Career Journey and Choices
1. Your career has taken you from the judicial service to the MRTP Commission, the CCI and then to a leading law firm. What did each of these stages teach you that you would want a law student to know today?
Each stage of my legal career shows a strong factor of mutual exclusivity amongst them. This mutually exclusive nature of my legal careers also perhaps indicated an element of uncertainty that I may have discovered later as something amiss between the selection and the performance criteria. These gaps between the criteria were forcing me to explore newer options, but without exposing myself to any potential career risk. Retrospectively, I can surely sum up now that I have learnt the legal market of India better, if not fully.
2. Students in the early years of law school often choose between litigation, judiciary and corporate practice with limited knowledge of what each really involves. How should they approach this choice, and which differences between these paths — such as the nature of the work, the pace of career growth or the kind of skills each demands — are students most likely to overlook?
In order to overcome uncertainty in selecting a career path, I think a student of law must have a strong intent to pursue a law degree. It must not be a second option after the XII standard. It must be the first option. If it is the first option, then the student has overcome the element of uncertainty. Then one needs to choose between the usual two buckets of law, one of which is civil and the other one is criminal. Besides, a lawyer must have very eloquent communication skills, undisputed ethical values, the ability to speak the truth in an amicable manner, the ability to challenge oneself with the counterfactuals of any debatable issue, and a passion to read and write a lot.
Inside the Practice
3. Over the past few years, a growing number of young lawyers and law students appear to be choosing corporate law, a field where courtroom exposure tends to be limited. How do you see this shift, and why does courtroom experience remain important, even for a corporate lawyer?
Pursuant to the response above, I believe a budding law graduate should necessarily have a comparatively better understanding of (1) an enthusiastic and engaging career path; and (2) a routine but less engaging career path. A lawyer who wears a white shirt, a white-collar band and a black coat or a long gown does not require to display her or his identity, as she or he has already arrived in the professional legal market on and from day one. A lawyer who voluntarily chooses a career path other than the foregoing does not have these universal professional distinguishing attributes. However, both career paths are inherently linked, yet the eternal satisfaction of the former continues to define the legal profession. One may argue that several legal careers are a mix of both, at least post adoption of economic liberalisation. This argument appears logical but demands multi-disciplinary acumen. Thus, courtroom exposure with multi-disciplinary acumen seems the way forward for new generation lawyers. Amidst these options, teaching law and joining the district judiciary at an early age continue to remain relevant forever.
4. The legal profession is changing quickly, with new regulation, recent technology and new client expectations. How should a young lawyer keep learning and stay relevant over the course of a lengthy career?
Resolute litigation lawyers do not retire unless they wish to do so. With newer regulatory litigations having grown, more opportunities seem to be emerging; so do corporate litigations. A young litigation lawyer may prefer to qualify the Advocates-on-Record competitive examination of the High Courts, if not the Supreme Court of India, and try to explore the possibility of getting elevated to Senior Advocate of any High Court of India at the earliest. This path too — though difficult and highly competitive — opens up enormous opportunities. Partner in a reputed law firm is a good career option, but it requires niche specialisation, as the general practice pool is too crowded.
5. Law school curricula are largely built around core doctrinal subjects. How well do they prepare students for corporate and regulatory practice? Moreover, what can students do alongside the curriculum, such as internships, research, moot courts or additional courses, to become better prepared for practice?
In free days, a law student must attend live court proceedings and take down the important oral deliberations which take place between lawyers and judges. They must note special attention to the court crafts of exceedingly good and not so good arguing counsels. There are cliched sentences and court mannerisms which counsels utter or indulge in at times, and some are liked by judges; on the other hand, some judges despise them strongly. These nuanced traits must be observed and understood. Thus, the option of observing live court proceedings must start from the level of the District Courts and gradually go upwards to the High Courts, Tribunals and finally the Supreme Court of India. This option is extremely helpful and holistic.
Skills, Reflection and Advice
6. Beyond knowledge of the law, which skills do you find young lawyers most often underestimate?
Some of the skills which a young lawyer must imbibe are, in brief, shared below:
(a) Besides law books and journals, do read reputed non-legal books and journals;
(b) Read regularly the important ratios of the High Courts, Tribunals and the Supreme Court;
(c) Acquire digital skills and support the same with updated machine systems;
(d) Remain connected effectively online; and
(e) Do subscribe to at least one or two of the best international law journals, which may have strong persuasive value in Indian courts.
7. With over forty years of experience in law and having built a distinguished career, is there a decision you would make differently if you could begin again? What did that decision teach you, and what would you tell students who face similar choices today?
First preference may be a practising lawyer from day zero, and/or a researcher and a teacher of a reputed law school of India.
8. What advice would you offer to law students who are about to begin their careers, whichever path they choose?
Be an ethical legal professional who is equally strong on the substantive and the procedural laws, sees beyond the brief of the client and prepares to undo the challenges, legally and fairly, which the opposite party may pose.
