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It's a virtual setup and most of us, including me, are considering alternative career options to pursue. I am currently working with a Corporate Team at a law firm, and I've constantly been feeling that the work I do has no basis.
What are some career alternatives that one can pursue if I still want to be connected with the law (but maybe not as a lawyer).
I know about public policy and it sounds intriguing, but how does one go about it?
Unlike LLM, it's also MUCH easier to get into a MPP or public policy course at a top foreign university
Second rung: Blavatnik Oxford MPP
Name brand overall college, but not valued at the highest level by public policy professionals/recruiters (eg WB, IMF): Cambridge MPhil, Oxford ID DPhil, Ivy League ID PhDs etc
Best Indian option: NLS MPP
1. PRS LAMP Fellowship- Get to work on paid fellowship under an Member of Parliament
2. YLAC-Policy in Action - Harvard -Oxford alumni part time policy fellowship get to submit a policy brief to an MP
3. YLAC -Bengaluru moving - Paid fellowship in collab with Govt of ktaka sustainable urban mobility
4. Internships - With Law Commission , CLPR , Vidhi , CIS , Ikigai etc
5. Tech fellowships - Research internship at NDA , Trilegal
6. Law firms and companies now hire counsels for public policy !
Especially, when Trilegal has done impressive policy work with NUJS NALSAR students (granted, they were at much more senior level than a "Research Fellow").
While NALSAR and NUJS would also surely have their fair share of brilliant students, as someone said in a previous post here on LI, if you want to select two bright law students while going through as less CVs as possible, NLS and NLUD are your best bet these days. Link to the post I am referring to: https://www.legallyindia.com/convos/topic/172829-Is-Trilegal-s-Research-Fellowship-biased-towards-NLU-s-
Nevermind the reality. One always finds NLUD students trying to "cleverly" (while not being clever at all) trying to put themselves ahead of NLS, NALSAR, NUJS, NLUJ, etc.
What is it about the NLUD community that makes their students (worse still, alumni?) post such messages trashing others & directing every conversation towards some self-perceived rank positioning?
NLS NALSAR NUJS NLUJ have contributed immensely. They are terrific & trusted brands.
NLUD is coming up well. But NLUD students seem to be highly immature & insecure.
In other parameters such as foreign law firm placements, LLM at renowned foreign universities etc NLUD is easily at par with the other two.
In re (6), firms that hire counsels for policy (eg SAM) hire highly driven (academic/top flight) with showcased policy expertise - not talking about A0-A1, but SA and above. Most people in those teams have Oxbridge/top Ivy LLMs/BCLs/MPPs. To break into those spaces, quality post-grad degrees are needed (unless you have Grade A connections in bureaucracy/ministers).
Also wanted to know what are some career prospects after an MPP? Also, if I do join as a policy consultant later, how different is life?
I’m in 4th year right now. Is it better to do a job after college and then apply for Policy schools or should I go for it right after college?
Can I still keep my options open by doing an LLM abroad, and then work at WB/IMF and the likes? I'm asking this because 2 years v. 1 year of masters, and as far as I know, an LLM would be less expensive than an MPP?
As for cost, WB/IMF pays very well, so if you think you can be in the top 10 percentile of your PG class, even a loan can be paid off with the salary you get afterwards. But because policy degrees attract more competition, it also offers more scholarships (especially external ones - but they have restrictions, some WB sponsored scholarships ban you from working in USA for 2-3 years, or working with the WB for 5 years after you graduate).