I am currently a 1st year student in GLC Mumbai, very much known for its internship culture due to flexible timings and proximity. Having started here, there is quite some competition and I want to be ahead in that and not just waste away the time here completely focusing on enjoying the “college life.”
So here are some aspects on which I would really appreciate some insights. 1) How do I start into getting some publications? I have very little idea about how to go about legal writing and getting on law review. They make a CV stand out and also serves as a pathway to discovering interests. So how should one proceed with them? 2) Interning. What would be the ideal time (year) to intern and where (Counsels, Corporate tiers, etc) would be ideal to aid the learning and practical experience in the best possible way? 3) Discovering the “interest”. As in, how could one go about starting to learn about the different areas and finding one or more of them to be interesting?
Please, feel free to provide your personal anecdotes and experiences if it helps to put the point across better. Thank you.
1. Start writing anyways. Pick a topic and dive deep. Use excellent English. Keep drafts ready. Avoid publishing in Journals that ask you for money to publish your work. Approach portals like livelaw, bar&bench, the wire, vidhi legal, mondaq, start your own blog on wordpress, publish snippets on LinkedIn etc. You'll figure out gradually. Do not rush. Submit drafts to the GLC Law Review committee on time.
2 & 3. There is no ideal or perfect time to intern. Start interning at some decent office. Try and stick around for a minimum of three months in every internship. Intern with a policy/research NGO, a junior advocate, a small firm, an in-house legal dept. of a company, a Judge of Bombay High Court, a decent Counsel & then if you can get one, with a fancy firm. On the way, keep eliminating areas and types of practices. Eventually you will be left with what you like. Try and avoid discarding an option without giving it a decent shot. You can read all the books in the world till the cows come home but nothing can substitute working on real life legal problems first hand.
So here are some aspects on which I would really appreciate some insights.
1) How do I start into getting some publications? I have very little idea about how to go about legal writing and getting on law review. They make a CV stand out and also serves as a pathway to discovering interests. So how should one proceed with them?
2) Interning. What would be the ideal time (year) to intern and where (Counsels, Corporate tiers, etc) would be ideal to aid the learning and practical experience in the best possible way?
3) Discovering the “interest”. As in, how could one go about starting to learn about the different areas and finding one or more of them to be interesting?
Please, feel free to provide your personal anecdotes and experiences if it helps to put the point across better.
Thank you.
2 & 3. There is no ideal or perfect time to intern. Start interning at some decent office. Try and stick around for a minimum of three months in every internship. Intern with a policy/research NGO, a junior advocate, a small firm, an in-house legal dept. of a company, a Judge of Bombay High Court, a decent Counsel & then if you can get one, with a fancy firm. On the way, keep eliminating areas and types of practices. Eventually you will be left with what you like. Try and avoid discarding an option without giving it a decent shot. You can read all the books in the world till the cows come home but nothing can substitute working on real life legal problems first hand.