A guidance which I was given by a senior partner and which I have found to be vital is that you should never go to a BD meeting with the objective of getting work out of it, but rather just to build relationships. Of course you should talk about what you can bring to the table for them but don't make the client feel like you are only there to extract work at all costs from them.

Another suggestion is that you should never ignore existing clients. Maintaining relationships is as important as making new ones.

Hi, I am a second year law student at a tier-1 college. I am very confused as to how to start writing for the sake of publishing. Before you get started on how I should not write solely for the sake of publishing stuff, please hear me out. There are certain subject matters that I am interested in, e.g. competition law. I have to a certain degree kept up with news and developments in the field. I have written 16 term papers so far at law school - however, these were always on an assigned topic. I don't want to get any of them published, because most of them are social sciences and I want to rather work on a legal subject. My term paper on legal subjects are not exactly topics of contemporary significance, so again I don't see any merit in working on them.

My real trouble is I don't know how to figure out what to write on. Like how do you figure out where to begin searching for research gaps? Can someone please guide me? Thank you.

I shifted from IPR to Data Privacy and do not regret my decision. I was specifically dealing with Trademark Prosecution and Opposition, and I got quite mundane for me. No disrespect to IP Lawyers, but I felt the kick is in IP Litigation, rest of the work is somewhat clerical, with your regular standard case-laws, already written write-ups for oppositions and FERs, and mostly hanging around sec 9 & 11. I realized this is not my calling and had interest in Data Privacy. I started reading about it, wrote a couple of articles and got thorough with GDPR (only around 100 sections), pulled some strings and got an in-house interview with one of the biggest IT companies in the World. End goal is getting into a law firm after learning for 1-2 years over here. I wish you the best, TMT practice and specifically Data Privacy is relatively new in law firms, but it will grow with time. Career options are after getting a deep understanding of this law, you can easily segway into in-house (saw people working and heading data privacy teams at Vistara, Mastercard, etc.), Big 4s also have advance teams than law firms for privacy at the moment, or you can even get into hardcore tech litigation, an example could be joining the chambers of Apar Gupta or similar tech lawyers in India.

I work with a recruiter and we checked what is up with the people who joined Bharucha in 2023, turns out most of them had left in the initial 6-9 month period. Many went to better firms, some went to litigation. Moreover a lot of people at positions of pqe4 and+ left the firm. Similar trend with associates hired in 2022.

I'm sure not everybody wants to just be at T1 after 6 months of joining a well established firm that pays decently. What goes wrong?

Apart from AZB and KCO, it's a graveyard practice for lawyers at Big law. Most clients are referrals from corporate Partners and the billings are low. ASJ and MAC have some CAs who do tax support services for corporate matters. MAS has a decent Indirect Tax practice but toxic DT practice .Try is also extremely toxic and poor quality work. Completely avoid. R&S has poached a low performing CA team from PWC. If at all tax is something you are passionate about, do Indirect Tax and not Direct Tax.

Are the assessment test results really considered for selection or is it just a procedural protocol followed by the HR team ? Anyone who has got selected please share your views on the same. Because I have realised that atleast the first round of assessment is 80% focused on mathematical skills rather than any test for reasoning connecting law

I don’t think a billionaire can ever be lonely in his personal life. People will be very happy to be your friend and give you company, even in old age. Girls will also be dying to marry you. Yes, many of them will be fake but many will also be genuine. Even the most genuine and kind girl will prefer marrying a billionaire to a regular person. It’s just pragmatism.

In case of Mr Tata, think he was lonely because he only wanted to marry his intellectual equal and was picky about his friends. That’s it.

A certain tier one law firm in higher up Max Towers in yet to release dues despite it already being a fortnight and more since the exit.

For all the richness and facade of flourishing what a cheap and uncouth way of being. They don’t take a minute to cut salaries the moment timesheet is not filled for a month but god forbid they need to do what they are required to do.

Indian law firm needs a mass action against them for their stinking ways of existence because what the fuck is wrong with them?

Cap Markets at one of the Amarchands

I start my day at 11 in the morning and it goes up till 1 AM. On good days it ends at 10 PM. On bad days it ends at 4-5 AM.

I know it’s toxic and all, but the kind of socio-economic background I come from, we are told to work this hard for money so I’m fine.

In fact, that’s too low a number! Why so low?

https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/world-mental-health-day-2024-21-of-gen-z-in-india-believe-that-work-life-imbalance-is-contributing-to-their-mental-health-concerns-states-survey-6759384#pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

MNLU Mumbai student is expelled for 1 year for sexually harassing a fellow student at a social event. Was someone boasting that Mumbai is a safe city?

https://www.barandbench.com/news/bombay-high-court-reduces-expulsion-mnlu-mumbai-student-sexual-harassment

State NLUs are in shambles financially, morally, socially, operationally, academically, mentally, and functionally. NLUD, RGNUL.MNLU Nagpur, CNLU, WBNUJS, NLSIU, GNLU, MNLU Mumbai.....the list goes on.

An influential section of Cal HC and state has no interest in MKS. But a section of the faculty wants him. Faizan has a very good chance. And that has nothing to do with his supposed "golden" run at NALSAR. His other unstated reasons check the right boxes since VC selection will be political process having the imprimatur of law/objectivity/neutrality duly embossed by the presence of DD and signed off by the CJI.

NKC would prefer to bring in The Couple because they are best placed to allow a Triad to run the gravy train. The state wouldn't mind. But Faizan is desperate to move out from CNLU. It was very embarrassing when he was denied another run at NALSAR and then spending some time in the woods before swallowing pride and agreeing at CNLU.

At the end of the day whoever is best placed to administer the spoils and be the FrontMan gets to run this Squid Game.

Hello keyboard warrior. I hope you felt suitably virtuous when vomiting out your dim-witted diatribe. Firstly, you have assumed I am a guy (and a molester to boot), well done. Secondly, it clearly never occurred to ▮▮▮ that when I wrote my post, the post I responded to had identifying information, which the moderators subsequently redacted as a result of my request. Thirdly, you assume the original poster is a woman and suffered sexual assault (all of which could be imaginary). I do hope you are more rigorous in your thinking ▮▮▮. Thank you.

Hi I’m a fresher from a traditional college joined a boutique firm , recently. I have no idea what’s considered good and bad in terms of behavior/acts/etc in law firm settings. What parameters will I be judged upon. Is there something I can do that’s too terrible that I’ll be fired( I’m on probation). Thanks in advance

Another one!

https://www.barandbench.com/news/corporate/induslaw-partner-ravi-kumar-moves-to-ramanathan-vahanvati

All of that is fine, but how have you not moved up the ladder after spewing so much venom? I feel like you are great at bringing others down, not pulling yourself up.

Assert dominance on your senior. Cause a misunderstanding between him and his clients and poach them to your own chamber. /s

It's been nearly a month since I joined a Tier 1 firm, and I’ve been lucky to have a partner and team with nice people. As an intern, I consistently received positive feedback, but since becoming an associate, I have sensed my principal associates becoming frustrated with my work. I acknowledge that I’ve made some mistakes, and I worry that they might stop assigning me tasks. I can’t help but feel incompetent and that I’m making their lives more difficult. I don't know what to do. Any advice? (other than not doing stupid things)

None. This is a utter stupidly dangerous path we've begun where law has become only about "placements". Earlier it was for LLB, now this disease has spread to LLM. I can understand if you're from a NLU, where placements are the benchmarks nowadays, however even there it's for UG only. The only 3 years where you can aim for a placement is year 4, final year and one year after graduating. If you've not been placed within these 3 years, kindly apply for you bar, clear AIBE & start practicing ! Period. A one year court experience will get you better opportunities than a one year LLM. You end up doing an LLM and will again start to cry when you don't get any job offers. Only join a LLM if you're interested in teaching and research. That's the only reason for an LLM, to be a bridge for a PhD and academia later on. So please stop asking for placements and join litigation first.

LI has seen fights between NLSIU & other NLUs; NLUD vs other T1 NLUs except NLSIU; WBNUJS vs GNLU vs NLUJ vs NLIU; T1 NLUs vs T2 NLUs; T2 NLUs vs T3 NLUs; NLUs vs non-NLUs; T1 NLUs vs Jindal; NLU vs GLC. Now, we have Corporate Lawyers fighting with Litigation Lawyers on LI. Pathetic!

Please keep in mind that age inappropriate students find it very lonely and difficult to adjust with their younger peers in the same class. 5 years of going through that loneliness is not easy. Many people have written here about this side of the experience also. It is not a rosy path, don't fall for such one sided advice.

The LLM in securities Law from NISM, Mumbai used to have great placement, infact , it was the only masters program in India that had "placements" to speak of. Unfortunately, it closed down last year wamp wamp. I heard they have brought out another program on simmilar lines in collaboration with ICSI but can't say much about ti since it only started this year. Rest it''' be foolish to think LLM can lead to jobs, atleast in India.

The verdict on Legally India in these matters has always been one that has been decided years before, in a very different forum. All that needs to be done is to have it declared, so may I beg to be allowed to do the declaring?

Without further ado, here's the declaration of the verdict on which one of these LLM options is best: Ganloo, of course!

I do not mean to get into any spitting contest, but GNLU does not have any good IPR faculty either. Nor is there any statistics of their LLM students getting placed from campus. NLUD at least still has Yogesh Pai and proximity to the Delhi HC where half of the country's IP matters take place.

▮▮▮

But none of this matters because CAM is a work factory and will generate enough for Manmeet. Whether he could be a sun in his own right or just be another golden-ish button in the firm is the story. In Saraf, assuming Saraf does become larger, and that is still a developing story notwithstanding the relatively good 3 years, he was always the Sun.

International LLMs be in the US or the UK generally do not lead to jobs, primarily because of three reasons, first, LLMs are not qualifying law degrees (although some jursidictions do allow credits for LLM), second, LLMs usually focus on niche modules which do not have much to do with actual lawyering (although there are exceptions), third, a jurisdiction would always prefer homegrown undergrads.

However, there are very few LLM passout who do find a way to get absorbed into the new jursidction. First, the number is extremely low about 1 in 80/90, second, they inevitably have prior work experience and had a clear plan at the start of the LLM on how to seek placements and which firms to target (in fact, on gentle provbing you will find that they often contact the firm before even applying for the firms).

So, it does not matter which specialisation you choose for LLM abroad, if you want a job there you would need to have a) work ex and b) make connections beforehand. LLM is an addon not the explanatory factor.

JSA's latest payment structure (from FY 24-25) is as follows, as far as I understand it from my husband who is a PA there:

1. Associates (below 4/5PQE)- 8 to 22 LPA fixed; 8% bill share; 2L to 6L bonus entitlement*;

2. Senior Associates (4/5PQE to 7PQE) - 22 to 44 LPA fixed; 8% bill share; 12L bonus entitlement*;

3. Principal Associates (7PQE to 9/10PQE) - 36 to 56 LPA fixed; 10% bill share; 12L bonus entitlement*

* Bonus entitlement is the upper number for base calculation. Base calculation results in a % which is linked to various criteria including recovery, soft skills, partner's inputs etc. So if you get 90% score and your entitlement was 12L as an SA, you would have a base of 10.8L. On top of that, based on criteria that are key secret by partners you can get up to 50% more. So in the above example - 10.8 + 5.4 = 16.2.

All of the above is very opaque at JSA and my husband only knows this because his partner is a good guy and shares such stuff. I think partners at JSA do whatever they want beyond a point, and therefore individual packages may vary drastically, subject to the upper limits I mention.

I am a (0-2PQE) inhouse counsel working for a financial institution, looking to broaden my horizons and have the ability to switch into a law firm and get into disputes or into tech law.

Are there any courses/certifications I can pursue that will help me have a better chance or how do I go about switching from in-house to law firm?