In a typical scenario, that is not something a sane mind would do. Judgemental eyes are always following you around. One little change and you are bombarded with questions. Before answering anyone, I had to be sure myself as it was a drastic, high risk shift. Talking about the ‘road less travelled’ sounds good but to actually plan on walking down that path is like planning to walk into a tunnel, not being sure of finding light at the end of it. The most difficult part was to make that decision; and once I was sure, there was no looking back.

    My friends and my family were extremely supportive in my decision to take the leap of faith. Courtesy to my two fairy God ‘mothers’- my brother and my husband. Thanks to them, I went from manual sketching to fully digital.

     

    Do you now regret taking up law for your graduation? Do you feel you would have been better off with a degree in closer connection to your current work profile?

    Not at all! I am a mix of things- my knowledge of law/legal industry combined with my creative expertise makes my work unique. I enjoyed studying law, so have no regrets there. Art and humour come naturally to me. And by God’s grace, I have been able to find a way to combine the two. A degree could help, but then imagination cannot be taught.

     

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    Most law students would hesitate to change their fields like this, majorly because they fear economic instability. What would you have to say to such young students?

    Money is important. There are no two thoughts about that. But how can we be sure that it will come to us by following a certain set path? It is a big world out there, with many opportunities.  Think differently, have the courage to pursue your dreams, but first be sure of your dream. A half-hearted passion will take you nowhere. I often hear – “you are so ‘lucky’ to turn your passion into your profession”. Well, to quote Seneca- ‘luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’. Cliché as it may be, but there is no substitute to hard work.

    I feel it is more to do with finding your real potential. Had I continued to be a lawyer, right now I would be doodling instead of taking notes during some yawn-inducing con-call. Not a sign of a good lawyer, is it? We’re born with a set of skills and we acquire a few over our lifetime, what matters most is what we make of our unique potential. Money will come eventually.

     

    How can an Indian law student find their feet in an arena such as creative content development or social media/marketing? Since there is no degree to show for these fields, would it be difficult to find gainful employment?

    I won’t deny the fact that the sector is difficult if you are looking to break away from the regular work. On the other hand, people are experimenting with ideas, and are able to make their presence felt. The challenge will always be there if you want to do anything offbeat. The good news is that we are living in a time of start-ups after all! The best part about social media marketing is the freedom an artist gets to be unique, unconventional and at times even bizarre! There is no set syllabus, no rules or guidelines. Your task is to formulate a strategy which catches the interest of the target groups.

    A law student/graduate willing to make a mark in this field can start with mapping the legal industry. In today’s time, all law firms are seeking visibility. But they cannot be in the news seven days a week. So, the next best place to make their presence felt is on social media. When these firms approach the social media experts, they find it difficult for an outsider to understand the mind-set of the people in the legal industry. They want someone who understands the market as clearly as they do. Who would know the legal market as well as a lawyer does? Another lawyer. There! You have a market ready.  I see  great potential here.

     

    How do you balance work and personal life?

    Even though I work from home it does get a bit difficult to strike a balance between professional demands and daily household tasks. Well, as they say, creative minds are not very good with time management. I can vouch for that, my brain doesn’t understand 9-5. An idea can strike at the oddest hour and if I do not work on it at that moment, there is a high chance I will lose the essence of the entire concept. Living outside India comes with its own challenges; biggest one being to do everything on your own with no help whatsoever.  But I have no complaints at all. I have a great support system in my better half. Honestly, I don’t know how we do the balancing trick, but at the end of the day, everything is taken care of.

     

    What is the one advice you would like to give young law students?

    Do not fall into the trap of ‘what will people think’. The day you master that, you will feel free from distractions and obstacles which stop you from reaching your true goal. On the other side, get inspired by success of friends/ acquaintances. Jealously, comparison, and bitter competition will only do one thing- take away your peace of mind.

  • Pratiksh Rai, Chief Counselor and Vice President, myLaw on career counselling for law students and building a sustainable brand

    Pratiksh Rai, Chief Counselor and Vice President, myLaw on career counselling for law students and building a sustainable brand

    Pratiksh Rai graduated from Amity Law School, Delhi, in 2009. In his final year at law school, he earned a PPO from the Capital Markets Partner at Desai & Diwanji and started his legal career as an Associate in the firm. He worked there for about 3 years and gained hands-on experience on a number of large-size transactions and later into high-stake commercial arbitration and litigation matters. The inspiration to search for one’s true vocation or life’s calling made him quit Big Law and look to other areas of work. He explored different practice segments ranging from brief stints at litigating in the courts and tribunals in Delhi to advising start-up entrepreneurs on equity funding to several consulting and business development assignments. This led him to companies focused on the legal ecosystem like Rainmaker which culminated into his current career role at myLaw where he now advises law students and young lawyers on key internships and early stage career opportunities.

     

    WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE UP LAW?

    At school, I had never imagined I would finally turn out to be a lawyer. I was born and raised in Delhi and took up science in the senior years at school. Both my parents were from a science background. My father wanted me to do engineering and my mom wanted me to sit for the medical entrance exams so I had to study science – Physics, Chemistry, Math’s and Biology. Though I managed to clear a few entrance examinations, I told my parents that I didn’t see myself studying science any further. What I really wanted to do was to study commerce and start a business of my own some day. I took admission in B.Com at Delhi University but, later, upon my parents’ strong insistence also wrote the law entrance tests and eventually went to Amity Law School.

    WHY DID YOU CHOOSE AMITY LAW SCHOOL?

    I had to choose between Amity Law School and NLU Jodhpur. I chose Amity because it was the nearest to my home in Delhi and I consider myself fortunate because aside from getting a good legal education and making some lifelong friends, I also found my life partner there.

    IS YOUR WIFE ALSO PRACTISING LAW?

    She is now a judge in the Delhi Judicial Services and is currently posted at Tis Hazari Courts.

    HOW DID YOU GET A PPO AT DESAI AND DIWANJI?

    When I was in my final year, I was lucky enough to get two opportunities to intern at D&D. I decided that I was going to work really hard and impress them so that they would recruit me. They recognized my efforts and offered to hire me as soon as I graduated.

    TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH DESAI AND DIWANJI?

    From the start, I was very fortunate to be directly trained and mentored by the recruiting partner himself. He was quite fond of me and took a special interest in ensuring that not only was I burning the midnight oil with legal work but also rapidly developing commercial awareness, a deeper and more pragmatic understanding of the objectives of our clients on each transaction and simultaneously seeking to be more efficient as well as effective in our business. In the first year of practice, I was rigorously groomed so that I could become client facing and then gradually all supervision was tapered off. That led to a very steep learning curve from a practical perspective and eventually loaded me with enormous self-confidence to work independently.

    HOW WAS THE WORK CULTURE AT DESAI AND DIWANJI?

    Unlike other big law firms, the unique advantage here was you could get a wider base of working opportunities across many practice groups. The firm didn’t restrict any younger lawyers from exploring other practice groups within the same office. That inevitably allowed fresh lawyers to become well-rounded early on and ultimately move into the team and practice area where they were most effective. Plus, the usual good elements like good monthly remuneration, fat annual bonuses, foreign off-sites and company-paid drinks, parties and cabs were other attractive aspects of the deal.

    WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO QUIT BIG LAW?

    While primarily practicing law, I had seen a fair bit of the law firm end of the legal universe. At a personal level, I was already married and we had comfortably settled in at our parents’ house in South Delhi. I was beginning to believe that I should search for my true vocation or calling in life. It was the zeal to go on this journey to reveal my own self that drove me to look beyond the closed spaces of a law firm. I had read that people who found and followed their true calling were the happiest in their lives and work. Frankly, I did not want to miss out. I was also worried that if I waited any longer I might become too comfortable with the way things were to take the plunge later on in my career. Though I was doing fairly well and learning fast, I was often saying to myself that there’s got to be more to the practice of law and living a good life than merely what I had seen. I was already a decent generalist lawyer and was not too excited at the prospect of narrowing down and becoming a super specialist in corporate transactional law plus there was a longing to see what else was out there to experience.

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    HOW DID YOU START EXPLORING?

    I didn’t want to move away from the world of law and therefore decided to start with a wider patch within the legal industry. I had always been keenly interested in the career trajectory of other lawyers around me and I sought answers and insights into questions way ahead of my stage in the profession. As I was sincere in my work and very respectful of seniors, I was lucky to receive a lot of guidance and mentorship very early in my career. I never missed an opportunity to talk to a lawyer or her/his client to find out how exactly the former was helping the latter achieve her/his objectives – what value the lawyer was adding to the client’s business. What I wanted to do now was get more of first-hand, on-ground experience in newer and unknown areas.  Everything kept adding up and I started enjoying meeting and working along-side newer lawyers.

    HOW DID YOU COME TO MYLAW?

    A lot of people I met started praising my abilities to think strategically and build a business. So I started looking out for business building roles with fast growing companies in the legal sector. That brought me to Rainmaker in early 2014. At the time of my hiring, I was interested in strategy but my sales and marketing skills got me the position. As time elapsed, we all knew the real influence or the big wins were coming through a maturing vision on counseling, coaching and mentoring students, which translated into real and deep value in a student’s life. Today at myLaw, I am able to offer a broader view of law firm work and the key competencies or the essential skills and knowledge required because I have worked on this first-hand and interacted extensively within the profession which also enhances the credibility attached with the brand in the eyes of a student.

    WHAT IS MYLAW’s FOCUS AREA?

    myLaw has a threefold vision to boost the legal ecosystem. The focus is on building high-end legal learning courses, generating interesting legal content and boosting legal careers. The courses and certifications carry a fee but the access to content, the platform and career guidance is free of charge. As experienced professionals, the myLaw team is equipped to understand the demands of the legal industry.As you know, there is a gap between legal education and the skill-set needed for the practice of law as a professional. myLaw is able to bridge the skill gap effectively and that goes a long way in making law students employable by the legal industry.

    WHAT MAKES YOU AN EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR AND COACH?

    Apart from the data, there is a growing self-belief and realization that I was destined to do this. The work I do now feels meaningful and is extremely fulfilling. Given the ecosystems I come from, I am familiar with the initial struggles that law students and young lawyers face at every level. I can completely relate to them because of my own struggles– how, when I was about to graduate, I knew next to nothing about the industry and how I had to learn everything from scratch. Law Students find it difficult to navigate the internship space and feel anxious about making the cut. Each student has her/his own unique set of confusions, doubts and struggles and I usually love helping them around this crucial period by counseling, and providing support and much needed guidance.

    CAN YOU TELL OUR READERS, HOW IS WORKING AT MYLAW DIFFERENT FROM WORKING ANYWHERE ELSE?

    The contours or shape we gradually acquire in our professional roles is a reflection of who we are in our lives. It all adds up. You are the sum and substance of all you have done and been through. It is one thing to work for work’s sake and quite another to do it because you feel nourished by creating absolute value. I had invaluable learning’s and creative ideas to share with law students and therefore don’t necessarily have to focus on run of the mill ideas on promoting enrolments. At myLaw, I could see that I was making a real difference to a student’s career and life. You can feel real gratitude coming your way when your work results in students achieving their goals.

    HOW DOES COUNSELING WORK?

    My counseling work begins by helping a law student appreciate an employer’s perspective which enables her/him to stand out from the pack during internships. Today, law students need to know exactly what law firms value before they walk in the door. That is often the first critical step in building an impression that ultimately helps them land their dream job in a professional world that is getting increasingly competitive. Having been on the inside, I understand the concerns that law firms and senior lawyers have and how they work. I use that exposure to provide career-focused training, grooming, counseling and mentoring and see my role as a catalyst in nurturing and developing legal talent. I help law students think ahead like legal professionals and accelerate their evolution towards becoming better lawyers.

    WHAT ARE THE TOUGH CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH COUNSELING?

    Each student is unique and has a very different mental make-up and situation in life. At times, some students need time to work through their performance issues. The journey at times is not smooth and can turn out to be bumpy. Despite easy access to learning resources, often a student needs time to come to terms with her/his own destructive habits as the process involves letting go of preconceived notions and actually trying to absorb and learn what one has to do to become an ethical, happy and employable legal professional. It takes strength, resolve and a bit of a leap of faith in the process to let go. Mentorship, Support and Hand-holding is effective but a lot of effort and hard work is still required from the student’s end to yield the positive change and experience the desired growth. When that finally happens for a student, it is most rewarding.

    IMG_9568WHY DID YOU PREFER WORKING WITH MYLAW OVER A LAW SCHOOL?

    myLaw provided me with a greater ability to reach out to a lot more students than the limited strength of any law school. The people behind myLaw are very ambitious and temperamentally I am better suited here. I like to dream big and then roll up my sleeves and get the idea executed on my own. This is an ideal space to do this and plus I get to engage and interact with almost all top law schools in the country.

    WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO APART FROM COUNSELING?

    As the Vice President for myLaw, I contribute towards the strategy and planning for building the business and positioning the brand. My role requires me to discover and nurture many strategic relationships for laying a stronger foundation for the company.  As a manager, I am expected to ensure we are using effective channels for marketing and promoting our message. As an executive, in addition to counseling students, I create and deliver presentations and workshops in law schools across the country. I double-up on leading the learning effectiveness measures and overseeing student support for enrolled students. I’m an ardent believer in practical skilling for law students and my work is focused in that direction. Students today realize that merely a high CGPA or earning a law degree is not enough to make them employable. Then, there are everyday miscellaneous communication and decision items to ensure the organisation is running efficiently and teams are coordinating well.

    HOW GOOD IS YOUR REMUNERATION, IF WE ASK?

    Well, I manage to make ends meet. One can’t expect a non-traditional role focused on law students to pay as much as law firm standards. My wife and I have come to see living modestly as a good thing. We don’t have any kids right now and enjoy our relatively simple lifestyle. The job satisfaction is much higher and the position offers new challenges every day. Also, I am hopeful that more money will come in as the company grows larger in the future and the good work permeates the space.

    WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR LAW STUDENTS?

    For Internships

    – Start as early as possible, ideally from your first year in law school. To build a strong foundation as a lawyer, you will need to move outside your comfort zone and pro-actively ask for work on new unknown things. The skills you will build enable you to approach more sophisticated and challenging work by the time you are in the fourth year. Don’t keep waiting for opportunities to fall in your lap rather display enthusiasm, shun all procrastination , take initiative and try to reach out and do more than merely managing to get by law school.

    For better exposure

    – Go exploring and realize that your first few set of internships may not linearly lead to your dream job. They can, however, give you the skills, knowledge, etiquette, discipline and network that you will need to advance towards your ultimate career goals, don’t discount it just because it isn’t something you have decided yet as your final destination. Don’t let uncertainty or doubt hold you back from trying something new.

    For Young Professionals

    – Practicing law is tough. Be realistic. Choose career paths and offices that are in sync with your personality and area of interest. Your work habits, work ethic and reputation go farther than what you might believe. Unless you take personal responsibility for your work and your education, you might not flourish in any profession.

    WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

    I want to continue developing and executing plans that are good for business and simultaneously genuinely good for the legal education ecosystem overall. I strongly believe that a good learning business can only be built by doing real good for your students.