Disclaimer: This is my final post. Disclaimer stays the same. No offence is intended to anything living, alive or metaphysical. Read in peace.

Law firm ‘X’ recently had one of their recruitment drives in a college not so well renowned. I attempt to decipher how and why one man dared to tell them ‘No’ despite having all the possible credentials to make it.

My friend, the ‘Godfather’ (refer earlier posts to find his mention), has a good batch rank He did not apply to law firm ‘X’ even though it was offering a very lucrative package and neither did he ever want anything to do with it.

Background:

The Godfather and I hail from the more recently established pedigree of law schools having a national tag. Our perceptions have changed from time to time. At the time we joined law school, the senior most batch comprised only of the third years and people didn’t expect much to happen in terms of recruitments and future prospects. Levels of hope ranged from the outright practical (expecting a degree to come at the very least) to the plain absurd (Law firm ‘X’ coming down to recruit). People’s perception changed and the institution grew along with us. Batch by batch, year by year, we started getting our due outside and being appreciated for our competency. Firm ‘X’ picked very few people from the first batch; picked fewer people from the second batch and this year picked the most number of people. The Godfather didn’t apply to firm ‘X’ and was clear cut in his choice, stating that he wanted to enter litigation. The reason I have given this background is that from a position of no hope, the institution and its people have grown to a position of choosing an alternate option as their career instead of immediately taking whatever comes by them. The Godfather made this decision despite knowing that he did not belong to one of the elite (NLS, NALSAR or NUJS). He did so because he wanted to do it and he knowingly opted for a path less trodden despite knowing what adversities he might have to face in that given path.

Reason:

The Godfather was ever encouraging of people who applied for the job and was happy for all of them getting these massive packages which can set their lives for years to come. But yet, the Godfather had a simple question to ask few people including me, ‘Where do you see yourself two years down the line?’. This question didn’t really generate any concrete response from anyone. He simply stated that if 14 lakh Rupees was to be the benchmark to gauge the growth of a law school and how good its students are, then we’ve reached this stage as an institution. Weighing out a long term perspective compared to a short term perspective is what needs to be looked at. But, a long term perspective in terms of growing within an organization or growing in the profession is something which nobody could concretely ascertain since people just thought about the package and nothing more.

 Conclusions:

1)      Firm ‘X’ continues to remain and will always be a brilliant place to work and it has made lives for many people.

2)      Second generation law colleges have arrived and have arrived for a reason. Having faced deprivation and ignominy for years on end, talent is being recognized purely for the good work that students from these colleges do, since more often then not they are left with limited options.

3)     Probably, the Godfather has taken a big risk by refusing a sure shot offer but yet, even Firm ‘X’, acknowledged the fact that students in this batch and in this law school have values instilled in them and do not simply run behind money. The institution has grown and will continue to grow as firms come by and firms go but it is the people who make up the institute who make it as acclaimed as it is.

4)   Choices made by graduating law students are mostly clear cut for decisions influencing their lives in the near future. But, at the same time balancing choices from a short term or long term perspective is something which very few people can do while passing out.

P.S.

1) Kian, Thanks for this excellent platform. You have given bloggers like me the most ideal space to bring up issues ranging from the extremely simplistic to the outrageously bizarre.

2) To all other bloggers- Nandi, Poet, Folly, False News, John. It’s been a great competition and full marks to all of you for making it a tough race to the finish.

3) People have often asked me why I have a pitchfork as my symbol. It actually represents the ‘Trishul’, the weapon used to vanquish evil and also my ideology, to a certain extent.

Cheers!

SSS