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thank me later.
Don't even compare these corp lawyers to top counsels. nobody knows corp lawyers but everyone knows the likes of AMS, et al.
https://www.barandbench.com/news/west-bengal-sir-supreme-court-says-will-not-tolerate-allegations-on-integrity-of-judicial-officers
2. I think the team is about 10-12 people. Team is super top heavy and there is barely any assistance at an associate level but overall they work well together. Toxicity is subjective and there are teams which are definition of toxic.
3. Correction - There are 3 JP’s: 2 JP’s in NCR and 1 in Mumbai. The 2 JP’s in NCR are wholly dependent on Manmeet. Not sure about the Mumbai JP - have never seen or interacted with him.
4. Very long working hours but it is because they actually have work. Sometimes the team stays back long hours for the partners to get free to discuss.
5. Accommodative despite the quirks
Remember you get brownie points if you share (or pretend to share) mutual hatred to those people/firms on the hit list of the partners.
Practice Hr qs by giving mock interviews. Read IE/TH/The mint for your GD.
I know the assessment cycle has just started for the latter but the PPO scene of the former isn't promising at all.
This is serious and urgent.
But there is one thing I can’t understand. First she says the lawyers are haughty and ask the Dalit lady to bring them water instead of fetching it themselves. One day, when Indira asked the lady to fetch her water, the lady said you are the only one drinking something fetched by me.
Doesn’t the second statement contradict the first? 🤔 If the lawyers actually practice untouchability, wouldn’t they bring their own water or fill it themselves?
I don’t understand this bit.
https://x.com/scribe_it/status/2031250769933119937/
You should only compare AMS’s pure commercial practice when you compare with Ashwath or Cyril or Zia. That is a fair comparison. AMS could still be ahead, but the margin will reduce significantly.
Or does he take up a lot of cases that are politically sensitive hence tougher to win?
Not randoms on legally india saying Sibal is overrated bro what even. Atleast have some concept of self awareness lol
If everything combined is a positive and there is vacancy in the office, you will get a PPO (most of the times).
GNLU…. Campus far away (but metro connectivity is there)…. Students are comparatively docile and compliant…. Well funded institute… 50 acre campus shared with Gujarat Maritime University…
The team has not been very inclusive in considering diverse views on the issue and has dismissed several perspectives, partly due to the internal politics surrounding the individual involved. It is interesting that while students organized the event, the professors showed little effort to ensure that the issue was examined in a more holistic and balanced manner. The convenors should be more mindful that such external influences are not encouraged.
Regarding the extent to which 1st generation lawyers can leave their mark on the Bar, I know many such lawyers who have established a lucrative practice (though perhaps not as lucrative as could be), some years after joining the Bar. A good reputation cannot be gained overnight and takes a few years to develop. Of course, there will always be exceptions. Thomas Erskine famously went from an impoverished lawyer known by nobody to the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. His skill was such that he immediately made a name for himself at the Bar. Is this likely to happen to you, presumably then a bright and hardworking greenhorn, a few years down the line? Such a meteoric rise cannot be ruled out in India, as is shown by Palkhivala, but the chances of this happening are slim to none unless you have extraordinary talent or get tremendously lucky. You can expect to become a well-known name with a lot of hard work, time, and some luck. However, reaching the greatest heights of the profession is difficult in India for a 1st generational lawyer due to structural reasons (this chapter should be enlightening: https://luminosoa.org/chapters/m/10.1525/luminos.110.f).
I would say take the gamble. You are more likely to win than lose if you are truly committed to the Bar. It will definitely not be easy but most good things in life are not easy to get.
As to your statement on "But DPDP is creating a whole new regulatory and adjudicatory framework. The Data Protection Board will need representation. Firms will need people who understand how compliance actually works inside companies. So can this be different from the usual one way situation?"
I understand the optimism that comes with the DPDP Act and its rules. However its pertinent to note that India is likely to not see a "privacy wave" as was seen in law firms when the GDPR was implemented in India. The GDPR only resulted in a huge wave because the EU was adamant in pushing the GDPR despite a huge Big-Tech pushback. The CJEU and the respective DPBs of every member state are extremely proactive in fining companies for privacy violations. Additionally, the GDPR is comprehensive and when I mean comprehensive, I mean extremely detailed to the extent that several gaps within the DPDP have solutions that can be found in the GDPR or privacy jurisprudence from the EU. This comprehensiveness and proactiveness essentially translates to the requirement of a workforce that can understand the GDPR and its recitals which ultimately resulted in the law firm privacy wave in the EU. In comparison, India's DPDP is pretty simple, its rules straightforward. In fact it seems so simple that people think it is vagueness that gives rise to this simplicity ( You can keep things short by not explaining stuff). Secondly, looking at how the specialised bodies such as the CCI and TRAI have operated in the past, there's no guarantee that the DPB in India would be proactive in its approach. What this translates to is unpredictable hiring. Law firms will only take Data privacy seriously if their clients took it seriously, the clients will take it seriously only when the Government takes data privacy seriously. Right now the DPDP isn't exactly operative, so there's no knowing how it would also progress in the years ahead. Don't play a hunch based on the DPDP. For now, owing to its infancy, data privacy forms a subset of Technology, Media, and Telecommunications. Explore other laws, fintech is growing well, there's slow but steady growth on AI mandates. Telecom is also a hard but lucrative field once you crack it.
Personally, I'd say you have a greater chance at shifting into a team that primarily does GC with TMT work on the side because that essentially what in house counsels do. All the best!!
This is quite daunting as you yourself pointed out. However, I don't think you should worry too much. It doesn't take long to start earning if you are in a good chamber and not afraid to take up small matters on your own. Luck necessarily plays a role in determining how soon you can start earning a comfortable sum on a monthly basis, but I would say that a willingness to work hard goes a long way in shortening the initial period of struggle. Keep in mind that the period of time it takes for you to start your independent practice is not the same period it takes for you to start earning a decent sum of money. The latter is necessarily shorter than the former since nobody would even think of going independent unless they have a decent base of clients/briefing counsel.
I would suggest not relying too much on the time it took others to go independent. Every person is different in terms of abilities and privilege. Just remember that it is almost a universal truth that the reward for good work is more work. You won't have to eat sawdust without butter for long.
It's no surprise that 2nd and 3rd lawyers have it easier in litigation because of the connections and clientele built over generations, along with the prestige of past generations. But what about 1st gen lawyers? Do they really not make it big in litigation?
Guide me a little here, because from what I see, corporate is arguably a safer option for someone looking for job security and decent pay, something not guaranteed to you as a 1st gen lawyer in litigation...You come across tons and tons of posts and instances with people barely surviving on 10-15k a month in tier 1 cities. But is that all one can hope for? Personally, looking at the working conditions of corporate life has never been lucrative to me. Is entering litigation as a first gen not worth it?
What I'm really asking is, what makes a difference? What can make a 1st generation lawyer stand out in litigation, and is it even possible to get to the level of other advocates and their prestige? If so, how?
1. How is the work and practice?
2. How large is the team? Is the team toxic?
3. How are the 2 JP’s under him in NCR? Do they only execute or do they run their own practice under Mr. Singh’s umbrella?
4. There is a lot said about the abnormal work hours and expectation of being available in office on weekends - Any truth to it?
5. General tantrums are expected but is there anything out of the ordinary?
This surely puts forward a question, how much do these best advocates of our country pay their junior?
There's way more nuance to it. There are different sides of the HC - you cannot have a single lawyer claim the "no 1" position blanket across. Would Sibal be a good choice for a criminal matter, for instance? Or a mat. appeal? Definitely no. Is he the "no 1" on the IP or commercial side? Debatable. Top tier, sure. But you cannot have a "number one" like that in real life.
https://www.lawctopus.com/internship-in-edulji-and-edulji-law-offices-kolkata/
There is both?
Just want to know
1. His father was a senior advocate and an MP of Parliament. He comes from wealth, so this wealth is not the result of toil in one generation.
2. He is/was a sitting MP himself with deep connections in political and corporate circles, which helps him earn more than possible ways - brokering deals, getting good deals/investment options at a cheap rate.
3. His father's connections helped him become one of the youngest Senior Advocate of our times, plus he also rose from the backing of the Rajasthan Bar lobby.
4. His investments must have compounded to help him amass such wealth.
That said, please understand that he has, through his sheer talent and hard work, reaped the benefits of all the privileges available to him. He is one of India's finest litigators at present and a sitting MP who also fulfils his political duties. For me, personally, he is at a zenith of functioning, which is very difficult to achieve for mere mortals like us and no doubt an inspiration for the younger generation.
But my question was about law firms
My worry is simple, after 2-3 years of privacy compliance work in-house, can I realistically move to a law firm's TMT, privacy litigation teams? Or does in-house basically kill your chances with firms?
I get that in-house to law firm move is hard generally. But DPDP is creating a whole new regulatory and adjudicatory framework. The Data Protection Board will need representation. Firms will need people who understand how compliance actually works inside companies. So can this be different from the usual one way situation?
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been in DP/privacy roles (in-house or firm side). Which firms are even serious about building privacy practices right now? Thanks.
Employment
Tech Media Telecom
Disputes
Not so good ones
Cap Marks
Antitrust/Competition
For high court practice, knowing the regional language ofcourse helps and not knowing it puts you at a disadvantage. But knowing regional language for this level certainly is not a sine qua non.
For lower courts, you cannot survive without knowing the regional language.
For law firm / in-house roles, doesn't matter if you don't know the regional language.