CMS INDUSLAW has offices in two blocks, and Block D has two elevators, except one of them is almost always broken.

The other “working” elevator is literally being held by steel wires, has no functioning door sensor, and will just shut on you even if you’re standing right in front of the door.

Interns and associates have been getting stuck in it constantly, and of course, there’s basically no phone network inside the elevator, so good luck calling anyone if you’re trapped.

At this point, taking the stairs feels like the safer option. But seriously, this is a pretty major safety issue and really needs to be fixed.

This works very well for the senior leadership. Any team with patriarchal bosses will have male leadership at the top with women as second in command. These women run deals and handle teams. However, they don’t manage to reach the top due to family, motherhood, gaslighting from male bosses and various other reasons (nothing to do with competency). Also, if they have a soft leadership style they are not promoted and if they have a tougher personality then they are called toxic or aggressive. This is also the reason many women start questioning or doubting their own competences and don’t aim higher.

Hello Everyone,

I am a corporate lawyer, specialising in M&A and PE transactions, with 1.3 years of PQE and I had completed my education from a Tier-3 NLU. I have been trying to switch my job since June, with no effect. Although I had interviewed with Phoenix Legal and Khaitan & Co., things did not work out unfortunately. The main reason for me switching my job is that I have hit my plateau at my current organisation, with no more real growth opportunity as most of the times I sit free without any real mind work. Also, the pay is not as per the market standards and work is dumped at any time of the day with fake urgent timelines.

So, here I am, asking for suggestions for Tier-1/Tier-2 law firms which are hiring currently for A1 level in Delhi NCR. I would be really grateful if you can recommend me firms with real corporate, M&A and PE work, good mentorship from seniors, approachable and helpful Partners and good working environment. I know, work-life balance is a myth in corporate law, but still a reasonable balance which firms follow. Names of the partners or someone from the team whom I can approach would be really appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

CLAT topper. MALD from Fletcher. Now doing a PhD in anthro. Working on displacement of Assamese Muslims under Modi. Like a lot of serious anthropoogists, she has shed what is known as "gaze" and identified herself with her subjects (embraced Islam, changed her name and wears a headscarf).

the SAM office is terribly placed and inconveniences every single person working or visiting every day. Removing wfh when the traffic due to the construction outside office takes 40 mins minimum each day just to get out of Okhla is crazy! Apparently senior management doesn’t care also. Horrible inconsiderate behaviour

Bro, it doesn't work like that. The whole point of reservation is that marginalised groups CANNOT win, because of historical discrimination. So me NEED to compensate them, by giving reservation. Forget exams, there are enough articles showing that even dating apps are biased in favour of upper caste, fair skinned people.

Veritas as an organisation places a massive emphasis on being a "culture fit". Make sure you look the part, groom yourself properly, and use an American / South Bombay accent when you speak in English. They will hire you without any doubt. Once in, they will treat you like you are own family, and your life is made.

As someone who interviewed across firms and finally got my dream position after patiently waiting and follow up, i can tell you that you are called for multiple interviews because you are assessed across multiple parameters. You may satisfy some (or more) but final selection requires a holistic assessment, and if there are some parameters where you fall behind for some reason then it is but logical to take a proper assessed view on your candidature i.e balance positives and negatives which will need to be worked on, IF the positives outweigh the negatives. And that does take time because decision makers deal with a ton of applications. Supply and quality supply often outweighs demand. You need to be patient and keep following up. Ranting about it is not going to help except create negativity.

"The petition contends that the current five-year integrated law programmes, like BA-LLB, are excessively long, financially burdensome, and academically inefficient. It argues that the extended course duration, coupled with non-law subjects like Sociology, Political Science, History, and English, unnecessarily prolongs the students' educational journey without contributing significantly to their legal proficiency."

If this is what the Supreme Court aims to address, then 90% of NLUs will have to close down or drastically downsize.

Hey, given that it's more or less confirmed that ELP will be partially merging with Dhruva, I am really conncerned if I should intern with them, winter break.

I had interned with them earlier, it was one of the most cordial experiences, least toxic, really loved the workplace, I am disheartened by the news as well but change is the constant & apparently it's only one of the few firms with T1 practice (TL) I am interested in, so it's really a hard pass to make.

In this context, please pitch in any sort of advice considering future prospects.

Thankyou!

A DHC cement writ judgement came out predictably and we again see an embarressing amount of posts between the head of competition practice of a T1 and a competition law focused boutique head. The former is posting about a case he just participated across all TV channels ringing his bell when it was CCI lawyers that matters. Meanwhile T1 partner is screaching under the comments section, trying to prove to his wary audience he can stewerd the defense side better. Both came off as absolute ▮▮▮, particularly the T1 partner who really needs his keyboard taken away. Just a spectacle.

Can someone explain to me the procedure of high court like im 8 years old?
1. What are the steps to do in First Appeal agaist order case when there is an interim application (order 39 rule 1 and 2) along with it.
2. What are the steps in civil revision.
put it in the view of both petitioner and respondent.

Do i file vakalatnama and reply on affidavit or do I file vakalatnama then make a submission in court for filing reply?
Are all replies supposed to be on affidavit?

The google sheet we would refer to check the salaries at each level at law firms is not opening.

It is saying "We're sorry. You can't access this item because it is in violation of our Terms of Service." I read a little on the terms of service and saw that the admin of the google sheet can appeal for review. So request to the admin to try that out. If it doesn't work out, can someone who has that sheet downloaded/admin himself paste it on a new excel sheet or zoho sheet whatever works!

It honestly does not make any sense how putting out salary numbers is a violation, but yeah we gotta find an alternative as I suppose it has been down for about 3 months now.

Another day, another good-for-nothing “statement”. It is obvious that since a majority of students in any Indian public university today are themselves admitted on the basis of their caste identity through reservation, that it would therefore be only natural for them to stand in favour of their legally bestowed but ▮▮▮ ▮▮▮ privilege. For these defenders, any good-faith critique of quotas is logically impermissible. So much for critical thinking!

As the title says. I am currently working in a Boutique firm based out in NCR. I have been currently looking into various mandates and its close to non-existent for 2025 batch especially. Is the AI boom has affected the A1 hires too? Are any firms currently hiring at this moment for A1 position?

Need help and guidance from the experienced members of this community.

See links below. They now goes by the name Pakeezeh and is pursuing a PhD in Sociology at NUS. They remains committed to the Palestinian cause and other social justice causes, like human rights of Dalits. Apart from adopting the name Pakeezeh they now wears the hijab and keffiyeh in the traditional Palestinian way. In other words, their support for Palestine is heartfelt and genuine. Unlike many NLU-ites, they did not give up their support because of fear of penalties from the US, like denial of visas.

Rare example of someone who honestly sticks to their ideology.

P.S. they uses they/them pronouns, so please do not say “she”, as you have done.

https://fass.nus.edu.sg/socanth/pakeezeh-padmini-baruah-grad-student/

https://politicalandlegalanthro.org/2026/08/15/fragile-hope-in-conversation/

▮▮▮ no way you are putting caste here as well. It should just be beased on economic conditions of the student and not caste.

once one reaches NLS, their caste doesn't play a role in making them sit and study. Your caste can only give you an easy entry to NLS but not make you pass exams in the uni. ▮▮▮

Hello fellow students. I am a final year student at Tier 1 college. Day zero didn't go well. College RCC is not helping either. I have 5-6 tier 1 internship internship, all with the disputes team. My primary interest is dispute resolution. For my next internship break starting from November, have have three options as of now. Rautray & Co, Delhi for November, C&S partners, Delhi for November and Agarwal Law associates for November and December. I don't know which one to go for. Which of these firms are looking forward to hire from interns and what are the possibility of getting a full - time associate role at these places. I need to choose one of these firms for internship.

Those lands are under environmental litigation. The hostels will not be built till you graduate. However, you will probably get an accommodation on campus next year since you would be in 2nd year. The first years will be kicked out as usual. If you are from any of the PG cohorts then you will never get an on-campus acco

Imagine if Jia decides that she is tired of driving her JCB. Jia approaches a Big4 Accounting Firm (Big4 AF) and sells out to them. Her equity is bought by 4 CAs working for the Big4 AF, who also have law degrees. Before she quits, she ties up all her equity partners with penal clauses that will cause them to pay unaffordable amounts to Big4 AF if they leave on their own in the next five years. Before she quits, she also pays a decent chunk of money to her equity partners from out of the money she gets. Will this work? I think it will.

Dhruva has a wonderful work culture. Mr. DK has replicated the work culture of the small CA firm where he did his articles 40 years ago. Corporal punishment was banned two years ago! It is a snug and happy community. The Theplas served as evening snacks are worth dying for, but if you ask for more than two, you will have to do the dishes after you finish for the day.

The why did you leave dude? I am guessing that you live in SoBo, you are a litigator, your family moves in the same social circles as SAN and Sword, you inherited membership of Bombay Gymkhana or CCI or both, you didn’t have a problem that ELP paid you 25% less than comparable law firms – since money is not such a big deal and if you weren’t at ELP, you would be with a Counsel getting paid peanuts. In all probability, you are now a counsel to whom ELP occasionally sends clients and vice versa. Tell me, when the Visarjans start, do you also go off to Dubai or Bali for a week?

More than being a central University, it is the academic freedom these students have. They're free to hire folks who may not strictly meet the UGC criteria bit are quite good.

We had a good discussion with former Director of IIM Bangalore recently at NLS. He also pointed out how every Dean brought in their own ways to improvise the system. In law, unfortunately, there's a huge ceiling that stops it- BCI regulations. You can't put a practicing advocate as a teacher (except being Guest Faculty). You have to teach mnadatory courses as decided by the BCI. You have to have 60 hours per subject and so on.

The Supreme Court of India is apparently very keen on a PIL seeking “the constitution of a Legal Education Commission or expert committee comprising educationists, jurists, retired judges, advocates and professors.”

The same petition also seeks “a review of the existing legal education framework, including the syllabus, curriculum and duration of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) courses.”

It seems every Chief Justice of India has their own perspective on legal education and practice. What do you all think?

Bench of Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi, and V. Mohana

As reported in Bar and Bench on Tuesday, September 8 2026 • https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-asks-centre-to-consider-setting-up-expert-panel-for-legal-education-reforms

I’m honestly quite lost about what to do at this point.

I’m really unsure that I’m going to clear probation with how things have been going, and I have a feeling I might be asked to leave at the end of it. I obviously hope I’m wrong, but I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for that possibility.

What’s worrying me more is that I genuinely don’t know what I do after that. I was thinking of trying for another T1, but I have no idea how firms look at someone leaving exactly at the end of probation, especially after such a short stint. Would I be seen as a massive red flag? Would recruiters assume there was some serious issue with my work, or is it something that can realistically be explained as just a bad fit?

I don’t think I’m a bad lawyer, and I don’t think I’m someone who is difficult to work with. I just think maybe I wasn’t a good fit for this particular place. But I’m worried that, on paper, none of that matters if all someone sees is a few months at a firm followed by an exit.

And honestly, right now I’m much more worried about the immediate practical side of things. I have rent and regular expenses to take care of, and I don’t really have the financial cushion to be unemployed for very long. I’m completely open to taking a pay cut or taking something that isn’t necessarily my first choice. I’d be willing to look at T1s, T2s, boutiques, chambers, in-hous, honestly, anything that gives me some stability and lets me keep paying rent.

The problem is that I’m tied into my current rent agreement, and if I have to leave the flat early, I’d have to take on expenses that I genuinely cannot afford without a job. So even a short gap in employment is something I’m quite worried about, at least till my rent agreement ends.

Do you think I’m going to be at a serious disadvantage applying elsewhere because I’m potentially leaving right at the end of probation? And should I just start applying broadly now rather than waiting to see what happens?

Also, if I do start interviewing, how do I explain the short stint? I obviously don’t want to lie about what happened or badmouth the firm, but I also don’t want this one experience to become something that follows me around and makes me unemployable.

I think that’s what is scaring me the most — the possibility of getting out of here and then not being able to get into anywhere else, and ending up in a cycle where I can’t find a job but still have rent and expenses to deal with.

I genuinely don’t know what the sensible move is right now. I’m starting to panic a little, and I’d really appreciate an honest view on how bad this actually is and what you think I should be doing from here.

We've been allotted off campus accommodation 8 kms away from college, it's a nuisance, we're missing out on so many activities that take place on campus, be it events, interaction with seniors, resting during breaks etc. Does anyone know when the new hostels will be constructed?

1) The retainer fee is similar when it comes to T-1 firms (say KCO and Trilegal).

2) Tax teams are generally support teams in T-1s with a few exceptions and also smaller in size. Therefore, post the position of counsel/PA, the competition for the partner position is tougher than the general corporate teams. There are not too many partner position openings for direct tax. Hope this answers your growth question.

3) In my view, there should no longer be any doubt in anyone's mind that the concept of execution partner is a dying concept and unless you have strong books, your vertical growth is limited to counsel/PA after which you will most likely be shown the door.

4) Unless your direct tax law expertise as a lawyer is supplemented by additional professional course like CA/CS/ACCA/CFA/ or any other regarded accounting course, your journey as a lateral to inhouse/advisory tax firms will be severely impacted since most of the companies/advisory companies look for a person who is adept at compliances.

5) If you are considering litigation role in direct tax, the opportunities are extremely limited when it comes to firms. AZB, Trilegal, DMD, Vaish, and a few other firms have dedicated direct tax litigation roles. When it comes to companies, you may look at companies like Adani, Reliance, who are big enough to accommodate these specialized roles. However, the issue is that for these tax roles, the minimum required experience is 7+ years and people vying for that role are too many. The alternate is to look for chambers who take up large chunk of tax work - Mr. Aravind Datar, Mr. Percy Pardiwala, Mr. Porus Kaka, Mr. Balbir Singh. However, the expectations regarding the salary should accordingly be set as the pay can't match T1. It's abysmal for most.

6) If we consider going independent, please bear in mind that the work in tax is drying up (definitely not wanting to draw a grim picture here but speaking from experience of close to 4 years) and whatever work is there is in the hands of a few individuals since everyone is bent on undercutting each other in this area of law, even the senior advocates. The fee benchmarks which have been set are terrible. It would take close to 7 years to build a sustainable practice so I would recommend not to keep your eggs in one basket. If you have any more questions, please send a follow up.

Worked with Adwiteeya and had a very positive experience. Sharp, practical and strong on documentation. One of the few seniors who would take the time to explain the "why" and not just the "what". Demanding when required, but always fair. Learned a lot from her and would definitely recommend working with her if you get the opportunity.

Hey, I interned in his chambers, and my experience was good at the time. It has been a few years now, though. I would always recommend working there, as the work has a decent amount of variety.

They also prefer that if you are not in Mumbai and are planning to travel to Mumbai just for the internship, you don’t come and instead do the internship online. As far as I remember, no stipend was given at that time.

My suggestion would be to go and work offline if you can. I’m not sure which associates are still there, but the ones I worked with were understanding enough. Just be accountable for your work and try to learn as much as you can.

Also, to apply, you can easily find his email ID online and send in your application. I would suggest applying 3–4 months before the time you want to intern.

Really really disappointed with the HR team at trilegal. Honestly why do they even call us for interviews if they can’t provide us minor updates. I deserve to know even if they were not moving forward with my application. Repeated follows ups but not even a single response. Pathethic team!

Because most of them don't have valid extenuating circumstances like illness or death of family member/loved one. They are just lazy people who sit on their arses, doing nothing, expecting to be spoonfed. NLSIU needs a break financially from someone, might as well take it from those who think they can milk the system.

Hi all,

I'm a 4th year B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) student at Rashtriya Raksha University, Gandhinagar, looking for an internship for January 2027.

A quick snapshot of my profile:

- Interning with Trilegal (corporate practice, Sept 2026),
- Classplus/Bunch Microtechnologies (drafted commercial agreements, DPDP compliance, bonus shares/FEMA work),
- Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (NDAs, Board Resolutions, Companies Act governance research),
- Rise Legal, and as a Student Research Associate at RRU's Centre for International Law.
-
- Primary interest: Corporate & Commercial, M&A, and regulatory/compliance work (RBI/FEMA, GIFT City-IFSC).
- Open to Delhi, Mumbai, GIFT City, or remote -flexible on dates within January.
- CGPA 8.2/10, moot court and paper presentation experience alongside the above.
-

If your firm/chamber is taking interns in January, or you know someone who is, I'd really appreciate a pointer - happy to send my CV and a short cover note directly.

Thanks so much!

Lol, when it comes to biased alum, every law school has their own. Agree with most of the other points, with the caveat that other than NLSIU, standards really don't exist for NLUs anymore. NUJS is certainly worse than NALSAR and NLUD in every aspect now, be it VC, faculty, students, or infra.

I am so tired of this lazy analysis - which american firm is going to come and set up a 1000 member office in India to do Indian rate deals?

The problem is the under cutting and fee competition the firms have engaged in - domestic billing rates have hardly gone up, so naturally after few years the salary jumps will stall

I don’t know him personally, but he used to be friends with someone I know when he had just started out. Most of it is true he definitely is arrogant ▮▮▮

He’s not a nepo baby; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. He started out on his own with a very old Supreme Court senior adv. From what I know, he got most of his initial briefs through that connection. He mainly does electricity matters, interstate water disputes, and corporate work. The work he talks about on LinkedIn, through the dinners he attends and the people he’s friends with, is broadly accurate.

He’s well connected, and knows a lot of people in the city. He knows most of the family offices and also does a fair amount of cross-border work.