I was disposing of my old books from law college and was in a conundrum as to which one to keep & which ones to let go.

That had me wondering; For people in their profession of more than a decade or so, do you guys still refer to other areas outside of your specialisation? Or are you going deeper into your own. Example, if you practice corporate law, are you up-to-date with say criminal or constitutional law ? Have you looked back at subjects you didn't take after college ?

While I was in college, I focused on excelling in just one subject area, while other subjects felt like extra responsibilities that I studied only for exams, especially areas allied to my practice area. Now, working in an M&A team, I feel somewhat restricted. One suggestion I’d make is not to avoid studying subjects related to your practice area. You may think a practice area isn't appealing simply because you haven’t studied it and have formed assumptions based on the buzz around you (I did that, and now I feel limited in many ways).

Specialization is valuable, but staying informed about topics connected to your practice area is essential; even a quick read can help. While areas like criminal law and constitutional law may not intersect with my work, allied practice areas do.

Theory can sometimes seem dull, but in practice, it often reveals useful similarities with the area you want to work in, giving you an edge. Once you start working in a law firm, you won’t have much time to study areas you haven’t yet explored, and if your work overlaps with those topics, not knowing them can create issues.

I hope this helps and all the best!