Everyone on linkedin and real life give this old advice.. "engage in networking and leverage your contacts" etc. My question is how does one network..? I'm not too great at it. I feel I'm not able to elicit relevant answers or information out of people. Is there a way one can get better at networking?

My friend has gotten accepted in BITS Law (60 lakhs fees excluding ancillary expenses), and she has gotten like the 93rd or so percentile in CET. She's chosen BITS, and has lost hope for the CET CAP, isn't even planning on applying to PGCL which she would likely get under the Gujarati quota or even the management quota for that matter. She's from a pretty well off family, but she's insisting on taking an education loan for this (i'm unsure of the current interest rates, but probably between 8-15%).

Am I tripping, or is taking an education loan for a sum so large, for a Bachelor's degree nevertheless, a bad idea? Considering BITS hasn't had a single batch graduate yet, there aren't even packages given to placed graduates to refer to, to calculate the ROI. I'm not sure if she plans on borrowing the full amount or partially, but I feel like this is a bad decision because if you assume the package to be approx 15lpa in 5 years, it'll probably take over 4 years to break even with the money you'd have spent on that, and that's assuming there are NO other expenses except repaying the loan. Thoughts?

Join a LPO.. it's like the BPO of the legal field with low pay but hey its better than sitting jobless. They go by the name of Document Reviewer or Legal Consultant or Contract Analyst job titles. You can find them in abundance on Linkedin. In the meanwhile prepare for ssc cgl or similar exams. Cgl form in open for next 3 weeks or so. So get a job asap and start preparing. I'm in a similar boat and this is my plan after graduating this month.

This is so stupid you know nothing of his situation why do you rush to assume his parents are saints. Im so sick of this Indian nonsense cultural propaganda that parents are always virtuous and right. You dont do your child a favour by birthing them, and if your parents paid for your college its uour responsibility to pay for your kid. Thats your duty you dont deserve brownie points for that

You have a PPO so I believe you would have the correct knowledge. Please guide me and maybe others, it’ll take 10-15 minutes of your time but will help us a lot. Like important things I can or any online links to understand. The A1s are to an extent in a hurry so can’t take help always

I mean, I can sense that youre bitter and upset, but Ive been a student at an nlu before. I know exactly how much work students generally did because I was one of them. There is no reason at all to argue some fact free thing that 80% of students are putting in what? even five hours a day into course work? thats just not in the realm of reality. There is a wide difference between cramming the week of exams and working consistently through the term.

I think your problem might be you think you already have all the answers and have no humility at all. It is quite rich for a 17 year old kid who has had zero real world work experience to lecture an adult with multiple law degrees and years of experience about pedagogy. If you go in trying to tell teachers how to do their jobs- im not surprised you have an antagonistic relationship with them. Youre the student. Be a good student first before you start trying to educate others. When I said enforce accountability- i meant you ask for feedback, you ask teachers how and what you can do to get better grades- not that you go in blaming the teacher for not getting the grade you want. If they cannot tell you how to get better or what your answers lacked- then yes, there might be unfair grading, but I doubt you have asked your professors what you should do to get better just because of how you seem to blame everyone else for your problems.

It is not generalisations based on nothing- you can look at scientific studies, lower attention spans, less drive, more anxiety, more mental health problems with the college going students now than ever before- its all quite apparent. You cannot really fix the problem until you take accountability.

I have spent 15 years in the academy now- I haven't really met any teacher who would award top grades if the work wasn't done. There is just no incentive for that corruption in public universities. Teachers don't sell grades, having a couple of students like you provides very little ego boost when you meet new students term after term and will forget the names of even your best students after a few years. You dont know what is or isnt in the answer scripts of students youre envying. You really have no basis to claim those grades are unearned except for high self esteem and contempt for others who work hard. You think you dont miss the shot but have you actually gone and asked professors why youre not getting better grades? Or no? It really is that simple.

It just isnt performance art to teach the crpc. You dont have to be some rockstar to get otherwise disengaged students to be interested. In no other area of work or life would you hold this to be the standard. If a doctor prescribes you meds and you dont take them- you dont then blame the doctor for your mistakes. If your CA tells you to file your taxes a certain way and you dont follow his advice- hes not the one failing. If you go to a gym and your trainer gives you a diet and a work out plan- and you dont follow it- its not his fault youre unfit. I can keep going on and on. Teaching cannot happen at this advanced level with a completely passive and disengaged student body. Its your education on the line- why you choose to sign over all your agency to whether or not your teacher is personally charismatic or entertaining enough is honestly bewildering. Yes some people will be personally charismatic and entertaining- that doesnt make them good teachers in and off itself- a clown always attracts a lot of attention. You have to be able to look past superficialities like that. When I went to law school, a well known teacher was very charismatic and entertaining- but it didnt mean I actually learnt anything from him that I retained- it was all mostly faff about law and popular culture. In comparison the woman who taught me constitutional law was extremely knowledgeable and a really deep thinker that pushed us and made sure we couldnt pass his class until we knew everything we had to know. shed throw you out of class for failing to read ahead, and she would refuse to answer questions if you hadnt done the reading first- Ive built a career out of what she taught me and I still rely on texts in her course outlines. at the time I obviously resented the second professor , but with hindsight I grew to actually appreciate her. When youre young you think junk food is very tasty, but once you grow up you realise the value of veggies and beans and legumes and nuts and fibre and how those things are required sustenance. What is good isnt always easy. And theres just no real way to make crpc, cpc, evidence act exciting to someone who doesnt like the law. it just is what it is. Of course people can both be knowledgeable and charismatic- but knowledge is the necessary and sufficient condition to be a university professor. Students are expected to have self discipline because theyre not kindergarteners. Do you go to your internships and whinge about how the associates and partners dont do enough to keep you engaged? why do you want your teachers to be held to that standard?

How exactly are you being excluded in class? The teacher likely doesnt interact with you because you dont put your hand up and speak and interact with them. Why are they obligated to come to each student personally and make them sit on their lap and explain the law? its a ridiculous standard. Your teacher has somewhere upwards of 80 students every term- if you want more attention- youre better off trying to earn it than ranting about how unfair the world is on this forum.

You assume I dont want all my students to succeed or that im somehow delighting in many of my students only being able to become glorified clerks. Im not. Im dismayed and distraught at the loss of talent and resources. These are the best universities in india and this is what we're doing? its a scandal! I wish all my students would work hard enough to have a good chance at becoming someone. But they just dont, and if i can convince one student to abandon this constant self victimisation and embrace personal responsibility- this whole thing is worth it. I want all my students to be successful, and I want all their success to be earned. Why assume that people you dont know are haters who want you to fail when most people dont spend any time thinking about you at all. Teachers just dont have the time for that. I'm not worried for personal fortunes of these kids. Im worried for the legal profession and the state of law practice in india.

Its easy to be cynical and to think " its okay that I dont work hard because the system is rigged against me and all my teachers are partial and they wouldnt be fair anyway". Its harder to be vulnerable and think- what do I not know? what should I learn? how do I form better relationships? how do I try to become a better person everyday?

Should have known what deep crap I am about to get into before, now am regreatting badly. Completed law from a an avergae law college and sacrified proferssional and college life to COVID. Now i find myself totally lost in the market after almost 1 year of working in corp. Not pursing cs so there's isnt much substantial growth as well. While looking for good masters programme which would help me professionally, I found thus -

1. LLMs are of no use, it's a virtual suicide to your corp career.

2. NISM LLM which actually had placements closed it's programme down this year.

3. Graduate Insolvency Programme - Too expensive and ROI is very uncertain (sadly was good for previous batches but has tanked now)

5. am not interested to appear for Govt exams.

4. CAT- would take a lot of effort since I am not from tech/maths background

Have no option left but to prepare for easier MBA entrance exams and CS (which would be useless since I have more legal experience than a semi-qualfied CS)

On top of that , i feel horribly stuck due to my family situation caused due to a major family backlash last year. My mother decided to separate from us, leaving behind with me an ailing father and half of family property. This means I would be anle to relocate to another city for job, luckily I live near a metro city and can travel back home on weekends, which is the only saving grace of my miserable existance.

So by now, you would have guessed I am a total goner. No connections, no family support, no family wealth, no money and slim hope. It's astounding that how perfect things were just a couple of years ago - college, decent academic career trajectory, happy family, healthy body have totally disappeared. I never hoped for a life life this, and pray noone faces this.

Just want an ernest and genuine advice from anyone who might be able to guide me what should I do in the coming 6-8 months to make things a bit better for me.

Thank you sincerely.

lol this comment shows as to how law students themselves are so ignorant. Check this mba Reddit thread (yes mba thread) where the US and international students combined agree that JD/Law school is much more prestigious than M7 and way difficult to get in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/s/iOWDulOyG1

This comment would have been true if this was 2010. It’s not the same case anymore. Plus a lot of Indians not only from t-1 nlus but also from Stephen’s, IITs and SRCC apply for a JD after taking student loans, but lsat US is no joke. Merit comes first and sorry to say if you check every year even Rhodes schooners get rejected from H/Y/S JD programmes.

This is an interesting thread. The two salient points being made are a) we will need a LOT of money saved in future, because of rising costs; and c) lawyers and not sought-after in the dating/marriage market because they are perceived as dishonest/toxic people!

Regarding the first point, it’s really becoming more and more expensive to live in India. We pay a lot in tax, but we get nothing in return. All of it is spent on freebies or stolen by politicians. So I guess the answer is to take big bets on the stock market/equity investments and maximise your income. It’s a gamble but no other option I see. The FD savings rate is too low.

Regarding the second point, the problem is that non-lawyers still have no clue about new-age law firm work like M&A, competition, international trade, IP etc. It’s a desk job just like any other corporate job. People still think lawyers appear in courts wearing black coats and lie through their teeth.

Are there any law specific job portals which have updated listings? I could not get placed through college and now sitting at home jobless. Did not find naukri and linkedin much helpful either. Tried cold mailing and messaging partners, HR's seniors connections etc.. but to no avail. I have zero contacts or friends to guide me. How do you find jobs after graduation?

I'm from a T3 law college, graduating in May 2025. Really want to get into TMT and Tech law, but my CV isn't great right now. Had some personal stuff come up that kept me from working on it, but I'm trying to build it up now.

To be honest, I don't think I'll have the skills to be an associate right after graduating. So I'm thinking about interning for a few months after I finish law school. I know some of you might say it's too late, but I'm really trying here. Does anyone know if it's possible to intern after graduating and maybe get a PPO?

All those who raise constructive criticisms and suggestions will be badged as "running out of mental health" by people like you! Even the "Opposition" in the country is facing the same since the last decade!

Likewise, I am a person who tries to bring the Factual Truth of Indian Legal Education System! My fight is not only against BCI, IIULER, NLUs or UGC but with those who deceive people, especially the middle class students with lot of dreams!

I have adequate time to spend with my friends and colleagues my dear friend. So, I don't need a "professional" counselor as of now! So, if needed, will let you know dear. Anyway, my fight for justice will continue and I will bring up those buried facts about not only IIULER, but the whole corrupted Indian Legal Education System!

Yes, that's what exactly I said - All 25 NLUs are State Funded Universities - Likewise, Universities with "International" Badging are not really International! For example,

1) India International University of Legal Education and Research (IIULER) Goa - PRIVATE UNIVERSITY - Section 2(f) of UGC Act

2) Symbiosis International University - DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY - Section III of UGC Act

3) OP Jindal Global University - PRIVATE UNIVERSITY - Section 2(f) of UGC Act

Sreenidhi Srinivasan barely has a team. She only recently hired a couple of associates. Before that she didn't even have a team - the policy team associates used to do the data privacy work that came once in a blue moon.

KCO and SRL have an actual established data protection practice.

More delays then? What are Cyril & Co up to?

https://www.barandbench.com/news/entry-of-foreign-lawyers-silf-requests-bci-to-discuss-amended-rules-before-notifying-them