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Also, how difficult is it to get in without any contacts for a first gen lawyer not from Delhi? Are there waiting periods?
And, do they allow associates to take up independent cases while working at the office?
Litigation in India is, by design, an individual-driven profession. You’re not truly a litigator until you have your own clients and an independent practice. Lawyers working in litigation offices—whether chambers or law firms—are, in effect, apprentices. It’s unquestionably wrong that they’re expected to work without fair compensation, but that remains the harsh reality of our time.
Corporate law firms have failed miserably at disrupting this culture—largely because they account for less than 1% of the work flowing into the courts.
It's almost impossible to get a position without a serious level of connection in the good teams, and you cannot do your independent practice. But bringing the work to the firm gets you a 30% share of the total billing on that case; even if you leave the firm, the firm continues to pay.
The worst part of Karanjawala is the delays in salary; there is almost a 3-4 months delay prevailing for the Associates/Senior Associates, 6-7 months for Principal Associates and 8-9 months for Partners. So, effectively, you work for free for months without getting any remuneration for it.