Before working for Angel Broking, you worked as an Associate at Bharucha & Partners. How different it is to work for a Company than for a Law Firm?
It varies drastically. While in full service firms like Bharucha & Partners your work exposure is in accordance to the team you have joined and the assignments undertaken by your Partner; on the other hand as an in-house counsel your work exposure is in accordance with the nature of industry you opt. While the work environment may significantly differ, both places have their own perks to offer. At Bharucha & Partners, I had an opportunity to work under Mr Justin Bharucha. Irrespective of my short experience of working under him, I gained vast and I am grateful that I did. Does that experience help you as an in-house? Well yes it does and I do implement them as needed. Albeit as an associate you still work for companies, your relationship remains that of a lawyer and a Client with each of them. However, that is not the case when you work for a company. As an in-house, your work is more focused and equally diverse when it comes to dealing with various aspects that a company may need your input upon. As a lawyer, you still have to use your legal acumen and skills, with the only difference that now since you are working with several expert departments, your approach and application will have to be adjusted accordingly.
You have had internship experiences at J. Sagar Associates, Angel Broking and The Kraft Heinz Company amongst others. Do you believe law students should look for diverse opportunities or in one particular field only?
There is no one way. A lot of students (including me at one point in time) are uncertain of the field and, or vocation they would like to join post-graduation. While 5 years of law school is a long time to figure out your interest(s), I believe one should really try to explore before calling it a yes. As far as I am concerned, my interest as a law student was in everything and all subjects that my law school curriculum had to offer. Therefore, I made sure, that where on one hand I was gaining industry experience through my internships at places where I wanted to intern, on the other I was dedicating my time in University sponsored research fellowships, minor research projects and summer courses so as to cater to my interest in the field of public international law, human rights and international relations. Nevertheless, once you are certain that its north (or south) where you want to walk, you must prepare accordingly and then not wander.
From being a President of Student Association to Chairperson of Center for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, you possess leadership qualities. How has this been beneficially in your career?
Leadership quality is not in posts and I did not start as a President of the student body. Let's look at it this way - I started as a volunteer in one of the many events that our robust student body uses to organize. I scaled my way up in each committee, club and center that I worked for thereafter and made sure that I left a ‘brand me’ in everything I did. I had illustrious learning experience with my predecessors and much of what I learned was when I was still a volunteer. Did posts help? Well yes it did. As a President (Prez we use to call it) I had an opportunity to interact with students of diverse backgrounds and interests across batches. I had a chance to execute what I learned through years of volunteer-ship and on a scale larger than before. I got opportunities to think through and brainstorm on problems that students faced, bridge it and put best policies in place. I was administering and not just leading. I worked on organizing events (including literary fest, cultural events, international conferences, expert workshops et cetera) often multiple at a single point in time. Having said that, there was one thing that I continued till the last of my law school life irrespective of what position I had an opportunity to serve from and that is, I continued to be a volunteer.
Does the experience help? If not only on CV, your experience of working with a diverse set of people, planning and executing carved out plans, a confidence that ‘Yes, its possible’, working on high stress altitudes and art of prioritizing aids you in unimaginable ways. One must make best use of what the law school has to offer.
You achieved a Gold Medal for Academic Performance in your college. What approach and study method did you follow in order to excel? Has this helped you while applying for jobs?
I was in the first batch of merit scholars that ILNU introduced in 2014. While I was required to maintain a certain percentage to uphold my scholarship, I studied for my own sheer interest. We used to study in groups. There were times when 1 student used to teach 20 others (all crammed into a room of a boy's hostel). I remained an attentive student in class, if not the one who took all notes. I took active participation in classroom activities, focused on internals and tried to understand what the teacher was expecting as the answer to a specific question in examination. While there is no single approach, taking most from the 45 minutes class and relying on what you read can be a good start. I am not certain as to how your gold medal will be taken by the interviewer or what difference it will make in later days of your career as a professional, but good grades do help you in sitting for some Tier-I firms during placement season. [On a lighter note, one must look for his own modus operandi, because in practicality the principle of one size fits all may leave people panic-stricken in wee hours. Hence, try knowing what works best for you.]
Do you believe coming from a Private Law College and not a National-Law University creates a major difference while applying for internships and jobs?
At the time when I joined ILNU, not many batches had graduated before us and this was a question that many of my peers had been asking. One of our professors Ms Sharita Aptly replied, ‘How about building yourself as a brand’. We must acknowledge that private law colleges in India that came into existence much later than National Law Schools had their fair set of challenges but those challenges had led to a fair competition which in turn helped us grow faster and brighter. Looking at my law school, I see our alumnus placed in the best law firms and companies, international organizations, research centres, clearing judicial services, practicing as advocates across India, progressing in their independent ventures by defeating biases, if at all they existed. It is then that we need to ask, ‘Has being a student of a private law school with merely a decade of existence stopped these students from being a brand in themselves’. Clearly not. In the field, what really matters is the grit, dedication and skill that a student has to offer and I never saw a private law school student lagging in it just because he comes from a private law school. If at all you come across an instance or multiple instances of discrimination from a person or institution, certainly, it should be you to move out of the quagmire of irrationality. I understand that till the time you focus on building yourself as a brand, you would not only help yourself immensely but also the institute that you’ll call ‘your alma mater’.
How far do you believe building connections with experts and seniors is important for a law student or a graduate?
As our professor used to put it ‘your strongest network is your college alumni base’. Law school offers you a chance to get in touch with 4 senior batches when you enter and 4 junior batches when you leave, and this is in addition to what your own batch has to offer. A simple thought to it will make you understand that if you are in touch with your seniors, you’ll not only be abreast with market demands but will be richer by their personal experiences. At the same time, the importance of being in touch with your succeeding batches is unparalleled as they keep you updated with the ever diversifying areas of opportunity that law as a discipline has to offer and the latest development in the separate fields.
Categorically, your alumnus of today is an expert of tomorrow. Your connections with experts in the field is undoubtedly beneficial and more importantly ‘the need’ of your professional life. Your connections add richness to your experience.
Also read- In conversation with Managing Associate Vibhav Mithal, Anand & Anand
Also read- The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure
0 Comments