More and more people are taking career break - as they should. But recruiters will make you feel like you are committing a sin.

Personally, I got back to a law firm after break of 5 months. Few of friends had 2-3 months break. So it is possible.

Sure, it wasn’t easy to get a job (job search in general is difficult), but I did get interviews from top law firms ( I was ex T1 associate) while on a break.

The way I see it, there might be people who don’t want to hire folks on a break - but you’re not trying to get a job at 10 places, you only want a job at 1 place.

I’m really not. Israel is responsible for how it conducts the war. And we can have a discussion about that but not if the starting point is that Israel is responsible for attacks on their civilians by Hamas in broad daylight. It’s an old antisemitic trope that Jews are responsible for violence against them. Hamas has literally claimed responsibility , vowed to do it over and over again, and they live streamed this atrocity with GoPros. When you say that Hamas and Palestinians aren’t responsible for that you sound absolutely insane. You sound like someone who thinks America was responsible for 9/11 and India was responsible for 26/11. What you’re essentially arguing is that barbaric violence is an acceptable solution if you can claim an oppressed identity. What you’re saying is that you don’t think Muslim fundamentalism is bad. You don’t believe in secularism.

I’m just an old school liberal who thinks religious fundamentalist cults are bad regardless of the religion . I don’t think any of them are oppressed really. And when my own eyes tell me the obvious truth is that Hamas was responsible for October 7- I don’t seek to rationalise that away because it’s “impolite” to call Islamic religious fundamentalism wrong. I don’t believe in capitulating to these assholes.

If you have a problem with Modi and think he’s literally hitler but think Hamas are a bunch of poor hurt woobies who only did what they did because of mean old israel. You don’t actually have any secular values at all. You support religious violence and oppression and fascism - you just prefer one aesthetic over the other. It’s absolutely hilarious to watch delusional US students - many of them left wing and “queer”- rebel and reject Christianity because they have resentment for their parents ( who feed and educate them and enable this madness) and their culture and instead turn to Islam as some sort of solution. The mass prayers on university lawns is honestly so freaking delusional because people in Hamas would absolutely kill these kids if they could. They’re a resistance group as much as isis or kkk is - not even a little bit. Stop being such a useful idiot.

Yeah it’s because of inflation and that these nlus get next to no money from states or the centre anymore because the governments want to push students into private universities. Name one good university built during Modi raj ?

These universities survive on a shoe string budget as is. Sure maybe one or two faculty here and there don’t do as much as they should - but the cost of firing them - the additional work load on other professors - is far higher.

HR professional ? Human rights you mean ? There really isn’t anyone good. You can keep asking but the better thing to do is to go through the faculty page. Prof Dhanda didn’t teach IHL, she taught legal methods and law and poverty, maybe a smidge of admin law or constitution if they needed her to. Nalsar hasn’t had anyone good for international law for a while now.

Will write on this in this thread itself once my very own internship gets completed there. I will be interning with Corp Law and M&A team very soon, hopefully get to know what's the stuff and try to get ppo as well. I do hope though that someone with prior experience answers to OP's query before my tenure, so that I'll also get some perspective beforehand.

Godspeed!!!

You can't write the new york bar exam without an LLM, with an Indian law degree.

The job market has been bad - you'd likely be considered an A0 despite all your years of experience, and no one is hiring LLM A0s easily - there's a 5% likelihood of being employed (optimistically) depending on how well you've networked and convinced someone to hire you. Even then you are competing with LLMs from all over the world.

Networking isn't easy - the Indian LLMs who've made it are hostile / indifferent (completely the opposite of LLMs from other countries) and completely unhelpful and suffer from an inexplicable superiority complex. They even walk with their nose up in the air(!). Those from other countries are usually helping their own country-mates, unless they knew you before and somehow grew fond of you in their limited interactions.

The title, basically.

I had a terrible experience practicing at the Supreme Court. I had an extremely toxic colleague who harassed me (there were instances that make me wonder if it was leading up to sexual harrassment in the future) and I got no support from my senior. The coworker was incredibly sexist, racist, and homophobic. The culture was fostered and not discouraged by anyone including my senior. I was told not to leave because that would mean my bully of a colleague wins but sometimes you've got to let them win and save yourself from more harm.

But I am not making this post to just vent. I get that litigation has tight deadlines at almost every level of practice but the culture of "working hard" seems to be just showing your boss that you're working hard by staying late in the office and bragging about getting no sleep. Seniors are miserly and don't want to pay you enough but expect you to put in 20 hours a day. And if you were to, god forbid, sleep 7-8 hours; you're the worst person to inhabit this planet!

I also understand that SC practice is difficult and complex enough to burn the midnight oil at times. Why have we not tried working in shifts? Some people can remain in court while others research and draft and do the back-end work. The shifts can be rotated. Heck, even doctors get the next day off when they do night shifts but here are SC lawyers functioning on 3-4 hours of sleep on a daily basis for months on end.

I am genuinely tired of this lie young lawyers are sold - the first 10-15 years in litigation is when you have to do back-breaking work, then it gets easier. Except it's never easier; someone like Rohatgi with his houses in the Carribbean can't get a break and sleeps in the court halls. Tons and tons of designated senior lawyers also don't get enough sleep and rest. This lie only helps your senior make money off of your hardwork. Wake up, people!

Prof. Mustafa is also doing great with CNLU, Massively in Infrastructure which was severely lagging. The reservation system of Bihar makes it difficult to recruit good Profs but seems like he is trying on that aspect as well. The Question Paper pattern has changed and shifted towards more of being application based. He is hosting programs and inviting people, maybe diplomatically to network and has got more than 16 Cr this year in 2024 funded for University development by Govt of Bihar. CNLU will take some time to grow but I guess the neglected University is atleast trying. Great ill has been done to the University since its inception by inducing pathetic profs knowing no Research and Publications. Yet, I think FM should hire a new Registrar so that the administration works efficiently.

Pro Palestine Protests if it happens can only happen in JNU or some State college where kids don't spend a dime for college education.

NLUs, IITs, IIMs are hyper focused on career. These kids have a huge debt to repay. So they would rather go for an extra seminar than protests.

Even the protests at NUJS are don't by woke starbucks kids with macbook.

Hello people,

Posting on LI after a gap of three years. Can you recommend good YouTube shows/channels to follow for news/podcasts/interviews?

I really like the work Lallantop is doing and wonder if there is an English source for shows of similar qualities like Netanagari or Baithaki.

The Print’s cut the clutter has lost its focus now, or so it seems to me. I have found some beerbiceps podcasts to be good.

What do you generally watch on YouTube?

Compensation is far less than the market. Good part is you will be made to slog so you will get enough experience to be able to move to another well paying firm in couple of years. Some of the ex team mates have made it to equity in other firms because of their experience here. If you are not that bright then you will be stuck here with less pay for years.

Hey guys!

I'm a 2024 grad and I just got a job as an inhouse counsel. I have my seniors w me however I'm the first fresher to have ever joined the company. It would really help if any of you gave me some insights about what you expect from a fresher that's joined a legal inhouse team.

Anything would appreciated, attitude, soft skills and what skills or knowledge you'd expect them to be proficient in!

Thanks!

Thank you for your advice and wishes! And congratulations on being able to make it without any help from your university. While based off all the information I've received, I'll be taking a gap year, your story certainly provides hope that even if I don't necessarily attend the best university, I can still make it if I work hard.

Trust me when I say this, a lot of people might be able to relate. It has been over an year since I graduated and im working and there hasn't been a single day of peace or calm. Foregt vacation, I barely get time to have a decent lunch at a cafe or stroll in the park. The worst part is that im not even working at a tier 1 law firm or that it's the work which keep me burning, it's the constant and neverending train of thoughts that don't let me enjoy a single second of life.

Everytime, I am under the constant pressure to either perform at work, and when i'm doing good I feel i'm not doing well enough and life and maybe i should try something else too that matches my caliber. Then I slack at work, do f-ups and again become gloomy about my situation by comparing with others and the cycle continues.I see no end to this, contant physical and psychological trauma of seeing people better than myself in respect of college or social status at one side or feeling uncertain about my future while talking to my peers who are not doing anything.

I have much much bigger problems in life than just career but someohow they all semm to dwarf infront of my dementia. I frequntly get head spins and palpatations at work and somehow try to maintain my composure.I make calls or text to random people on social media and talk unnrelataed things with with which dox me further My mind feels like a car with no brakes and no destiniation even.....

Not sure about abroad but in India the practice really needs decent people.

Labour laws don't interest many people. It's perhaps the only field which has demand but isn't getting fulfilled.

NDA and KCO are the lead players in the field. Write to Deeksha Malik on LinkedIn. She'd definitely reply and help you if you are fit for the internship there.

https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/watch-tmc-strongmen-aides-hold-hands-and-feet-of-woman-beat-her-mercilessly-in-west-bengal-3098067

So WB has finally come UP!

TMC doesn't have an image crisis. This is the image. Changing it would have caused crisis.

Here is something to chew on

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/supreme-court-quashes-decision-of-bengal-authorities-to-cancel-contract-terms-it-classic-case-of-arbitrariness/cid/2032566

I am about to start my fourth year and already know I am going nowhere. There is no fucking place in this industry for people who don't have connections and I am so tired of having to over compensate for it. Can't even dream of a t1 internship because I don't have a connection while my classmate who can't even use SCC and doesn't understand the difference between hyperlink and footnote is sitting at a t1 firm interning. Please please suggest what can I do to secure a t1 or even a t2 internship so that I have a remote chance of having a job when I graduate. I am honestly really hardworking and have given my all in all the internships I have done so far. I'll be truly indebted if y'all can help me out

AZB has amazing competition team.

Interns sit far from the office (aka bay) of associates.

1. Visit bay at least thrice a day to ask for work. Early morning, around 4-5 and before leaving the office.

2. Be seated in office till 8:00 PM. Team needs help with printing and everything. They thanked me when I stayed late and helped them.

3. Chandni handles internship work. She is really nice. You should keep on seeing her once in two days for assignment and feedback.

4. Try meeting with Ram, Hemangini or Toshit at least once during the internship.

5. Associates are nice only. Try sending them msgs over WhatsApp.. they'll assign you work there.

6. Be prepared to work at late nights as well. If it's assessment, also be prepared with a presentation topic.

All the very best!

Not true. Seems you are a law student trying to pose like an practitioner. If the partners are able to pay high salary to their associates, don't you think they are not doing it out of their own pocket. The targets at most firms are usually 3x the cost, so if cost increases then target would also increase. And then also some firms are able to pay more bonus to their associates in ECM.

Agreed that margin can be lower than MnA or disputes, but it is not that low that teams are not able to cover their costs or making losses, if that would have been the case, firms like Indus and SnR would have already closed their shops.

Intern & get another degree brother!! GLC offers you the time use that! People have completed CS + CA in 5 years! You’ll be unbeatable if you get another degree or two along with LLB. Also, ofcourse get into a good boutique firm intern for longer periods. Other college kids have to intern for one-one month, we can intern for longer months which is the best deal, you don’t need 10-20 one month internship on your CV, you need long term good internships where you actually learn something. Also try to explore fields other than law maybe you’ll like that better. :)

I saw a thread where someone asked difference between Bennett and some other college whose name I don't remember.

I am planning to go to Bennett but most comments about it in that thread were negative.

Can anyone or a student of Bennett please tell is it wise to do Ballb from Bennett.

Breaking----NLS ranks at three by the Businessworld Law School Ranking 2024

https://businessworld.in/article/bw-legal-world-announces-law-school-rankings-2024-525293

I once got yelled at because I was working out at 10:30 PM in the night (a slot I picked because I thought by then I can afford to spare an hour and then start working on deliverables again from 12 in the night) and couldn't answer a call from a Partner (which he/she thought was perfectly reasonable because you have to be available at all times).

No one in the T1 Universe will really think about the well being of your health, body, mind and feelings. Onus is on you to take care of it. If while doing that, you piss off certain people, it's best to lose them as well along with the calories you're losing/burning.

To answer your question, better to keep it under wraps and continue the good work, then publicize it and provide someone an opportunity to sabotage it/taunt you/make you feel guilty about it.

Law firm disputes pays well, but not too much due to fixed retainer mandates, as lawyers in law firms dont handle the main part at all.

The Senior Counsel makes 90% of the amount paid by the Client, which for a 10+ year senior advocate in Mumbai/ Delhi could cross all practices total revenue in trilegal/ KCO

Dear law student, please understand basic finance terms or rather math. High salary translates to high costs. Bonuses and profits emanate from the left over (fees - salaries). ECM lawyers make near to 0 Bonus and partners are least paid across firms due to this, while the basic is the same.

This is because, clients pay very very less, and it actually makes sense, Why would someone pay so much more for people drafting the same 100 page document that ChatGPT could easily do with some random folders. No application of law or mind. ECM is a big scam, the earlier you realise the better

title. ofcourse no purchase worth this much is a smart investment. i know the watch isn't going to retain its value or appreciate in value but i have 0 interests in owning a car or going to europe. simply existing and breathing with this watch on my wrist is my dream. what do u have to say

A tier MBA Schools > A tier Law Schools.

if you have what it takes to crack CAT (98 percentile and above), by all means, do it. (saying it from the point of view of a general male non engineer), given B schools consider law degree under their so-called diversity Quota and are inclined to call you for an interview if you put in efforts to make your CV and application good enough, pointing out synergies in terms of how you can leverage law and business. My honest opinion though, it also largely depends on your area of interest, you're in your first year & therefore may or may not no what you want rn, I'd suggest to try new things apart from interning which you eventually will, people switch to B schools due to a lot of reasons (pay, different career path, different interests). Just something to think about.

Any tier 1 (not only Trilegal)

Mumbai

Delhi NCR

Bangalore

In that order. Almost always. These three cities are the most important for any law firms.

Mumbai is the most important city almost all marquee deals are done by Mumbai teams. Associates in Mumbai are given more salaries than the one in Delhi and Bangalore.

Negligible Hiring is done in a few cities through PPOs (rarely)

Chennai

Ahmedabad

Pune

Kolkata

Hyderabad

In that order. But salaries in these cities depend on the team and partner. Firmwide salaries they give in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore doesn't apply in these cities. Generally these cities give 50% to 70% of what they pay in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

These cities are called emerging cities. But none of them actually have any noteworthy practice or structure.

National Practices maintain namesake office in these cities - Chennai, Pune etc. Firms like Trilegal, S&R avoid these namesake offices altogether.

Contrary to what others have been saying, the new system with internal marking does make attendance important, because profs will give you marks according to your attendance unfortunately. But it's still not too bad, go to college atleast 2-3 times a week, interact with the professors so they know you. Be active with committees and competitions in the initial years, don't get stressed because people all around you are interning all the time. Take some time to explore everything, and find what's best for you. Treat the college admin and professors with respect and your life will become much much easier. Please don't ignore academics, because your rank will be very important while applying through the college placement cell in the third/fourth years. You'll figure out how to balance internships and college commitments eventually, so don't worry too much. There's never a single right path, whatever you choose to do is going to be okay.

Hi, I am T1 NLU student preparing for UPSC CSE but my college day zero is around the corner. Any advice as to whether I should sit for placements or not? My rank is decent-ish (top-15), but I don't have quality work experience. I have done 4-5 internships scattered across different fields, but none in a t1-t2 law firm.

Note: Banking and Finance (including Insoolvency and Project Finance as clusters) involve very low margins. Since both these practices involve "under the table money" for marquee transactions at its numerous stages, the big bucks come to law firms (but such firms are few and usually the top ones).

I am 23 just passed LL.B

I want to migrate to Australia.

I cannot study MBA as I don't know maths.

What's the best way of migrating to Australia. Which course is the best?

DOES LLM offer post work permit and pathway to Australia PR?

Or should I study other courses.

Any help please

Hi, I am a last year student at a T1 NLU. I rank among top 5% of my batch with a little work experience in terms of internships and no academic publications. I want to explore the option of doing LLM from a reputable university abroad (haven't researched much so I don't have any preference regarding any particular uni/country). Can someone please give me a broad idea with respect to -
1. requirements for application/ what do they seek in an applicant?
2. scholarships for the same
3. anything else that you'd like to share.
Thank you!

Hey! I'm a 2024 grad from BVP in pune, somehow secured a decent job with a decent package through my own efforts (and luck) by interning and being active on linkedin.

I would not recommend bvp if you are seeking a decent education or placements.

I want to emphasize that there are absolutely no placements there, I joined the college for the freedom it gave and because I wasn't given much of an option by my parents.

If you're not confident in finding a good opportunity by yourself and want to be placed, do not waste your time or money here and take the drop.

Best of luck!!

Hello Everyone,

Pease help me out. I am really stuck.

I am 23' grad and working in a very small law firm. I joined it when I had no other option. Now, the firm is not having good work and I get very very little work. I am so tensed about how to move forward. I am trying to switch but haven't heard back from anyone yet. I request you all to please guide me what should I do. I am having panic attacks as I am not learning anything here and not hearing back from anywhere.

Please guide me and help me to plan further.

If you reread the comment. The person said they prepared for CAT leaving their T1 job and got into a mid tier IIM, which is a very reasonable outcome infact with probability still against you. Most lawyers who would drop for CAT would rarely make the cut for ABCL. In such cases a T1 corp job is a decent option. When we say outearn corp laywers we're going into details and talking like a 80-100 difference, which even though considerable is not big enough to make you any pooorer or richer.

On the point that management side recruiters are awaiting lawyers with an MBA, sorry to burst your balloon but talk to any MBA grad and they'll narate the sad story. Bottom line is your law career sadly depends on the kind of partner you're working under, it it happens to a decent human (50-50 chances) then an MBA does not make any sense. If a bad partner then it's a route you'll inevitably job towards due to your own experiences.

You can write with more empathy, you know.

To the OG poster - I am PA in a T1.

This field is not just for extroverts. Don't buy that stuff which they are selling. Good clients can see the stuff from the faff. So can good colleagues. Unfortunately, this country is all about hierarchy and some people behave like they are in high school. They are not networking - they are making cliques to survive.

Often commonalities bind people together, but its piss poor behaviour if they talk down to you. They will all be sober like you down the road. Use the advantage of being sober by getting real good at something else - it's an advantage.

You don't have an inferiority complex. You are being picked on by someone who is two-faced. Avoid that person - please do not try to fit in beyond necessary. Make your tribe. If that person tries to chase your attention - tell him exactly - "I understand what you are doing." Keep it cryptic. Don't explain further. They will spin in their head. You would have paid well on your gut instincts.

Good luck and don't be afraid.

The reason why people 'spam' your inbox, you selfish ***, is because unfortunately law students must rely on pathetic egoists like you, who are so addicted to backside massaging, it is unbelievable, in order to at least try and gain the skills needed to bring food on the table for them and their families. As students have few other options in life, they debase themselves.

PS: If you really wish to be called 'sir', at least have the kindness to learn to write English properly.