My view of the future is this, for Indian law firms. Our market is still so nascent, we are, in crudely comparative terms, akin to the American and English legal industry in the 1940s-1950s. Financial engineering the likes of which prompted the rise and importance of commercial law firms in the US and England is only beginning to happen in India today. My assessment is that there is massive headroom in the market in terms of space for law firms and lawyers to grow. Vis a vis AI and LLM, the lawyers role will shift to much higher order thinking skills, and the lawyers will be freer to do more strategic thinking. Think of it like the SCCOnline and Manupatra of our generation, which democratised the profession of law.

Why I feel AI or LLMs will never replace lawyers (maybe slightly reduce the need for so many, but that is still debatable in the Indian context where our economy is booming at an unprecedented rate, and when economy grows, lawyers grow) is that law as a profession is regulated and borne out of the need for subjective decision making, taking calls, and at the end of the day, someone to take the fall or someone to 'certify' certain aspects. In this regard, law really distinguishes itself from other pursuits such as engineering or management, where a lot of decision making is largely objective. Objective decision making is the first of decisions which will be replaced with AI/ LLMs. Even for law, completely objective or purely language based tasks, such as summaries or list of dates, or checking volumes of data for specific dates, or straightforward compliance requirements in bare acts will be easily replaced and are already being replaced with AI. But for things like structuring, which needs much higher order thinking, subjectivity in taking certain calls (such as, would a 49% subsidiary violate FOCC restrictions in combination with other factors), humans will continue be relevant. At the end of the day, it also largely depends on what us humans, collectively, are comfortable delegating to a machine. My personal belief is that law, with ramifications for violating it, will never be fully machine run or led. I mean sure, the in house counsels and A0s will churn out shitty drafts using AI, but hey, that doesn't change much for higher ups in the law firms.

Don’t know why this post has only two comments. But the legal profession will reduce in size by atleast 50 percent in the next 4 to 5 years if not more. Clients or companies are price sensitive, not only that, they are aware of what AI has gotten to the legal profession. Tier 1 firms are charging peanuts to maintain clients. When I say peanuts I mean peanuts. The ones that may survive are the ones on the top of the pyramid. That’s that.

I'm a recent graduate of 2026 batch of NUJS. I have kept important stuff in my college email ID. Wanted to check if I'll have access to my ID forever or for considerable period. Are the emails IDs of 2020 and earlier batches still active? Further, are even the email IDs if 2015 and earlier batches active?

I have been reading up on the history of the legal profession in India since I find it fascinating how the Bar was made of multiple different strands (barristers/advocates, attorneys, vakils etc) before it was finally unified through the Indian Bar Councils Act, 1926. I recently read 'The Legal Profession in Colonial South India' by John Paul (Oxford University Press), an excellent book which closely follows the fortunes of the vakils who practised before the Madras High Court.

Paul's book made me wonder whether there are any similar books on the Bar of the Bombay High Court. I know that Chapter 1 of Abhinav Chandrachud's 'An Independent, Colonial Judiciary' does touch upon this to a certain extent but I would like to read a much fuller work on the subject. An article published by the Bombay Incorporated Law Society on its centenary (see: https://bils.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Brief-history-of-the-bombay-incorporated-law-society.pdf) is somewhat illuminating but it is even more light on information than Chandrachud's book.

While I am interested generally in the history of the Bombay High Court and its Bar, I am particularly interested in 1) the history of the dual system (counsel-attorney) which existed before the OS and the reasons behind its persistence till 1976 when it was finally done away with, and 2) competition among Parsis and non-Parsis regarding the practice before the OS. Unfortunately, I think it highly unlikely that there is any written material on the second point (though I am well aware that rich oral histories of this rivalry have been passed down to lawyers currently practising before the Bombay High Court). In any case, I would greatly appreciate it if anyone would be kind enough to point me towards any relevant material.

Thanks in advance!

Old news. He has close links to the new CM. Another Symbi is DSG in Cal HC, Dhiraj Trivedi. Yet another Symbi is Jishnu Chowdhury who recently handled sensitive ECI cases in Cal HC. This is interesting because till recently he was Green beneficiary although "technically" independent and not an apparatchik.

this is your time to try working in different fields of law to figure out which niche you like the most. not having a job lined up may sting right now but wouldn't you rather take the time to figure out what you actually want to do to end up there in the future rather than just chasing whatever job has most prestige/pays better

Actually that's a trick question because most people today do both, wash rear before and after the business. Exactly what law is all about. It changes your worldview and your personal beliefs or opinions or habits are always subject to change or correction. Twitter is one of the finest place to learn law to be honest and to ask who should one follow on twitter to learn law is anything but mundane. I've ranted out for the day, so see you all tomorrow.

Intern with Judges.

Having internships will not retract or inhibit you from giving the exam. The aim should be to do both. Merely giving the exam and even securing a rank may not prove useful in the ultimate prospect of securing a clerkship. Post the exam, whether you get placed in a judge's office is dependent upon a lot of factors, and just clearing the exam isn't one of those factors. Usually the experience of the candidate is one metric by which people who have cleared the exam are shortlisted and placed with judges. It plays an important role in interviews but again its not a sure shot guarantee either. Lastly, if you have internships at least at the Supreme Court, you have fair idea of vacancies and the judge(s) themselves might be familiar with you and thus, more open to keeping you.

For Judicial Clerkship previous internship with Judges matter only to the extent of making connections with them. So that after you graduate, you can ask them to keep you under them, or recommend to some other Judges.

With regards to SC Clerkship (Exam One), the process is very tedious/ambiguous, but the first step is clearing exam for which you can prepare. The rest would depend on how you fill preference and how actively/honestly the Hon'ble Judges choose the candidates.

With regards to HC, each High Court has their own way of selection. Infamously some HCs just to their respective NLUs and ask CVs, and sort them and call for interviews later on. Some have exams, some have rolling applications, some have no structure at all, leaving everything on the lordships.

The entire process be it SC/HC/District Courts is ambiguous. The best way to go about is to find information relating to the court which you want to target. SC's process is the most transparent of them all (which tells you a lot about this entire process). Anyways, you shouldn't be banking on this as a definite career option, as a lot of crowd is here.

But doing internships is still a good idea, provided you build connections. (Because sometimes instead of interning under the Judge, you're interning under his/her Law Clerk).

Let him crack CLAT first, NLU’s are not great environments for neurodivergent folks, they lack basic facilities and your child will be living alone with no support systems, a toxic and stressful environment that is exceptionally hard. Would recommend enrolling your son in a good university close to home.

There's a thing I keep noticing at our legal events. The book launches, the conferences, the felicitations. The same legal journalists are always there, camera ready, chatting with the seniors on the dais, getting photographed with them. And then two weeks later the same person writes a glowing piece about the same senior. Nobody finds this odd anymore. Coverage now depends on who you're seen with. If you're close to the journalist, you get written about. If you're not, you don't. Merit barely comes into it.

My simple question is this. Why does legal journalism here have no disclosure rules at all? A reporter can attend a firm's event, take its hospitality, befriend its partners, and then write admiringly about that same firm, and the reader is never told any of it. And honestly we lawyers are part of the problem. The seniors chasing friendly coverage, the chambers counting column inches, we invited this in ourselves. The juniors with a real practice but no PR budget stay invisible, while the ones who know how to work a camera get all the attention.

I'm not saying every journalist is compromised. Some keep their distance and earn their bylines fairly, and that's exactly the point, you can't tell them apart anymore. So next time you read a flattering piece on some lawyer or firm, just ask yourself, is this reporting or is it placement?

Pay: depends on position but usually they come reasonably close to Tier 1 pay. (At least for freshers)Work Culture: Really good, people are generally friendly and nice - except when deadlines are nearby. 2 days a week WFH and no need for formal clothes. Weekends - no need to come to office.

Timings: Usually from 10:00 to 7:00 but some guys stay for longer.

PS: There are 3 interview rounds and they take sometime to schedule them. Also, the rounds are kinda hard - atleast it was for me.

But overall pretty solid place to work, a lot of the seniors here are ex Tier 1s such as NDA and SAM.

I would appreciate hearing from lawyers currently working in Tier 1 law firms, particularly those in corporate, M&A, PE, banking & finance, capital markets, or other transactional teams.

I have around one year of experience in litigation, with my work primarily involving disputes and tax litigation. My internships during law school were also largely litigation-focused and were with Tier 2 firms rather than Tier 1 firms.

I am exploring the possibility of transitioning to a corporate team at a Tier 1 firm. However, my profile has a few obvious gaps:

- No Tier 1 internships.

- No direct transactional experience.

- Only limited academic exposure to corporate law during law school.

- No specialised corporate law certifications.

My main question is this:

Have you personally come across anyone who started their career in litigation and later successfully moved into a Tier 1 corporate team?

If yes, I would be grateful to know:

- At what stage of their career they made the switch.

- What helped them overcome the lack of corporate experience.

- Whether firms were willing to train them from scratch.

- Whether they first moved to a smaller corporate practice before joining a Tier 1 firm.

I would appreciate candid views on how realistic such a transition is in today's market and whether there are practical steps that can improve the chances of making it happen.

Thank you in advance for any insights.

Do lawyers in India also face the same problem when looking for a partner or spouse. Would be great to have your perspective. Let’s hear your thoughts on this.

https://www.news18.com/viral/39-year-old-lawyer-earning-rs-2-crore-says-she-cant-find-a-match-matchmaker-reveals-why-video-10128952.html

NLSIU
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1. NUJS
2. NALSAR
3. NLUJ
4. NLUD
5. GNLU

### 1. National Law School of India University (NLSIU)

Why #1:

- Only South Asian law school to win the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition twice (1999, 2013).
- Jessup is generally considered the most prestigious public international law moot in the world.
- Historically dominant across multiple international moots and consistently produces deep runs.

For sheer prestige of victories, NLS is hard to beat.

---

### 2. West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)

Why #2:

- Won the Willem C. Vis Moot twice (2003, 2020).
- Only Indian university to achieve that feat.
- Won the John H. Jackson WTO Moot twice (2010, 2015).
- Won Stetson International Environmental Moot in 2005 and 2023.
- Strongest breadth of elite international moot victories among Indian law schools.

Honestly, one could even argue NUJS at #1 if the metric is overall international moot success rather than prestige of a single competition.

---

### 3. NALSAR University of Law

Why #3:

- Jessup world Top 8.
- Multiple Jessup international rounds appearances.
- Won Vis Moot Vienna.
- Won Monroe Price Media Law Moot at Oxford.
- ICC Trial Competition runner-up twice.
- Dominated India's Mooting Premier League in its early years.

NALSAR's record is extremely deep, but it lacks the "twice world champion" achievements that NLS and NUJS possess.

---

### 4. National Law University Delhi

This is where things become controversial.

NLUD's mooting culture exploded after 2010:

- Strong performances in Jessup.
- Strong Manfred Lachs (space law) record.
- Consistently fields competitive international teams.

However, because NLUD is much younger (2008), its historical trophy cabinet is not yet comparable to NLS/NUJS/NALSAR.

---

### 5. National Law University Jodhpur

This may surprise people because NLUJ has historically been a mooting powerhouse.

Its strengths:

- Strong performances in trade law moots.
- Deep tradition in international law and WTO-related competitions.
- Regular appearances in elite international competitions.
- Hosted the WTO John H. Jackson regional rounds and has a strong reputation in international trade law.

The problem is that it lacks a signature "world title" equivalent to NLS's Jessup wins or NUJS's Vis wins.

---

### 6. Gujarat National Law University

GNLU has produced excellent mooters and occasionally phenomenal teams, but historically it has not accumulated the same level of iconic international victories as the institutions above.

If NLU(s) were to be nationalized, which NLU(s) will be nationalized first ?
NLS and NUJS should be the first as CJI is their chancellor. Others don't have this benefit. (Maybe finally NUJS can do something of their campus lol)
NLUD probably as well because they are in the capital.
Amit shah might as well push GNLU for nationalization.
NALSAR might be able to use their NIRF 3 to procure nationalization at the earliest.

Rest I don't see any other NLU worth of being nationalized/at the forefront of nationalization right now.

https://www.barandbench.com/Law-School/rmlnlu-filed-renewal-application-late-paid-less-misled-public-bci-on-law-schools-lapsed-approval

Does this qualify as cheating? Shouldn't the consortium expel such law schools?

The advice is being given during litigation to start fresh litigation. We just had the client telling us they briefed the T1 firm. T1 now backtracked and said follow senior advocates advice.

It is obvious that some folks in T1s are trying to make fresh work to the commercial detriment of the clients themselves. You guys need to leave your egos and start calling a spade a spade.

I wish some folks here were around for the clients feedback on this. This wasnt some dumb cheap client; this is a client looking at USD 500 - 750 million valuation in this economy.

This is earning lawyers collectively a bad name. I would gladly refer clients to T1s but I would be careful which partner oversees the work and does the work. T1 badge is losing sheen.

NFSU sets new standards with its 'education through research' motto.

https://education.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/higher-education/national-forensic-sciences-university-sets-new-standards-with-motto-education-through-research/131582615

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/national-forensic-sciences-university-sets-new-standards-with-motto-education-through-research20260607124258/

This article by Shashi Tharoor pretty much sums up the reality. Why such movements are bound to fail.

https://x.com/Rajmalhotrachd/status/2062374692292329499

From an article in Frontline, in response to MG's nomination:

First, in 2023, her decision to represent the RSS in the Supreme Court drew widespread criticism. Appearing alongside Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, she opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s refusal to grant permission to the RSS to conduct route marches in the State. Justice V. Ramasubramanian, who was heading the two-judge Bench, was reportedly caught by surprise and remarked, “I thought you were appearing for the other side.” ...

It is also worth noting that Guruswamy possesses significant social and economic capital. As one of the country’s leading advocates, she had the agency to decline a brief for an organisation whose core ideology stands in direct opposition to the queer liberation she represents.

In another instance, when the Telangana government decided to auction 400 acres of forested land adjacent to the University of Hyderabad for the construction of IT parks, Dr. Guruswamy’s role again proved controversial...

Defending the State’s stance in the Telangana High Court, Guruswamy backed the government and submitted a preliminary report on behalf of the police, alleging that the case was being distorted through fake news which, she argued, was “being used to break up the social fabric". She sided with the State against a grassroots environmental struggle led by students....

Beyond the individual, one must also examine the Trinamool Congress, the party that nominated and successfully elected Guruswamy to the Rajya Sabha. ...

https://frontline.thehindu.com/politics/tmc-menaka-guruswamy-lgbtq-rajya-sabha/article70734784.ece

No, the article is not pointless. The point is that this is not just the motto of any institution, but of THE premier law school in India that pioneered social justice education and awareness of the relationship between law, policy and caste. In this context, NLSIU can genuinely be called the Harvard of the East, much ahead of neoliberal Asian law schools in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan etc. These law schools are conformist factories for capitalistic law firms. You will struggle to find Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea etc producing social activists who challenge the bourgeois capitalist class in these countries. Even the Hong Kong law school protesters are petit-bourgeoisie who want one-party capitalism replaces with multi-party electoral capitalism, that's all. Ironically, it took NLSIU to produce a Lawrence Liang instead of these East Asian countries!