Super Lawyer

Tag: AMSS

  • Richa Parasher on securing a job from Amarchand and being an ideal student

    Richa Parasher on securing a job from Amarchand and being an ideal student

    Richa Parashar is one of the most diligent and illustrious scholars of the 2015 batch of NLIU, Bhopal. She has a noteworthy academic, mooting and debating record. Her diligence and mettle at work was recognized when she bagged a job offer from Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co., during campus placements. We asked her to share her experiences paths taken as a student over the years.

    In this interview, she tells us about:

    • Securing top-notch law firm internships
    • Her journey from an intern to getting job offer from AMSS
    • Importance of academics, internships, debates and moots

     

    Why and when did you decide to do law? What interested you most about the subject at the time?

    I decided to take up law when I was in class twelfth. I was fascinated by the diverse areas of practice and the fact that it’s one of the most dynamic fields. My uncle and my elder brother, who are also in the profession, were an influence as well.

     

    One can find it difficult to manage continuous evaluation through trimester exams, projects etc. in a law school. How did you manage to keep up your grades?

    Trimester system can get hectic, yes. There have been times when we’ve given exams just three weeks after we’d be done with the previous ones. But, the good thing is that the syllabus is never too expansive. I generally pay attention during classroom lectures and prepare notes regularly in order to maintain my grades.

     

    Your internships at law school have all been with top tier firms. Our readers would be quite curious to know how you went about securing these internships.

    I always applied for my internships well in advance and followed up regularly. It’s also important to keep your CV updated. Our university has a highly competent placement coordination committee which takes care of applications of registered candidates from third year onwards.

     

    Did you learn any skills while interning? What are these skills and how did you acquire them?

    Internships are probably one of the most enriching experiences that a law student goes through. Besides researching and drafting, I learnt time management and prioritising, which, I believe, hold equal value in our profession.

     

    What are the things you consider sine qua non for positive feedback from an internship?

    I think sincerity assumes importance over everything else. Besides that, one must be particular about the finer details like formatting, good presentation etc. These are things which can set you apart from the other interns.

     

    You have participated in various moot court competitions. Tell us how important is mooting and what effect does it have on one’s CV?

    Mooting is probably the most fun activity in a law school. It tests you on a number of skills like researching, drafting, arguing, keeping one’s cool under pressure etc. Every law student should moot at least once. Moot victories definitely add value to your CV. However, it doesn’t mean that if you don’t moot, you can’t have a good CV. There are lots of other things like grades, internships, paper publications, debates, mediation competitions that add up to a good CV.

     

    richa-parashar-1Recently, you bagged a job offer at AMSS. How did you go about achieving this?

    I have interned twice in AMSS. During both of these internships, I did my assignments sincerely. In my second internship, I prepared a corporate law PowerPoint presentation. In AMSS, the presentation holds a lot of weightage when it comes to recruitment. Therefore, it’s important to prepare it with diligently. For the interview stage, I brushed up my CV and basic concepts of corporate law, contracts etc.

     

    How was the experience of your AMSS internship and how was it different from other internships? Please tell us about the recruitment application process at AMSS?

    I had the finest experience in AMSS during my internships. Besides the excellent quality of work, I loved the atmosphere in the office. The seniors were really helpful and encouraging which is rare in the corporate world. For recruitment, one needs to fill out an extensive questionnaire. Apart from the CV, the interviewer may also ask questions based on what the candidate has written in the questionnaire.

     

    How did you go about preparing for your interview? What kinds of questions were asked to you?

    Honestly, one mustn’t frame their opinion about interviews based on what others tell them. The reason is that every interview is unique. You may be asked the most unusual and unconventional questions and must know how to keep your cool in such situations. However, be thorough with your CV, and basics of corporate law, contracts, property law, banking etc. I was asked questions based on my CV, general corporate law and a couple of HR questions as well.

     

    How do you think one should go about writing a CV when one is applying for a job?

    A CV should be crisp and accurate. One must ensure that there aren’t any blunders like incorrect spellings or dates. These things give the worst impression possible.

     

    There is a phenomenal obsession amongst law students with maintaining a very high CGPA. How important according to you is this in securing a job?

    Grades are extremely important in getting good placements. However, a number of other factors like internships, co-curricular and extra -curricular activities also add up. Therefore, one must try to be an all-rounder rather than just focusing on grades.

     

    If you could re-live your 5 years in Law school, is there something you would do differently?

    I’d visit the library more often. Also, I’d take part in more moots and utilize the trimesters optimally.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to our readers?

    Try everything that you possibly can, in these five years – participate in competitions, write research papers, volunteer for events, go for fests. Explore all that your university has to offer. And that includes the gym! But, make sure that you maintain your grades.

  • Sandeep Chilana on a career in taxation law and being Principal Associate at Amarchand

    Sandeep Chilana on a career in taxation law and being Principal Associate at Amarchand

    Sandeep Chilana graduated from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University in 2005. Thereafter, he practiced litigation at his hometown, in Rudrapur, and later joined AMSS in their tax team. He continues to work at AMSS, and with his expertise in tax law, he is presently a Principal Associate.

    We have invited him to share his experience and insights with us in building a career in tax law.

     

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

    Hi! to all the readers of SuperLawyer. I am Sandeep Chilana and I am currently working as a Principal Associate at Amarchand & Mangaldas. At Amarchand, I work with the Tax Team and specialize in indirect tax litigation and advisory services. It is pleasure to reach you all through this forum and share my thoughts and experiences.

    I was born and brought up in a small town in Uttaranchal, Rudrapur and I came to Delhi for my graduation in 1999. After graduating in commerce from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University in 2002, I went on to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Law from Campus law Centre, Delhi University in 2005.

    I started my career as a litigator in the chambers of Mr. Rajiv Bansal and worked with him for almost 2 years. Thereafter, I joined my father in Rudrapur who specialises in Income Tax & Sales Tax advisory and compliance services, more than a year. I joined Amarchand in 2008 and have been working in the tax team since then.

    I am passionate about my work and truly enjoy arguing before the courts and handling complex indirect tax issues. Devising an out of box solution or innovating structuring for clients within the realms of law gives me immense satisfaction.

     

    When and how did you decide to study law? Which universities did you consider for your legal studies? How did you settle for CLC, DU?

    [sociallocker] I would not say that law was a natural choice or I always wanted to be a lawyer. While in KMC, I was really interested in pursuing dramatic arts and theatre professionally. After graduation, I realised it was difficult to make a living out of theatre and wanted to have a Plan B to fall back on. Since my father is a practicing lawyer, law was a natural back up plan.

    At that time all my theatre rehearsals took place in Delhi. Therefore, I decided to settle for CLC Delhi University for pursuing law. It was during my days at law school that I developed a keen interest in the subject of law.

     

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

    Not really. I strongly believe that our industry only respects technical expertise and everything else is secondary. It is possible that non-NLU students may feel discriminated at campus placement stage. However, from my experience, I want to tell them that in the long run what matters is their understanding of law, analytical abilities and professional integrity.

     

    Many lawyers say that the first year after graduation is the most difficult year for young lawyers. How was your first year after graduation? How did you learn the ropes and what were the biggest challenges you faced?

    First year after graduation is indeed most difficult year for us young lawyers. However, it is also the most important year of our profession. It is the year which decides whether we have the endurance to make a successful law professional.

    I started my career as a litigator in the chambers of Mr. Rajiv Bansal and worked with him for almost 2 years. That was undoubtedly the most defining period of my career.

    The first year was indeed difficult. I quickly realized that practicing law was very different from studying law. There was enormous work pressure and compensations were also nominal to keep us motivated. To top that, life in the courts was very unpredictable.

    Mr. Bansal reposed great confidence in me and unlike other 1st year associates I was getting lot of opportunities in the first year itself to independently appear before trial courts and handle miscellaneous hearing before High Court independently.

    My biggest challenge in the first year was time management and dealing with stage fright. Arguing before the courts was very different from moot courts and debate competitions in school and college and I needed to adjust quickly. Also, most of the new matters would come in evening with clients or circumstances insisting that the filings be made the very next day. Such short timelines required us to work through the nights to ensure filing the very next day and taught us the art of time management at a very early stage.

     

    You had started working at Bansal & Co. right after graduation, and thereafter you joined Chilana & Chilana Associates. How did you decide to shift from civil and commercial laws to tax laws? Please tell us about your work experience in both these places

    The work at Bansal & Co. was varied. In my short span of time spent there, I handled a variety of matters involving labour laws, family laws, intellectual property laws, land acquisition laws and tax laws etc.

    By end of 2006, I had decided to specialize in tax laws. There was no better place to learn the basics of tax laws than my father’s chambers in Rudrapur.

    Work at Chilana & Chilana Associates was highly focused and involved only tax work. My work at Chilana & Chilana Associates primarily involved preparing tax opinions on income tax and sales tax/VAT issues and drafting appeals or replies to notices.

    Working with my father taught me the importance of having an eye for detail in our profession. It was under him that I also understood the necessity of understanding the business of client. Whenever I got too technical, he reminded me that client needs a commercial solution and not a technical paper of legal provisions. I think this is the best advice a lawyer aspiring to specialize in tax laws can get.

     

    You left C&C to join AMSS in their indirect taxes wing. What motivated this shift? What does it take to get job at AMSS at that stage?

    When I left Mr. Bansal to join Chilana & Chilana Associates, I was hopeful that I would get opportunities to return to Delhi and work with main stream law firms or accounting firms, once I understood the basics of tax laws.

    AMSS happened by sheer chance as if it was destined. I was not aware that AMSS had recently started tax practice.  I was given an offer by one of the big four accounting firms to work in the indirect tax team. On the day I went to collect my offer letter, I bumped into an old college friend who had got a call from AMSS for an interview for a position in the tax team. She was very kind to forward my resume to AMSS HR and get me an interview as well, for the same position.

    Mr. Aseem Chawla, who was the tax partner at AMSS during the relevant time, interviewed me. The interview was primarily focused on work ethics, my litigation experience and the nature of tax assignments I have handled besides the obvious question, why I wanted to leave family practice.

    My father being a tax lawyer appeared to be the biggest challenge for me to crack that interview with AMSS. There was a presumption that sooner or later I would go back to join my father’s practice.

    However, Mr. Chawla identified with my point of view and the career path I had chalked out for myself. To my delight, I got a call from AMSS HR in the same week informing me about my selection. I was to join as a fresher associate in the Tax Team of AMSS.

    I guess my initial litigation experience coupled with my exposure to basics of tax laws worked in my favour. Also, my willingness to discount all my past experience to join as a fresher gave me an edge over the other candidates.

     

    Would you say your undergraduate B.Com degree has been helpful in your career? When did you actually experience the learning curve in tax law?

    Undoubtedly yes. It is almost impossible to specialise in tax laws without having the ability to decode financial statements and juggle with numbers. The B.Com degree gave me exposure to the accounting principles and made me affable to balance sheets and financials.

    I developed interest in tax laws while pursuing LL.B itself. I chose the optional paper of tax in my second year of law school and our professor Ms. Neeru Nakra ensured that everyone in the class enjoyed studying the seemingly boring tax laws. However, the actual learning curve in tax laws happened only after I joined Chilana & Chilana Associates.

     

    How do you say one can gain expertise in tax law? What does it take to be a good tax lawyer?

    The only way to gain experience in tax laws is to work with a tax lawyer or an accounting firm. We may not get an opportunity to work with a big firm directly but we must not lose hope. Hone your tax skills with independent practitioners or mid-level firms and wait for the right opportunity.

    Tax is a very dynamic subject. Hundreds of notifications and circulars are issued by the tax department every week. Tax laws get amended almost every year and the courts across India have different points of view on the same question of law. The only way one can be a good tax lawyer is by ensuring that you are constantly evolving and investing atleast 2 hours every week on knowledge management.

     

    Is the work significantly different from other transactional lawyers?

    Yes, practicing tax laws is very niche and significantly different from any other practice. Every litigation and advisory assignment is significantly different from the other. There are hardly any templates to start with. What differentiates a tax practice from regular transactional advisory work is that it never gets monotonous for a lawyer practicing tax laws.

     

    How much of your work does involve litigation, if at all?

    My work involves a good mix of litigation and advisory work. I have been appearing before various High Courts, Tribunals and Commissioners across the country on various indirect tax issues.

    Recently, I independently argued a very technical and high stake matter pertaining to taxability of domain name registration before the Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, Mumbai, and got a favourable order for client.

     

    Tell us a bit about work culture at AMSS tax team.

    Work culture at the AMSS Tax Team is highly competitive which induces a positive and productive environment. Most of the work handled by Tax Team at AMSS is very niche and high end, which continues to aspire and drive us towards professional excellence.

     

    People often complain about the highly skewed work-life balance at the top law firms. What is your workday like? How do you maintain your work-life balance?

    Being a lawyer is undoubtedly a high-stress career that demands far more than fair share of our time. Most of our assignments are urgent and require time bound delivery. Quite often than not, we end up spending more than 12 hours a day in our offices.  However, it is a conscious choice for most of us.

    One of the most important tools to manage work-life balance is time management, the ability to manage and keep a tab on the time and efficiencies, not only of your own but that of your team as well. I do try my best to regulate my time in the most efficient manner possible and spend quality time with my family. However, I must admit that my family understands the kind of pressures I work in and is really supportive of my professional commitments. Without their support, it would have been impossible for me to give my best to my profession.

     

    What would be your message to our young readers who want to pursue a career in tax laws?

    I would want to tell the young readers and budding lawyers that while their seniors would provide them sufficient exposure and training on the subject matter of their interest, the ultimate responsibility for their professional development rests on them only.

    It is not uncommon to feel disoriented in the first year of being a tax lawyer. Unlike other laws, tax laws are highly complex and require sound understanding of basic principles before you can start understanding and enjoying the complexity of the issues involved. Be patient till the time you are sure that you have mastered the basic principles.

    If time permits, a budding tax lawyer must consider attending training sessions and coaching classes organized by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on tax laws for aspiring Chartered Accountants. These are really helpful in understanding the basic concepts of tax laws and make a great foundation for any tax professional.

    Once the basic understanding of tax laws is in place, it is important to remain focused and constantly invest time on self-development and knowledge management. It is also important to master the art of understanding the commercial reasons for any transaction to be able to provide a better solution to client.

    Besides legal expertise, it is important to develop the work ethics which are paramount for any professional to be successful, most importantly being, determination, patience and integrity.[/sociallocker]

  • Jayantika Ganguly on being a corporate lawyer at AMSS, and Khaitan & Co.

    Jayantika Ganguly on being a corporate lawyer at AMSS, and Khaitan & Co.

    Jayantika Ganguly graduated from WB National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, back in 2008. She has thereafter worked at Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co (“AMSS”) for more than three years, and is currently working as a Senior Associate at Khaitan & Co. (“KCo”).

    We asked her to share her journey from being a law student to being a corporate lawyer.

     

    Given that most of our readers are law students and young lawyers, how will you introduce yourself to them?

    “Hello, Lawdroids! Greetings from a sample of Lawdroid Ice-cream Sandwich!”

    <Disclaimer: I do not own the terms “Lawdroids” or “Ice-cream Sandwich” and these are merely being used for representative purposes.>

     

    Back in 2003, NUJS was a fairly new institute. What motivated you to choose law as a career?

    It might sound a tad fickle, but law was simply the most interesting option for me at that stage. Law was exciting and a heady blend of the secure and intrepid – which just felt right.Perhaps a side-effect of growing up on detective stories!

    NUJS was fairly new back then (we were the fourth batch) – but we had the legendary Dr Madhava Menon as the Vice Chancellor! The rank #3 in the entrance exam helped, too.

     

    In retrospect how would you compare NUJS with other premier law institutions of the country?

    NUJS is undoubtedly one of the best. As an alumnus, my hindsight might be a little more rose-tinted than reality – but NUJS did a great job of not only training us in law, but also preparing us for our professional lives. The courses, internships, projects, moots, extra-curricular activities – it was all great. I think NUJS might have one of the most active student populations amongst the law schools. It certainly gave us a twinkle in our eye and a swagger in our stride.

     

    How did your recruitment at AMSS take place? How do you recall your anticipation of the job offer?

    Campus recruitment – our Placement Committee did a spectacular job. The procedure was fairly standard – CVs were sent, shortlisted students were called in for a Group Discussion, and further selected students were called in for individual interviews. I remember frantically reading the Companies Act before the scheduled date – but in the end, it wasn’t required. We were tested for our aptitude, oratory and analytical skills.

     

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

    I would take that statement with a grain of salt – but then, this is my personal opinion. I feel the internships and the way they are structured in law schools are very advantageous and we are not caught unawares upon joining a firm/company. You study a subject, and then you get to apply your knowledge during your summer internship. I certainly learnt a lot this way. Obviously we do not learn everything in college and during internships – but we definitely gain a general idea of how things function, and that is what ultimately influences the decision on where to work.

     

    You worked at AMSS for more than three years before joining KCo. Being the largest law firm in India, how did it shape up your work profile?

    At AMSS, I worked in the Project Finance team. Headline-grabbing deals and late nights were the norm. It was a fantastic learning experience – fast and glamorous.

     

    After having worked at AMSS for more than 3 years how did the shift to KCo take place?

    The move to Kolkata, for family reasons, was the operative factor. By a happy coincidence, KCo Kolkata was looking to recruit and I got lucky!

     

    What does your current work profile at KCo consist of? How is a typical workday like?

    At KCo, I am a part of the Corporate Team, so I get to work on a wider range of transactions here. A typical work day would have a few phone calls, a meeting or two thrown in, some discussion sessions and a lot of emails, document review and drafting.
    jayantika-ganguly-2

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

    There are a fair number of reasons. A lot of lawyers wish to work for a few years before going in for their Masters degree. Some move either out of a desire for change or for personal reasons. In my opinion, though, the biggest culprits behind high attrition rates are burnouts and breakdowns. The frantic pace and glory of big deals feels amazing at the beginning – but gradually, it gets exhausting. Health problems start cropping up – and that is when most people leave. Some are able to adapt, some are able to change their lifestyle and continue. This is more common with first jobs, I think, because as students, we are unable to accurately gauge what we are getting into – we are too star-struck. Also, the elation of the first all-nighter, the euphoria of a successful closing, the excitement of seeing your deal in a newspaper, the feeling of being ‘important’ – these are all quite addictive, so, more often than not, we tend to ignore our health concerns until something goes seriously wrong.

     

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

    The best interns I have seen are prompt and meticulous. The characteristics of a good intern are pretty much the same as the characteristics of a good associate. Take your deadlines seriously. If you don’t have the bandwidth to take on additional assignments, say it upfront and request an extended deadline if possible – if not, check with the senior for priorities. Listen to instructions carefully – ask questions if you do not understand. Be meticulous. No one will penalise an intern for not knowing an obscure detail of law – but silly mistakes, shoddy submissions are not good. Do your research well and be prepared to answer questions on the assignment you have been given.

     

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

    Work-life balance is very important to me. I think it is a somewhat misunderstood concept. Work-life balance does not mean that you leave your time-sensitive transaction hanging and wander off because your work-hours are over – that is simple irresponsibility. What it means is that you do your work to the best of your ability, but you also keep some time to yourself, indulge in something you are passionate about, and you also keep an eye on your wellbeing. It is about finding a passion beyond your work and making time for it. It will have a positive effect on your work efficiency as well, as you will be more organised and work down the priority list.

    There are plenty of unwinding activities I indulge in. I love travelling – be it for work or leisure – and I try to travel as much as I can. I also fancy (or, perhaps, delude) myself to be a bit of a writer. I like to explore new cuisines and new languages. I am an avid Sherlockian as well – and a fan of music, art, dance and drama.

     

    Many young law students want to have a flourishing career in corporate law. What would be your advice to the future corporate lawyers?

    Other than thoroughly studying the corporate laws, keep abreast of the market news. Being up-to-date on information as well as laws is important. Try and intern with companies as well as law firms – this will give you a well-rounded idea about how things work on both sides. Hone your drafting and negotiation skills – this will form a major chunk of your work hours.

  • Hita Kumar on leaving AMSS to pursue LL.M from NUS over Cambridge, writing an SOP and getting recommendations

    Hita Kumar on leaving AMSS to pursue LL.M from NUS over Cambridge, writing an SOP and getting recommendations

    hita-kumar-2Hita Kumar is a graduate from National Law Institute University, Bhopal (Batch of 2012). Her journey through law school has been one of an ideal student. While maintaining a good CGPA, she bagged a job with AMSS in law school. She worked there for two years. Currently, she is pursuing Masters in Corporate and Financial Services Law from National University of Singapore.

    In this interview Hita talks about:

    • Choosing NUS over Cambridge University for Masters
    • Writing an SOP and getting recommendation letters
    • Work experience at AMSS and leaving it to pursue LL.M

     

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

    I am not your stereotypical law student who loves hearing her own voice, arguing for the sake of argument and is very opinionated (no offence!), but rather more of an introvert who is not afraid to speak her mind when a situation requires me to. I’ve been told that I come across as very serious, sincere and nerdy, which is probably true when it comes to my work but people who are close to me know how nutty I can be. I’ve done my BA.LLB (Hons.) from NLIU, worked at AMSS, Bangalore and am now pursuing my Masters in Corporate and Financial Services Law at NUS. On paper I probably look like countless others, but I’ve probably gone through this journey with the least number of hiccups, which only goes to show that consistent hard work generally pays off.

     

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

    From the unbiased ethics of law to the high dependence on insightful reasoning, I gravitated towards law for a number of reasons and not specifically one reason, such as wanting to be well-spoken, well read and highly regarded, wanting to be person whom you can trust to resolve issues and wanting to have the power to make right an injustice, to even know an injustice when faced with one. While I enjoyed science during 11th and 12thI never saw myself as an engineer or a doctor because it seemed too common a career choice for people who took up science. An alternative to law that I did seriously consider was a degree in Economics.

     

    How would you describe your time at NLIU-Bhopal?

    My time at NLIU was quite fulfilling and whilst it was demanding and academics were always a priority; NLIU was structured in the way that we were given a lot of freedom to venture into activities that interested us.It was up to us to take the initiative and develop our skills during our tenure as law students. I tried my hand at mooting, client counselling, negotiation, writing and organising events on campus. I particularly enjoyed my stint as part of the founding editorial team of the NLIU Law Review. Being a sports enthusiast, I often spent time playing basketball, throw ball and badminton. Representing the University for events both; co-curricular and in the sports field was something I always looked forward to. NLIU Bhopal is where I grew up. Entering law school at 18 straight out of school and leaving at 23, with lawyer’s degree in hand, my time at NLIU has had the biggest impact in my life to date.

     

    You have worked at AMSS for two years. How was the experience?

    In two words, a ‘roller coaster’; there were highs and lows, it was exciting and intimidating, and I left AMSS feeling like it was one hell of a good ride. I was part of the first batch for which there was a rotation policy i.e. we were with three different teams for six months each, before being allotted a specific practice area. This was a great opportunity for a fresh graduate like me, to work on different areas and different teams before finally being allocated permanently with one team. It gave me the opportunity to explore a number of areas of corporate law and get a broader perspective of the working of the Indian corporate legal system. While there was a tremendous learning of various corporate laws but also an emphasis on learning of other skills like client handling, time management, drafting and presenting. I was lucky to have a few mentors who made the transition from being a law student to a lawyer easier than it would have ordinarily been.The fact that I made some really good friends along the way made the journey better than expected!

     

    The glitz of a corporate job may blind a law student and he may fail to look at different career opportunities. Were you in doubtful before joining NUS? Why did you prefer to pursue Masters over your job?

    I think the emphasis in Indian law schools is always on recruitments and the placement season is invariably a very tough time for most students. The pressure of getting a job, if not a lucrative one, is very high. Being at NUS, I now realise there were/are far more career options and job profiles that I could’ve seriously considered had I known about them; which is why I feel it is extremely important to have a strong working relationship with your alumni, have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances including people beyond your law school and to never be hesitant to reach out to any of them for guidance.

    Having said that, I had to do a lot of soul searching before I could finally come to the conclusion that I wanted to quit my job and study for the Masters program at NUS. There was a constant debate about whether an LLM over AMSS is the so called ‘right’ way to go? Would it bear fruit at the end of day? A dear senior of mine once told me time and again that it’s what you make of the opportunities you choose that determines the outcome and not the choice itself.

    As to why I preferred doing an LL.M over the option of continuing with my job, it would have to be the timing. For me, it was the perfect time to take a step back and reinforce my academic foundation in corporate law. After two years of experience in the profession, I now having a better insight into how the business of law is actually conducted and I could explore this further by studying the areas of law I am interested in during my LL.M.

     

    When you decided to quit job and pursue LL.M? Was it pre-planned or it just happened during your law firm days? What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.?

    Pursuing an LL.M was not part of the original plan, at least not consciously. At some point, whilst working I realised that I was not ready to be an adult just yet! On a more serious note, I decided to give myself an opportunity to explore the academics in depth before I settle down into my forte. My motivation behind doing an LL.M, and a foreign LL.M at that, was to experience a different kind of education system and culture.

     

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

    My choice to study at NUS was a practical one. Having said that I was quite convinced that NUS has an excellent LL.M program, especially for corporate laws and has been consistently ranked as the top university in Asia. To be completely honest, the clincher, was the funding offer I received from NUS. I was granted the Faculty Graduate Scholarship which covered my tuition expenses which made the offer of admission too good to refuse. Whilst I did have the option to take up the MCL program at Cambridge, I guess the practicality and the positives that NUS had to offer outweighed the option of taking up a huge loan for a relatively new program. While choosing a University, it is important to research the actual program you would like to join by speaking with alumni, it’s not ideal just to go by the name and reputation of the University; keeping in mind always, your reasons and priorities for pursuing an LL.M.

     

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

    Writing an SOP and the entire application process in general is extremely testing and can get frustrating at times. My guess is that universities intentionally make it so, to weed out half-hearted applications! I spoke to a lot of people who have been through the process themselves, all whom had varying but valuable input. I think it comes down to putting across those aspects of yourself and your credentials that you feel paint a complete picture of yourself and one that leaves an impression with the admissions committee. There’s no formula to writing an SOP but a couple of things according to me would certainly make a difference would be (1) the reasons you think you standout from the rest of your peers; (2) the reasons you want to get back to academics after your first degree; and(3) correct grammar! It’s also very important to get many as many people as possible to vet your SOP, the more eyes you get on your SOP, the more it will evolve.

     

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

    Since I had only worked for two years before completing my LL.M applications, I requested my professors at NLIU to give me their recommendation. They were all very supportive of my decision and asked me for my CV to get a better idea of the particular work I did throughout law school. Of course, there is a fair bit of coordination involved if you are not in university anymore, so I would keep enough time before the deadlines to make all the arrangements and request for a few extra copies should the need arise.

     

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

    NUS does give out scholarships on the basis of merit. You may opt to automatically be considered for the various scholarships as part of the application itself. There are various other institutions that give scholarships (full, partial and loan scholarships) which are well known such as given by Inlaks Foundation, Tata Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, Narottam Sekhsaria Foundation and the Mahindra foundation, amongst others. It’s important to start doing your research on scholarships at a very early stage and keep track of the requirements and deadlines.

     

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

    So far, my experience has been absolutely fantastic. My modules are extremely interesting and the Professors supplement them with excellent lectures and reading materials. The NUS Law faculty is very highly qualified and motivated to teach and engage students. The facilities range from an extensive library (with a large number of E-resources), to sports facilities, from well-regarded centres of research like the Centre for International Law, Centre for Asian Legal Studies and Centre for Banking and Finance Law to state-of-the-art use of IT in various internal systems like the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment, where all the materials for modules you have opted for are posted. Having been here only a couple of months now, I am still soaking it all in. What has been striking has been the frequency and quality of the seminars that are conducted on various topical legal issues by guests to the university. Though, the very first thing that hit me was that my lectures were 3 hours long. But as it turns out, if you like what you hear, 3 hours can fly by fast enough!

     

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

    There are enough and more Indians here that I never feel too far away from home! I think that says it all.

     

    How difficult was studying abroad in terms of finding accommodation, finances and settling in?

    Singapore is an excellent place for people who have never lived abroad. It’s almost impossible to get lost, filled with Indians and generally some of the most friendly and helpful people. While the cost of living is definitely higher than India, I can’t imagine it being too difficult to manage your finances if you can budget your expenses.

     

    Where do you see yourself five years from now?

    Probably doing something that I don’t even know of right now, but hopefully something that is exciting. However, options that one could probably look at are working at a foreign law firm, a multi-national corporation, teaching, a legislative think tank, an arbitration institution, a legal team of an international organisation like the WTO, and many others. Taking courses that interest you, talking to people in the field and keeping an open mind will help things fall into place.

     

    If you could re-live your 5 years in Law school, is there something you would do differently?

    While I have no regrets about my time in NLIU, I’m sure there are things I could’ve done better like taken a few more risks with internships, kept in touch with more alumni and stressed out a little less!

     

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

    Make the most of the opportunities that come your way, so that you don’t have regrets in life!

  • Shweta Bansal on work at AMSS, leaving firm job for Civil Services and acing it

    Shweta Bansal on work at AMSS, leaving firm job for Civil Services and acing it

    shweta-bansal-2Shweta Bansal a graduate from NUJS, Kolkata, After a successful career with AMSS, she went for the Civil Services. With utmost diligence and determination, she successfully cleared the Civil Services exam. She gives an insight into her childhood, the hurdles in life which she overcame and how she has been able to mould her life into a real success story.

    In this interview she talks about:

    • Her life and journey as a law student
    • Preparing for the Civil Services
    • Books and other knowledge sources helpful in preparation
    • An insight into the interview process

     

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

    I was born and raised in Lucknow and pursued my schooling from the prestigious La Martiniere Girls College Lucknow. My life took a drastic turn at the age of 6 due to a major spinal injury, after which for many years I had to push myself immensely to grapple with a disability. Gradually, with the support of family, friends, and teachers, I continued with my studies. My grandmother has been thoroughly instrumental in my life and is the reason behind my little success story. At the Intermediate level, I studied humanities with Economics and secured a top spot in my class 12th boards. My good performance at school and at extra-curricular activities can be attributed to my teachers, more specifically to Mrs. Bhavna Kalra who taught me the importance of standing up on my own two feet. Thereafter I pursued my law from NUJS and spent few of my most crucial and definitive years there, shaping and building my career in Law.

     

    How was your experience at NUJS? What activities were you involved in apart from the regular academic curriculum?

    [sociallocker]
    I look back at my experience at NUJS as a great learning experience and despite the struggles I encountered, it provided a strong base to my career in Law. I am a person with a keen interest in a variety of non academic activities and NUJS gave me a brilliant platform to explore various such opportunities to help groom me as a well rounded personality. I fared well academically despite several health challenges and had an opportunity to perform with my college band, participate in fine arts and sketching competitions both at NUJS and at other Fests and Cultural events. I was even fortunate to present my paper at Hong Kong on legal valuation of patents as a solution to farmer suicide due to crop failure.

     

    You secured a job with AMSS. What worked for you in securing the placement?

    My journey with AMSS has been the best experience of my life. In 2006 after completing a two and a half month internship with AMSS, New Delhi and I was offered a pre placement at the Firm by Ms. Anuradha RV who has been a constant guide and support throughout my career at AMSS and even after. The work experience and firm culture at AMSS is unmatched and goes a long way in understanding and dealing with different areas of law. My experience at AMSS was exceptionally good and Mr. Shardul Shroff has been like a father figure in my life, Ms. Gunjan Shah and Ms. Purva Chadha played an instrumental role in shaping my legal skills and mentoring me.

     

    When and what inspired you to appear for Civil Services after having a career at AMSS?

    Truly speaking I was always keen to take the civil services exam but wanted to establish myself professionally before taking the plunge. I personally feel having an option to fall back upon provides you with the required security to give your best at the preparation level and if one has law as a career, civil services would tremendously compliment it as a career.

     

    How did you manage preparing for the Civil Service exam with your law firm job and other commitments?

    I was fortunate to be granted a sabbatical by Mr. Shardul Shroff to help me prepare for the exam.

     

    When did you start preparing for the exams? When should a person ideally start preparation for the Civil Services exam?

    Civil Service preparation requires absolute dedication and thus in November, 2010, I took a two year sabbatical leave from my work at AMSS and pursued my preparation. I gave my prelims with 5 months of preparation and cleared it however I couldn’t clear the mains due to my Hindi language paper. In my second attempt I cleared all three legs paving my way for the services.

     

    How many hours did you put in for your preparations every day? Is having a fixed schedule or weekly targets important according to you?

    The key to Civil Service preparation is consistency and diligence. I would plan my preparation targets on a daily basis and made it a point to achieve them so that there is no backlog created as the material to be read and study is extremely vast. My targeted study period was nothing less than 8 hours daily. Reading of The Hindu daily is a must for any civil services aspirant.

     

    Which were the easiest and the toughest part of your preparation?

    The easiest part for me during the Civil Service preparation was to tackle and remember the material provided by the coaching institutes, which hardly constitutes 30% of the entire bulk of study material one has to go through. Moreover I was extremely fortunate to get great guidance and support from Cyril Darlong Diengdoh and Ashutosh Salil who constantly mentored me. The tough part is primarily to figure out the remaining 70% of the study material and syllabus and this makes all the difference. I also faced the mammoth ‘Maths’ dilemma in CSAT since I had primarily been a student with a humanities background. I consider prelims and General studies papers for the Mains the toughest leg of the entire exercise. Prelims requires a thorough reading of  the fundamental concepts of different subjects and mains requires more focus on the current affairs.Prelims is the first scanning ground so the competition is really tough and negative marking only adds to the competition. Mains in contrast gives you an opportunity to get creative with your answers of course without derailing from the subject. GS paper I and II of Mains require very thorough reading of the editorials and various reports published by the government.

     

    What are the aspects that a Civil Service aspirant must focus on and start preparing for in advance?

    I would begin by stressing on the basics, they are the cardinal point of the entire preparation for Civil Services and if one is well prepared with the basics, one can tackle most of the questions. It is also important not to get lost in the sea of knowledge. Instead, focus on a few basic books so that revisions are possible. Since Prelims focuses more on the basic concepts, NCERTS can be quite handy, the Main examination is a combination of basic and current affairs, so your focus should be on newspapers, government reports and government websites.

     

    What were the attributes of your legal education and background which helped you in succeeding in the Civil Service Exams?

    A legal education and background definitely helps in the civil service preparation especially in Polity and General Studies Paper I and II of the Mains. Certain topics are common between the Law paper and Public Administration so that makes life easier. Also having studied law equips you with analysis and digging of most concepts and thereby providing an added advantage in writing answers. My background as a lawyer went a long way especially in my interview as most of my interview questions were based on law.

     

    What is the importance of CGPA for law students especially for Civil Service exam aspirant? Does it make any difference during the interview?

    CGPA is important and it is a reflection on the attitude and seriousness of a student but it does not per se reflect upon the merit of the person. Thus it makes a good impression to have a good CGPA but it is not the only factor that determines the merit of a student.

     

    Tell us about your interview? What kinds of questions were asked by the interview board?

    My interview was conducted by a 5 member panel headed by Mr. P.K. Mishra. The panel is always well read and grills you on the basis of your mains form. The major thrust of the questions was about my take on various socio-legal issues like Khap Panchayat, live-in relationship, decriminalization of S. 309 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises attempt to commit suicide, the Aruna Shanbaug case. My legal background and extensive work experience also helped me tackle questions about good governance and withdrawal of subsidies. The panel also intended to assess my perspective on various problems and my ability to provide a solution for the same, for instance, crimes against women and measures to curb and tackle it. During the interview the objective of the panel is multifaceted since they assess your overall personality and knowledge. In fact the panel asked me to sketch one of the panel members within 30 seconds, since they read about my interest in sketching. The interview is both grueling and unpredictable.  It is very important to maintain your calm and be absolutely honest with the panel. Mr. P.K. Mishra was a great help in my interview once he realized I knew my stuff. He discouraged excessive grueling by other members.

     

    For the meantime, before your training period starts, you are holding the position of a Consultant with AMSS. What is the nature of your consultancy with AMSS and has your role in the firm changed?

    I came back to AMSS after my mains in 2012 to work with my mentor, Mr. Shardul Shroff on a unique role which has absolute administrative bearings and nothing to do with the transactional work of the firm. At the moment, I aid the firm with regards to firm development and handle the administrative concerns and issues.

     

    What would be your message for law students who are preparing or planning to prepare to appear for the Civil Service exams?

    The thumb rule should be firstly to focus on your education as a law student, studying and working towards making one’s basics strong. It is exceptionally useful in Civil Service to hold a law degree but before plunging into Civil Service preparation one should secure themselves a career to fall back upon as civil services can be a gamble. Education, work and then Civil Service has been my strategy as I believe that one should never put all their eggs in one basket.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message for the readers who want to pursue career in Civil Services?

    There is no substitute for hard work and diligence. Consistency and dedication goes a long way in achieving the desired result. One should regard coaching institutions as a very small part of the Civil Service preparation and should rather focus more on self preparation and self study. Be honest in your preparation and give your best. The outcome is never in your hands but the effort is. Civil services requires focused study so its important to isolate yourself socially till you are done with the Mains.[/sociallocker]

  • Swati Shanker, Law Graduate, NLIUB, on preparing for interviews and appointment at AMSS

    Swati Shanker, Law Graduate, NLIUB, on preparing for interviews and appointment at AMSS

    Swati Shanker is a student from National Law Institute University, Bhopal, batch of 2015. She has interned with top notch law firms and was placed with Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. during campus placements.

    In this interview we speak to her about:

    • Managing Grades in a trimester system
    • Excelling at moot court competitions
    • Securing a job from Amarchand

     

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

    Firstly, I would like to congratulate the Super Lawyer team for initiating this informative web portal. I think it by sharing first hand experiences of lawyers and law students pertaining to various law school activities and higher studies provides valuable insights to law students and will help them decide their career path and objectives accordingly.

    Talking about myself, I am a fifth year law student of National Law Institute University, Bhopal. I am a first generation lawyer. My law school journey till date has been a valuable learning experience. As a law student, I have always tried to excel in both academics as well as extra-curricular and co-curricular activities like mooting, authoring research papers etc.  This has helped me learn not only the theoretical aspects of law but has also helped me inculcate legal-analytical approach and hence the practical application of the subjects.

    My area of interest is corporate law and in furtherance of my interest I have interned at some major corporate law firms like Wadia Ghandy, AMSS. I have also authored various articles on current corporate topics. I look forward to establish myself as a successful corporate lawyer and make significant contributions in this sphere.

    I like reading novels. I also have an inclination towards meditation and have trained myself in various forms of the same. I like travelling and exploring new places.

     

    How did you decide to study law?

    Being part of various social welfare organisations and having been involved in various social activities since my school days, I developed an inclination towards law at a very early stage. However, I never considered of pursuing a career in law initially and opted for science after 10th boards. In my standard 12th I came to know about the Common Law admission Test (CLAT) and it appealed to me a lot as I perceived it as an opportunity to nurture and develop my interest in law. Being a first generation lawyer my parents had apprehensions towards legal career and hence I had no option of quitting science altogether. So I started preparing for engineering and law entrances simultaneously and cracked both. Despite of being offered national engineering colleges my parents being very supportive allowed me to pursue my dream career and hence I ended up landing in law.

    I am a first generation lawyer.

     

    How did you manage to keep up your grades?

    I found trimester system to be easy going and more helpful in improving grades. Continuous evaluations in a trimester system can make one realise his or her strengths and weaknesses and hence improve performance with each trimester. I managed to keep up my grade by paying attention to class room lectures and self study. Class room lectures not only help you keep a track of the course but also in a broader manner portray the content and the manner in which questions should be answered in an examination. I treasured valuable experiences from each trimester, employed them in subsequent ones and managed to excel my performance with each trimester.

     

    swati-sanker-1Can you tell us about your mooting experience?

    (Swati has won Stetson International Environment Moot (South Rounds) and represented the university in Stetson International Round.)

    Winning Stetson and getting an opportunity to represent India was one of the most valuable law experiences of mine.  The moot provided me a huge exposure to international law and its facets. Both national rounds and international rounds require an individual to be aware of each and every minute details of the problem. However, international law differs from national round in one aspect that the judges put extreme weight age on mannerism and courtesy.  The moot was not only helpful academically but also provided an opportunity to interact with various national and international teams.

     

    In your opinion, what would it take to excel at moot court competitions?

    Intelligent and diligent team work guarantees success at moot court competitions. Mooters should have an eye for each and every detail, as a single word can change the whole game. To excel at moot court competitions one needs to follow following steps:

    • Be well versed with the problem
    • Research should be exhaustive and meticulous
    • Memorandum should be neatly drafted and formatted.
    • Oral arguments should be properly structured and logical.

     

    Our readers would be quite curious to know how you went about securing your internships.

    Yes, I have interned with some major corporate law firms. I secured theses internships through both personal applications and college’s recruitment committee. A well drafted and tailored CV plays a significant role in fetching an internship. Further, getting an internship through personal application requires one to prepare a well drafted cover letter and vigilant follow up.

     

    How relevant did you find your law school education with the kind of work you were required to do at law firms?

    I consider internships as a great learning experience as it provides a practical exposure to diverse areas of law and helps an individual find his area of interest. Internships were always a deliberate plan for me because I considered it as a tool of exploring my area of interest and decide my career objectives. In furtherance of the same, in my initial years at law school I interned with various high court and Supreme Court lawyers, commissions, litigation law firms and corporate law firms. Of all these internship experiences I found corporate law to be very appealing and decided to pursue my career in the same.

    Law school education focuses mainly on the theoretical aspects of law whereas internships are more about practical application of law. However, law school education helps in developing a fundamental understanding of law and sets a broader picture of law. Based upon my practical experiences, I found law school education to be if not sole but a contributing factor for having a successful internship experience.

     

    What do you have to say about law students interning exclusively at law firms all through their undergraduate years?

    Law being a diverse field, a well informed decision as to area of interest is a prerequisite condition for a successful legal career. Internships assist an individual in arriving at such informed decision. Rushing forth to intern at law firms since the very first year frustrates the objective behind internships. Hence, I would advise that rather than opting this attitude law students should strive for diverse internship experiences at vivid places in their experiences and then take an informed decision.

     

    Please tell us about the recruitment application process at AMSS.

    Yes, I have been offered a job at AMSS through campus placement.  I have interned twice with AMSS. I applied for these internships through the college’s recruitment committee. The recruitment application process at AMSS involves majorly two steps. First stage involves short listing of C.V.  and the shortlisted candidates are then asked to fill a questionnaire providing various personal and academic details. This is followed by the final and deciding round i.e. personal interview.

     

    How did you prepare for the job interview?

    My job interview preparation was based primarily on C.V, general corporate laws and HR questions. My AMSS job interview was primarily C.V based. In order to crack the interview one needs to be very thorough with the C.V. Hence, it is advisable that the C.V. should be drafted properly and should contain only those things about which you are confident. Further, while reading C.V. you should also try to find out any recent development in the area that you have mentioned in your C.V. Thus, a C.V. reading should be both vertical and horizontal. Further, overview knowledge of various major corporate laws subjects like, Contract, Companies Act, Transfer or Property, Partnership and securities laws are advisable.

    Yes, HR questions were also asked in the interview. The HR questions asked in the interview were usually repetitions of the AMSS questionnaire that one is supposed to fill after the short listing stage.

    One more thing that I would like to add here is if you have interned with AMSS previously always be thorough about the team with which you have worked. In the interview you might be asked the name of the team and the partners you have worked for. Also one is advisable to be updated on the recent developments in the firm.

     

    Are grades of critical importance in securing a job?

    To some extent this assertion is correct. CGPA plays a determinative role in securing a job for some of these law firms. However, it is not necessary that in order to get placed here you need to have extraordinarily high grades. Decent grades (among top twenty rankers) coupled with significant extra-curricular activities will also achieve the purpose.

     

    If you could re-live your five years in Law school, is there something you would do differently?

    I have balanced my law school life by placing equal importance on both academic and extra-curricular activities. In five years at law school I have managed to win moots, author research papers, however, I never got a chance to spend considerable time on sports. So, if given a chance to re-do my five years in law school I would like be more active in sports and would like to represent my college at various sports fests.

     

    What’s the next goal on your list?

    Currently I do not intend to do an LL.M because at this juncture I am looking forward to working with AMSS and learning the practical aspects of corporate law.  However, in order to broaden my domain of knowledge, I might consider doing an LL.M in corporate laws from abroad.

     

    swati-sanker-3Lastly, what would be your message for our readers?

    My message to readers would be that “intelligent hard work always pays off”.  Success demands dedication and consistency. Further, you should be sure about your career goals and objectives. As per my practical experiences success at law school is a four step process:

    Maintain good grades

    Intern with diverse institutions  and find out your area of interest

    Undertake various extra and co-curricular activities, be it mooting, papers, sports.

    Develop social and communication skills

    To sum up my law school experience:  “Law school journey is like a roller coaster ride, enjoy the rises and falls.”

     

  • Srirang Sapre, Law Graduate, GNLU, on maintaining CGPA and getting a PPO from AMSS

    Srirang Sapre, Law Graduate, GNLU, on maintaining CGPA and getting a PPO from AMSS

    Srirang Sapre is a student of GNLU, batch of 2015. During his time as an undergraduate, he has interned with the likes of AMSS, Wadia Ghandy & Co., Jani & Co., Y J Trivedi & Co., among others . He has received a pre-placement offer from AMSS.

    In this interview we talk to him about:

    • Maintaining a good CGPA and building a CV
    • Working diligently and receiving a callback
    • Sailing through the interview and getting a PPO from AMSS

     

    Tell us about your pre-college life. Did you have lawyers in your family?

    I was lucky to be born and brought in the beautiful city of Ahmedabad. I did my schooling from Best Higher Secondary School, Maninagar, Ahmedabad. I being from a school which had always pressed on academics and extra-curricular activities equally made it easier in later years for me because I was competent to handle both academics and extra-curricular activities together. As far as having a law background goes I have none. I am the only one in my family to have chosen a career in law.

     

    Should scores of SSC and HSC affect your decision to take up law course?

    Personally, I do not think percentage scored in SSC and HSC should have any bearing on decision of getting into a law course. Getting into law only requires you to have a brain that can think logically and rationally. Apart from that you need to have the dedication and should be willing to work really hard to achieve your goals, that is I think what you should look for when you think about pursuing a career in law. I don’t think there is much of an edge for students having Commerce background or Science or Humanities. But every once in a while I have found myself to getting hang of few topics taught in law school better and faster because the basic concepts of Commerce grasped in my 10+2 education were strong. Further if you are interested in Corporate Law or taking up Company Secretary Course I think having Commerce background will help a lot.

    How should a fresher go about his initial journey in a law school?

    When you step into National Law University as a fresher it’s a start of a whole new chapter in your life. It is a bittersweet moment because you are happy that you cracked the CLAT and terrified that others around you have done the same too and that to may be with better scores. But you soon get used to this new world and its rules. Also be very cautious while choosing your peer group as in a Law School getting carried away or swayed is easy. Friends are very important during your journey here. Some of those friends will be for life.

     

    How should one prepare for continuous evaluations and end semester examinations?

    Doing smart work is more important and not hard work. One should always bear in mind that there is no straight-jacket formula to go about all subjects offered in a particular semester. You need to think on your feet and assess as to what all is required by the subject and what all points does the faculty expect from students to be covered in the answer. I also recommend group study since it is beneficial in a few law subjects which have vast syllabus and it is not always possible to complete every bit of it single-handedly. Scoring consistently well is extremely important. It should not be a one-semester-show but that also does not mean you need to top every semester, you just have to maintain your average and strive to make it better and better as you make your progress in the law school.

     

     

    How important is it to get published in order to build a CV?

    I think to having an all round CV is very important. A couple of articles published in reputed journals/newsletter/websites will take you a long way. All articles can have something to do with any of the various law subjects that you study. However if you want you can also try to streamline your C.V. in a particular direction by writing on similar areas of law. I for one have written on very diverse topics ranging from entrepreneurship to anti-piracy. So to sum it up I feel that getting “articles” published and not just “legal articles” will help in the long run. This shall also help you to achieve command over English language which is like inevitably important in legal profession.

     

    You have been a member of multiple committees while in law school. Do you think these enhanced your skill-sets?

    It is important to lay strong foundation to aid your progress in crucial final years. According to me being a member is various committees is equally important along with constant focus on academics. There are many on-field experiences and instances which makes every committee I have joined a memorable experience for me. Instead of giving specific occasions as to where it helped me I would rather state that it has immensely helped me to develop my overall personality especially on social front. Also the level of exposure that you get while working in each of these committees is superb. Lastly, it is again a matter of choice you may stick to certain committee(s) or join no committee at all but personally I think positions of responsibility adds considerable credit and weightage to the C.V. which recruiters do look at as well.

     

    Can you tell us about your internship experience?

    (Srirang has interned with top tier firms such as Udwadia Udeshi, Amarchand, Wadia Gandhy.)

    Frankly speaking, coming from non-legal background it was quite a herculean task for me to secure such internships. Going to any of these firms before III year is not that productive both for the firm and the student since you are still learning commercial laws and are not aware of its intricate topics and hence once I was done with my sixth Semester I started applying personally via emails and following up on status of the application via calls. However it becomes simpler to secure internship in your IV and V year since Internship and Placement Division (IPSD) at GNLU takes up the task of placing students at various firms and I am extremely thankful to IPSD for facilitating me in securing internship at these top-tier firms that eventually culminated into a PPO from AMSS, Mumbai.

     

    Did your law school education find relevance with the kind of work you were required to do at law firms?

    I was lucky to have seniors to help me plan my internships and other things from time to time. But, I was clear on one thing that I will not just sit idle in any of the breaks and hence made all efforts to secure some or other internship. One should be ready to intern at middle and local firms too, trust me your get to learn a lot. Law school education did help me to start off my work in the law firms but I certainly think many practical aspects can be brought in the syllabus or the teaching methodology across all the NLUs. By that I mean to say for an instance while teaching the transfer of property act some aspects of stamp duty calculation etc can be also made known to the students. However the notes that I used to take down in the class came very handy when I was given a completely new topic to research on. So yes law school education is the first step to the research accomplishment ladder and then it depends on person to person to dig deeper.

     

    What kind of work did you have to do during your internships?

    Since I started off with an NGO internship, a property law firm and then went onto intern at top tier firms of India that itself reflects that I had excellent opportunities’ coming my way to work on diverse topics such as alternative dispute resolution laws, property law, admiralty law, state specific statutes and of course corporate law to name a few. Well, as far as memorable moments goes highlighting a couple of moments would render others as less memorable and cause injustice too hence every internship that I undertook had memorable moments as each day I got to learn something new of which I was absolutely clueless until just the  night before.

     

    Have you ever seriously considered engaging in pro-bono humanitarian work?

    Yes. When you get into this one of the most glamorous, challenging and powerful profession and dream of yourself getting close to most prominent lawyers, honorable judges and social activists who fight for making India a better place to live  such a thought  would naturally cross your mind/ and I am  no different. I got this very good opportunity to work on something unique and i.e. framing guidelines for food waste management which is currently very serious issues at global and national level as well. I think if this problem is curbed then social evils like poverty, starvation, malnutrition can be reduced greatly and that shall eventually raise India’s HDI. I do wish to continue giving back to the society in whatever way I can contribute in future also.

     

    Did you ever plan as a young law student to pursue any socially relevant legal work?

    Certainly I had thought about it and I did take a step by joining Legal Services Committee at GNLU which has been established to render legal assistance to the section of society which is uninformed about legal system or rights as the case may be. I did see ground-reality at villages around my hometown and such low levels of legal awareness existing there moved me. I did try and assist in the process as much as I could. Further, in future as well I look forward to making myself available for social work opportunities that come my way.

     

    What do you think an intern should accomplish in the course of their internship to get a “callback” or “PPO”?

    I was directly shortlisted for a PPO after my first internship itself at AMSS but I had received a call back at other firm where I interned in my third year hence the dynamics are pretty much the same but the difficulty level gets tougher and tougher as you intern in tier-one firms. For bagging a ‘call back’ or ‘PPO’ there is no simple formula since every single firm look out for different set of qualities in the interns that they select. Plus nowadays every firm has started conducting telephonic or VC interview in intern selection process hence it is very important for each of the applicant to be well-prepared and impress at the internship interview itself. Though I personally do not believe in the saying- “First impression is last impression” but yes first impression do have a lasting impression and hence it is  important and sometimes if you are not lucky enough circumstances might just not give you second chance, moreover an impressive first shot can do wonders for you. Nevertheless the qualities like punctuality, sincerity, humility, thinking on the feet attitude and last but not the least – being genuine (yes genuine not genius) will give you the upward thrust on your ladder to success.

     

    How important according to you are grades in securing a job?

    Who doesn’t love to score good marks? I guess each student prays to God when exams are around to bless him with good marks in the examination. I must confess I was obsessed to score better marks in every examination and I honestly think controlled obsession for good things always works in your favour and is sometimes necessary to promote healthy competition but you should never let it turn into jealously in case you don’t score well. I was fortunate enough that my efforts were suitably rewarded and I pulled up my average higher. CGPA is not the only parameter for securing the job but I won’t be wrong or unjustified to state it is a very important parameter. On the other side not being able to top is also not a lost affair there are ample of firms that look at consistency and not the always high going CGPA graph.

     

    Did you have to undergo an interview before securing your PPO?

    You have to undergo interview process and not just that, there might be other layers of shortlisting before one reaches the personal interview level. Tailoring your CV is an extremely important task for any candidate sitting for a firm interview. For interview you need to be thorough with every word printed on your CV and if you can answer any question from and on the basis of CV I think the game is pretty much on your side. Asking someone to take mock interviews also helps to get over nervousness. CV is a tool that will help you market yourself better just think of it as a brochure that describes/explains/markets you in the best manner possible .One small mistake or bluff on your CV can make you pay heavy cost and ruin four to five years of hard work in the interview room. Drafting CV is also an art as you need to make sure as to what firm is looking for and highlight those points in your CV.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to our readers?

    My message would be that first learn the rules of the game. Remember that nothing is too BIG or too SMALL to be accomplished and ensure that whatever you do, you do it with all your heart or else all efforts would count for nothing. To conclude trust your guts. Maintain a good CGPA. Strive to be “Jack of all and master of one or more laws”.  There is no harm/shame in taking help of  your elders, seniors, batchmates and the faculty of course for any  turbulence. Be determined towards the goal and keep putting in cent percent efforts and success will certainly knock your door.

  • Varun Chauhan, Law Graduate, GNU, on being the batch topper, a sports enthusiast and receiving a PPO from AMSS

    Varun Chauhan, Law Graduate, GNU, on being the batch topper, a sports enthusiast and receiving a PPO from AMSS

    Varun Chauhan is a student of GNLU, Gandhinagar, batch of 2015. During this time has has interned with Singhi & Co., Unmesh D. Shukla, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Vaish Associates, AMSS, Khaitan & Co., and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas. He helps organise ‘Justice League’, the university’s sports fest, and he is also a mentor in the Sports Committee of the university.

    Varun was most recently offered a pre-placement offer from Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • Topping his batch in GNLU
    • Being a sports enthusiast and his involvement in the Sports Committee
    • Getting a ‘callback’ and a PPO from AMSS

     

    As a child what were your ambitions?

    As a child I wanted to be many things but when I really started exploring my career options, I decided to become a lawyer. I found law to be very interesting and challenging. It was something that was logical, yet it demanded critical and analytical reasoning. I am going to be a first generational lawyer.

     

    Tell us about your pre-college life as well as educational background.

    I did most of my schooling at St. Xavier’s Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad. There I was introduced to sports. I became a member of the school football team and represented Ahmedabad District-Urban in the U-14 level. Apart from football I used to represent my class in cricket and basketball. Another part of the school was the leadership camps that were organized by Fr. Charlie. These camps were held every year and it is here that I developed my first lessons in leadership, responsibility and oration.

     

    How did you plan your academics and other activities as a freshman?

    I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have an amazing set of seniors who were always ready to offer their advice and help. It is their advice and help which allowed me to plan my first year of law school. Since on the first day, they told me to lay most of my focus on academics and then to build an all-round CV. It is under their advice that I have planned all my semesters in GNLU. I still recall that at the end of my first semester, one of my senior’s, told me of how when he was finally preparing his CV to submit to the Committee on Recruitment Affairs-he and his friends had a difficult time in chopping down their five-six page long CVs’ to the three pages. I decided to make this my goal and it really helped me in developing different skills and laws.

     

    How do you organise events at your university?

    (Varun is an active member of the GNLU Sports Committee and have been majorly associated in organizing Justice League, the first inter college sports fests at GNLU.)

    I remember the day like it was yesterday when Mr. Surya a senior then in his fourth your saw me playing football and asked me to join the Sports Committee. Since, then I have never regretted that decision nor have I ever looked back. I have spent most of my time outside of academics working for the Sports Committee. I rose from a member in the first year to a Secretary in second to a Co-convenor in third and finally, last year I took the role of a Mentor. I believe that working in the Sports Committee has helped me immensely in becoming a person more well acquainted with the real world. My duties since joining, has been to balance the budget, to get permissions and authorizations for Sports Infrastructure, to organize Intra and Inter-University tournaments. I have spent many nights finding ways to balance budgets and to cut costs to get the best Sports Infrastructure. These challenges have helped me grow immensely and they have given me an exposure to the harsh practical realities of life.

     

    How do you manage to eke out time for sporting activities?

    If you love something, you will always find time for it. I planned my semesters according to the sports calendar. And planning over here means that, I had to decide on what to do and what not to. Which activities could be sacrificed and which couldn’t. There are many things that I had to miss out on but in the end it was all worth it.

     

    GNLU runs an academic support programme in which you work in the capacity of a teaching assistant. Tell us about the programme.

    I have been a founding member of the Academic Support Programme (ASP) since the idea for it was conceived and executed by Mr. Prashanth Ramdas. The ASP is a program where students from senior classes take sessions for juniors on their request for such sessions. These sessions are mostly requested by students who require more understanding of any particular concept or face a language barrier. I remember that I took a session where everything I said, had to be repeated by me in Hindi so that a student facing difficulties in English could understand.

     

    Tell us how you managed to excel in academics and also give time to your sporting activities.

    As I said, I was lucky to have seniors who gave me the right advice. So, since Day 1, I knew that I had to be the batch topper. The only way to manage time is to put value to it. If you are studying then put 100% to it, if you are playing or relaxing, then put 100% to it. If you are in conversation or an activity where you are not putting your 100% or where you are not enjoying, walk away from it. You need to learn to prioritize. The beauty or should I say the tough side of learning to prioritize is that the only way you can learn to prioritize is if you take on two to three things at a time. In my first year apart from being in the Sports Committee and ASP, I did not undertake any extra-activity except for a brief Vibrant Gujarat Discussion Core Committee. However, in my second year apart from Sports Committee and ASP, I presented a paper in two conferences and was part of the Maritime Conference Core Committee and did much more extra-work. The third year I did the iPleaders Entrepreneurship Administration and Business Laws course, Bridge Mediation course, a moot and of course Sports Committee and ASP. So you basically get the idea. As I got better at prioritizing, I took on more work and that in itself helped me to get better.

     

    What is your view on taking notes in class?

    Honestly, it depends on one’s personal choice. Initially I used to take notes in all classes. But, now I am very selective about it. It depends on the subject being taught and my ability to take notes in that subject. Sometimes when you take notes, you stop understanding the concept being taught, so it’s more of a personal choice of what suits you.

     

    Did you also study from books other than the prescribed ones?

    Yes and no. Again it depended on the subject and more importantly the concept. If I would find a concept to be tough, then I would even go to the extent of reading the commentary on that particularly concept. But, again this is your personal choice. You need to be smart with this.

     

    Has there been a change in your study schedule after joining law school?

    Yes. I used to spend almost every weekday of my first semester in the library for at least two to three hours. I used to read on jurisprudence and other legal issues which were relevant at the time. On Sundays’ I used to go through my notes of the week. I used to do this as I felt I was new to law and that concepts were at first hard to understand. However, since my second year the time that I spent in the library kept on decreasing and so did my Sunday’s reading. This in no way affected my ability to understand and learn the subjects being taught. The point I am trying to make is that if in your initial years you spend a lot of time in trying to understand law, then later learning different laws becomes really easy.

    It’s like the Latin motto that my school had: A Teneris Impende Laborem– Apply yourself to hard work from an early age.

     

    What is your take on peer pressure?

    Peer Pressure can make or break you in law school. Its very important to be friends with the right people. Any wrong step and it has a butterfly effect. I was lucky to have a set of friends who always helped me with my concepts, with notes, with having fun, so on and so forth. Its very important that you don’t fall prey to “peer pressure”. Something that maybe right for someone else may not be right thing for you. You are in law-school and its the time to grow up-stay young and innocent while learning but when it comes to making choices and taking tough decisions, make sure you do that with all of your own mind.

     

    varun-chauhan-2

    How practical do you think are the shows like The Practice, J.A.G., Boston Legal, Suits, etc. and movies like 12 Angry Men, Philadelphia, etc.?

    I would recommend watching them only after you are sure about doing law. You don’t want to be attracted to the glamour as shown in these shows. There is a difference between reality and what really happens. Nevertheless, there are a few benefits if you watch them:

    • It’s good for a conversation because most lawyers watch these shows
    • You get somewhat of a basic idea of the US legal system
    • You learn about different cases and creative lawyering
    • There is some law that you can always learn from these shows if you look closely. I learnt the Crown Jewel takeover defence from Suits.

     

    What brought you towards Corporate Law?

    My internships at Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co., New Delhi brought me towards Corporate Law. I interned here twice before getting my Pre-Placement Offer. The work that I did in Corporate Law here challenged me to analyze problems practically and critically. It intellectually stimulated me to think harder to find solutions to the issues that a transaction could face.

     

    Please tell us about the Corporate Governance course you undertook under Prof. Umakanth Varottil.

    The Corporate Governance course was organised by my university. Prof. Umakanth Varottil was invited to deliver the lectures. It is one of the best courses that I have attended. Prof. Varottil used the Socratic method of teaching which meant that we had to read and come for class. This allowed for more fruitful discussion and discourse in class.

    The questions posed by Prof. Varottil in itself challenged you to think critically and to analyze solutions to the Corporate Governance problem. This course was really helpful and it gave me a deeper understanding of Corporate Law.

     

    What are the things you consider sine qua non for positive feedback from an internship?

    An intern needs to be ready to do all kinds of work. Take all work given seriously. Don’t underestimate the importance of a single comma or full stop. Proof reading and due-diligences teach you a lot about the different types of contracts that exist and the way they are drafted. They teach a lot of how businesses run, grow and die. The best place to learn contract drafting is at an internship. It is really important to have a good all round personality. But, the most important of all is the way you speak and have a conversation in English. It is extremely important that you focus on this skill and be fluent in English. Another important virtue that you need to posses is the quality of being humble at all times. While these help you make a good first impression, the next two skills are the ones that make the entire difference when your evaluation is being filled:

    • Research Skills and
    • Eye for detail.

    Most of the work that anyone will receive at any internship is research. To work on your research skills, one should moot, write papers, intern in places where you will primarily be given more research work. To develop an eye for detail is much harder. To develop it, I recommend that you be part of committee organizing a conference or an internship committee or journal review board. One of the tasks in these committee is proof reading and editing. Initially you will be slow but with time, you will get strong at this skill.

     

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

    If a person is applying on their own then they should draft their CV in such a way that it stands out in a professional manner. Put your academics first and then put any moot win or huge publication or award or scholarship you received. Then comes internships. Be as specific and as to the point as you can on the work done in your internships. The top two internships should have at least four to five specific points of the work you did in those internships.

     

    Keeping academics a priority, what are the things you would say that a student should try other than academics?

    Strive to have an all round CV. Intern with different courts, companies, law firms and do it early so that when you make a final decision, you are sure about it. Represent your University in at least one moot, be part of at least one committee for two years, present at least one paper at a conference and  have at least one publication. No doubt, this will give you an allround CV, but more importantly you will have had different experiences and perspectives of working and thinking about law. These experiences are very valuable in learning and discovering strengths that you never thought you had or you could develop.

  • Tejas Karia, Partner, AMSS, on the Indian Arbitration Regime

    Tejas Karia, Partner, AMSS, on the Indian Arbitration Regime

    Mr. Tejas Karia graduated from ILS Law College, University of Pune, in 2000. He then went on to pursue his Masters at Sir L A Shah Law College, University of Gujarat, with a focus on corporate and commercial law, before going to London School of Economics and Political Science for a second Masters degree, with a specialization in international commercial arbitration and commercial laws. Mr. Karia is currently a partner at Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co. At the recently organised seminar ‘Changing Face of Arbitration’ at Gujarat National Law University he was invited as a panelist.

    The GNLU Digital Media Team requested him to share his thoughts about a few very specific things in the arena of Arbitration.

    At the seminar, he speaks to students about:

    • The current state of arbitration in India
    • His diverse experience
    • Advice for students aspiring to a career in arbitration

    What advise would you have for law students who wish to take up Arbitration as a career option?

     

    What can a law university do in order to generate interest for Arbitration among the students?

     

    What are your thoughts on the state of Arbitration Law in our country?

     

    After the recent White Industries award which went against India, how do you think it shall affect the Arbitration regime of our country?

  • Roli Sharma, Associate, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, on getting a PPO, her internship experience, and the importance of mooting

    Roli Sharma, Associate, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, on getting a PPO, her internship experience, and the importance of mooting

    Roli Sharma is a graduate from RMLNLU, Lucknow, batch of 2014. She is currently working as an associate at Amarchand, Mangaldas & Suresh Shroff & Co.

    In this interview she talks about:

    • The importance of mooting
    • Her internship experience
    • Getting a PPO from AMSS

     

    Why did you decide to study Law?

    To be completely honest I was a science student and did not know what to pursue after the 12th std. In my state of utter confusion I resorted to career counseling where law was presented to me as a viable option. However, when I started preparing for the various law school entrance exams, the sheer logical analysis that was an essential part of the study of law had me hooked. I realized that there was nothing else I’d much rather study.

     

    Do you have any lawyers in your family?

    No, I am a first generation lawyer. However, I do agree that being guided by people in your own family always gives one an upper hand in terms of taking the right decisions with respect to internships and other career decisions post law school. But having said that, this is not something that cannot be overcome with the right guidance from seniors and other mentors, it essentially just boils down to putting in a little more effort on your own to ask other people for help when required. For example, I will always be thankful to seniors from my own college and also other colleges who guided me and helped me throughout law school.

     

    What are the extracurricular activities you took part at RMLNLU?

    While I was at law school I participated in moots, debates and various other literary events and even though I wasn’t exactly a classic example of a perfect athlete, I was also a part of the college basketball team.

     

    Can you tell us something about your mooting experience?

    I think the most exciting thing about the moots that I have done was the opportunity to argue issues of pressing international importance before people who are experts in that field, whether it be Price Media Law, Man Lachs, Stetson or Jessup, the common thread linking them all is that the problem generally concerns a certain issue of pressing international importance and to have industry experts question you on those issues and then finally convincing them on your point of view and having them appreciate the effort you have put in is a feeling that cannot be explained in words.

     

    roli-sharma1Do you think mooting is beneficial for Law students or is it just to make your CV look impressive?

    I won’t disagree with the fact that mooting does make one’s CV look fancy and it is also beneficial for law students in more ways than one but doing a moot simply because one thinks it will help them secure a job is complete foolishness. Most recruiters don’t really care much about the moots you have done, in fact what matters more are one’s grades, so moots coupled with decent grades is reflective of how well one can handle extra-curricular activities along with academics. However, putting aside the ‘CV value’ of moots I want to add that mooting teaches one several skills that come in handy throughout one’s legal career.

    Through the course of the various moots that I participated in, I realized that mooting teaches you certain invaluable lessons in team work, research, streamlining the research by picking out the best arguments and then drafting a good argument, it teaches one how to think out of the box to come up with novel arguments, as also to present complex concepts in a simple manner and all of these are skills that any good lawyer needs in the longer run. Another great thing about mooting is that you get to travel and meet so many interesting people, whether it be students from other law schools or judges, there is always something new to learn from almost all of them.

     

    What are the law firms at which you interned?

    I mostly interned with the general corporate teams of various full practice law firms and out of all my internships I believe my most enriching experiences would be those at AMSS, DSK, and Luthra because of the work environment and the amount I learnt at these internships.

     

    What was the procedure you followed to apply to these law firms?

    Apart from applying through the college RCC, I mostly sent out e-mails on my own to apply for internships. These e-mails were usually followed up by some more emails and phone calls. Some firms like Phoenix Legal, ELP and Bharucha also have online forms that need to be filled to apply to them. However, I must admit that getting an internship at a law firm on your own till third year is almost practically impossible, it is only towards the end of third year or fourth year that most firms start taking your internship applications seriously.

     

    What was the kind of work allotted was to you during your internships?

    The kind of work that one gets allotted depends largely on the team that a person is working with and the kind of matters that the firm is dealing with at the time of your internship. Through the course of my various internships I was allotted all kinds of work involving drafting of legal opinions, notes and agreements, and also the standard research and due diligence work.

     

    Tell us about securing a PPO at AMSS.

    I got the PPO shortly after my first internship with AMSS. However, this internship after various extensions was almost two months long.

    My internship with AMSS is my best internship so far, mostly because of the people I worked with and the quality of work I got during the internship. What made this internship different from the others I guess was the fact that I was trusted with good assignments and encouraged to think out of the box. Further, where the matter concerned a subject area that I had scarce knowledge on, I was guided by my team on how to proceed with the research, this allowed me to learn immensely and made the experience an enriching one.

     

    What do you think an intern should accomplish during an internship in order to get a call back?

    I don’t think there exists a rule book with a set number of things that an intern should accomplish to get a call back because a lot also depends on being at the right place, at the right time. However, I believe that the single most important thing that one must always remember is to work smart, never shy away from asking questions about an assignment because that helps you find out what exactly you need to deliver and saves time by preventing unnecessary research.

     

    Did you learn any skills while interning?

    I think the most important thing I learnt while interning is to juggle between various assignments and complete all of them within a given time frame.

     

    How do you think one should go about writing a CV when one is applying for a job?

    I think the simplest way to look at a CV would be to compare it to a pitch presentation, so it should focus on the work areas of the firm that you’re applying to and it should highlight all the work that one has done in that area. Apart from this, I think the other more important thing to keep in mind is that no one likes clutter, so everything on one’s CV should be short, precise and to the point.

     

    How did you go about preparing for your interview?

    Apart from basics of subjects like corporate law, contracts, property, IPR etc., I don’t think even the best of firms expect us to know everything. What matters the most I think is, knowing what you claim to know, i.e., knowing everything on your CV inside out and staying updated with the latest developments in the legal world.

     

    Do the law firms usually provide the candidates with an option to work with the teams of their choice while recruiting?

    This is something that differs from firm to firm depending on the internal firm policy but yes, most firms do provide that option.

     

    Many law students strongly believes that getting a job at one of the top three law firms is mostly about securing a high GPA. Do you agree?

    A high GPA certainly makes getting shortlisted for recruitment easier, but it is not the sole determining factor, especially in cases of PPOs where the quality of work done by an individual coupled with a decent grade is usually what counts.

     

    How should a law student prepare in the last three years of law school?

    I believe there is no substitute to hard work, so maintain your grades, work hard at all your internships, give it your best shot and get noticed. And, of course, staying abreast with all the latest legal developments is always a plus.