I’m a fifth-year student at a Tier 1 NLU with a pretty average CV. My grades are okay, I’ve done a few national and international moots, contributed to a journal, and headed a committee. But I made a major mistake: I spent most of law school building experience in a niche I genuinely loved — only to realise much later that it has very limited scope professionally. I still love the subject, especially the theoretical aspects, but the practical side hasn’t matched up. I also know now that academia isn’t the right fit for me.

I’m trying to shift to corporate law, but I’m struggling to find my footing at this stage. I don’t want to do litigation or disputes, and I know I don’t want to go back to the niche I focused on earlier. There’s a real chance I may not end up with a corporate job after graduation, and that’s something I’m trying to figure out how to avoid.

If anyone has been in a similar place or has advice on how to pivot this late — where to start, what to prioritise, or even what kind of roles to look at — I’d really appreciate it. Just trying to get some direction and not feel completely stuck.

To be honest, it does not really matter. If you have an average CV (provided you have done internships at reputed lawfirms in your niche), good marks (this is more important than your CV at a T1 NLU) and the T1 NLU tag, then you are all good. People in GNLU who had a good batch rank (see: Top 10-15) got selected even though they barely had any lawfirm internships, let alone corporate/M&A experience at lawfirms. The work does not even require you to have some specific experience or knowledge. The vanilla companies act and other related regulations/acts that you studied in your law school suffice for a job in a corporate practice. And M&A/Gen Corp practice does not even require in depth experience for becoming eligible for an associate position. Literally anyone (even a first year law student) can do an A0/A1's work. All they do is mind numbing DD and proof-reading. The observation/compliance-check work that A0s may ocasionally get is also very simple and does not require in-depth knowledge of the practice. Just basic research skills would be enough to enter into this practice. So, if you are from a tier 1 NLU, pray to god that you have a good batch rank. You are all sorted.

At GNLU, for instance, students with good batch ranks (Top 10–15) secured jobs despite having limited law firm internships, and almost no direct corporate/M&A experience. The reality is that most corporate practice roles don’t demand prior specialised experience or knowledge. The basic understanding of the Companies Act and related statutes that you gain during law school is generally sufficient to begin working in Gen Corp.

In fact, the work assigned to A0/A1-level associates is often quite rudimentary, primarily due diligence and proofreading. Occasionally, they might be involved in compliance checks or making standard observations, but even that doesn’t require in-depth knowledge or years of experience. Literally anyone (even a first year law student) can do an A0/A1's work. So, if you are from a tier 1 NLU, pray to god that you have a good batch rank.