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So as you can tell from the title I don't study in a NLU but a decentish private college in my first year. The college does promise placements but to be on a safer side I want to make sure from my end that I can get a job without my college. I am still in my first year so I know I have a lot of time in my hand but would someone be kind enough and tell me what are the things I can do during these five years to build a CV good enough to get a job in a law firm ? Thank you in advance.
Aside from moots, debates, essays, blogs, research papers etc etc, maintain good grades and start working towards a narrowed down field of law from third year onwards. If you do well in your Internships in last 2 years (you have a good enough chance for a PPO), also try finding your family contacts in law firms or start building contacts by speaking to people online (not a good or bad thing but just how things stand).
And don't let the bias towards Tier 2 colleges, private or NLUs, here on LI let you down, as long as you commit to your goal I'm sure you'll get what you desire.
You can just know your basic law and have a decent personality (i.e., not being a jackass), and you'll cut into any law firm. Telling you from experience. Just do the normal stuff well and have some fun in college.
I went through the same, although it was a long time ago. I got my first internship through college, second through something a senior at the firm had accidentally let slip during the first and my first job through a reference by a senior in the college library (she had come to meet someone, got a reference, met her and told her was desperately looking - she was nice enough to say she would refer, and I landed the job). It was tier 5/6 firm with pathetic pay, but clawed my way into Tier 1. Took longer than those similarly placed from NLUs, but doable. These are 3 successful instances from several hundred attempts (icluding multiple cold calls and emails, and offers for help which were not reciprocated among other issues). I always knew among all the failures that I needed only one chance. Thas all that you really need.
Its not that easy. There are 50k+ law grads every year in India.
47k+ don't ever out in the effort. The numbers are often misleading, I tell from experience I haven't seen a person in late 20s crying for they put in the efforts put it didn't convert. The number of people who actually put effort to grab a job is peanuts.
Absolutely. A lot of people in India fret about the competition at all levels. The reality is what you mentioned. Actually, India is a lot less competitive because 90% of any group doesn't put in serious effort and is not patient to persevere. Take for example NEET - 18 lac take the exam for 1 lac MBBS seats. The real serious among these is only about 2 to 3 lacs, the rest are just numbers.
I am a fellow first year at MNLU. I have been eyeing GLC because I have heard they have "better alumni" and a "better internship culture".

I have my eyes set on corporate for now. Does the NLU tag matter so much in corporate?
I know a person who's in GLC who left GNLU and NLUJ for it. Seems to be doing allright so far. MNLU tag sure isn't helping you get a corporate job if I were to be blunt in front of you. (Not in the next 3-4 years)
If you are from Mumbai, there is absolutely no reason to choose MNLU over GLC.
If u r a non-nlu kid then only thing will help you is Nepo.... start looking for Relatives or if posible then Seniors of ur college who are working in your desired law firms otherwise FORGET about Tier 1 law firms totally and Tier 2 at some extent even if you have an excellent CV then NLU kids.

You'll get everytime such auto typed emails w/o looking into your CV & still having vacancy - "Regret we don't have such vacancy but we have kept your application in our database for future vacancies"

PS: I am a NLU kid and against such cultures but alone so "PARDON ME"🙁

(This is fact ! Don't take it as joke )