How did placements go for BO25 at T1 NLUs-- NLS, NALSAR, NUJS, NLUD, GNLU etc? I have been hearing from many seniors that the numbers have not been anywhere as good as 2023, but slightly better than 2024. Can someone shed more light on this? In all likelihood, I will have to sit for campus placements, so it would be quite helpful if I have more clarity on market trends.

The Donald Trump administrationannounced on Friday that it had canceled $400m in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University in New Yorkbecause of what it alleges is the college’s repeated failure to protect students from antisemitic harassment.

The announcement comes after Columbia set up a new disciplinary committee and initiated its own investigations into students critical of Israeland its war on Gaza after Hamas’s own attack on Israel. That move by the university has alarmed advocates of free speech.

It also comes at a time of widespread backlash to American universities by the Trump administration and conservatives more broadly who see the higher education sector in the US as dominated by liberals and ripe for a rightwing attack on its influence.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/07/trump-administration-cancels-columbia-university-funding

If I were you, I would complete one year at your current firm and then switch, even if the current place attempts to increase/normalise your pay. I wouldn't be able to trust Partners who are willing to stiff A0s because this shows that there's obviously not enough work around to meet targets. Most T-1s don't have any reason to stiff A0s/A1s because it's just not worth the money purportedly being saved. As long as you have experience at a T-1, it is very likely that the next place simply gives you a regular A1 band salary without thinking too much about it. Good luck.

Out of curiousity, are you in an IP team?

I graduated in 2024 and, after four months of unemployment, secured a job at a Tier 1 law firm. (For clarity, this was a direct hire—not through a PPO or campus placement.) However, I was offered only 50% of what my A0 peers are earning.

I believe my performance has been fairly decent so far, but I don’t expect an exceptional increment this year—certainly not enough to bring my salary in line with other A0s in my team. Given this, I have a few concerns and would appreciate some insight:

1. Am I doomed?? I’ve heard that your first paycheck largely determines your career trajectory. Does this mean I’ll always struggle to catch up to my peers' compensation, even when switching firms?

2. if I switch to another Tier 1, what kind of increment can I realistically expect? given my current pay, even an A0 offer at market rate would be a significant jump.

3. when is the right time to switch? considering bonus payout timelines etc

Would appreciate any insights

Like most things Indian, definitions come after the catastrophe. What is a student union and how is it different from a student council or association? I am just as perplexed as others. But the sense I have gotten so far of the situation is that, banned or not, you can still have bodies with student representation in them and these bodies can be organised through direct elections in their respective institutions. The distinction is that these bodies are not unions in that they are not autonomous and their respective institutions have a greater measure of control over them than they would have over a student union.

But according to this news published in 2018, << https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2018/Nov/21/after-28-years-polls-will-be-back-on-college-campuses-1901210.html >>, student union elections had been re-introduced. Cannot say if this was reversed later.

It can get that way. Allow yourself to feel it. Feel bored, hate your work, hate your life. Don’t think about getting over this feeling immediately. Meanwhile, be a little extra kind to yourself. Maybe get a present for yourself, clean your space, hang some warm light in your room. Try going back to something that gets you excited for the future. I was really frustrated with my life months ago but I like looking at nice houses, gives me something to aspire to. If life still gets you down, think about what you really want and bring some change. Hope you feel better.

Top tier. That’s why he has two university wide portfolios- CoE & CPO. Wherever there is a crisis, KL is brought in to clean it up. His war on drugs has almost completely eliminated drugs on campus. He has streamlined the EO. Boy! You should have seen how EO was run by IG. Surely KL is Raj’s right hand and an efficient and trusted lieutenant.

That's bullshit. Vidhi pioneered the model by cozying up to ministers. Bureaucrats who did not want to outsource to them and their corporate interests were forced to do it from their political higher ups. How do you think the terrible privacy laws were drafted? Bureaucrats managed to scuttle it repeatedly until Vidhi was brought in.

Here you go: https://www.legallyindia.com/convos/topic/419079-switching-from-t3-law-firm-to-a-think-tank-policy-group#comment-422137

Hi, I am confused between pursuing a career in Tax law , preferably international tax and M&A. Whch one is more intellectually stimulating, satisfying and financially rewarding. Please help me define the kind of career both will lead to. Also, I want to keep the option of moving abroad open as well. Any opinion would be helpful. Thank you.

You can have tea with them while they smoke. Cigarettes and chai is a match made in heaven for these smokers. No one can deny some tea with their ciggy, especially in winters.

Generally chai shops outside sell cigarettes, take them to these shops for the break. If the break is taken indoors at a smoking area, then I have no suggestions for you.

TW (for LI folks who wish to avoid the inevitable trolling that will result from this): Story about incident that happened many years ago at a swanky school.

This isn't quite as high stakes, but a classmate of mine called our high school Maths teacher 'Mama' by mistake during her (classmate's) first week at school, in Grade 9. Apparently, this Maths teacher looked remarkably like said classmate's mother, classmate was new to the school, saw Maths teacher from a distance and it just slipped out. Story had a happy ending, though: (a) classmate secured the top grades in 10th and 12th Maths board exams; (b) classmate did well, both on the Maths section of the general SAT, and in the subject test Maths SAT; and (c) the Maths teacher in question (who taught us throughout our high school careers) was one of the teachers who wrote recommendation letters for my classmate to apply to Uni of Chicago at the undergraduate level to read Economics and Maths (she was admitted there, and has successfully completed her degree from UChicago). Did the teacher write about the incident where she was mistaken for the student's mother on the reference letter? If so, did that help the admissions officers at UChicago? All insoluble mysteries of life, I am afraid, but still fun to speculate about.

I did a 3-year LL.B. after my BA, but was clueless as to my career trajectory during law school and could not land good internships back then. After graduating I prepared for several regulatory body and bank exams but could not crack them, struggled to find work, faced mental health issues and took therapy. Thankfully now I'm much better but have to deal with a two and a half years worth career gap with only 1.5 months of LPO experience. I want to pivot into a law firm job ideally in the area of GC/M&A, I am following Khaitan’s M&A Academy on YouTube, but need practical exposure through internships, which mostly require active students. Working under an advocate isn’t feasible due to low pay and health reasons. I am willing to work from scratch and even intern if possible. I just want to somehow get my career restarted and back on track. I'd appreciate any guidance. Thank you

Do your due diligence on the place you are joining. Reach out to people, especially former employees and understand the work culture in that specific team. Am aware of plenty of horror stories worse than law firms tbh. Don't want to scare you, but be mindful and get into things knowing what you're getting into. All the best!

I had made a post before about UGC Regulations 2022 and PhD after UG.

Now after a month of emailing and calling up numerous universities I found that Christ University follows the rules and I am eligible. Plus they allow part time PhD.

But the thing is when they released their vacancy, it was only for Pune and Bangalore cities not the NCR christ university.

I was looking forward to going to NCR. I have many friends there and advocates under whom I can work while doing PhD.

I dont know anyone in Bangalore to share rooms with or any advocate under whom I can work, it is an unfamiliar place.

I talked to other universities they said they have draft rules of new PhD regulations and will update but did not say when.

I asked christ university they said they might release the vacancy in december 2025.

I am lost, I need counsel 😭

what do I do?

Can someone not file a PIL urging the court to direct UGC to tell the universities to follow the rules.

I feel ranting is all these students care!!!

They have no other work to do!!

Look calling urself a “Helpless and Depressed student of GLC” means you have nothing else in your life to do!

U have based your entire identity on the college! And all u need is the college to get better so u can get out of depression! Grow up kid ! And get mature! All this nonsense must be stopped! U under the power of anonymity feel that starting an outrage against the college will gain you your self respect and remove u out of ur so called depression and helplessness! Seriously!!!

Being helpless becuz of a college doesn’t make any sense!!!

And ranting and starting an outrage is all you have done! Instigating people for something!!

Putting allegations is real easy but having any substance i dont feel so!

And its funny calling yourself a helpless and depressed human!! Seriously how can a college make u that????

Could legal sector liberalisation solve the disparity?

https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/rs-75-lakh-top-package-in-iim-lucknow-placements-600-job-offers-secured/ar-AA1AdTCj?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

That's definitely not true. In a typical M&A deal, both banks and law firms have a similar commission, ranging from 2-3%. Thus, if a firm earns 500 crore, an investment bank would also earn 500 crores, if not lesser. Thus distribution is where things take a turn. An inv banking associate would get paid in bonus, of about 1 crore, whereas a law firm associate (who is actively involved in the deal) could possibly earn 1.5 khoka.

"Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships. This includes civil servants in central services (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services), state govt services (including state civil services), and bureaucratic staff employed in central and state ministries or departments," this year's application said. ....Each year, Indian govt officers make up between 30 per cent-40 per cent of the applicants picked by the United States-India Education Foundation."

So does this mean a law firm associate has a higher chance than an LLB-pass IAS officer or judicial clerk or NLU faculty or NHRC researcher--- when the reverse was true earlier?

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/trumps-funds-freeze-hits-fellowship-for-government-officials/articleshow/118770370.cms

I’m looking to get started with freelancing as a lawyer on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. If anyone here has experience, I’d love to hear your insights.

Some questions I have:

- What legal services work best for freelancing? (Contracts, research, compliance, etc.?)
- How do you price services as a beginner?
- Any challenges to watch out for, especially with international clients?
- How do you handle legal restrictions on offering services across jurisdictions?

Would appreciate any advice from those who have navigated this space. Thanks in advance.

During our typical meaningless late night hostel conversation the topic of money in law firm vis-a-vie in-house came in. I being desirous of work-life balance was fan of in-house jobs while my friend was into law firms just for the sake of money. I remember him saying the difference in wealth between in-house counsel and partner becomes so stark that I won't be able to match my lifestyle at all if I am in in-house role. Today both of us are associates in a T1 law firm and we make good money. But one of our friends got into consulting and is making way more. Now I am thinking of going into consulting.

At the same time, I regret not going to IIT or top engineering schools when my school friends, who were below or par with me in school, made it to top engineering and B schools and make more than me (even in in-hand pay).

I remember R Madhavan who said that after reaching certain monetary threshold ( in crores ofcourse) you just stop comparing yourself. It really makes no difference how much you earn. So my question to partners at law firms is that have you stopped comparing yourselves with folks who make more than you like fellow partners, senior advocates, friends who are now in different fields etc. Does reaching a certain level of wealth stop your sighing for more?Or this comparision and sighing at greener patch continues. Be honest with answers. Thanks for taking time to read this.