A law student, but not from an NLU? tch tch. A law student, not from an NLU, but also without contacts in the legal world?
Indeed your lordships . The first lawyer in a family of engineers and doctors, without any lawyer chachas or mamas-that’s my story. I kid you not, my ex IItian father almost had a heart attack when his younger daughter announced after her 10th board result in the living room that she wanted to pursue law as a career, that too, as a litigator (I also had to explain how all lawyers are not litigators, yes, that’s how bad it was).
And today, in my first year of law, almost three years later, things haven’t changed much.
Yes, I joined law school, and no, as I already told you, didn’t crack CLAT. A score of 121 hardly entitles you to Orissa or Patna, and that too in the second or third list. Instead, I decided to stay in Delhi and join IP University.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the irony of life- you get a rank in the 1600s in the exam you prepare for, for almost a year, but end up with all India rank 10 in the exam that you attempted just to keep your options open. So you cry for a day or at max a week, slowly try thinking of reasons to console your own wretched self (the Supreme Court is here / all the major libraries, all the major law firms are here / and more importantly, my family / friends are here)…
Slowly, you accept the way things are and get ready for law school. Law school, the fulcrum on which rests this whole narrative of mine
For no matter which law school you go to, you inevitably realise in your very first week, that all the effort of Atlas combined isn’t enough to last you a day in the legal world if you lack that quintessential magic (if I maybe so audacious to say) ingredient- The Established Lawyer Uncle (if you’re luckier, it turns out to be dad, but don’t push your luck).
Each one of us have heard about that one “uncle” in the supreme court under who’s ChatraChaya the stupidest of frogs transforms straight into a junior jethmalani.
I could quote examples straight from my life of batchmates who have done nothing in life except being born in the right legal family. A typical one would know who Harvey Spectre is, but will give you a look of utter bewilderment when you mention Nani Palkhiwala ;)
And it is they who end up with picture perfect internships right under their noses without lifting a single finger, by virtue of simply having the right surname. Go into any law school and you will no dearth of people who couldn’t care less about moots or MUNs or Parliamentary Debates, or even their CVs, for they’re already assured of jobs back home.
My problem? I don’t belong to the privileged category. No uncle means no good internships. And well, no internships? one would rather commit hara-kiri, for absolutely nobody in the HR committee of any firm will as much as glance through your CV (again, if you had the Uncle, you would already have a job by now).
So while some of my batchmates enjoy the newly inaugurated Starbucks or Barbecue Nation in Cannaught Place, I shall be hopping on and off metros, applying, participating in group discussions, carrying a folder full of certificates and recommendations.
Hoping, that maybe, just maybe like the happy ending of some Karan Johar movie, one day, I will drive home my own Mercedes S-class, minus the uncle.
Comments
I called the guys at that top IP law firm I did my internship with after my last semester exam. They said they don't value internship experience even if you've worked in their own law firm. That was the point blank reply I got.
No matter what other people tell me now, I have learnt one thing. It was a bad idea to get into this field. Only contacts work. Nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing else works. Behind the Black robes, white bands, and the plush 3-4 floor offices, lies the hard fact of unreasonable bias.
But I am still hopeful. In the face of adversity, change your game plan. I recently attended a criminal trial daily (the entire day) for two months and within a few weeks hv made friends with the battery of advocates defending the accused in the case, made contacts in the court cafeteria... some of whom hv no prob offering me an internship. Internships are all about learning, a fancy name on a CV will only get you so far.
I guess only time will tell whether I'll still be struggling or will find a foothold
Good luck!
I did internships for 10 months(not continuously) in 3 different law firms for what? The top IP firm I mentioned in my previous post clearly said they don't value that experience. My question to these people is- Why are you offering internships then if u don't value internship experience gained in your own law firm? Or do you think you're bad mentors? Bad, really bad and unjustified attitude.
Ask me about hope and I question myself "will I find a job this year"??? Can anyone help me here?? I doubt.
1. Life is not fair. Deal with it. Contacts help. You cannot change the fact of life. But what you can do is be aware of your strength and weaknesses and work harder than anyone else towards what you want, instead of complaining about the world and its inhabitants. Even if contact gives someone a headstart, without quality it is not possible to do well in any field.
2. If you cannot get into a top law school, do not hope of getting into a top law firm (unless you have contacts, of course).
3. Getting a job at a big law firm is not everything. Why not join litigation? If getting briefs in SC and HCs seem tough, why not start at district level courts where clients can directly come to you? There is a severe shortage of good lawyers there. Your neighbours, friends, acquaintances will come to you gradually. But yes, patience and hard work is the name of the game.
4. It may take time, but if you are good and hard working, you will have your rewards. Broaden your horizons, don't get fixated with law school - Biglaw firm, and keep working hard.
All the best :)
But yes. What you said, is right. Top law school= Top law firms. But is mediocre law school=mediocre or even lower law firms?? Coz I am yet to hear from them as well!!
http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/law.htm
http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/lawlect.htm
Similar challenges exist in non legal fields as well.. Starting off is diff no matter what field u choose...
Why not try corporate in house positions? From what I have heard of in house corporate - they aren't that fixated on NLUs.
Immediately I became a pariah amongst my friends who started treating me as someone with contacts. The students from the 'family of lawyers' knew well that I being a 'distant' nephew was not destined to join their league.
Thanks to my dad's business contacts I secured a decent internship with a firm and was actually paid for the work done. Thanks to my Dean, I started to work with a government agency who again paid for my half a day's work and I became the highest earner during the law school days.
After my passing out with a good percentage, I continued with my higher studies, but the comfort of the student day 'jobs' were long gone, but by then the internship had converted into a part time job and I was leading a happy life.
Probably the worst idea was to ultimately join my uncle at his first call after a year of enrolment. Thankfully we professionally parted ways within the next few years. I missed on a lot of opportunities being his relative during and after the association with him. Further Law Firms categorically mentioned that briefing a Senior Advocate based on prepared files was quite different from preparing those files.
Working as an individual lawyer, I realised that getting clients was not an easy job. Leaving no way out for me to eke out a living, I started a unique law firm set up that specialised in certain odd litigations and compliance related work, and actually sourced work from those law firms and individual lawyers who didn't want to diversify their practice, but couldn't let their clients go to some other rival firm/lawyer.
Have been enjoying an easy life ever since...
@Scared Uncle-less Student: Corporate in house positions? don't they ask for experience too?
BTW..am not a 'young' student. have abt 15 years of corporate experience in another field. But am speaking from experience of what I have seen in the legal teams wherever I have worked.
Believe me friends, it not about contacts all the time. What matter most is your resume, luck and performance and most important thing, how do you sell yourself.
Small town guy
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@Chip of the old block: good going. All I can say is..wish you were my uncle! Love for IP would have got me one opportunity to start with at least.
@aastha: oh I feel your pain. welcome to the ratrace honey :)
@stuck in llm: that's to true! all the best to both of us. thankyou so much, the encouragement means a lot:)
@disclosure improper: cant say that I empathise with you, but yes, that must've been a bad situation to be in. glad you've carved out a niche for yourself:)
@chip of the old block: that's certainly a very positive way of looking at it. if you're still looking for peope to join you four years down the line, i'm calling dibbs on that already:)) and thankyou, the S-class,*sigh* one day :)
@aastha: oh I feel your pain. welcome to the ratrace honey :)
@stuck in llm: that's to true! all the best to both of us. thankyou so much, the encouragement means a lot:)
@disclosure improper: cant say that I empathise with you, but yes, that must've been a bad situation to be in. glad you've carved out a niche for yourself:)
@chip of the old block: that's certainly a very positive way of looking at it. if you're still looking for peope to join you four years down the line, i'm calling dibbs on that already:)) and thankyou, the S-class,*sigh* one day :)
You sound like a little version of me from earlier this century. Born into a family of doctors and engineers, yet yearning to forge your own path. So let me draw upon my own experiences to calm you, inspire you.
There will come a time during your stint in college, and possibly immediately after you graduate, to make a decision about what path you want to take. Don't be surprised if you see yourself considering a career as a transactional lawyer in a top law firm. It happens to us all.. the minute you graduate, the number one agenda on your mind is self-sufficiency, a healthy income, plush life, etc. This, young padavan, is the fork in the road that will determine your happiness quotient for years to come.
When you face this fork, and i assure you, you will, I want you to remember why you joined law school. Why you wanted to be a dispute resolution specialist/litigator. Remember how it made you feel to dream about being a litigator. When you remember, you will make the right decision.
For a litigator, an uncle or dad is not a must. If you've chosen to practice law as the first in your family, it means you have what people in delhi refer to as 'khuddari'. A desire to achieve something on your own. Back yourself. Back your abilities and take the plunge into litigation without fear and apprehension. I promise you, the rewards will be plenty, and the riches far greater than you can imagine right now. The only skills you need to thrive are empathy for those suffering, confidence in your oratory skills, and comfort socializing with a vast variety of people. No uncles, no grandpas necessary. All you need is a senior lawyer who will show you the ropes initially, and mentor you going forward.
I faced that fork when i graduated in 2010. After having dreamt of litigating all through law school, i somehow suddenly felt the urge to apply to AMSS, AZB, JSA and the likes. I spent time as a trainee in one of these firms, and soon realized I was unhappy and intellectually unfulfilled.
My father reminded me about the passion in my belly for litigation, and said follow your heart. Do not fear failure. Do not ask for any easy life. When the time is right, you will get what you deserve.
Here I am, less than three years in the profession, at the beautiful age of 25, with a private practice of my own. With clients of my own. With money to pay my bills. With absolute control over my time. With no boss to answer to. With a beautiful balanced fulfilling life. I have time to read, to meet my friends, to enjoy life beyond the walls of an office. My next career moves aren't about climbing up the law firm hierarchy. Instead, here I am considering studying criminal psychology and hypnotherapy. I have time to prepare for the civil services exam if i choose to. I have the option of joining the Bench in a few years time. The world is my playground once more. I have rediscovered the person I was before I joined law school. Confident, a leader, and a believer in my abilities. I am no longer plagued by doubts and insecurities. And i have no room for complaints since I am the master of my own destiny and not susceptible to the whims and orders of bosses.
So, young padavan. Fear not what lies ahead. Be excited by it. See it as a challenge you want to conquer. And everything will play itself out wonderfully well. That i guarantee.
Besides, the basic point was not the fact that litigation is always available as an option to both NLU and non-NLU grads. Its the point that the "seniors" are biased and prefer the NLU products, making things difficult for non-NLU grads like us. Its true that once you gain some experience in litigation, say like 2-4 years, you can still get into a law firm on that basis. And that is the only way out other than going to LPOs to break that jinx.
Just that it'd be really good if I get to know about a couple of law firms in Delhi/NCR that are not biased.. irrespective of the tier they belong to. Even the lesser known firms have that snobbish attitude and look down upon you when you tell them you're a non-NLU product.
So till then, I am dealing with all this the way I want to and you enjoy/interpret/reply to these comments the way you want to.
And yes, this young padawan intends to be one of the best jedis the world has ever seen:)
again, thankyou.
The answer to that is based on a few key factors.
The first thing you must realize that once you choose to opt for litigation, you aren't going to be paid handsomely by established lawyers. While this puts most people off the profession, I believe a young graduate must use this to his advantage. You are no longer driven to join a lawyer's chambers based upon the pay package he offers you. Lawyers with chamber practices tend to be more informal in screening the applicants, so it allows you, as a graduate, to gauge what kind of work you will be exposed to and what responsibilities will be entrusted upon you. In essence, it is basic human interaction.. and clues to whether a senior will be a great mentor or not will be evident during your interaction with him during the interview.
Second, I believe with every bone in my body that you must start your learning at the trial court level. So look for a mentor who is experienced at trial litigation, and not necessarily at senior counsel who practice almost exclusively at the high court. A mentor at the trial stage will not only give you a solid foundation of the procedures of litigation, but will also be more willing to share his workload with you, repose faith in your abilities and expect you to argue cases in court. An appellate lawyer, especially a senior counsel, is burdened by his own reputation and his steep billing. Hence, he is expected by his clients to appear in court and argue cases himself, leaving very little room for a junior to thrive.
Third, when your gut tells you that you are well prepared to proceed with a trial, be it a cross examination or an argument on an interlocutory application or final arguments, you must approach your mentor and make your confidence known. Do not wait for him to approach you. Your confidence in your own abilities will make your mentor repose faith in them.
Fourth, when scouting for mentors, look for lawyers who possibly are the third or fourth generation in their family to take up the profession. This will give you amazing insights into the romantic side of the practice of law, the history behind it, and its tradition, values and ethics. How to conduct yourself in court, how to tackle clients.. these are great lessons to learn from a mentor.
Lastly, have some perspective. If you are unhappy and things aren't going according to plan, have the courage to make a change. Apply for a position in the chambers of another lawyer you find inspiring. Or.. if you believe the time is ripe for you to start a practice of your own, confide in your mentor about it. This profession, especially the litigating side, is full of amazing individuals who believe in a sense of brotherhood. Your mentor will help guide you on setting up a practice of your own, and will refer the occasional brief to you. He could someday end up as a member of the Bench even. Always strive to have his goodwill.
Please remember that all my advice is geared towards helping an aspiring litigator achieve a goal of setting up a private practice. I do not subscribe to the model of law firms and partnerships, and believe in the older notion of chambers. If a litigating position at a law firm is what you are looking for, you might have to have a different approach to how you start off in the profession.
Thanks a lot for your insights. This will be really helpful to me when after exactly two weeks I will be done with my final semester exams and pounding the streets of Mumbai, CV in hand for an internship/juniorship/whatever-I-can get.
How does one find this trial lawyer? Just Dial? Hang around in court daily and listen to arguments? I may sound very ignorant but the good trial lawyers are very rarely written about so there's no way of knowing who's would be good to work with or who's not.
But I believed in my capabilities, I had always been a smart person but not extremely intellignet or something. I joined litigation in Bombay, a small sized firm who paid me 5000 bucks. I worked well for one and a half year, learnt things, argued, drafted, researched and all that. Basically, I was doing good at whatever I was doing. Bringing laurels to the firm at 5000 bucks a month. Stipend doubled to 10,000 in 6 months.
But the low salary pinched. I applied to places. Got a call for interview from a leading MNC. I did well. Second round of interview and yessssss....what I couldn't get when I passed out, I got it after spending a year and half or more. I started earning 5 times more, 5 day week, 9-6 PM, I am now happy and content. I do not have to run around now, I did not love litigation enough to stay there. It was just a performance arena which helped me getting higher bidders.
It's never too late. Don't blame it on Uncles/no-uncles, college, internships or any damn thing. All that matters is YOU. Work, gain knowledge and be THAT good at the interview. Be prepared for the opportunity when it comes knocking, don't screw that one opportunity. I waited for mine, for long, and it was frustrating.
The concentration on cynicism of reality not only hampers your profession but even you as a person .
Pls help! Need Advice!
and yes that bar association of uncle-less lawyers will definitely help