There is no ragging scene, that is, no consequence for saying no or walking off. No harm in loosening up though as it only lasts a couple of weeks and by that time you end up knowing a good number of people. I guess the only remaining tradition enforced by almost everyone is finding out a senior’s name and hometown without asking them directly. Try insta or LinkedIn.

First year’s for fun, exposure and memories you’ll cringe at when you look back at them in your 5th year. There is much to do with academics here yes, but just the simple act of attending adequate number of classes qualifies as not messing up.

Get used to mess food unless you can afford the eateries every day of the month. One vicious cycle people fell into is that of spending their money elsewhere and then spend the last 10 days starving kyunki mess ka khana kyun hee khana hai

You can ask your seniors about internships. Nothing too heavy. Probably a non-profit. That’s what i did.

It’s lax. You have most of the day to yourself unless you decide to keep yourself occupied with non-mandatory stuff like a moot or volunteering or a club.

Well it does help ngl. Smoking up too. But you won’t be percieved as anyone strange. Truthfully though, a fair number of people do drink. Not alcoholics but a few times a semester like b-days, treats and so on. Unless you have really strong opinions against such things, I would suggest you to try it with people you trust. Seniors you trust, as believe me it’s safer for first timers to be trying anything they haven’t with a senior than their batchmates.

I feel that you’re thinking too much about it. Valid i guess. I was in your position too when I joined. I think you should go with the flow. Do make friends. No need to be part of a large group as they don’t last the first sem itself. Just a few people would do.

P.S. An allowance of 10k should be fine.

1) ICICI pays 17.7 in the Delhi office, a bit less in the Bangalore office, and 18.5 in their Mumbai office. In hand often comes to 1.2 to 1.3 lakhs.

2) ICICI takes almost all fresher recruits through campus placements, and these recruits in most cases sit for an assessment internship which most freshers convert.

As re: Iran, if I had been the kind of students you are writing about, I would have said silence is the best option. Somebody needed to go in and do what they've done. Americans and Israelis have voluntarily put themselves in danger to do the world a favour? You ain't finding me complaining, hell no. I will in fact say that whatever foolishness these kids have engaged in over the years, they are showing some signs of common sense now. If anything, you will find me clapping when watching the TV and hearing about that spineless popinjay in Number 10 Downing Street getting blasted for keeping the British out of the war. Sometimes, paradoxically, you do need more war to strive for more peace long-term.

Wow, did this interview just wipe out one more 10+ PQE litigator from my competition? Brutal.

Thanks, Gaurab Da. Please, do more interviews. Be candid, be carefree… keep accidentally torching the field while you’re at it.

As a first-gen litigator, I’m being squeezed from both ends: nepos on one side, and people pricing themselves like clearance sale items on the other just to get a foot in the door. So yes, more of this, please. I need all the help I can get!

I work in disputes in a T2/T3 firm. For the past one month, I have observed a massive drop in new work in-flow across my team, and broadly for other teams as well. Hardly any new matters coming in these days. It's made life so much easier, but there is an anxiety creeping in about how long this goes on. Any one else feeling this?

The Delhi office of this firm is facing a jaundice outbreak with 5 to 6 attorneys down. It is linked to the water supply to the office. It is shameful that there is no official communication circulated by the admin yet but those who have come to know about this have started using branded bottled water. A pathetic state of affairs to be honest - slowest WiFi, slowest laptops, contaminated water, archaic policies, and bloated/outdated leadership. Revenue targets set at 3x of attorney compensation and yet unable to provide the very basics. It is all downhill for this firm.

No, that's a shit ton of money brought in by the kids, which at the very least at Nujs, helps balance the books really well. 10lakh a year from 30 kids a batch over 5 batches, 15 crores brought in. That money can help subsidize the fees for people with better means. In any case, the argument that they hold no merit is flawed; kids from privileged backgrounds educated in bougie schools with a great command of English generally have strong oral and writing skills, which gives them an edge [ based on my anecdotal experience of friends who studied with me who were from Nri quota]. The skillset u need in CLAT and in law school is different, to dismiss individuals of merit on some 2 hour paper written on a Sunday, which in my opinion, doesn't gauge ur preparedness for law school, is problematic.

I am looking to gain information on how lawyers, especially individual/chamber lawyers and not law firm lawyers, started their practice in Investment Arbitration law in India. I heard someone saying that Adv Mihir Naniwadekar from the Bombay High Court does investment law practice. Any other such lawyers in India?

Funny how even top law firm partners are not aware that it's not only the associates, but themselves whose jobs are at risk. The world is changing, and this time at a pace that the humanity has never seen. There's no "adapting" to this. The duration between newer models is shortening, the graph of LLM intelligence is getting steeper, and the only end to this is when we reach the plateau of language processing models. If all intelligence is confined within language, this plateau might come upon replacing all human intelligence, not before.

Sincerely,

Following AI for 10 years now, early user of GPT beta and pre-launch models, since 2018/2019.

Whats creteria of be productive ? For society . Like helping elder or ? Studying ? Do someone always have to study 24/7 ? To be considered productive ?. If someone tries to be some what helpfull like rasing voice against corrupting then get shut down or killed by offical, police and politician that is choosen by our who society . Next Why i have to be productive to society. They didn't do any positive things and only made my life a little miserable because of there orthodox view and lack of change to something that is scientific proven . Last is it worthy to be productive in a society that love to make there surrounding dirty. can't think critically think or fact check anything and manipulated by both parties .

That's unprecedented. On one hand, NLUs are struggling financially (having to raise their fees just to stay above water), and on the other hand, NFSU gets approval for...not one, not two, not three, but 14 campuses. Everything 'khyber' had predicted 2.5 years back is coming to fruition.

Those who drive a Nano despise those who drive a Rolls-Royce. So yeah...

OP here.
In the longer run, of course, the sheet will survive, but it will take time for people to stumble upon this thread and update the sheet. I wanted people to have a quick fix for this shuffle season.

Whoever is the admin for the sheet, if you are seeing this, pls add a message somewhere, or a column in the sheet for people to add date and practice area as well.

I came from a T2 NLU and landed atleast 3 internships in T1 firms through cold-emailing. I had decided to practice in a niche area and emailed almost all the Partners of such firms, but I did customise it detailing about an article that they might have written/LinkedIN post or a case they did. Most of them never replied but in the end I did land three internships, which otherwise would have been not possible.

Thus, I would reccomend to take your chances and email them. Caveat - I once emailed two partners in the same team, both forwarded it to the HR and I got to get an earful from one of the partner. I changed my tactic then and decided to only email one partner from one team, and if I got no response within two weeks, I used to follow-up and after one week of following up, if I did not receive any response, then only I emailed the other partners (P.S. - Start emailing with the youngest to oldest partners, since if the youngest doesn't reply, you can always try your luck with the older one but otherwise is rarely possible).

All the best!

Hi, I’m a junior lawyer with around six months of experience and a keen interest in general corporate and transactional work. I’m currently exploring opportunities in Delhi and would be grateful for any leads or conversations in this space. Kindly drop your suggestions down below, help a fellow out!

Being an assessment intern in the firm over a long period, i can say that the work culture in the firm is not soo great, you will treated harshly by the partner and her parents(they are essentially the HR and Finance Dept). You will expected to work late hours and recieve little to no compensation for that. In terms of work, you will exposed to a large and varied portfolio of Cap Marks Work, so your exposure after you work in the firm for around a year would be extraordinary. The Pay for Assessment interns is around 5K, 7K and 15k(depending on how long have you worked) and for the associates its 30K, they dont have a concrete promotion policy as well, which makes them exploit you easily in the name of work and exposure. My honest advice would be if you want to learn work and can tolerate the toxicity day in and day out, please go for it. Else stay away at any cost.

Your view about NFSU Law is spot on. That's exactly what NFSU is doing. It is producing 'technocrat lawyers' who combine/integrate law, technology, and forensic science. This is the reason it does not offer the BA-LLB combination. As far as placements are concerned, as I have already mentioned, the industry is yet to catch up. When they do, see the impact. That said, NFSU is looking long-term, where placements are just one of the many success parameters. Even the NFSU Law is not competing with NLUs. They are playing a different game and defining new rules.

NLUs cannot be the "IITs of law" because of the state university status. That is not going to go away. NLUs do not have the mindshare (except among a small group of CLAT aspirants). This is evident from the fact that during national budgets, NLUs find no mention (unlike IISc, IITs, AIIMS, and now NFSU). Similarly, NLUs cannot represent India in global activities.

NFSU and NLUs cannot be directly compared. One is a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus (even IITs are not multi-campus) national university, directly under an influential ministry. The other (NLUs) are single-discipline, standalone state entities with hardly any support. Don't get into this "IITs of law" illusion. It may provide some feel-good to some aspirants, but when the reality hits, it can be disappointing. Among NLUs, there is no differentiation (other than age). They follow the cookie-cutter approach. NFSU holds a niche that is globally recognized.

The only solution is to limit the number of law grads. All TLCs and second-tier NLUs should be shut down: a complete waste of taxpayers money. Better to spend the money on vocational training for students for AI-proof jobs, or teaching them business and entrepreneurial skills.

Further, the top tier NLUs should limit intake to 100 students a year with note more than 10% seats reserved, strictly on economic criteria. The fees should also be hiked, to improve the quality of infrastructure and faculty.

Similarly, all private law schools should be shut down except Jindal, Symbiosis Pune and maybe 3-4 more. They should also limit intake.

We are moving towards a world of ruthless efficiency and meritocracy. No place for entitlement, social justice and wokeness.

Feel free to downvote if the bitter truth hurts you.

I'm due to complete the assessment in two days, but I've been too scared to start it. Those of ya'll who have given it/ aced it recently – what did the 1st assessment entail, specifically? Is there anything I can brush up on specifically to ace the test?

And any other advice, general or specific, is much appreciated.

Hi all, I am an A3 at a tier 1 law firm and lately have been questioning my life choices. I want to make big money but based on the time spent here at the firm, I honestly don’t think this is a sustainable lifestyle. Let me just clarify here that i am a high performing associate and I work in one of the non toxic teams. I am sure my team and the partner would be shocked to hear that I am considering quitting/ switching or that I am feeling burnt out because I am rarely able to say no but based on whatever I have seen around me and the threads here on legally india, it seems clear to me that it is not going to get better at the law firm and that no other job in the legal industry pays this well (other than litigation ofc). I consider myself to be an ambitious individual and therefore, am finding it difficult to make a decision regarding quitting the law firm life because I want to be successful (make money) but I would not like to compromise on my personal life either. Is there really a way out? Are there any in house roles that pay as well as tier 1 firms do? I do not shy away from work but would like a lifestyle where other than a few tough days here and there I am able to have control over my time and my life. Very desperately looking for some helpful answers!

Tbh Im surprised folks are wasting more money than Jindal (Bits law fee is higher for the same BALLB) and not gettkng the ROI. What r parents thinking?? BCI has a fixed coursework for half the programme so why 55 lakhs. By the time you graduate it will be 60 . There is no comparison with any T1 NLU or Jindal or even Symbi. Bits isn’t worth the distance, fee or culture. Not worth the 4 hour drive from Churchgate station or 3 hour from BOM airport. It’s a sham. Market will declare soon. Stay alert

Tbh Im surprised folks are wasting more money than Jindal (Bits law fee is higher for the same BALLB) and not gettkng the ROI. What r parents thinking?? BCI has a fixed coursework for half the programme so why 55 lakhs. By the time you graduate it will be 60 . There is no comparison with any T1 NLU or Jindal or even Symbi. Bits isn’t worth the distance, fee or culture. Not worth the 4 hour drive from Churchgate station or 3 hour from BOM airport. It’s a sham. Market will declare soon. Stay alert

Please, please, if there is such a partner, or somebody who knows such a partner, do not ever respond to this post. The partner in question will have to go into hiding, like what happened to that poor Israeli employee of Elon Musk's, Yoel Roth, who put Musk's back up and whom Musk bullied on the internet out of spite. This is not necessarily because there are loads of malicious people out there like Musk, but because there are just way too many law students who will do absolutely anything, no matter how poorly planned, drafted or thought out.

If anyone has information about good litigation offices in Delhi with decent working culture and conditions and good pay for 0-2 yes experience, please do mention.

Preferably chambers working in criminal law

Please mention generally Good to work at litigation offices in Delhi as well, good working conditions, non toxic environment, at least some semblance of work life balance

It seems that this link has expired. Seriously, I cannot think of too many people active in academics today who will freely share their thesis for public consumption. Here is the link from SSRN which he had shared on LinkedIn a few days ago:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6163966

While his rates may be higher—indeed, they ought to be—particularly at the stage of final hearings, which are unmistakably his forte, it is essential to understand what one receives in return. Too often, among the so-called top five or ten seniors, detailed and carefully reasoned written opinions are treated as optional luxuries rather than professional obligations. GS, however, operates in an altogether different league.

His written opinions are not only meticulous and deeply considered, but frequently bring to bear newer, relevant perspectives—something that cannot be said, with any confidence, of most at that level. They are clear, structured, and intellectually honest. And when it comes to settling drafts, he does not indulge in the superficial edits that pass for diligence elsewhere. He overhauls them—entirely. What you receive is not a document that has been lightly adjusted, but one that has been fundamentally reworked, both in structure and substance, into something genuinely usable.

Taken as a whole, his fees are not merely justified—they are, in fact, supremely reasonable. Were one to somehow extract this degree of rigour, care, and commitment from others in that same bracket, the resulting bill would almost certainly carry a few additional zeros.

There is also the question of character, which in any serious profession ought not to be treated as incidental. GS is, quite simply, a good man—deeply ethical at his core. One cannot help but feel he is the sort of mind and temperament the Supreme Court of India would have benefited from, but did not receive - with him as a judge.

All of which makes him something of a rarity: a lotus in a severely polluted pond. Untouched by the surrounding murk, and all the more remarkable for it.

I'll be joining this year,

To start with the beginning, what things should one be cautious of? Like anything about hostels in the initial days or the seniors,

How to navigate the academics since I really do not wanna message the 1st year up

Health advice?

Time management?

When should one apply for internships? Also how?

What do the breaks look like--- as in the chronology of days coming up to the breaks and then the breaks themselves. Do you get any time to yourself?

How much should the allowance be?

Some people in the gc have talked about drinking and it apparently helps socialising so

What is someone, a guy, who doesn't drink perceived as?

This is of course a lot but the anxiety is real and any input would be really appreciated. Please help if you can!!

Let’s call this what it is: privilege doing cosplay as grit. Charming chap, no doubt. But when he says he “chose” not to be a junior, what he really means is he could afford not to be. The rest of us don’t choose the ladder—we cling to it and hope it isn’t pulled away. Instead, he “accepts” junior briefs from top firms and drifts in as second chair to legal royalty. How terribly subversive. It’s not breaking the system; it’s being softly escorted through it. And that Supreme Court debut—followed by the judge ringing up his father with feedback on both argument and hair. That detail lingered. It brought to mind my own last appearance before a certain judge—widely recognised, for all the wrong reasons—who wouldn’t indulge me for even a second because I wasn’t a “known face,” or more to the point, someone’s son or daughter. He proceeded to dictate an unsubstantiated dismissal. I interrupted his dictation—something I fundamentally disagree with and frankly dislike myself for resorting to—and only then did he partially correct course, awkwardly carving out the very relief I had sought in the first place. And the order reflects that confusion perfectly: it begins with a dismissal, only to then grant, in substance, the very relief I had asked for. A contradiction, neatly preserved on record. One suspects that had a more recognisable surname been on its feet, the Court might have taken the trouble to call it what it actually was: not a dismissal, but a disposal. Clarity, it seems, is also a function of who’s asking. That performance was… instructive. The only honest line in the interview was the accidental one: you’re only competing with yourself because someone will always be ahead thanks to connections. Quite. Though it’s a far more comforting philosophy when the queue has a habit of parting for you. And watching this little masterclass in inherited momentum masquerading as merit, a thought lands with unusual clarity: I’m done. Not in a dramatic, flounce-out way—just the cold, administrative kind of done that comes after a decade of watching the same script play out. Not just with this version of the profession. With India. Because if this is the ecosystem—where access is dressed up as excellence and proximity is mistaken for talent—then staying starts to look less like perseverance and more like complicity. And I’ve no interest in spending another decade pretending this is normal.

There's nothing called "too much of forensic science". For far too long, our justice system has depended on humanities-oriented legal practices that are completely based on human subjectivity. Given the complexities of current crimes, the role of science and technology in justice delivery is only going to expand. In science (unlike law), there is no value in what one sees. The scientist has to prove his/her hypothesis scientifically, but in current legal systems, an eyewitness account is given so much importance. If a scientist relies on an "eyewitness account", he/she will be barred from the scientific community.

As already mentioned, NFSU is ahead of the curve, while India is behind it. The industry is catching up, with new opportunities coming up. Second, NFSU is thinking long-term. It is thinking far beyond placements as a success factor. Third, NFSU is a global pioneer. It does not have a template to follow (e.g., like NLUs). It is creating its own template and forging ahead. About 7500 have scaled Mount Everest, but people remember only Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Why? NFSU is doing that no other university has done before.

Doesn't make sense for top nlus like nujs and nluj to have these seats which significantly damage brand value and the sense of "exclusiveness" Of getting into an nlu of that calibre. It's basically a free entry mechanism for rich metro kids from mumbai, Delhi, chennai etc to get free seats to top tier legal education with no merit. While the nri quota is based on clat rank too, are you telling me that getting into nujs with an air of 1000 (general) is meritorious, as opposed to a required rank of around 350?

When sudhir at nlsiu recognises the misuse of these quotas and suspends them defacto from his university, I don't get why nluj or nujs don't follow suit. Are these nlus really in such dire need of money?

Was reading up about the recent Supreme Court pronouncement on maternity leave for adoptive mothers. The petitioner is a fintech lawyer and used to work for this big boy law firm when she applied for maternity leave and was only offered 6 weeks of leave. No points for guessing the firm.

Whatever Nfsu does it has nothing to do with nlus. Everyone needs to understand that concept of nlus is to provide quality legal education to produce best legal minds. Whereas Nfsu's aim is to provide quality education for forensic sciences and cybersecurity.

No matter what people say but nlu's will always be a top choice for pursuing law in india because they were established to produce best legal minds for the country they are like IIT's of law

Talking about nfsu law it is totally different it's main focus should be producing best lawyers who can integrate knowledge of forensic science and technology in legal domain (helping investigation teams,tech industry, prosecutors in criminal cases)

I feel Nfsu should not be compared to nlu's in terms of legal education It is like comparing iit's btech with nfsu btech cybersecurity program