India and UK have finalised bilateral trade agreement. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/06/uk-and-india-agree-trade-deal-after-three-years-of-negotiations

great news for Indian off shore IT workers, they would not have to pay national insurance in the UK (which is like a national pension contribution, however, only UK citizens get paid out if they have paid in for at least 10 years)

nothing on legal services, SILF wins again, no phoren UK firms coming to India.

Hello, I have been offered an internship at Trilegal's Bengaluru office and was informed that it would be in a hybrid mode. What exactly does this mean/entail? Would I be required to go to the office more than once or twice a week? I ask because a friend of mine interned at the Mumbai office some time ago and was asked to come to the office only once a week! How does this model affect my chances for a callback and possibly, a PPO?

I don’t know how to even begin, sometimes it feels like I’ve been cursed.

I graduated from a private college in a metro city. Everything seemed fine until life started falling apart. In my fourth year during COVID, my health deteriorated drastically and I had to undergo a major surgery. It shattered not just my body, but my momentum too. My grades took a hit, and I couldn’t intern as much as I wanted to.

In my final year, just when I was trying to gather strength, my mother broke down after I lost my grandmother. She fell into deep depression. I took care of her the best I could. I started working at an Advocate's chamber and started preparing for SEBI exam, hoping to make something meaningful as I was always inclined towards corporate law, but I couldn’t clear it.

I didn’t give up. I joined an LL.M. in Corporate Law and tried to regain control. I interned where I could, took online courses, tried every possible way to upskill myself. But as if that wasn’t enough, I fell sick again. As the doctor said, I was likely infected by someone with tuberculosis. I had to undergo a full 6-month treatment.

Now, as my course is about to end, I’m scared. I haven’t been able to get a job. I don’t even have an assessment internship. I feel like I’ve done everything I could, fought through everything life threw at me, but I still feel stuck and exhausted.

I’m reaching out here, with whatever courage I have left. I would be forever grateful if you could help me. I just want a chance. A beginning.

When your parents are multi millionaires, does it really matter what job you have? I know many Jindal students who have worked at CAM etc and even done LLMs abroad, but are now doing light work that pays less: think tanks, human rights litigation, running a home bakery or fashion boutique, trading in shares etc. They have comfortable work hours and a lot of job satisfaction. They play tennis at the Delhi Gymkhana, or go to the multiplex to watch movies, almost every day. They don’t need to be working 24x7 to afford the latest BMW because they anyway can afford it. In fact, I know a Jindal guy who once told me that his tier 1 law, firm salary was less than what he was earning as a director in his dad’s company. This guy travels the whole world and posts pics on Insta.

Middle class India dreams of such a life.

Bro / Sis, I was in the exact same position at 1PQE and wanted to make a move. But here’s something I learnt the hard way: most Tier 1 disputes/arbitration teams are extremely lean, and lateral openings at the 1-year mark are very rare.

Most teams start looking seriously for associates around the 2–4 PQE range, when they need people who can independently handle some parts of the brief. At 1PQE, even with great experience, it’s tough to be slotted in because you're still being trained and Tier 1s prefer to do that with their own first-years.

I personally couldn’t shift at 1PQE either despite trying, but by the time I hit 2PQE, I had offers from 2 T1s. So, if possible, hang in there for another year. I understand financial pressures can’t be ignored, but if there’s even a slight chance you can hold off, it might make your options far better - both in terms of learning and compensation.

All the best!

I can answer this. I have worked as an Associate there after being an Assessment Intern for one month. I got hands-on experience and worked directly with clients and opposite counsels. I was allowed to interact with clients and even clients were supportive. It is a very good working place and safe. My deal was reported. Honestly, I have learnt a lot. My last pay was 45k but if I had stayed further it would have increased to 60-65k. Now, I work at another firm in Gurgaon. Your initial and ground learning will grow immensely.

The university couldn't have created a separate living space for you alone. That is not ideal but the reality. As for jobs, you are assuming that you couldn't crack your interviews because of your identity. Had that been the case, then you wouldn't have been shortlisted for any interview! Whether you performed better than your peers in any interview is your opinion and that too an uniformed one, since you couldn't have seen how their interviews had gone. Have you been prevented by the university to take part in any student activity during your time? This is not really about right to work. There are other students from your batch who have failed to get jobs from law school. They are not saying that anyone has infringed their right to work! There are hundreds of options for a law graduate who is good enough to be part of the industry. You can't possibly demand a job at a place of your choice based on your identity.

Yes, because no law school in India is going to take the trouble of arranging for special training for all the young kinds who will be intelligent enough to crack a vernacular CLAT, but unequipped to handle English law school curriculum. It's rather sad. Those kids are going to be ridiculed and bullied for no fault of their own.

Just one point on which I would like to differ though. Sudhir has over the years taken several decisions on behalf of the consortium, especially when he used to be the secretary, so it is not accurate to portray him as an innocent bystander who always gets dragged into its mess. Moreover, if he had indeed been serious enough to leave the consortium, then there is no law or judgement that currently stops him from doing so. I used to believe that the SC judgment in 2007 was binding on at least the NLUs that existed back then. However, legal opinion (sought by insiders of the consortium) has revealed that it is no longer the case. The current consortium has multiple NLUs which never existed back then and hence is not the same entity that had started CLAT. So virtually any NLU can leave the consortium right now and conduct its own entrance examination. The fact that NLUD has been doing so with impunity every year is proof of that. I do agree that Sudhir often differs from the majority opinion within the consortium, yet his personality and connections mean that rarely he has to follow such opinions. He no longer picks an open fight like he used to initially, because he's intelligent enough to save his resources for matters where those can change things in his favour. That's just how a matured administrator behaves. In fact, I would say that in the last five-six years, he's grown a lot as an administrator. I may not agree with him on everything, but it is an undisputed fact that he's the best guy for the job among all the NLU VCs at present.

People can be critical of Sudhir. Hes not a god. I would go far as to say you can be at the beginning of your career and not have published anything or taught anywhere and still criticise Sudhir. You dont need to be a genius. I suppose the question really is what is good faith criticism of Sudhir? Is it fair to argue that the man has no good publications and is not held in high esteem by academics around the world because he doesnt churn out 10 peer reviewed publications a year? I think thats rather unfair. Clearly of the lot of academics in India Sudhir is very well published, very highly regarded by his fellow academics and academics across the world, and hes done this while helming administrative responsibilities that other scholars in a similar league simply havent. Why is Sudhir being held to this higher standard when the vast majority of NLU VCs until him barely had any real scholarship to their name? when the vast majority of NLU VCs today couldnt hold a candle to the work hes done? The comparators are off. He might even pass a higher standard but no one can pass an impossible standard. Is Sudhir published enough to be the don of oxford? likely not. Is he still the best India has got? yes. Is it possible he was hamstrung in achieving all his publication dreams because of the strains that indian academia places on its professors, especially those with some administrative capacity? perhaps he did not have the resources and support that western academics have? perhaps he spent his time building the sort of insitutions that would offer other academics that sort of support? Definitely.

Its also not fair at all to diminish his work entirely. I have seen people on this forum argue that he never taught at oxford, never taught at brown, never taught at columbia, never published a decent article—obviously those statements are not credible at all and likely come from a place of vindictiveness and envy.

They are a small firm but that is the advantage, I had a great experience in learning, they are in urbtech trade centre in noida, a very good corporate tower and safe, i stayed near the office, it is a good environment, being a girl it helped me and i learnt immensely. i was offered 25,000 which i accepted. after a few months i had to shift to bangalore for personal reasons. i know other associates who were also paid 40,000 - 60,000. i will recommend

Here's the link to the profiles of the students who were selected for BCL & MUJR at Oxford, batch of 2024-25. I'm the same guy who posted the extract from the Oxford University website regarding the Ambriti Salve Scholarship.

https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/profilebook_2024-25_1.pdf

The comments here are sick and disgusting. The misogyny and jealousy of LI readers knows no bounds. Here is a 17 year old girl trying to do good and you people are hating on her. FYI her father is a science academic and Bhatnagar awardee. Her father chose to work in India on a modest salary and make a difference, rather than go abroad. And what will all of you do to build the nation? Work for CAM while spouting your ultra-woke BS??? Shame on all of you!

The hate against Jindal on LI is result of what is called "class envy": the proletariat hating the bourgeoisie.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/class_envy

First of all, Jindal students have won the lottery of life. Their inherited wealth will ensure a luxurious life for them, irrespective of the job they do. Their money ensures that they will wear the best clothes, drive the best cars and marry the most attractive people --- all with zero effort on their part. Coming to Jindal itself, the faculty at every NLU is worse than Jindal (except NLSIU), doubly so for the infrastructure and admin. Also, the majority of Jindal students do walk away with a good job (be it through merit or contacts). Also, many study abroad (because they can afford to) and settle there.

Thus, the same reason why a scooter owner may hate a BMW owner is why a non-Jindal student may hate a Jindal student.

Absolutely right. Even as someone doing a foreign LLM, I'd say you don't wanna be forking out any amount of money for an LLM (and certainly not going through that specific set of headaches and bother in transitioning from LLB to LLM) if you don't want to go into academia. Unless you're in a situation like having a training contract at a UK firm that starts after a while, meaning you have about a year to spare, really don't bother with an LLM if you want to be a practicing lawyer!

I have graduated from [NLU] ▮▮▮ and I happen to be the first openly trans student there. I was kept in the boys hostel for the entirety of time there, faced many instances of discrimination there still managed. This when I had been on HRT and had changed my gender legally. All teir one law firms are very hypocritical in the way they mention diversity. I mailed each one of them, each, none of them replied, even those who had name sake policies in place didn't. Don't confuse transgender people with gay people here, gay people aren't discriminated in the same way as no one sees their sexuality but gender is what is discriminated against. I appeared for day Zero , wasn't shortlisted . Gave multiple interviews and even when my performance was decent( comparable to my peers) I wasn't taken, some interviews I was laughed at some I wasn't taken seriously. Before you all start with the hate and all that autogynophila shit, do some research. I'm just speaking about right to work nd not even taking about usurping anyones space as the alleger claim is. These are anyways excuses, no one considers us humans, let alone equals. Some are comfortable giving alms from their window seat and whine how trans people beg nd do sex work but what when we fight our way nd graduate from top teir institutions? This is maybe the last call for help because anyways no one considers us humans nd most of you want us unalived. If you can help you can drop me a line at hopehopehope@lasthope@gmail.com

The base is 1.3 after TDS. which becomes like 17.3. Rest 3 lakhs is assured bonus on AIBE and post probation. 2 lakhs year end bonus. Even if you consider base 17.3 > 16.5 which Tri gives its freshers.

So while 22.5 is the effective salary, monthly in hand post TDS is 1.3, one of the highest if not highest barring say some boutiques.

Long long ago, once upon a time, there was a college popularly called as Manalimukku law college. The college had an outbreak of Hepatitis A that was reported in esteemed places like Bar n Bench and LegallyIndia (when it used to have a news column). The university wanted to shut the campus for all because there was a water shortage (in Kerala!!!).

We, the final year students, gave our representation before the Uni and the EC. The patriarch in the EC agreed to have classes just for us. For final 2 months, we were the only people in the campus.

TLDR: The administration used to be a little more empathatic.

Hey, I took a PPO from a Tier I and am working in comp law now. I have been working on comp law throughout law school, and genuinely speaking- look for something else. M&A, Gen Corp, Arbitration, ya IBC karlo. Way better options to move foreign and stuff and you realise just how restrictive everything is only after a couple of years. I love comp law still and I couldn't have seen myself working anywhere else, but the flaws are not worth it by any measure.

I understand this doesn't answer your question, but I needed to still post it up here somewhere and saw this.

Wow!!! If I wasn't totally blind myself, I would somehow, I am sure, have been able to respond to this answer using the emoji it deserves: the applause/clapping hands one. No words, beautifully written, hard-hitting, persuasive, totally logical. Thanks for injecting some highly desired common sense into this discussion.