This is highly optimistic. The market even for people with CFAs and MBAs is highly competitive, if you're a lawyer with no prior experience then it will be next to impossible for you to get a job which even pays half of what you're earning now.

The only difference between law and finance is which one do you prefer more, letters vs numbers. Rest almost all is same, work life balance, nepotism etc. If working hours are the only reason to shift then something like marketing makes more sense.

Not wanting to sound negative but realistically I don't think it is possible to shift. Those who have done it have got an MBA first or have done the CFA in law school and then joined finance. I don't understand if you have no knowledge about the field, what makes you think you can shift and thrive there?

Hi. I'm an A0 at a T1. I’ve been seriously thinking about jumping ship (yup, already) and getting into the world of investment advising . It’s been nagging at me for a while now, and I’m starting to think I might want to take the plunge.

Thing is, I’m feeling a bit lost about it all. I have just finished law school and am a few months into my job. Granted, I don't have knowledge about the field nor a commerce background. But i'm genuinely interested and the entry requirements are also pretty . If any of you have made a similar switch, I’d love to hear your story. What challenges did you face? Were there any skills from your legal background that came in handy? And how did you go about getting up to speed with all things finance?

Also, I’m curious about what life is like on the other side (for people who were in a law firm and changed careers). Is it as fulfilling as practicing law? Are there any major differences in the work culture or potential for career growth that I should know about? Any nuggets of wisdom or even just your own experiences would be super helpful right now. Seriously, I’m all ears! Thanks a bunch!

There's hardly a point working at a firm which pays barely enough to survive in Mumbai while you're getting offered more than double of that at Saraf. Regardless of your claim of Saraf "not being respected", it pays as much as any other tier-1 and you could switch to a better T1 later without having to slog for peanuts at Wadia.

If the moot is the only place you've heard his name then it is on you not us. I am a corporate lawyer and still have heard and read about nanis contributions since first year itself. Keep your humanities journals to yourself and read up about his contribution to the country in Minevra mills. It is shocking to see 20 year old woke nlu kids disrespecting such an important figure.

Nani Palkiwala merely holds an LLB from GLC, no LLM or PhD. Hasn't published in any top law journal. No books published by any reputed publishing house. Wrote some book on tax or corporate law which nobody reads and which merely reproduces cases. How is he a jurist then??? Literally no one would have heard of this guy if the GLC moot wasn't named after him.

https://www.deccanherald.com/india/toxic-tale-eu-flagged-over-400-indian-products-3008954

The Safety Regulator says it is not responsible for doing checks on export items!

Interestingly, export products - food, non-food items have elevated standards but "Indians" can do with lower standards. That's how the Indian govt (irrespective of political colour) has treated its own citizens. And still we blame "West" et al.

There are many colleges in Delhi NCR where there is no requirement of attendance, just appear in Semester/Annual exams. Janhit College of Law, Innovative Law College, St Thomas Law College etc are a few names. Even universities in NCR like Sharda, Galgotias, Lloyd, KR Mangalam, IILM, IIMT, NIU etc will give you degree.

Could anyone explain the concept of retainer to me? How is it different than employee? How are they taxed? Is there any significant detail I should be knowing?

I will be joining as an associate in 2 months and would like to know more.

Your answers are appreciated, bumps are not.

Thank you.

Hi, I will be joining as an associate soon in the capital markets team. I need your suggestions and recommendations of books or websites in knowing the practice area well.

I have seen threads of "b&f-oversimplified", would be great if we could have "capital markets-oversimplified" as well. Thank you in advance.

Cal law firms are not M&A/PE/VC heavy. Only dominant player in the field is KCo Kolkata. Any other firm that would have some M&A/PE/VC work (which would be really some) would lack mentoring and not have a brand value outside Kolkata. So in the long run very difficult to transition to a better firm (whether T1/2/3) unless you have a point of contact there and still then your Kolkata M&A/PE/VC PQE might get discounted and you may not be a preferred candidate. Argus M&A/PE/VC is not transaction heavy from what I have heard. SAM Kolkata is only a back office and does not hire. It's totally absent in the Kolkata M&A scene. So there's no option in Kolkata barring KCo Kolkata for M&A/PE/VC work. Unless you get to be in KCo, avoid Kolkata for M&A/PE/VC altogether.

M&A/PE work is BARELY there in Calcutta law firms. Only dominant player in that field is KCo Kolkata, and maybe Argus Kolkata. Other firms that may be doing some M&A/PE work (really some; don't go by the Legal 500 rankings) seriously lack mentoring and there is a huge gap of expert seniors at SA and PA levels, barring the managing partners. After all you will not be working regularly with the MP in deals. Lastly, none of these Kolkata firms, except KCo and Argus, have brand value outside Kolkata. SAM in Calcutta does not hire. It's more like a back office, from what I have heard.

So either get into KCo Kolkata or avoid Kolkata altogether.

I was reminded of this post by the L&D Head of CAM, hints something similar:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vaibhavganjiwale_lawfirms-lawyers-legalmarketing-activity-6998921277402959872-2DgG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

You still have some time left in law school. Pull your socks up and work hard on getting the very best grades you possibly can get at this point. Don't take this fatalistic attitude of saying that your grades can't improve - they still can. While the damage is, to a certain extent done, it can be limited or even undone to a certain extent as well if you can massively push up your grades in the remaining time you have. Maybe also try getting in a few more publications and competitions if you can, though I'd focus much more on the grades at this point. Do whatever is within reason, while being legal, allowed by your uni regulations and ethically right to get good grades - reaching out to previous toppers in the courses you are taking, asking professors to mark and give constructive suggestions on mock exam essays or give you feedback on where you previously went wrong, reading more widely than your law school course reading list etc.

I have found that the following works for me (caveat: grew up a fluent English speaker, what happens to you with English happens to me with Hindi and Bengali).

1. You could possibly have 'queue cards'. Little cards or pieces of paper where you have a key word or phrase about each topic or sub-topic you will cover written down. You briefly look at each card during your presentation and it will help jog your memory.

2. Speak in front of a mirror. Time yourself. If you've got a ten minute presentation, make sure you are doing it within ten minutes. Don't rush - by speaking too fast - or slow down too much. Keep on practicing until you can say your lines within the stipulated time-limit with minimal (or no) stumbling or hesitation.

3. Record yourself a couple of times. I have found that the knowledge that I am speaking for a recording is a realistic simulation of what I will feel when speaking in front of lots of people. You'll feel the nervousness and everything. However, if you can breathe, relax your mind and body and speak calmly for the recording, you can do it in front of a live audience.

4. Try summarizing (in the target language, i.e., the language you will be delivering the presentation, English for you) the topic you'll be speaking about to someone who knows nothing about the topic, if possible - a friend or family member who has some level of familiarity with the target language. As a bonus, maybe even do a mock presentation in front of them. Again, this gives you a simulation of what the real thing will feel like. In a good scenario, if your friend or family member is fluent in the target language, they can give you some feedback on your grammar, syntax etc as well afterwards!

Today's TOI quotes a talented NLU grad lawyer doing her LLM in the US, who is participating peacefully in the Palestine protests. Non-paywalled version below (copy-paste is disabled, so I could't paste it).

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/gaza-protests-for-indian-students-in-us-stakes-are-much-higher/ar-AA1o8LLG

The girl in question should make all Indian law students proud, because the article quotes other Indian students (from STEM/ business courses) who are staying away from the protests -- so typical of these STEM/business guys!! 😡😡

What I like about the LLM student/lawyer is that she is participating in a very peaceful and safe way and not joining the encampments. This is the smart and sensible thing to do. You are protecting yourself from any disciplinary or police action in this way, while still supporting the people of Gaza.

When I googled for her, I saw on LinkedIn that she is a graduate of an NLU, a graduate of the Young India Fellowship from Ashoka and editor of a law journal in her present US university in the field of human rights. This obviously shatters the myths being spread by trolls that the student involved in the protest are fake or don't know anything. Well, this shows it's just the reverse --- very bright and talented students are taking part.

🫡🫡 🤗🤗 💙💙🇵🇸🇵🇸