So we essentially get an IIT in Kolkata now..

What about NUJS?? Maybe a push for National Importance status for NUJS? Or a funding increase? Or more land?

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/state-to-send-iiest-upgrade-proposal-to-centre/articleshow/132371286.cms

You already have CIPPE. How useful is it? It's just a nice to have certification. It won't be the sole reason you would get hired in your next role. Your work exp at this MNC would be the primary reason for any hiring managers deciding factor to hire you. CIPPE just tells 'I do upskill, if you send me a DPA I will atleast understand it'.

SQE is also like that. It just proves to some hiring managers a positive image. That too if the hiring manger is based out of London or Dubai. These days for Indian roles, hiring managers are based out of India itself.

Basis what I talked to a professor and some former Infosys interns in an around Bangalore who knows about this. Infosys Prodigy is competitive—around 1000 students have been writing this test for the past 2 years, going through multiple rounds of interviews, and they may take 10 fresher lawyers in the end. Few of my classmates and seniors have applied for Prodigy. I had my application rejected probably because they only take those who finish law school by 2026.

The salary is below industry standards, starting at just 5 to 6 lpa, and even after 2 years the pay will only be around 10 to 12 lpa. But my professor told me that the brand value your CV will have after getting in will be as good as what you would get at a tier 1 law firm or a major MNC's legal team. This role is based out of Trivandrum - which is also a disadvantage considering its a tier 3 city.

So the advice she gave is simple: work on prodigy for less than 2 years, and then go for a jump with a substantial hike.

Engineers at Infosys are also underpaid, but after 2 years they jump with good hike to other companies. As a lawyer, you would be fully eligible and have much better offers than the average engineer when you make that jump, because that 'Lawyer at an MNC' brand can open doors at other MNC companies that usually never hire fresher lawyers.

If you are considering the Infosys LPM program for a Legal Analyst role (based in Pune or Gurgaon), it's recommend to avoid it. Despite the 'legal' title, you will not be treated or valued as a lawyer; the role functions much more like a generic process executive. This is different from Prodigy exam. You will be assigned to a specific client account doing highly repetitive, non-legal tasks with very little actual legal work. Because of this, the pay is low, and making future career jumps back into other legal roles will be difficult. This above was told by an ex - Infosys Legal LPM lawyer to an intern who was there.

Man BUMP max! It has been two days of me waiting to get my query posted here. The mods have really gone to hibernation or what? I tried posting an alternative on Reddit previously but the comment was not posted by these mods. I am really not sure now if they are going to post this even or not, but such a shame.

That's the point. That's why universities prefer "safe" phd topics so that they can just throw it to any Advisor irrespective of field. I've seen Constitution law professor guide IPR scholars, Criminal law professors guide civil law scholars, jurisprudence professors guide family law scholars. There is no respect for a specialist and their niche. Look at Maritime law, majority centres like in MNLU and NLUO don't even have Maritime law professors in Maritime law centers. A taxation professor is teaching Maritime law. This is the level of legal education in India.

If you apply outside, you first mail the faculty. Then if and when the faculty approves then you apply at the University, which inturn asks the faculty if approval was given. Here all of us, irrespective of specialisation give the same entrance, and same interview and then are thrown to any random professor.

All the NLUs that opened a LLB program have absolutely dented their reputation. Started with NLS where hostels are now unavailable and faculty is teaching 100 kids. Then NLUO was worse with 50% domicile already and now their LLB batch has taken a first come first serve approach. CNLU has fights where internships and recruitment is being fought amongst students. Etc.

Look, one can't generalise. Depends from partner to partner and team to team across firms. Some will be more empathetic, others less. But yes, as a general rule of thumb, you'll fare better at law firms when you reconcile to the fact that an individual lawyer's personal troubles are not really a high priority concern for anyone. You are useful till the time you are able to bill. Harsh but true.

Ask AI this question and you will get all garbage responses about professional management and current practice leaders becoming MPs even in the large family firms. Shows the limitations of AI in understanding the Indian Lala culture.

Also this is now in a way also linked to opening up to allow foreign firms, assuming it happens in our lifetime 😝

I am doing my ba llb from lpu cause sadly I did not give any entrances. I have published a few papers and constantly write on blogs while constantly preparing for clat pg to get a llm from a good nlu for either a job or a phd futher on. I am trying out for placements in thinktanks and LPO's and in courts for for position of legal researcher. ​am I doomed. Trying my best to prep for exams and curate skills. Also if I do a llm from some nlu can I get a good job from there?

2026 pass out. I have done good internships & am in top 5 of my college ranks. did one assessment only to be told recently, hiring is frozen. I was sure I was gonna get placed. College offers no support except poorly paid no name litigation chambers. What are my possible options? I absolutely cannot settle for any any small firm given my experiences, its embarrassing and my friends have accepted very low paying offers like 15000 pm, I dont want that, thats been my stipend in the past.

No. You will get the degree of MNLU but will will be a student of NISM and it's curriculum which is unique, niche and different from MNLU LLM or other NLU LLM. It's NISM.that will bring campus placements to you as you, not MNLU.

And ig this is India's only LLM program with good placements.

https://chambers.com/articles/dll-further-strengthens-its-capital-markets-practice-with-the-addition-of-timothy-franklyn

Reviews? Looking to apply

I get the impulse, but this is kind of flattening the forest, so it is never a dangerous approach. Much better to learn boundaries and how to trust one's instincts and not treat mistakes like the end of the world. Kiss a few frogs, learn to identify control early, and invest in friendships that keep you stable through the mess. You can't police the whole world.

It’s true - wait for the confirmation to hit very soon. Agree that they are a very hardworking team but they’ve been unable to hit their targets here for the last 6 quarters. Leaving SAM was not a mistake, that team is also struggling with billables but has deeper pockets to cushion the headwinds. Interesting times

Hi , I have recently joined NUJS, .

Background - 24 y old , with science background did a year in bsc zoology after giving neet twice then dropped out to do some business and trading, joined bsc physics on the side a year later , then currently while finishing my final year gave clat as I found a lot of stuff surrounding the legal side of M&A, VC interesting, I had a liking towards the legal profession for few years but due to financial constraints and not being from a legal family I was unable to commit to it back then

Now I get that I am a older student and 2 out of 10 top firms might reject me completely on the basis of age ( cause of ageism, still I have heard that law firms don't care that much ) .

So I request anyone here if they can guide me , specially nujs alumni or any suggestion or anything on how to manage stuff , how to intern, which co curriculars would help, how is Calcutta HC( heard not good), also i have a keen interest in policy think tanks as well ( but currently more interested in the financial side of things)

PS- anyone asking why ballb, cause NUJS don't have llb, wanted to be with my single mom ( I lived in Delhi for 5 years) , plus I am more comfortable in my city,

Please moderator help

I am a symbi grad and currently unemployed. While many of my batchmates have secured jobs, many are still navigating the same uncertainty. But there is one thing I can say with complete conviction. I secured most of my internships because of the relationships I built with alumni. The college did help in few, but that was also mostly because of the alumni network.

Over the years, I had had the privilege of interacting with some exceptionally hardworking partners, principal associates, senior associates, and associates at law firms from SLS, Pune. One lesson has become abundantly clear. Your network is your social capital. Your college can open a few doors, but the relationships you cultivate determine how many more remain open.

After all, today's conversation could very well become tomorrow's client, referral, mentor, or opportunity. People invest in people long before they invest in credentials.

What genuinely surprises me is how underrated networking and interpersonal skills continue to be in law school. We spend years mastering statutes, precedents, and drafting, yet often overlook the art of building trust, nurturing professional relationships, and having meaningful conversations. In today's legal profession, being technically competent may get your foot in the door, but emotional intelligence, curiosity, and the ability to connect with people are what keep you in the room. Also, underrated is having fun at workspace, while also cracking quality and deadlines.

One thing I will always be grateful for is the Symbi alumni community. The partners, in particular, have been incredibly generous with their time, remarkably approachable, and genuinely invested in helping students grow. And also the base in UK, US and Singapore. Folks at NYU, Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. Folks securing scholarships and TCs abroad. Folks cracking deals at law firms and companies. And every symbi hustler, finding their space in this world! Perhaps that generosity is something they themselves inherited from those who came before them, and they continue to pay it forward.

You don't need to know everything. You simply need the courage to reach out, ask thoughtful questions, and start conversations. More often than not, you will discover that people are willing to help far more than you expect.

Your degree may introduce you, but your reputation, relationships, and character will carry you the rest of the way.

Shout Out to Akshay Malhotra, Gouri Puri, Abhilash Chandran, Roxanne, Nikunj Maheshwari, Anjan Dasgupta, Kunal Chandra, Neeraj Menon, Gautam Chabra, Gautam Singh and Richa Choudhary!

I live in Mumbai and have passed out of a not so notable law college and so far have only had one internship from a not so notable place. I was burned out from all the travelling i had to do during the course of this internship and as somone with a crippling social anxiety i was filled with dread over having to appear before a judge. I also think litigation demands accountability and responsibility i'm reluctant to shoulder at the moment. Having had a bad experiance i pivoted to finance and spent two years learning before i hit the wall and now i'm forced to fall back on my law degree with a substantial time and skill gap. Based on what my friends have described to me working in firms can be very challenging because of the long strenous hours. As someone who has hobbies and values personal time a lot, i'm unable to commit to this kind of an arangement because it's the very thing that made me leave law in the first place. I was wondering what maybe the best bet for me, which department shows promise of making me the most money while being relatively less demanding and keeping a healthy work-life balance?

So my question to you all is this: many a time, we go out for drinks even on weekdays and return home at 2 a.m., or sometimes between 2 and 4 a.m. The next day, we have court, early morning client meetings, discussions with our partners, and all the other aspects of a lawyer's job. On top of that, we have our own pending work that needs to be completed.

On weekdays, as I have seen many people do, they go out, drink until 3 or 4 a.m., come back, sleep for a few hours, and then head straight to the office or court. Throughout all of this, they never seem to complain about a hangover, sleeplessness, or anything else. They appear as energetic as possible, and their focus at work also seems to be very good.

Whereas I face a different problem. The moment I sit for a while, whether I am looking for case law, sitting in court while other matters are being heard, or drafting something, I just fall asleep.

So how do these individuals manage it, and what is the difference? Because I have seen many of them, a great many.

No, non-compete clauses are generally not enforceable against employees. However, employers often find other ways to create hurdles for someone joining a new firm. It is also quite common for them to contact the prospective employer and provide negative feedback about the employee. Unfortunately, this is fairly rampant across many top firms.

A prominent litigator has now sounded AI job loss alarm bells. What's next for juniors/ early career lawyers?

https://x.com/i/status/2076526634954608812

this is actually a good thing we should remain the senior designation to those who are actually deserving not that evey alternat year some 10s of 100 are getting designation it should remain previlage but DHC has really outworked themself throwing designation left right and centre

86K followers @traceyourcase

WOW

Racist country that committed a genocide against indigenous people. Shocking levels of cheating.

Yes, I support England. They may have committed human rights violations but not in the scale of the Argentinians. And they did many good things too. Their team is multicultural.

Hello to LI Readers,

This post is on behalf of associates in a tier 1 practice. This post is for senior members of the profession - those who are in the law firms.

Everyone knows what goes around in the firm and how much pressure and gross injustice is there in the firm. Some of the posts (hopefully by senior members) are very helpful in giving tips and tricks on navigating the career in law firms. I have been grateful to read those.

I wanted to reach out and ask an significant aspect which is often overlooked - the first steps in drawing boundaries or standing up for yourself is the most difficult. There is fear and anxiety around it. You may say if this is the case - then this is not the profession for you. But I am sure there are juniors who are stuck and hard working and sincere yet unable to take this first step.

What can be some helpful advice on navigating this aspect of the profession especially since any sort of boundary is heavily looked down upon and also getting to terms on the consequences that may follow.

Also, I noticed a very critical problem - most of the juniors get a solid advice that if your health is facing an issue then quit or change. But the afterward point is missing. The problem is - it is same everywhere. Setting the ground to zero and doing it over doesn't help. So any of the seniors who have navigated this please could you shed the light on such stories. What are the options genuinely available?

PS:- I would hope whoever responds to is serious and would want that there can be an honest discussion on this aspect. Just being truthful and genuinely getting some advice would actually help some of younger members of the profession. So, please if possible be truthful if you cannot just read what others have to say. Thank you.

- Around 2 hours free early morning for gym, bathing, dressing up for work and commuting.

- Around 8 hours work in office

- Around 2 hours work at home

- Maybe 1 hour free time for Netflix and reading

- Sleep at midnight

More realistic IMO than some of the reels being put up by NLU grads (college is important because NLU grads are recruited flock to law firms and it's important not to mislead them by giving a false and rosy picture).

https://www.instagram.com/varalika_mendiratta/

Almost all firms bro, and mind you these kids are super competent too because they are interning all year round so they know what market expects, unlike my T1 college that enforces 75 percent attendance and teaches useless academic subjects that would benefit future academics only.

Obtaining an LLM from a top law school abroad is a function of the same system that lets them get into a top law school in India. If these students are just as good as you declare them to be, by all means let them compete for the normal seats.

The problem with caste quotas is unfair implementation ie, creamy layer hogging the benefits. In that sense, it reeks of the same problem as NRI quotas. Among the true deserving candidates, there may be some who are not be able to compete very well at the outset - after all upliftment is an intergenerational process. But keeping them out is the real disservice.

Most of the NLUs are now introducing the 3-year LL.B. programme. For example, DSNLU, CNLU, and NLUO have already introduced it, and if I'm not mistaken, RMLNLU is also planning to do so. The problem is that they are not conducting a national-level entrance examination. If you look at the number of applicants, the response is very poor. For instance, at DSNLU, only 114 students appeared for the entrance exam for 60 seats.

Many students from the 5-year LL.B. programme are opposing this introduction because, according to them, most of the older students just come to the university, attend classes, and leave without actively participating in campus life.

Shouldn't we reconsider introducing the 3-year LL.B. programme in NLUs? After all, Prof. N. R. Madhava Menon had clearly argued that the 3-year LL.B. was not the ideal model, which is why the flagship 5-year integrated LL.B. programme was introduced. If that was the vision behind establishing NLUs, then what is the point of introducing the 3-year LL.B. programme now?

I am around 35 years old and I am having what would deem to be depression, burnout and absolute lethargy. I've tried everything. Taken a long vacation. Gone some place away alone. Completely cut off ties with toxicity. Yet I just can't seem to feel the same enthusiasm and joy in this field anymore. It has nothing to do with law as a field, where I could jump offices, firms or chambers. I just need to quit. But what happens when I do ? What do I do ? Atleast now I have a steady source of income. What next without a job ? And once you're out, it's difficult to get back in. I had friends who took a 6 month break for health, family, birth etc and they're all suffering since they can't get back in the work force. What do I do ? This is so depressing. Anyone ?