Hello everyone, First year law student here and I am really interested in this niche, can anyone suggest what I should be doing at this stage, and what sources I can refer to gain insight. Also, anything that I should keep in mind beforehand?
Like all other lawyers, capmarks lawyers also cannot do math. If you can format big documents neatly, 80% of your work is done already. Like others said above, it's a very monotonous area of law, nothing really changes and there's no exciting wolf of wall st. business happening, but it's easy money.
Who told you that a tax lawyer needs a sound knowledge of math?! If you can do basic arithmetic, that’s fine; knowledge of how a balance sheet looks like is useful (but that isn’t math): but tax law is about the legal aspects of taxation and not the economics of taxation.
Hey! Please start by going through SEBI's website - the act, regulations, offer documents, advertisements, meeting reports, orders, speeches reported on the website, et al. Also visit the NSE and BSE websites. Following the markets and inculcating reading the pink papers would also greatly benefit you. Understand the terminologies / lingo used in the area and try to answer the 'Why?' and 'How does this help?'. Additionally, interact with and follow people already in the field using platforms like Clubhouse and LinkedIn.
1. Basic reading of accounts and interpretation is more than sufficient. You don't need to learn 'Accounts' beforehand. You will learn it on the job.
2. No, you don't need to be 'good' at math for Capital Structure. Basic knowledge is more than sufficient, you will need basic arithmetic skills (Class 7-8).
Read: SEBI ICDR - Regulation 1 to 45 and Schedule VI; SEBI LODR - Regulation 14 to 32; Companies Act, 2013.
P.S - Please consider this practice for initial years only, earn some money, move to a better practice area.
Bhai tu chill kar. if you end up as a cap. marks lawyer- you'll learn everything there's to learn as you won't have anything else going on with your life. no need to stress out now.
In case you think you are interested in capital markets, securities because: you're fascinated by the stock market/financial markets, find it glamorous because of some great movie, DON'T chase capital markets as a lawyer!
Capital markets lawyer is nothing about that! It's just clerical work that bankers do not want to do - basically going after every single line in a prospectus documents and matching it against thousands of other documents. That will be your actual work.
So forget quant, capital markets legal work would not even require you to have an appreciation of the stock market. The only thing it would require you to have is formatting skills and document comparing skills and the ability to slog mindlessly for 16 hours a day.
What would you recommend to a second year law student who wishes to explore CapMarkets as a career? What to read? Where to begin from and all of those basic noobie questions....
Capital market and Securities Regulations are chalk and cheese. While much is written about Cap Market work, Securities work is less understood. See the twitter thread by Sandeep Parekh on what work this involves.
Please, it sounds cool and all. But honestly the practice is boring af and dry. Both cap marks and securities law. I have done both together in my youth.
For the love of God and life. Please go do General Corp or something. Else you'll be dying away on a Saturday and Sunday with very dry stuff. It's not worth it.
Also, you're in first year. Lots of time. Securities and cap marks lawyers, very few genuinely like the practice.
Securities lawyers, love saying they're securities lawyers and it sounds cool on dates and in parties and try to pass off on that Harvey specter capital. Most cap marks lawyers don't switch because they stuck. Both are monotonous, predictable and dry.
You also lose most of your youth for forever extending fake deadlines. Not worth it
I think others have answered your queries to a certain extent. I just wanted to let you know, it's a little too early for settling down on something like this. I would suggest spending some time going through Corporate and Commercial legal areas and find an area accordingly.
Hey - please don’t go to cap marks if you value your sanity. As someone who has had the misfortune of practicing it in life, just don’t. I once had a cap marks partner who said we’re basically glorified clerks and the only reason we got a tonne of cash is because the liability of fucking up an offer document is insane. It is also for that reason that you don’t see small firms practicing this area. Because they don’t have a big enough book as security in case some liability arises. The first few years are just slogging and all you’ll feel in life everyday is shit. Everyday you’ll wake up (if you get to sleep that is) to dread the sun show up again. But it apparently is better after a fair bit of PQE. But since I’m not there yet, I won’t comment on it. Regardless, if you’re hell bent on destroying your life, check out blogs of the top Law firms on the subject or read LinkedIn and Twitter posts by people like Sandeep Parekh or Sumit Agarwal. Strongly suggest not to take up half ass courses by Lawsikho and the ilk taught by A1 level associates and still charging a significant amount of cash. Good luck, but if you don’t want to feel like a gun to your chin would be better than the life you have on a daily basis, maybe look elsewhere.
First year law student here and I am really interested in this niche, can anyone suggest what I should be doing at this stage, and what sources I can refer to gain insight.
Also, anything that I should keep in mind beforehand?
In order to practice as a Capital Markets lawyer how much math do you need to know?
For example, to be a Tax Lawyer or a Finance Lawyer I heard a sound knowledge of math is essential. In that regard how much math is required.?
Can a person with no quant skills succeed in this career?
Please start by going through SEBI's website - the act, regulations, offer documents, advertisements, meeting reports, orders, speeches reported on the website, et al. Also visit the NSE and BSE websites.
Following the markets and inculcating reading the pink papers would also greatly benefit you. Understand the terminologies / lingo used in the area and try to answer the 'Why?' and 'How does this help?'.
Additionally, interact with and follow people already in the field using platforms like Clubhouse and LinkedIn.
If you don’t know accounts well, don’t even bother. Also need to be good at math or excel - for cap structure etc
Since you are a first year law, at this stage, you should attend more classes, spend less time here and keep an open mind.
2. No, you don't need to be 'good' at math for Capital Structure. Basic knowledge is more than sufficient, you will need basic arithmetic skills (Class 7-8).
Read:
SEBI ICDR - Regulation 1 to 45 and Schedule VI;
SEBI LODR - Regulation 14 to 32;
Companies Act, 2013.
P.S - Please consider this practice for initial years only, earn some money, move to a better practice area.
Capital markets lawyer is nothing about that! It's just clerical work that bankers do not want to do - basically going after every single line in a prospectus documents and matching it against thousands of other documents. That will be your actual work.
So forget quant, capital markets legal work would not even require you to have an appreciation of the stock market. The only thing it would require you to have is formatting skills and document comparing skills and the ability to slog mindlessly for 16 hours a day.
For the love of God and life. Please go do General Corp or something. Else you'll be dying away on a Saturday and Sunday with very dry stuff. It's not worth it.
Also, you're in first year. Lots of time. Securities and cap marks lawyers, very few genuinely like the practice.
Securities lawyers, love saying they're securities lawyers and it sounds cool on dates and in parties and try to pass off on that Harvey specter capital. Most cap marks lawyers don't switch because they stuck. Both are monotonous, predictable and dry.
You also lose most of your youth for forever extending fake deadlines. Not worth it
Regardless, if you’re hell bent on destroying your life, check out blogs of the top Law firms on the subject or read LinkedIn and Twitter posts by people like Sandeep Parekh or Sumit Agarwal. Strongly suggest not to take up half ass courses by Lawsikho and the ilk taught by A1 level associates and still charging a significant amount of cash.
Good luck, but if you don’t want to feel like a gun to your chin would be better than the life you have on a daily basis, maybe look elsewhere.