Super Lawyer

Tag: Scholarship

  • Shriya Maini on choosing Oxford over Cambridge, Scholarships and the role of higher studies in Litigation

    Shriya Maini on choosing Oxford over Cambridge, Scholarships and the role of higher studies in Litigation

    Shriya Maini graduated first in class from Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar in 2013 with four gold medals, including that of Best Student. Thereafter, she joined the Litigation department of Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff, New Delhi as an Associate in their Dispute Resolution Team. After working there for a few months, she paid heed to her calling and is pursuing the Bachelor of Civil Law Programme from Oxford on a full scholarship. In this interview, she talks about the difference in pedagogy between Indian and Foreign institutes and the relevancy of a traditional BCL degree for litigation practice.

    We took this opportunity to ask her about:

    • Experience working in the litigation department of Amarchand & Mangaldas
    • Importance of Internships
    • Choosing BCL from Oxford over LL.M from Cambridge
    • Writing a proper SOP for an LL.M
    • Applying for different types of Scholarships for high studies

     

    Tell us a bit about yourself. What motivated you to choose law for a career?

    If I were to answer this question absolutely honestly, I never really wanted to study law. Though, in retrospect, my family lineage reveals a close legal association (my grandfather retired from the Indian Home Ministry and my father is a practising lawyer), I don’t think I was ever motivated to make a career out of law as such. I was busy exploring the scientific world and was rather intrigued by it. I faired well in my A Levels and decided to follow my mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in medicine. Little did I know that future had something else in store for me! Over one of the many dinner table conversations, my grandfather casually mentioned how a centralized national level entrance examination called CLAT was being organized for the very first time for direct admissions to law school. I did not even know of the existence of National Law Universities until then and was reading their names for the first time on the examination brochure. To me this seemed very alluring, as a back up option, in the event that I failed my pre-medical tests. Besides, the examination (fortunately) had no negative marking. A week later, I was walked out of the hall, immensely proud of the fact that I had attempted every question on board, correct or not. Once the results came out, GNLU fell into my lap. I suppose I got lucky with my guesswork! Being a devoted daddy’s girl, I decided not to walk out on him, packed my bags and took the plunge. Hence, law happened purely by chance and not choice.

     

    How did you plan your internships? Were they all meticulously planned or did they just happen to you as you went through law school? Any tips you would like to share with people who want to intern at top-notch firms?

    As my vita indicates, I didn’t have a strict ‘to-be followed’ normative pattern of internships. However, I consistently endeavoured to intern at each and every place that I possibly could, be it chambers or law firms. I was sure that wherever I interned, I would substantially gain technical proficiency for my knowledge and experience, both were limited. In effect, I knew I had nothing to lose. Hence, on one hand, I thoroughly explored the corridors of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court and on the other, I vacationed every year with commercial law firms, such as Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff, Dua Associates and Jyoti Sagar Associates. Such a wide-range of internship opportunities helped me understand the everyday working and nuances of laws, be it civil, criminal or commercial.

    In the penultimate year of law school, I realized that my calling was only in Court. I was drawn towards litigation and the internships most definitely, opened me to a whole new world. I interned twice in the litigation team of Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff, New Delhi under the guidance and supervision of Mr. V.P.Singh, one of the most dynamic partners of the firm. I had a fantastic experience interning with him. He had a galaxy of juniors assisting him who made the experience even more worthwhile.

    Likewise, by the end of third year, I advise all law students to have a fair idea of what they want to do. I believe the last two years are very crucial when it comes to painting career silhouettes, the so called deal makers or breakers. Hence, I strongly advise that if you haven’t already had some form of internship exposure, now is the time to get that on your CV. It would be a good idea to split the law school tenure of five years into a 3+2 structure and avidly apply for varied internship openings until the third year. Explore what you enjoy, much like the hit and trial method. I would also advise all law students to acquaint themselves with the backgrounds of firms, judges, lawyers and wherever they are making Internship applications, so that they can make an informed choice about joining them. The importance of a tailored CV cannot and must not be underestimated at any cost. I would also caution that the fourth and fifth year, being most important could be channelized towards improving one’s CGPA as much as possible. I can now affirm that though top-notch firms do not solely and specifically look for a high GPA, but it makes for a fine impression if your CGPA is more than respectable. It gives you that ‘added-edge’.

     

    Right after graduation you got to join the Litigation team of AMSS. How did the appointment take place?

    I secured a job with AMSS all thanks to GNLU’s Committee on Recruitment Affairs (CRA). As a core college body, CRA annually facilitates students and recruiters, on a rolling basis for on as well as off campus recruitments. I was one of the few lucky ones to grab an internship with the Litigation Team of AMSS, in my penultimate year of graduation. The selection was purely based on class rank. I vacationed once again during the winters and six months later, on the College’s zero day, I was offered a job in their Dispute Resolution Team (Litigation and Arbitration).

     

    What all came under your responsibility at AMSS? How was your first visit to court?

    I was rather lucky to work with some of the most hardworking people in the litigation practice at AMSS. My area of work encompassed commercial litigation and arbitration. Within the team, our supervising partner had allotted a couple of matters to each one of us. I was given an opportunity to work on an international commercial arbitration at a very early stage in my career. I worked under the leadership of some of the best people in the fraternity and handled these matters from scuff. I also drafted the first cuts of Rejoinders for a matter. On a lighter note, if I could pick one responsibility that truly came my way at AMSS, it was drafting e-mails. I learnt the significant skill of ‘written communication’, its necessity and nuances. Though challenging and interesting, these months made me actively re-think my options and pursuits. While I spent hours drafting legal documents and e-mails before a bare computer screen, some part of me began to miss the ambience and actual working of a Courtroom.

     

    Is it true that it is not possible to get a job in a top tier law firm without top grades and being in the top of the class?

    I am often asked this question. Being brutally honest, top tier law firms often filter students on the basis of class ranks and/or scores. Good grades most definitely matter, at least while securing internships. Unless you are offered a PPO based on your performance during an internship, even during recruitment, most top law firms are bound to take grades most seriously. This is purely due to the fact that a high CGPA depicts an academically consistent upward moving graph. However, I believe that moots and publications could also be an equally essential pointer when it comes to specialized interests. By this I mean that for a law student specifically interested in International Taxation, a paper publication or mooting experience at Nani Palkhiwala could silently speak volumes during a recruitment interview.

     

    What prompted you to decide to leave the largest law firm and venture out at as a sole practitioner?

    It was the same year, infact within a span of five months that I decided to leave AMSS and venture into entrepreneurial practice. Amidst sleepless nights and long office hours, I was at crossroads with my passion for ‘learning and living the law’. I would often feel academically stagnated while making document summaries, indexing compilations or drafting e-mails. One of those mundane Monday mornings when I had to report to the office at 8, I turned the wheel to reach Court instead. Yes, I admit that it was rather drastic and bold a call to take at such an early point of my age and career. Friends and family tried convincing me otherwise cautioning how hard-hitting litigation practice could be.

    Had it not been for the latter half of the year when I practised at the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court, I would not have been able to secure a scholarship for the BCL at Oxford. Hence, I firmly believe if you are true to your work, you shall most definitely reap its results, if not today then tomorrow.

     

    Would you say being from a family of lawyers helped you in forming your practice? How did you find your mentor? How important is a mentor in the field of litigation?

    After a brief stint at AMSS, I devoted the next 7 months to independent legal practice. It would be wrong for me to shy away from admitting that my father was the sole reason I could pivot my practice from the position at which I had left AMSS. I was fortunate to land a few cases, which were handed over to me by my father. They were a mixed bag of both, civil and criminal. He gave me a tiny working chair in the chamber apart from full freedom to not only strategize, draft and file matters but also argue them. Before I knew it, I was running a mini-office with 4-5 odd matters.

    So, I didn’t have to find a mentor! He was right there, my father. I think it is very important to have a mentor who would guide you through the myriad experiences of life, especially when we make the strategic shift from law school to the real world of practice, which can be very demanding. The two stages are immensely different and challenging in more ways than one. Law school demands academic mentoring where a guide’s role may be limited to ensuring his student performs well and steers on the right path of intelligible growth. However, at the professional level, especially in the field of litigation which is plagued with cut throat competition, it is rather difficult to perform without a mentor. My father would discuss each and every line of a case with me and always shadow me in Court, even if I was the one arguing. To him, the sole rules of survival in litigation practice were to consistently work hard, be true to your profession and never turn a client back. I hope the same would benefit some of you law students as well.

     

    Which universities did you apply for LL.M? How did you go about choosing which college to go to for your LL.M.? Did you ever consider Indian colleges for LL.M. now that they are also offering one-year course?

    When I began to practice, I realized that to deal with the complexity of legal and social issues, a mere Bachelors degree would not suffice. For law to evolve, it had to be understood and reasoned, not imitated and blindly followed. I decided to pursue my intellectual drive and made applications to three U.K. law Universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. I specifically did not apply to any of the U.S. law colleges for I was determined to stick to a common law background. It is ironical that now I read a lot of American case-laws, in particular contrasting the civil law approaches as opposed to the common law ones. Within the U.K., my most obvious choice was the Ox-bridge duo.

    Though I didn’t personally consider an Indian LL.M, I am sure it has much to offer. However, from my limited experience of studying my undergraduate degree at an Indian law school, I firmly believe that in terms of teaching methodology and content, we still have a long way to go. I understand that cost could be a pinching factor, but an international exposure with the most intelligent minds of the world is totally worth it.

     

    How did you plan your SoP? Please share your SoP with us. Please share some tips for a successful application.

    I’d like to first answer the second limb of the question. There is no set recipe of making a successful LL.M Application. A good idea could be to first zero down on a country and then pick colleges accordingly, depending upon your subject interest and of course, University reputation. You could easily find U.K. University ratings on weblinks such as http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2014/law-legal-studies.

    These could be indeed helpful to begin with. Another piece of advice would be to filter about 5 Universities and make Applications to only those. On a personal note, I spoke to a lot of people, discussing and debating at length how the BCL was different from a conventional LL.M. Hence, I believe interacting with seniors could most definitely be an enlightening experience to help you choose a college.

    Coming to first part of the question now, an SoP should exactly be structured on the lines of the questions you have put forth in this interview. To elucidate, an SoP must explain why you’re applying to a particular University and not any other on the list. Akin matrimonial ads, SoPs in effect are intended to sell oneself in more ways than one, preferably subtle. A good head start could be to divide the SoP into three paragraphs, the first being a general introduction about who you are, where you’re coming from and what you do. The second could be about what you want to do in the future, perhaps stating a subject focus. I also suggest you add a personal touch to an SoP and include a life story or specific incident reasoning how the same prompted you to take up higher studies. For instance, there are a couple of people I know who wanted to specialize in Medical Law and Ethics and they applied to Oxford, describing at length in their SoP a heart wrenching medical story of losing a loved one.

    Another important thing to keep in mind is tailoring the SoP to suit each college. For instance, Oxford SoP must not run beyond two pages. So, an SoP for LSE or Cambridge could be fairly descriptive and detailed, but an Oxford SoP must be very crisp and coherent. You could end your SoP with a paragraph about how you could contribute as an Asian lawyer in the room.

    And yes, I would be more than willing to share my SoP with you all.

    Click here to download the Statement of Purpose

     

    You had decided to pursue BCL from Oxford University over Cambridge. Any specific reasons for that? How relevant would be a traditional BCL degree for your litigation practice?

    Yes, I was fortunate to have been admitted to both, the BCL (Bachelor of Civil Law) at Oxford and LL.M (Masters in Law) at Cambridge. After thorough deliberation and critical evaluation, I decided to pick the BCL over the Cambridge LL.M. Knowing that it is one of the most rigorous taught Masters in the world, I decided to challenge myself yet again. While the Cambridge LL.M is often picked by those interested in International Law or specifically Corporate Law, the Oxford BCL is definitely more litigation oriented. Hence, I naturally picked the BCL. There is another slightly less known course called the MLF (Masters in Law and Finance) which is jointly taught by the School of Business and Law at Oxford and those of you who are keen in a commerce background could definitely have a look at that.

    Another reason why I chose the BCL was the unique teaching method of Tutorials. Every term (we have trimesters at Oxford), our tutor discusses the erstwhile seminars and lectures with each and every student, in person, in effect clarifying and revising the course content. Students are given a list of questions prior to every tutorial, of which they must attempt one in writing and submit to their tutor a day before the personal session. Such an exercise is immensely helpful for students are well prepared to answer questions well in advance of the examinations. The tutorial system of teaching is unique to Oxford and hence, I would advertise the BCL even more strongly.

    I would be better equipped to answer the second question a year later. However, from hearsay sources and personal interaction with ex-BCL graduates, I can assure you all that the degree most definitely gives you a cutting edge, in terms of legal knowledge and presentation. It pushes you to think out of the box and to some extent challenge the existing laws, aimed at the formulation of ground-breaking legal arguments. Hence, the precedent based litigation practice in India could benefit multi-folds from a holistic and global degree, such as the BCL.

     

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    What should one do differently in college if he wants to pursue higher studies after graduation? Would you suggest having a brief work experience before applying for LL.M?

    There is nothing particularly different that one must do as a prospective Masters student. However, in order to get a Scholarship/funding, it is essential that students keep the following in mind. Apart from consistently studying hard and smart for five years, maintaining high CGPAs and participating in a few moots or ensuring a couple of publications, one should apply well in advance if he or she intends to pursue higher studies. Applications open a year prior to admissions and in the U.K. Universities List, Cambridge is the first deadline to be met. Next is Oxford and then the others.

    Each Application has a scholarship column which all Applicants must tick in the affirmative. These ensure that wherever possible, University/college funding would automatically consider the Applicant’s request for scholarship or fees waiver. I was fortunate to have received the Dr Mrs Ambriti Salve Scholarship 2014-15 and the Bodh Raj Sawhny Memorial Trust Scholarship 2014-15 from the University of Oxford, Exeter College and hence, my studies are fully funded. In a nutshell, I would advice all law students to try and procure scholarships, researching well in advance the criteria for each, be it Inlaks, Aga Khan or the Commonwealth and accordingly, tailor your CV during law school.

    I personally believe a year’s work experience was the sole reason for me having made the cut for the Salve Scholarship. I definitely feel more confident, relaxed and sure of myself than I was when I stepped fresh out of law school. The whole Oxford experience could rather be very overwhelming and emotionally take a toll on someone who, fresh out of law school has not ventured into the real world so to say.

     

    Please tell us about how you applied to these abovementioned scholarships and ultimately got selected for them. What according to you is a good profile for scholarships like these?

    I was fortunate to have received the Dr. Mrs. Ambriti Salve Scholarship and Bodh Raj Sawhny Memorial Trust scholarship for the academic year 2014-15. Following a generous gift made by Mr Harish Salve, a Friend of Exeter College, University of Oxford, the scholarship is awarded each year on the basis of academic excellence to an Indian student reading for the BCL. The Salve Scholarship fully funds my tuition fees, besides granting me a cover for my living expenses.

    No, I did not make any separate Applications for the abovementioned scholarships. In fact, both of them are College linked, i.e. awarded by the Exeter College, University of Oxford. For such scholarships, you just have to tick the relevant box (affirming you want any and all type of funding available at Oxford) within the main Application that you make for the BCL. However, it would be a good idea to browse through the College websites and have a look at specific scholarships, course wise. These could require a separate application or additional documents. For instance, a useful link where you all could start from would be the official webpage of Oxford enumerating the funding options available –

    http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships.php.

    There is also a similar provision on the Cambridge GRADSAF for Commonwealth and Gates Scholarships, which you must apply for. No separate Application (only another SoP) is required for the same.

    The other kinds of scholarships are the ones offered by Indian organizations and donor trusts, such as Aga Khan, Narotam Sekhsaria etc. These are also worth applying for but require separate Applications to be made once you have received your offer of admission. Hence, call for such scholarships are usually doled out after March end.

    I guess I was lucky and blessed to have received such a mammoth funding award. I cannot pin point and say how the selection process exactly works but I could share with you some indicators, which could be of help.

    Firstly, it is necessary to have good grades and by this I mean, try and maintain a class rank within the first three of your batch. Secondly, it would be a good idea to pursue extra-circulars such as moots and publications in college. These look very attractive on a scholarship profile. I would also suggest that if the scholarship Application requires a write-up, play up your ‘need’ for funds factor.

    Lastly, you must be able to demonstrate why you wish to undertake studies in a particular subject specific to a College/University. I think preparing answers to these questions would be more than sufficient to organically create a decent scholarship profile.

     

    Given a chance to turn back the clock would you have done anything differently from what you’ve done?

    No doubt, I have taken some rather risky decisions to pursue what I truly believed in and felt was right for me then. However, I am very satisfied with each of those and stand by them even today. Having tasted the flavours of the commercial world, I am now actively involved in academia, living the law much closer than I could ever imagine. I am thoroughly enjoying and doing what I best like to – ‘studying’. Hence, even if I was given a hundred chances to turn the clock back and do things differently, I’d never do so.

     

    Lastly, what would be your message to a law student who is yet to decide his/her career?

    My only message to a law student who is at the brink of deciding his/her career would be to have the courage to follow your heart and grit to pull off your plan once you decide to do something different. Just because one of the paths at the crossroad appears financially alluring, it could prove to be rather professionally unpleasant. With age on your side, give yourself a complete gamut of experiences that a lawyer could have without regretting a single decision whatsoever.

     

    Photo Credits: Pratibimb

  • Neha Bhat, on LL.M from Washington College of Law, selecting the correct college & Scholarships

    Neha Bhat, on LL.M from Washington College of Law, selecting the correct college & Scholarships

    Neha Bhat is currently working as an Associate Durable Solutions Officer at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She graduated from WBNUJS, Kolkata in 2007 and had studied further at American University, Washington College of Law. She has specialised in International Organisations, International Human Rights Law and Migration Law and Policy. Without much ado, let’s delve right into her choice to do an LL.M and pursue International Human Rights.

    We asked her to share:

    • Strategies on selecting an university for LL.M
    • Information of Faculty and Facilities of Washington College of Law
    • Applying for Scholarships at WCL

     

    What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.? When did you finally decide that you needed to do masters?

    I have always wanted to pursue further studies. Even when I was in my final year at NUJS, I was sure that I will complete my masters and subsequently get an advanced degree- you know MPhil or PhD or the like. I genuinely like reading and getting to know subjects and issues. I really enjoy exploring areas of law that I don’t really have much experience in and an LL.M program helps me exactly with that.

    Since you are into the academic arena, you are either writing or researching and reading and that really works well with me. Eventually, later in life I want to teach and therefore I knew I would always have to finish my LL.M and then an advanced degree. But I wanted to have work experience before I joined the Masters degree- that was also because while at NUJS, I hadn’t really done much- I had no serious publications, wasn’t at the top of my class, wrote a really horrible statement of purpose– end result, I didn’t get admitted for my LL.M to any of the places I applied to. Plus I also realised I knew, rather understood very little of things and therefore I realised I needed some good, in depth work experience before pursuing my LL.M.

    So I joined SEBI as a Legal Officer, worked there for about 2.5 years and then went and joined the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Delhi, where also I worked for almost another 2.5 years. After 5 years, I felt I had a very good idea of what I wanted to focus my LL.M on and even had ideas about further studies- like PhD proposal and the like, and therefore decided to come and get my LL.M degree. Also, my work at the UNHCR was very intense. I loved my work very much, I still love my work very much and I would definitely hope to get an opportunity to work with UNHCR- but I realised that you need to know when to “step back” so you don’t unconsciously burn yourself out. And after 2.5 years, I knew I had reached that point, where I was on the path to burning out in my work.

     

    neha-bhatHow did you choose the university/ college? How should one go about choosing a university?

    Selecting a University can be one of the most difficult things to do and if not done properly, you could end up feeling a little miserable about your choice. I have had the opportunity to put myself through the LL.M application process three times- once in my final year at NUJS, then in 2008/09 and then finally in 2010/11. When I was at NUJS, in hindsight, I made some of the worst application decisions– I remember applying ONLY to Harvard, California Berkeley, NYU (for the NYU-NUS programme) and Oxford. No other place.

    The problem with my applications was that my Statement of Purpose wasn’t right, and I had no research plan in place, I wanted to do an LL.M because it seemed the “right thing to do” and not because I knew what I wanted to study or why I wanted to do. Obviously, it didn’t work- I was rejected by all universities I applied to. I did panic a bit, thinking maybe I was very bad at this and maybe academics weren’t for me. It was the same time when I had sat for the Rhodes scholarship regional interview in Kolkata, but failed to make it to the National rounds. So it was like a culmination of bad results.

    The second time I applied, I was working with SEBI. In this round, I managed to apply to 3 places, before I came down with chicken pox. I applied to California Berkeley, again to NYU (for the NYU-NUS) programme and also to Stanford. Again, NYU turned me down. Since one of my referees didn’t submit my reference letter for Stanford, my application was incomplete so I was left out of the loop. But this time, I was waitlisted for Berkeley in the first tranche of waitlisted applicants out of some 950 odd people. It was a big moment for me. I had been working long enough at SEBI to know I was not going to study corporate law, so my statement of purpose focused on my desire to teach law and consciously I decided to veer away from corporate law. But eventually I didn’t get through. It was then I decided that I had to get back into the field I wanted to do my LL.M in and thus my job change happened. Eventually in 2010/11, I applied to 6 programs and was admitted to all but one– at LSE. The programs I was admitted to, were regionally, the best for Human Rights– NUS- Singapore, Berkeley-California (yes, again), McGill- Toronto, Warwick- UK and American University- Washington DC.

    I consciously decided to veer away from the very “top” rung places– because I STILL didn’t have (or so I felt, and still continue to feel) any meaningful academic publications etc. or what I felt, a superlative proposal which would ensure admission in these universities. Plus, I was looking at a taught masters program and therefore chose places which did not mandate a compulsory dissertation component.

    I also looked at the field specializations ranking and faculty strength rather than the overall ranking of the school because those are often better indicators of the specific program. So for example, I know that Warwick has a very solid International Human Rights Law program. American University, where I am currently studying does not necessarily come out on top of law school rankings in the US, but its International law program is ranked higher than Berkeley. Plus, it’s the ONLY law school in the US, where you can have the opportunity to study with Special Rapporteurs – past and present. For e.g. I have had the opportunity to study with some really big names in international law, Prof. Juan Mendez who taught me Advanced Human Rights, is the current Rapporteur for Torture. I also studied under Prof. Robert Goldman, who was the previous (and the first) UN Rapporteur on Human Rights and Terrorism. And I also studied under Prof. Diane Orentlicher, who has drafted various UN Guidelines and Standards including on Combating Impunity. I am also lucky that I have the opportunity now to work with her as a research assistant/ dean’s fellow- I started on this position in June and continued working with her till December 2013.

    It’s been one amazing experience- to delve into interesting issues of transitional justice, international criminal law etc. These are factors which make a big difference to me and I think should make a difference to everyone considering a specialisation at the LL.M stage – you should know which fields you are interested in and if the university you are applying to, has professors who teach and/or conduct research in those areas or not. Also, the cost of the program matters a lot– and whether there are scholarships etc. on offer or not. American University has tuition remissions and full tuition + fee scholarships on offer and I was one of the recipients of their Alumni Fund Scholarship (which covers tuition for 24 credits plus all school fees) and for me that was a swinging factor. My top two choices were American or California Berkeley, but the latter didn’t offer me any scholarship. Plus what kind of city you want to live in- for me, Washington DC is a dream because there are so MANY events on International Relations and Affairs which happen here- I get an opportunity to meet people and again gain knowledge. These are opportunities not many cities can offer.

     

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

    I am enrolled in a dual degree program at American University. So on completion of 40 credits, I will be conferred with two degrees, the first one is the LL.M in International Legal Studies, which I completed on May 19 (24 credits) with a specialization in International Human Rights Law. My second degree, which starts shortly, is called the LL.M in Law and Government and my area specialization is Regulatory and Administrative Law. I have 16 more credits to finish so I will be completing courses in International Trafficking, Women and Conflict, Global Warming Law and Policy etc. I think it is worthy to invest time, energy and effort into these courses because it offers me further exposure to theory I would need to know, but I may not necessarily get around to studying/ reading on my own. I need to be constantly motivated to do something, and unless there is a personal investment (time or money etc.) I know that I will not be driven to do anything.

     

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

    My experience so far has been fantastic. As I mentioned before, I have had the opportunity to study and work with some of the best known legal minds in my chosen area of law and I don’t think any other experience could be better than this. What I genuinely like in the American academic setting and which is missing in the Indian academic setting is the quality of feedback that you can get from Professors – and if you demonstrate capability to take up new issues, areas of research- they encourage you and offer guidance.

    I have maintained an academic profile at www.ssrn.com, which is an online repository of academic articles and research. And I have often been contacted for some of the projects I am undertaking/ have worked on by people pursuing their PhD and in one instance, Prof. Alston @NYU. And I think these avenues- contact with academics, renowned academics is not available/ not facilitated everywhere- either we are too shy, too inhibited or simply too worried that we do not match the intellectual calibre of our counterparts- and that, as I have come to realise, is a lot of garbage.

    If you have the good luck of studying with Prof. Mendez, he will also perhaps mention sometime that he really enjoys watching Without A Trace, an engaging and absorbing law enforcement series where missing people are tracked down. You will have engaging debates with your classmates on whether the R2P doctrine should be applied in Syria and have the privilege of being one of the chosen few to ask Prof. Theodor Meron, the President of the Intl. Criminal Residual Mechanism for the ICTY and ICTR a question on the future of international criminal law and beyond. Plus there are a lot things that keep happening in DC, like between January- May, 2013 I Was part of the UN Association of the Washington DC (UNA-(N)ational (C)apital (R)egion)’s Graduate Fellow and met individuals like Frank Vogl, of Transparency International, D. Bosco- who writes the Multilaterialist blog at Foreign Policy etc.

    For the scholarship recipients, there are annual dinners as well- 2-3 where you get to meet alumni. American also hosts an annual Embassy Dinner, where you get to meet delegates and staff members from various Embassies and Country Missions in DC- I was very lucky to meet, among others, Mr. Ahmad Haidari, the Cultural Attaché of the Afghanistan Embassy in DC.

     

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

    Not many, at least not in the LL.M class. I guess it is also a function of specialization- American Uni. is famous for its international law programs and not business law/ commercial law. Many students who wish to do commercial/ corporate law programs, like financial and securities regulation or IP choose places like George Washington or Georgetown, which are also located in DC and have better known and better specialized programs in the specific fields. In the JD program however there are many American students of Indian origin.

     

    How is the recruitment/ placement situation for overseas students?

    It is difficult, but then again, it depends on what kind of job you are looking for. There is a program called the Optional Practice Training, which allows those holding F1 status to remain in the US after completion of their degree and work for a period of one year such placements could be either paid or unpaid. But if you want to work in a law firm, then you have to clear the Bar Exam- the eligibility guidelines for which are continuously revamped (esp. the NY Bar). So for e.g. you have to have 12 credits in courses relevant to the Bar Exam (contracts, family law, evidence, criminal procedure, ethics etc.). From 2015, all candidates for the NY Bar also need 50 hours of pro-bono work.

    My point being, if your area of interest is not commercial/corporate law and if you are not interested in working in a law firm, the NY Bar may not exactly be a very good idea. First, of the 24 credits in an LL.M program, you will have to dedicate half the program to complete courses required for the Bar Exam- this could effectively prohibit you from getting a specialization. Plus, those who want to work with international organisations or NGOs etc., especially at the entry level may not need to clear the Bar exam- but that of course depends on the organization and is different for each organization. I have no idea about corporate/commercial law since that is not my area of interest. However, I do know that AU facilitates participation of LL.M students in the largest job fair which is annually held around March/April in New York and students can apply to work with law firms not only in the US but also in Europe and other areas/ countries.

     

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

    Depends on the classes you take and the Professor, to be very honest. Some professors can and do give upwards of 100 pages a week of reading and some professors may give only 10 pages a week or even less. If you are taking an end of semester exam, you need to have done the readings throughout the semester otherwise it will be impossible to catch up  at the end of the semester. There are however courses where you are required to write papers- 20 pages is minimum but the maximum can be 35-40 pages as well- for e.g. I wrote a 44 page paper for the course I took with Prof. Goldman and a 30 page paper for my course with Prof. Mendez, but I also wrote at least 3-4 papers of upto 20 pages.

    This was a conscious decision on my part– to choose courses where I would be required to write research papers than take exams, I want to build an academic profile and this is one of the best ways of doing it. But it may not be for everyone, especially if you find research, writing and editing/ footnoting cumbersome. For the LL.M in Intl. Legal Studies at American, you need to have completed 2 papers of 20 pages each in the subject in which you wish to specialize. Some professors will ease the norms of referencing and ask you to follow a ‘consistent’ format. But most require Bluebook format- which I guess every mooter knows is the most cumbersome task.

     

    What about accommodation?

    As an LL.M student, you have to arrange for accommodation yourself. Most people choose to share a room, or find a room in a house shared with other people. I like to live alone so I chose to take up residence in a studio apartment about 30 minutes walking distance from school. It’s very important to find a place which is conveniently located to public transport/ close to school for ease of access etc. My place is connected to the bus routes very well and within 20 minutes walking distance of the American’s shuttle stop and the Metro stops. It’s also very close to Georgetown and grocery stores, restaurants etc.

     

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

    Yes, a very diverse student body. In fact one of the main strengths of American’s LL.M program is the diversity of its student body. We have students from every continent and many, many countries and that makes the classes all the more interesting. I think the general age of students varies from 22-35, including Humphrey Fellows and other individuals on specialised programs, although a majority of the class is below 26 years.

     

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

    Yes, American offers a lot of scholarships/ financial-tuition assistance. So there is the Alumni Fund Scholarship which covers tuition+ fee for 3-5 incoming students. But this scholarship is only available for those starting in the Fall Semester or in August each year. The tuition waivers work semester to semester and as required students can apply for them, based on eligibility etc. There is also a $4000 scholarship instituted by current dean, Dean Claudio Grossman which is awarded in the spring semester. Additionally, if you have participated in the American’s Inter-American Moot Court competition, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship. More details can be found at http://www.wcl.american.edu/ilsp/scholarly_competitions.cfm

     

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

    I think one good thing that has come out of the LL.M program is that I have realised that there are lot many more areas of international law I am interested in- my specialty remains asylum and refugee law issues, but being in academics, allows you to explore your niche area in relation to other issues/ aspects of law. So you slowly start building a knowledge base in those alternate areas as well. And I think going forward, that can only be a good thing, because the more adaptable you are, the more diversified skills and knowledge you have, the more relevant and transferable your competencies will become. I also think that this exposure somehow makes it easier for me to break into field of transitional justice, international criminal law- because of the stalwarts I have studied under. They are the best guides, mentors and connectors one can have.

  • Deepak Raju, Masters in Law, Cambridge University, on the curriculum, scholarships and plans thereafter

    Deepak Raju, Masters in Law, Cambridge University, on the curriculum, scholarships and plans thereafter

    Deepak Raju graduated from WBNUJS, Kolkata in 2011. During his time in NUJS, Deepak has won the University Gold Medals in Administrative Law, Property Law and Corporate Law. He went on to work with Amarchand & Mangaldas for a period of ten months where he gained experience in the financial regulatory practice of the firm. Subsequently he was engaged with Clarus Associates for a period of five months where he worked on various aspects of international law including international trade law, international investment law, international environmental law, etc.

    In this interview we speak to him about:

    • Bagging the Shared Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue his masters in Cambridge
    • His curriculum in Cambridge and the university’s academic diversity
    • Deciding on his area of specialization

     

    Tell us about your experience at Cambridge. How would you say is it different from an Indian university?

    The experience has been wonderful for many reasons. First of all, having done my undergraduate education from NUJS, this is my first brush with a university in the traditional sense, which offers a variety of disciplines. One day I find myself listening to an art historian talk about the evolution of the printing press and the next day, it is a cancer researcher trying to make me understand what he is doing. The collegiate system in Cambridge allows students and researchers from different disciplines and backgrounds to exchange ideas and engage in the craziest discussions cutting across a large variety of topics.

    The faculty of law is amazing. The highlight of the experience is Professor James Crawford who was the International Law Commission’s Special Rapporteur on State Responsibility and an agent before the ICJ in a large number of cases. He has also been nominated by Australia for a position as a judge in the ICJ commencing in 2014. He teaches two of my subjects and listening to his background stories and in depth analysis of ICJ cases is a highly enriching experience. Every Friday, the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law hosts a lunchtime lecture on international law. Apart from the free sandwiches (if you ever attend one, go for the prawn sandwiches), the lectures feature some of the greatest names in international law – Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, Professor Malcolm Shaw, Professor Marcelo Kohen, etc. Most professors in the faculty are the leading authorities in their disciplines and some are great practitioners too.

    In addition to all this, Cambridge is a beautiful town that looks like a scene from Harry Potter. There are ancient castles and a vibrant young crowd everywhere. As I type this, I am sitting on Charles Darwin’s ancestral property (Darwin College), and the beautiful river Cam flows outside my window. Newton’s apple tree is rumoured to be in the botanical garden. Oliver Cromwell’s head is supposed to be buried in one of the colleges. King’s college boasts of 31 Nobel prizes and Darwin (my college) of 31 single malts… So Cambridge is not all about studies, it is a lot of fun.

    To top it all, I saw Stephen Hawking!

     

    You went to Cambridge on a scholarship. Can you tell our readers about available student aids and the procedure it entails?

    The major scholarships that Indian students coming to Cambridge can apply for are those offered by the Cambridge Commonwealth and Overseas Trusts and the Cambridge Gates Scholarship. The applications for these scholarships are made through the same online application system as the one for admission. Each scholarship has a different set of requirements and some have an earlier deadline for application. Hence, it is very important to check the details relating to each scholarship. There are also some smaller bursaries and awards that various colleges in Cambridge offer.

    In addition to these scholarships offered by Cambridge there are some India specific scholarships that applicants to Cambridge are eligible for. These include Inlaks and Chevening. The Indian government also gets to nominate a few students to the British government for the Commonwealth Scholarship. This process is administered by the Ministry of HRD and a notification comes out on the ministry website. But I have some reservations about the selection process for this nomination.

     

    Students can often be indecisive about the courses they want to take for their masters. How did you make this decision?

    An LL.M. is a very challenging intellectual exercise. It is also an expensive affair unless one has a full scholarship or a very rich parent. Given this, I would personally not embark on the journey unless I knew what areas I was interested in. I have always been interested in public international law. So, the choice of subjects was not difficult for me.

    Once one has a broad understanding as to what area(s) of law (s)/he wants to pursue, the selection of specific courses can be done once the classes start. Cambridge holds introductory talks on all the subjects and allows students to attend classes in any number of subjects they want before they finalise the list of subjects.

     

    deepak-raju-1

    What are your future plans after finishing your LL.M.?

    I am planning to consult Didi’s (Mamata Banerjee) astrologer who has reportedly been appointed to the executive committee of my alma mater (WBNUJS, Kolkata). On a serious note, I am not yet sure about what I will do immediately after the LL.M. The long term goal is a career that combines the practice of international law with academic research and teaching.

     

    What would be your advice for the students planning to pursue higher studies?

    There is no ‘one size fits all’ way to get into a reputed university or get a scholarship. At the LL.M. program here, we have an ex-cop, at least two ex-bartenders and a 50 something old ex senior associate at a reputed international law firm. They look for a diverse set of interesting and promising people. I feel the most important part of the application process is your personal essays where you describe why you want to do a specific program. It is important to highlight your interest/experience in your selected field and how the LL.M. will contribute to your future plans. The scholarships may also need you to demonstrate some social commitment. Write these essays well ahead of the deadline and have them reviewed by a few friends with excellent drafting skills.

    As I mentioned earlier, an LL.M. is a challenging and expensive affair. So, do not apply unless you are ready for it. I would personally discourage those who take a loan for an LL.M. since the job markets are bleak and the amounts involved are large.