Over the last 3 to 4 years, the trend among younger lawyers at LKS has been to learn the core skills of IDT and move on to either the Big 4 or shift entirely into a different practice area and move to another law firm. If your intention is to build a career in IDT, LKS is a good place to start. If you stick around too long, they will of course treat you well, but you will make less over time in comparison to your peers in other tier 2 firms and tier 1 firms.

Hey folks

I got a campus offer from LKS in their IDT team but I am not really aware about the career prospects at LKS in particular and IDT practice in general. I know that they offer 14LPA fixed to A0s with some bonus to but not much information is available on the salaries of Senior Associates and Principal Associates.

I am looking forward to suggestions from people who are working or have worked at LKS.

Dear all,

I’m exploring opportunities to apply to disputes/litigation practices in Mumbai and would love to tap into the collective wisdom here. I’m trying to figure out:

• Which firms in Mumbai are considered strong in litigation/disputes (commercial, regulatory, arbitration, etc.)

• Partners/advocates/senior counsels who have a solid reputation before the City Civil/Sessions/ District Court, Bombay High Court, NCLT/NCLAT, or Supreme Court

• Independent counsels or boutique firms that are respected in this space

• What kind of matters they usually handle, and the industries they’re active in

• How approachable they are for juniors/associates looking to apply — e.g., culture, mentorship, hiring practices

• Any rankings, recognitions, or word‑of‑mouth reputations worth noting

• Practical insights: accessibility, or even what the interview/application process is like

Basically, I’m hoping to build a clear picture of the Mumbai litigation landscape so I can make informed choices about where to apply. Any experiences, recommendations, or even cautionary notes would be super valuable.

Thanks!

Says the ▮▮▮ from the local Karnataka NLU with some 310 seats with all forms of domicile quotas. It’s an insult to call this the only NLU. If anything, the NLU in the capital of the country remains the only true NLU in the full sense of how NLUs were envisaged - small exclusive batch sizes with no local quotas to ensure quality graduate outcomes. And honestly, NLS has never bragged about QS considering they have always been ranked so far behind a cash grab college like JGLS. So, stop peddling this myth that NLS is a true NLU. It’s run like an ultra-private money minting university these days.

At worst, your journey would be a bit longer, a year or two perhaps (if you're aiming for a good tier 1 law firm status/pay), and the industry will test your resolve but trust me, if you have the mettle you will get through no matter the college.

Then again, you'll have to be (very) smart to play your cards (NLU) to your favour and there won't be shortcuts.

This is coming from someone from a non-NLU and non-Jindal/Symbi, etc. I thought it was the end of the world but honestly it doesn’t matter.

I’m an associate at a T1 law firm, no pay disparity, no discrimination. No one cares after one point, about your college.

Even in college, I got T1 internships, moot awards, some publications and decent grades.

So everything will turn out fine. Don’t be anxious. Hnlu is a good college with good opportunities, make the best of it.

We should stop using the term T1 NLU. The term has become obsolete. After Sudhir Krishnaswamy took over NLSIU and replaced all the deadwood TLC profs with top-notch NLU alumni, other NLUs (still stocked with TLC deadwood or mediocre-quality NLU faculty) have been left far behind. The term T1 misleadingly implies equivalence between NLSIU and some other NLUs. This existed five years ago, not any not any more.

Let’s also remember that not a single NLU has made it to the QS rankings, other than NLSIU (thanks to Sudhir).

the difference between hnlu and nujs is vast, the difference between nlud and nliu is vast, but hnlu is the best t2 for a reason.

at one point in life you have to make do best with what you have. just focus on the task and hand and you will do well for yourself.

look at their 2026 placements for example - 05 at azb, 03 at s&r, 03 at kco, 01 at jsa, 04 at panag and babu, 01 at argus, 01 at ic regfin, 02 at ICICI Bank and then Bharucha, Wadia Ghandy, Induslaw etc - if you are sincere no one can take away your shot

Challenge your hatred into a sense of responsibility. Remember you continuing to give your best is you acting in an ethical and graceful manner when others do not. Take the high road. Vengeance is mine so said the lord. Do your best and leave with grace.

That's what I am doing.

On my notice period after a long-ish stint in a very toxic team at a T1. Cannot bring myself to care even a little bit, to the point where I'm making mistakes I didn't think even interns could make. They're not deliberate, but they're stemming from an obvious lack of attention to detail - carelessness taken to an extreme. Obviously, it's making my exit worse and making my seniors even more frustrated than they already are. How did you survive your notice period? The deliverables haven't stopped, but my interest and incentives to perform are long gone. All I feel for this team is hatred :)

I’m from Jindal. I remember how Jindal students and faculty engaged in some rather uncouth arguments and discussions with one faculty member who led the Israel Studies department in the college. Will these sentinels of Human Rights and due process now argue with the eminent professors of Jindal who are American? How about boycotting LLM programmes from Yale and Cornell?

At my law school, a couple that was dating founded a human rights society while only in their third year. The VC allowed it as one of the students was a chela and came from an influential family. The VC even allocated university funds for it. All societies have a faculty advisor, but this one had the VC directly as advisor and the VC gave free reign to the couple. This couple got a lot of benefits because of this: access to VIPs, reco letters, summer school scholarships abroad etc. As expected, they secured Master's degree scholarships abroad using their credentials as human rights defenders. Today, both are working as corporate lawyers abroad and one of their organisations is as right-wing as you can get.

So that's the truth behind these fancy international law student clubs and societies. 🙏

Associate Partner - Fixed Component is 52-60 lakhs + 12-15 lakhs bonus

Partner - Fixed Component is 70-75 lakhs + 20-25 lakhs bonus.

Executive Partner - Fixed Component is 1.2 CR + bonus depending upon profits

Principal Partner - Fixed Component is 1.8 CR + bonus

Senior Partner - Fixed Component is 2.4 CR + bonus upto 100% of fixed component

Approximately 80k gross as starting salary of an Assistant Professor as a fresher. The basic pay keeps increasing annually and also after every promotion (5 in total in career from Assistant Professor Grade One to Senior Professor over 26 years). The DA will increase based on government policy. Associate Professor starts with around 2.2 lakhs gross. Professor starts with around 2.8 lakhs gross. This is for public/private universities offering 7th Pay Commission salary. Very few private universities pay more than this, like Jindal. Most private universities pay less than this.

It's prescribed by UGC. see page 103 of this doc for details - https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/4033931_UGC-Regulation_min_Qualification_Jul2018.pdf

Some pvt universities pay more than this. Public universities pay only this much

2025 law grad here, to give a quick run-through of my resume, have been doing IP-oriented internships, both lit and prosecution, during my time at law school (honestly speaking, I regret it now). Out of law school and I took up an assessment internship with a well-known firm in Chennai, but was assigned to the prosecution team, and I hated every bit of it, so I decided to quit.
This is when I end up in a US-based immigration law firm. Took up the job, thinking I would figure out things one year into the job. I like the work here; it is mostly due diligence and drafting. I am not sure what has to be done, considering that I have to run a long career. This job is WFH, has good pay, which I'm definitely not seeing in at least 2 years for the Chennai market. But is this what I should be doing my whole life? I feel no. So, if I want to shift to the Indian law market again, are there chances for me? Or am I done brb crying.

I want y'all to pls pls pls (imagine me begging) tell me:-

1. If it's a good decision to switch back to the Indian law market.

2. I don't want to enter litigation for quite a few reasons, so which area of law can I focus on?

3. In case I am switching back, I would wanna be prepared enough for the area of law, will read up, and probably intern at places, so please also suggest where I can do that too (remote).

I think I would be interested in Real estate practice, considering the DD involved there, which is similarly placed to what I do currently. HMU with your opinions guys. Please do!!!!! TIA

I know someone who left the team and have spoken to people who are planning to leave. ▮▮▮. There is no concept of work life balance, mid level doesn't know how to balance work life or timelines and juniors are, well, chilled out? I keep hearing things from different levels and nobody sounds sane

They are actually insensitive to people with personal life issues, medical conditions or individual goals.

I would rather not be in a team than be a part of that team

Ravi, afaik, is brilliant at his job but the Noida office is a mess. Maybe, if he's expanding Bangalore, that is worth considering

Hi, seeking sincere responses only. I am a 12 years PQE ex-litigator, and moved from counsel practice to in-house 3 years ago. I want to move back to litigation practice at a decent remuneration. Please help with names of firms/ chambers I should approach. I am based out of Delhi NCR. Thank you in advance.

Please share your views on this newbie law college in Bangalore.

Bangalore School of Law and Justice - https://solj.in/

Is it worth considering joining this college ?

Has anyone applied and got an admission or interview call from them ?

Over the past few years, white-collar crime and investigations practice seems to have taken centre stage in Indian law schools and law firms. Most Tier-1 firms now highlight dedicated white-collar teams and LinkedIn is filled with conferences and panels on enforcement and investigations. As a student watching this shift, it is hard not to wonder whether this reflects a real change in the nature of legal work, or whether we are seeing the kind of hype that often follows a “hot” practice area. The expanding role of agencies such as the ED, EOW, and the CBI, along with laws like the PMLA that allow early attachment, arrest, and long investigations, suggests that enforcement risk has become a central concern for companies and individuals.

At the same time, the current enthusiasm feels familiar. A decade ago, international arbitration occupied a similar place in the student imagination: it was seen as prestigious, intellectually demanding, and central to elite lawyering. Over time, arbitration teams grew, more students entered the field, and it became increasingly crowded at the junior level. Watching the present moment, it is tempting to ask whether white-collar practice is following the same path. While the work may be structurally important and here to stay, it also seems highly hierarchical, with real strategic decision-making concentrated in a small group of senior lawyers. Is white-collar work a lil hyped, or does it really offer long-term prospects for students entering the field in 2026–29?

A review from someone who bought their course-

(context - I bought this when i was in college, I now work at a leading law firm - so I feel appropriate to talk about whether this helps in practice)

I had got a package of multiple courses for around 50k. Like arbitration drafting, contract drafting, civil proceedings drafting and a bunch of others exam related courses. They also help with internship/freelancing applications/CV making, article writing etc.

This is not entirely a review of their courses, but in my opinion this is all that you should consider while buying:-

The Goods:

1) So 50k may seem a lot but i think CLAT coachings charge more than that, my college per sem fees was a lot more than that and a lot of organisations charge more than this and dont provide much. So given this market scenario, I think its unfair to say LawSikho doesnt provide as much value for the cost. I think the lectures were decent and would teach you a thing or two. They had a lot of online classes, recorded classes and sessions for not just 1-2 courses but many more. Would those make you an amazing draftsperson? thats something I talk about below. But the lectures werent bad to say that they are overpriced.

2) they have an assingment after every lecture which other courses dont. tbh i didnt do those but im certain they'd teach you a thing or two as well but wont make you a draftsperson ready for the professional world.

The truth about students:

TBH i did not attend the course fully and infact attended v few classes, that too recorded. so you have to keep this in mind and take my review with a pinch of salt. I do think that im not alone. its hard for us students to stay consistent in attending these courses when they are not absolutely compulsoriy. I have attended a bunch of online courses and seen this across all.

I think the lectures were also not that engaging. If you attend a session taken by a law firm professional like a partner or PA/SA, you will experience the difference in quality and level of engagement as compared to others. When people truly know their subject in depth, it becomes interesting for you to listen as well.

So my suggestion would be rather do a certificate course of 10-12 lectures offered by platforms that invites professionals in law firms and such places and also have an assignment as a part of the curriculum. they are shorter so easier to finish and more engaging as well.

The underwhelming parts:

1) Drafting and research/knowledge of law, etc are not seperate islands but very much co related. you need to understand the law really well to draft. I think the law sikho course, in as many lectures as i attended, lacked depth in that aspect and taught drafting in a way as if its seperate from the other aspects mentioned. The other courses that i attended, explained things in a more holistic and nuanced way.

No disrespect to the teachers, they worked really hard in taking 1-1 sessions but sometimes i felt they were either not able to explain or lacked depth of knowledge.

2) My colleagues are really helpful so i dont need much external help. However, I feel comfort in being prepared for things, so I went back to recording of a lecture on an application I was required to draft at work. I found it to be of little to no help. again, this is about just one application so take that with a pinch of salt. If you are someone like me, then these lectures are good for familiarising you with the topic but wont help you become a good draftsperson. That can only happen by knowing the facts and the law really well and with pracitce.

I hope this helps in making your decision about the purchase

Rank law firms across three distinct perspectives:
(i) compensation and work culture from an employee’s point of view,
(ii) professionalism, quality, and excellence of work from a client’s point of view, and
(iii) revenue, market position, and marquee clients from a neutral, objective point of view.

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/centre-plans-rs-30000cr-investment-to-establish-network-of-forensic-labs-across-country-in-next-five-years20260103222231/

thehindubusinessline.com/news/time-bound-justice-from-the-sessions-court-to-the-supreme-court-by-2029-amit-shah/article70468158.ece

This is in addition to the ₹2254 crore funding NFSU received in June 2024.

Hats off to him. The only politician in the world who is honest and worth admiring. Be it on

Palestine, Umar Khalid or Maduro, he has consistently spoken out.

Proud to be a leftist and Mamdani fan today.

https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2007513875709669540