I sense some confrontation here, I'll try to not take it personally. As for your question, my hours are extremely varied now that I am almost entirely independent. Yes, the family network has helped me. I do not deny it. But the key to litigation (as a first-gen lawyer) is to aim to go independent as soon as you can. I see so many people who continue to be juniors to Senior Advocates, for years. This does not help your career. Rather, you should get your own cases (however small they may be, to start out). Once you're confident of your clientele, shift out. Once you're independent, your hours are yours to decide.

Honest questions - what are your hours like? What was your first take-home salary? Did you even need it?

It's frustrating for the lot of us who leave our families to slog it out at seniors' chambers, spend our nights staying up past 3 AM, and lose our hair in our mid-20s. I'm just wondering if the legacy kids have any of the same anxieties that is shared by first-gen lawyers while they go for macarons and coffee with their uncles and relations in the profession at 5 PM.

@user-1,

Sorry to put it bluntly, but it is on you to demonstrate drive and ambition. Maybe do an internship at a smaller firm or a boutique firm. Financially, it might be a strain but you want to break into corporate law so you need to show initiative at some level (since you say your college/grades/internships/extracurriculars are not going to cut it).

Further, it may not be my place, but your dismissive attitude towards trial litigation is disappointing. Maybe it's not for you, but it's unfair to paint the entire bar and bench as "not brilliant". The key to being a professional is to seek out excellence wherever you find yourself. You'll find enough people who want to complain, but those that do well work hard and make the most of every opportunity.

Best of luck.

I hope you feel good about yourself, for the snark. On to a more serious note, no place is an absolute meritocracy. Litigation has a way to go in becoming more accessible. But it's not as though the law firms are meritocratic utopia. While the first few years are rewarding based on calibre and commitment, the partnership of all these firms are as networked old-boys' clubs as any other. In fact, I'd think the number of rank outsiders at the top of the law firm world and the litigation world are moving to parity.

NLS grad, did an Oxbirdge LLM right after. Full disclosure: I come from a legal family (dad's a senior counsel, granddad was a judge) so my experiences are definitely coloured by my circumstances. Been at litigation for a while now, it has been extremely fulfilling. The challenge, diversity, and opportunity that litigation affords is unparalleled. I do my own matters now, in addition to some legacy clients that my father's chamber handles.

My suggestion to young graduates is this - don't write off litigation too early, it great once you get going, and be patient. The money will come, and then it will be a flood.

Thanks for your insights, Sir/Madam

1) Sir how can I tackle problem of college reputation, internships and extra curricular at this stage ? I am supremely stressed that the damage is irrepairable. My classmates and I were too focused on judicial services.

Another question is that:-

2) i want to avoid disputes team like the plague! I have started to hate incompetent and lethargic judiciary !

Thanking you

Hey there, user-01.

Let me be honest. Most people doing corporate law are in it for financial reasons, so there's nothing wrong with that.

Given that I've now reached the managerial side of things, I have seen how it works from this side:

1. There are far too many young lawyers chasing corporate jobs, so the Tier 1 firms hold the upper hand.

2. LinkedIn cold-call is poor form, avoid it.

3. Top firms use some things as basic screeners - college reputation, grades, internships, and extracurriculars (in that order). Informally, favourable recommendations from the legal fraternity (lawyers/judges), clients etc may help improve an applicants chances.

Therefore my suggestion is that you work on some of these parameters. District litigation can expose you to good matters. Develop a favourable reputation among clients. We have taken on disputes associates who have 3-4 years of credible trial work.

Best of luck.

Good evening sir,

I am practising under a civil lawyer in district court. I am completed my L.LB (3 years) from evening college and college did not have any events, or internship cells.

I am graduate from batch of 2020. I have been working since then.

I m frustrated with low/no pay under a litigating senior and also in litigation in general. Cases are pending for really long time. Our judiciary is also not very well read and brilliant.

Hence, for financial reasons and to save my soul (and life) I want to jump into Gen Corp and M&A.

Could you kindly take sometime to guide & write down a plan to scale our careers in your field for candidates/professionals like me and similary situated in life? Do cold messaging on linkedin works? I have had no success. Could you write out an actionable plan please? Is there a way to contact you and speak for few minutes?

Best wishes,

user-01

Hey!

It's a tough field. But consistent efforts, even if small, pay off. A lot of people say the key to litigation is hardwork. That's true for every field. What's possibly unique to litigation is the pressing need to network. You need to network HARD.

Would be happy to answer any specific questions that you may have.

NLS graduate from the early (Madhava Menon days) batches. Been around the block several times - everything from working abroad to law firms to litigation to NGOs. Stopped taking all this stuff seriously a decade or more ago - it's just a job. Still find it amusing how so many of the people I was in hostel with are spoken of here in hushed tones of awe, as the senior partners and senior advocates and judges - it always reminds me of the wildest hostel story about them. I drop in here once in a while am frequently tempted to post "just chill out and relax -it's not as big a deal as you think" in half the topics.

Originally from a low-income household in a small town, currently a 5th year at a T1 NLU. Ranked in the bottom 25% of the class. No connections & no publications, but interned excessively during the pandemic.

Received a callback offer or reference (to a better firm) at every internship I pursued.
Multiple firms - including T1s & T2s - expressed interest in offering PPOs, I accepted an offer from a team of my choice at a T1.

Open to learning new things & helping others.

Law School, 2000s batch

Equity Partner at a Tier 1 firm in Bombay, been at the Corp grind for a while now, slinging it in M&A.

I remember the earliest days of LI when folks would comment under their real names, fond memories.

Glad to see this being revived :)

Interpretation of one shloka of GEETA by Bomb creator but wrongly quoted by this theorical physicist. " I think ; therefore I am " Descartes over emphasised on mind . "Life is real only then, "I am "."- Gurdjieff emphasised on unreal human beings on this earth ( the process of self lying nature of human being imprisoned by conditioning of society,culture ,structural religion,own conclusions and ideas and madhouse in the name of professionalism by multi faced creature on this earth ) .

Here, have an upvote! But please don't take it personally, the internet can be a cruel space, and only getting 2 downvotes is not very much at all :) They may both have slipped with their mouse, or maybe two people out of pinciple downvote anything that gets the featured tag, etc :)