Please see Rule 36 in Chapter II of Part VI of the BCI Rules. It very clearly says that "An advocate shall not solicit work or advertise, either directly or indirectly...". Cold-mailing of all sort intended to have the effect of expanding your practice is barred. Insofar as free legal services are concerned, Rule 36 refers to solicitation of "work" and 'advertising. Free legal services can be advertised and "work" can also be free. The provision nowhere states or implies that it is applicable only if work is sought in order to earn money. So even though Rule 36 is silent on this point, I would suggest being very cautious.

This cannot be more contrasting.

One university sees students protesting for basic subsistence-level infrastructure like water and hostels, while the other becomes a trailblazer in shaping India's legal ecosystem and protecting the nation's critical digital infrastructure.

Hey

I am currently stuck between 2 college choices and would appreaciate your help. I am getting Hpnlu and jindal( at 25% scholarship), which one should i pick?

I come from a middle class family hence, for jindal ill have to take an education loan of about 44 lakhs, where as for hpnlu my family will sponsor me.

No T1 firms come to hpnlu, so its all about me getting a ppo or working at a small firm and moving laterally after some PQE. Initially even if i get a mid salary job, I dont mind cause I dont have to repay a big loan or something, as long as I can move to a better firm some years into the future. Whereas in jindal t1 firms do come but then its like pretty tough to get a t1 placement even after which ill have a hefty loan to pay off.

What do I do?

Will the loan be worth it?

Are lateral promotions tough in this field?

My first interaction with All For Law was in the third year of my law school, when I was constantly seeking to crack internships and when AFL was still Law Firm Ready.

It was a 2 hour guest lecture by the founder, Rohit Sharma about building your CV and mapping career growth. This session was different from others. It was informative, fun and actually fruitful. All the tips and tricks worked (I got to work at some of my dream organisations).

After two years I had an opportunity to intern with the organisation and I took it up in a heartbeat and I can now say that it is truly everything it promises to be.

Every session is curated, every activity has intent, every conversation is meaningful, and you are not just statistics here. If you’re a student looking for a community, confused between career paths or need mentorship, this is definitely your place to look.

Hope it helps :)

TLH Advocates and Solicitors, aka Tatva Legal Hyderabad was the first Indian firm to have a CEO. We set the trend, and now everyone copies us. Our CEO has been the brainchild behind our growth. She has revolutionized the concept of women in law. She has outdone even Zia Mody when it comes to the contribution of women in the legal field.

It is in the air that Prof. Yogesh Pratap Singh is going to be the next Vice Chancellor of the NLU, Cuttack. Presently, he is heading NLU of Tripura. He is a permanent faculty in NLUO and fully understands in and outs of the institute.

Hopefully, he would be a success as a Vice Chancellor too.

Your feelings and opinions are not enough to attribute criminal culpability on someone, I hope you're educated enough to understand this. If you had a crush on this woman and are bitter that she chose this guy over you, there are ways to get help to redress it, you may seel therapy. If she was a victim of a crime, as you're alluding to, let her fight her battles and let the law take it's own course. She is not a damsel in distress and you're not a knight in shining armour.

Only a handful of Indians will buy an AP-branded watch worth 1 crore. But if you charge just 50,000 for an AP-branded watch, then millions of Indians will buy it, esp Gen Z. We have the proof in the video. Will luxury companies then look at this model for India?

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/swatch-x-audemars-piguet-launch-events-cancelled-in-delhi-mumbai-after-animalistic-crowds-queue-for-watch-11505011

https://x.com/IndianTechGuide/status/2055860955146272852

Lit is notorious for low pay, with a long gestation period before one starts earning a living for oneself. Does anyone know of chambers in Calcutta that actually pay their juniors a living wage (if at all)? If anybody is aware of the pay, I implore you all to share some knowledge. Thank You!

So what about Legal research, memorial drafting, oral rounds support? Aren't these things vital and important,I know some of the competitions are 2 member based with 2 speakers both contributing to research but most of the teams in several competitions comprises of a sep researcher.

As a recent graduate of HNLU I'll tell you this - Join HNLU, and focus on studying for the CLAT. Give your mock tests regularly and go on as you used to before joining. Your HNLU exams are honestly not a big deal. Do not take them too lightly but two weeks of focused efforts are good enough to get you (at least) a 6/7 overall CGPA. At the end of the day, what matters is how you manage your time and your sanity. Its very easy to get carried away once you physically shift there and you start forming friendships and what not. Choose your crowd wisely and make a promise to yourself to give your best in the CLAT. Its an extremely unpredictable exam (I'm sure you're aware) and so you must not put everything on the line for it. Besides, HNLU is not a particularly bad place. As long as you're smart about your habits and your crowd, most top rankers do end up getting jobs.

Sucharita Basu of Aquilaw has posted on LinkedIn praising Suvendu Adhikari and written an article in Ei Samay (which her husband now owns) saying Bengal will undergo a revival now. 😄

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sucharita-basu-2a93b8107_𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬-𝐚-𝐧𝐞𝐰-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫-activity-7458804003217264640-JJba

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sucharita-basu-2a93b8107_𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗮-activity-7461017162451697665-fNLt

Thanks to personal initiative of a Cal HC judge in 1992, the East Kolkata wetlands received a certain degree of protection. But the Reds kept nibbling and gobbling. Ramsar recognition didn't slow down their appetite. Later they kept accusing (rightly) the Greens for accelerating what they sumptuously started.

Now Saffron has a chance to do Right. Restore the wetlands if not to its original state then at least to what it was when Ramsar recognition came through although I am pretty sure satellite imagery from 1992 onwards is also available.

Also what about restoring water bodies that flanked both sides of the EM Bypass, Kasba and PAS connectors, the route to Airport starting from Ultadanga and inside Topsia, Tangra, Tiljala (the names say it all), Picnic Garden etc.

There is even a recent Cal HC order dt Feb 2026. Do it bfr we suffer the fate of Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. And also be ready to suffer real estate lobby and so called "janta" who complain and sermonize but also profit from these illegal and disastrous encroachments.

Stop cherry picking low hanging fruits. Follow through with your promises.

Agree but CAG has had a chequered record under Rai and later Murmu. Hopefully when CAG audits are done this time, the process and findings will be evidence led.

CAG should also audit all universities and colleges, public, autonomous and private ones. Something is very off about their finances. There is a strong whisper that many serve(d) as laundering fronts. But just like CBI, the ED too looked away.

Not for M&A but I’ve given SA level interviews for Disputes. Basics need to be absolutely spot on. Beyond that they’re looking at how good a fit you’d be to the existing team setup and what value addition you bring, so don’t expect it to be too technical once you assure them you’ve a good foundation.

It is true that the TMC govt withdrew general consent to CBI. But that doesn't explain why the Central govt remained so soft on Rajeev Kumar (Sarada, Sheik Shahjahan etc cases); Kunal Ghosh, Anubrata Mondol and Jyotipriyo Mullick (and his daughter) and a host of other cases where the CBI has not even filed the chargesheet!

Hisab seriously? It sounds more like the man mockingly meant something sounding with P that has been showered on us in the name of Ache Din and Chowkidari

1. Totally agree with point 1.

2. Sadly, point 2 is displaying a very classist mentality. Can't agree with it.

3. Policy suggestion: Abolish this ICS/CBSE/state board concept. Create a qualification called the Republic of India Baccalaureate (ROIB), which all students studying at Indian state/public schools (as opposed to international or other types of private ones) will have to take. This qualification should be the qualification for the last two years of school - grades 11 and 12. This qualification should test the following subjects compulsorily - nobody who refuses to take up any of these subject types should be allowed to obtain the qualification:

- Language 1: English. Both language and literature. Advanced essay writing and literary analysis, IB-style.

- Language 2 (studied over both years of the ROIB): either an Indian or foreign language.

- Language 3 (studied over only the first year of the ROIB and having its board exam taken at the end of Grade 11, like AS Level subjects in the British A Levels system): If L2 was an Indian language, L3 must be foreign; if L2 was foreign, L3 must be Indian.

- Maths

- One science subject (Physics, Chemistry, Biology etc).

- One humanities (History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy etc).

- Optionally, up to two additional subjects from either the languages other than English, sciences or humanities category. The choice configurations you could have include: two other science subjects (for aspiring doctors or anyone else wanting it), a science and a humanities, two humanities... and so on.

- Build in something like a hybrid of another thing from both the AS and A Levels system: Not just the L3 language, but up to two other subjects (excluding English Language and Literature, Maths and language L2) can be tested and finished off in 11th grade itself. Think of this as ROIB's equivalent of 'AS Level subjects' or 'Standard Level vs. Higher Level' subjects in IB.

"However, with 40% of English universities believed to be in financial deficit, mergers could become more common, with Cranfield following on from Kent and Greenwich".

"Once you strip away the positive spin, it is clear university mergers are often a symptom of severe financial pressure, and this is being felt across the sector." University and College Union of UK

Will it be BJP member and open Modi supporter Som Mandal? Or apolitical KCO and Argus? Or CAM sets up an office in Kolkata, with Bada Saab and Mota Bhai giving strict orders that they be given the work?

I also wonder if the briefs of TMC-linked politicians and businessmen will stay with Aquilaw and Debanjan? If not, what happens to the firms?

😅😅😅😅😅😅

So basically the opposite of the comment became true! Debanjan Mandal’s firm’s future isn’t too bright, following the TMC’s loss, while Som Mandal’s firm could benefit because of his proximity to the BJP.

As for Aquilaw, the firm is finished. I give it till December.

I know a guy who’s currently with the ▮▮▮ team at ▮▮▮. He did some horrible things to a friend of mine who he was dating. She chose not to pursue anything and instead moved on with her life, but seeing what she went through and the fact that there was no accountability still really bothers me. What also deeply disturbs me is that he committed SA and continues to be part of a large firm, likely working around women who have no idea what kind of person he is. Is there any way to call someone like this out?

Why isn't the new state govt or Governor roping in the CAG to carry both routine and forensic audits of state finances since 2011? I distinctly remember that CAG would repeatedly complain that the Kindness govt was unkindly stonewalling their request for info and access. It was equally surprising that CAG never approached the SC nor did the Central govt truly intervene. Just some scripted fights in the courts over some some specific funds but never really intending to go for the kill.

Wonder why? Blame Kindness for all drama, optics but what explains the kind treatment by Great Leader and his acolytes? Nor any real action by the raging Reds?

I interned in April 2026. I got the internship by applying through their email. I then had an interview after which I was selected. My experience was very good. I interned under the disputes team. There were only 3 interns so there was lots of work. While we had to stay late (Sometimes till 9 pm), I didn't mind it as i liked the work. They treat interns nicely and they expect performance from you as well. There was a stipend of Rs. 10,000. There is gen corp, disputes, real estate and a small IPR team as well.

You are allotted 3 mentors. 2 from the team you are allotted and one from the other team. (for me it was 2 disputes mentor and one corp mentor) There are also two presentations, one for corp and one for disputes. This is mandatory for all interns. The presentation is not very serious, but it is nevertheless important.

I interned at JSA WTC office, New delhi, i got the internship through refrence. I am from GGSIPU. I was in the disputes team under Divyam sir. The internship experiance was not good. Too many interns, no real scope of hiring. There wasn't much work. They give home-made lunch for free. There was also Rs. 6000 stipened. it was hybrid for everyone as there were too many interns. The work was very less and the interns sat seperately so whole experiance felt disconnected. The associates were fine but there was really no connection with them. This was my experiance, however it may be different in a different month with less interns. My biggest complaint was the lack of work. Also they dont hire freshers for disputes team, notwithstanding some exceptions, so that was a bit demotivating for me aswell.

I myself get demotivated seeing post like these when i have internship at that very firm but it is what it is.

Explosive interview of Justice (Rtd) Abhijit Ganguly, BJP MP (LS) beamed across Bengali TV channels today. He bluntly questioned the role of CBI officer Seema Pahuja and demanded that she should be hauled up. He even undertook a tour of RG Kar to show how certain leads were never explored by CBI not did they explain ever why these leads were dropped.

Pahuja recently got promoted by CBI, which was castigated by parents of the victim of RG Kar case. Interestingly, the BJP panelists were deeply inconvenienced by this expose. TMC ofc kept repeating that they did a good job which was buttressed by CBI.

Pahuja is from Chandigarh and worked closely with a senior IPS from JHK cadre whose dad was a senior IPS from JHK and husband is a senior IAS officer in JHK. Interestingly, this Addl Dir of CBI (Sampat Meena) had previously "solved" Unnao and Hathras cases and Pahuja was her junior then. Sampat is from IPS 1994 and so is Vineet Goyal, who was the CP of Kolkata Police when RG Kar took place. Goyal has recently been suspended by the new WB govt along with two other IPS officers.

I get a feeling that Justice Ganguly is getting inconvenient for BJP and will likely get more isolated and eventually shunted by the next elections.

1. He reiterates the belief that this was a wider conspiracy involving the Mamata govt: not a simple case of a perverted criminal randomly raping and murdering a girl

2. He says the investigating CBI Officer called Seema Pahuja is compromised and has concealed the evidence.

3. He says a nurse at RG Kar filmed part of the cover-up operation on her phone but was warned against sharing the footage

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/former-high-court-judge-visits-rg-kar-hospital-demands-probe-against-cbi-io/articleshow/131142504.cms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dll_I5n-Q60

Negligible Arbitration, IBC, no commercial litigation, either at HC or SC.

Matters are usually assigned from other teams internally (mostly matters where everything is done) or outstation teams. Primarily servicing a large IT client. In essence, more of advisory work and less of hardcore litigation.

A lot of people in NLUs are there on loans, and a lot come from middle class families. You don't have to worry about interning only in Bombay, I personally have never been to the city, and I still had a good outcome from college. If you maintain a good rank, you will also be able to cover a certain amount of your expenses for internships as most tier 1 firms pay 10-15k for internships

If you can put in your best, the roi is genuinely unbeatable. Moreover at least the top three NLUs have good funding for moots, adrs etc, so it would also further open up your opportunities both across the globe. Do your work diligently, and the opportunities available to you will be unparalleled. Always remember you have earned your place there just as much as anyone else, and anyone who cares about your financial background this much is probably struggling with something of their own

Let's face it:

- Knowing English + French/Spanish/German + Chinese/Japanese/Korean/Arabic gives better employment prospects than knowing English + Hindi + Tamil/Telugu/Bengali etc.

- People should only be able to speak a smattering of Hindi or Tamil or whatever: not read or write it. And just a basic vocabulary of 100 words: enough to speak with servants, drivers and delivery boys. Because we are in an era when everyone speaks with each other in English.

https://www.ndtv.com/education/cbse-makes-three-languages-mandatory-for-class-9-and-10-from-july-01-11503874

wow, what a journey you've had! Your hard work paid off. Congratulations...Getting into a decent law firm also is a task today... Any pointers? How did that work for you? I'm a first generation advocate too, with 2.5 years of PQE in civil and commercial litigation + commercial infrastructure arbitration. I am looking to switch now because current workplace both personally and professionally is toxic, absolute worst! Working for a dumb and lazy senior is disappointing! Would love to connect to discuss a few things...

A second year here from one of the T1(s) mentioned by OP. Currently I have batch rank of top 5 and some good publications + 2 moots.
Have done 1 NGO internship, 1 internship in a botique lawfirm and 1 under CGSC at Delhi High court.
What else should I do to increase my chances ?

This ^ there are plenty of non-nlu people in tier-1 firms and at the top of the profession in general. Your hard work and character will outshine any college in the world. Focus on giving your best in college and make sure you develop good communication skills and have a good command over the language, these things go a loooooong way (and don’t forget to have some fun along the way - you’re young!). You haven’t been defeated yet, this is chapter 1!

You are not a failure, you managed to get into an NLU a T2 one at that, this achievement in itself puts you in the top percentile of legal aspirants in this country. Be kinder to yourself. The resilience you’re showing right now is admirable and an achievement in itself, please please give yourself some credit.

A job doesn’t define your worth as a human being. You’re young, give yourself time to figure things out.

Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. As long as you’re on your feet, things can always turn around, as long as you’re alive and kicking your world can always change for the better. There are things only you can give to yourself - one such thing is the realisation that you have time, you still haven’t graduated and even if you had graduated - in this tough market there’s no shame in not landing a job immediately.

Just keep going, you don’t have to win everyday - you only have to win once, and the next day could be the one where you find what you’re looking for. I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this but it does get better.

Please do consider the advice shared in the other comments regarding changing therapists and including some exercise - as a fellow survivor of poor mental health, these things do really help. Also if you haven’t already, try to broaden your criteria for the jobs you’re looking at - if you’re limiting your search to tier-1s or a specific practice for example then do consider other firms and practices - experience is so valuable in our profession and it’s much easier to switch jobs or practices once you have a job in hand.

Please take care of yourself, your life is more precious than anything else. I would love to see an update from you here down the line when you land a job so that we have the opportunity to applaud yet another achievement of yours. Rooting for you buddy, good luck and I’m sure it will all work out.

All these things you mentioned are true, real factors. What I'll say is this (as a NLU graduate) - you're packed with a few hundred people sometimes in places far off from cities, away from your family and reduced to living in a bubble. Things become mundane and that is why you also see so many of these students getting into substance abuse. To keep your sanity, you must have some purpose. It doesn't necessarily have to mean becoming a corporate lawyer at a Tier 1 firm. I know of a batchmate who is a successful musician now and who also does run his own practise. It's important that you intentionally try a few new things whenever possible, and have people you can talk to, even if it's just one friend or a girlfriend/boyfriend.

I don't want to give you wishy-woshy feel good advice here but all I'll say is this - get to work on something, anything - even if it means working for ₹10,000 a month at a local advocate's chambers. Make do with whatever best you can at the moment. At the same time, prepare for something bigger - maybe the CAT exam. I promise you, the day you stop expecting that something will magically change for the good is the day you actually start on your journey to a better life.

Don't drop out dude, there are scholarships for these things, you can reach out to people for paid internships as well as early as second year, people don't hesitate to support T1 NLU kids as much as they would for other colleges. The loan, though sounds liek a burden rn but will change your trajectory faster than anything else would if you're going to a T1 NLU. It's worth it.

To pass the AIBE you really just need to know how to read the truck load of bare acts which you will take into the exam hall with you. If you know how to navigate a statute using the list of sections present in the beginning, then you are well placed to pass the exam. Of course, try to skim through your law school notes for each subject at least once since questions regarding landmark cases are also asked in the AIBE. It is a very easy exam so you really don't need to worry. The probability of you missing the exam due to oversleeping is higher than the probability of you actually failing the exam after attempting it.

The role of CBI in RG Kar is deeply suspicious. It is not required to obstinately disagree with city police investigation. But CBI stonewalled at least 38 lines of pursuit that were brought before the Cal HC attention recently. CBI didn't even evade, dodge. Just simply kept silent. Apparently some CBI investigator even received a medal for doing "commendable" work in this case!

Why isn't the Double Engine reviewing the role of CBI officers, their call records etc? Also what explains the intense interest of DYC Court to swoop in and after killing time, return the matter to Cal HC when the main case was literally buried for good? Did CJ TVS pay the price for taking the right but inconvenient call on this case?

Gimmick. When Anubrata Mondal was arrested etc and entire network of illegal toll booths involving local bodies was uncovered by TV9 Bangla. But the new state govt merely issued instructions to shut them down. What about penal action and recoveries? Why isn't the state vigilance going after the complicit govt officials? What happened to the illegal rice mills and tax evasions by Anubrata? If AB can invite FIR for making threatening speeches, then what about Anubrata and his abuse of local police and open trumped up narcotics cases? Why aren't narcotic cases getting reviewed by this govt and action taken against those govt officials who pursued malicious prosecution? What about pursuing the trail to political actors who strung up those cases?

If the govt were truly serious then just these 3 IPS officers wouldn't have been suspended. So many health, forensic, municipal etc officials were involved. CBI was clearly complicit in hushing up the RG Kar case. Why this token, piecemeal (non) action?

I have my independent practice, which stands on the strength of the clientele I won through my advocacy and success in negotiations and courts of law. In my over 15 years of practice, I have consistently applied for every meaningful government and PSU panel, only to be told outright to come with a reference letter from no less than a minister or senior law officer, or to try again after gaining “more experience.”

While all this is happening, there are sons and daughters of judges, bureaucrats and ministers running multi-crore law practices sustained almost entirely by Union of India and PSU panel work. WTF, Tushar! Isn't the BJP better than the UPA1/2 in matters like this?

Despite my practice, I still have the time and — dare I say — the experience to do good work with State panel and PSU matters. But alas, in comparative terms, one could argue that I am “unemployed.” It is only natural that anyone in this position and under these circumstances would feel rubbed the wrong way when he or she is equated with a cockroach by those call the shots.

An eminent jurist, whom I will not name for obvious reasons, recently described lawyers in my situation — especially those who also do RTI/activism work (I don’t) — as “cockroaches.”

Earlier, I had my doubts, but now I am convinced that pursuing a career in litigation was a stupid call on my part all along. I say this because, in this country, there are judges who not only test your case on merits, but also on your pedigree and parentage. I would not, for any client’s sake, want to appear, even with a good case, before a judge who thinks I am a cockroach!

Rhetorical question: could this, even partly, explain why certain senior advocates charge tens of lakhs of rupees for hearings that may not even last two minutes? Has the standard of judges occupying high positions been deliberately kept such as to preserve an uneven playing field?

Asking this here because too shy to ask anyone at my firm - currently 29 and an SA at a T1 and planning to have a kid. None of my peers have kids, heck most aren't even married

As a woman lawyer (disputes), how do women manage pregnancies and firm dynamics? Are firms giving maternity leave benefits (I have no clue and have never enquired)

If you get pregnant as an SA, does it affect your promotion chances to PA? are you set back by one year regarding promotions?

How is it to join back? Do people treat you differently?

Any guidance would be helpful

NFSU - A strategic institution for India

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/nfsu-strategic-institution-for-indias-forensic-ecosystem-union-home-secretary/articleshow/131127068.cms