Interviewees: | Amogh Mittal, Gunjan Singh, Ridhima Bhardwaj & Talin Bhardwaj (Final-year students at RGNUL) |
Interviewer: | Nayoleeka Purty (Co-Founder of RGNUL Cosmos) |
Introduction: Talin, Ridhima, Gunjan and Amogh recently got placed at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas through the Campus Recruitment Process initiated by the RGNUL Placement Cell. They are the first ones from the batch of 2023 to secure a placement through the Campus Recruitment Process. All of them have stellar academic records and a fair share of experience interning at various Tier-1 law firms. This interview delves into their achievements, emotions and their entire journey at law school so far.
Q.1) Congratulations on being placed at SAM. The entire university is proud of you for achieving such a great achievement and thank you for doing this interview. Please introduce yourselves to our readers.
Talin: My name is Talin Bhardwaj and I hail from Chandigarh. I have been privileged to do my schooling at Strawberry Fields High School and pursue my undergraduate from RGNUL Patiala. Throughout my schooling and law school, I have ventured into various curricular and extracurricular activities. I am passionate about watching different sports such as cricket football, Formula One and UFC. During my free time and to take my mind off the daily hustle of law school, I like to read non-fiction books - mostly autobiographies and geo-political books, listen to various podcasts, listen to different genres of music, and I also like to sing and write Shayari.
Gunjan: My name is Gunjan Singh and I hail from a small-town Bareilly in UP. If I must introduce myself, I am a trained classical dancer and I am fond of music. I have also been a theatre person till 13 or 14 years of my age. I think this love for public spaces has brought me to law.
Ridhima: My name is Ridhima Bhardwaj and I am from Jaipur. I am a fifth-year law student at RGNUL. I enjoy dancing & baking and am a huge dog lover. So, in my free time, I look forward to spending time with my dog or watching some shows/movies and that is my idea of the best day. Apart from this, my law school journey has been amazing and filled with a lot of happy memories, wonderful people, and the family that I have found in RGNUL.
Amogh: My name is Amogh Mittal and am a fifth-year law student at RGNUL. I have done my schooling and spent most of my adult life in Delhi and Gurgaon. In law school, I have tried to maintain a balance between studies, moot court competitions & publications, and all the normal jazz that everyone goes through. In terms of my hobbies, I can debate with anyone over who’s the better cricketer between Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli; I’d personally vouch for Tendulkar though. Further, I like watching true crime documentaries, not to plan a murder (says it with a laugh) but to understand the psychology behind the same. I also like to listen to Hindi and desi hip-hop music.
Q.2) How does it feel to achieve this and be the first ones from the batch of 2023 to secure placements through the university’s campus placement drive? Please share your experience on how has it been so far for you, to receive love, appreciation, and admiration from people around you.
Amogh: I do not think the fact that I have secured a job at one of the Tier I law firms has settled in, which is something I have always wanted to have. But I will say that there is a feeling of satisfaction and relaxation that I do not have to spend the next 6-8 months in a constant state of pressure and anxiety as to what will happen next. Apart from that, I think it is still settling in, I had gone out with my family and friends and had some good times quote on quote. So, I think these things are helping me realize and feel good about getting a placement.
Ridhima: It was extremely overwhelming at first and I could not believe it myself when I told my family and friends about it. The feeling of utter happiness and satisfaction of achieving this and the feeling that I get to make people who love me proud is one that I cannot express in words. I am grateful for all the love and appreciation that I have received from everyone and am happy and relieved that this happened at a stage of my law school journey where I get to enjoy the rest of my last year in college.
Q.3) Was getting into SAM your dream job? Was this something you were aiming for?
Gunjan: I do not think this was my dream job. SAM particularly as a firm was not something that I was targeting, it was one of them, and getting into it felt right because of the practice area, work, and experience that I have had, everything aligned. In my interview for SAM, they asked me whether I play cricket or not and I said yes. The interviewer then replied that they have a unisex cricket team and they would want me to be on that team. It was then I felt that this is my dream job, and now this is a place I must be in. So, yes it finally fell into place while I was giving the interview and not before it.
Talin: Although, as a law student, I did not particularly aim towards any specific law firm, but for me personally, it does check all the boxes for my dream job. The kind of transactions that they deal with and the kind of people that I would get to work with, all of it fit well. Also, the fact that we had to fill in a questionnaire answering why we choose SAM was very clarifying for us as people because we understood that it presents us with an opportunity to interact with the brightest legal minds in India. Therefore, that is the reason I feel that it checks all the boxes for me.
Q.4) Can you guys share a glimpse of your entire journey, the whole process, from the very beginning, from the time you submitted your applications to the time when you heard about the results?
Ridhima: When we had to submit our applications, we had to put in a lot of thought as to what our preferences would be regarding the practice area and location because that could have a long-term effect on our personal & professional lives. I was nervous and anxious before the interview, naturally so because it was scheduled on such short notice. Finally, the last stage of the entire process - the day of the interview came and it was extremely overwhelming because Mr. Shardul Shroff himself took the interview. When we heard the results the very next day, we could not process what had happened in a span of just 2 days, and we were just euphoric by the end of it. And finally, being able to say that I have been placed after months and years of hardwork is just a different feeling altogether. So, this was my entire journey.
Gunjan: Honestly, the application process is mentally exhausting because the firms have this entire concept of giving a very cumbersome process. I feel our lives changed in 3 days, we submitted our applications and then we heard nothing from them, and out of nowhere, we were informed that we have been shortlisted for the interview, which is supposed to be the next day. I was paranoid and stressed. Finally, when the offer letter finally came, I could not process it. My exact thoughts were “is it a job offer for real? is it done? my law school journey ends here?” I remember my mother getting emotional and with tears in her eyes saying “You have worked for this day and night, is it finally done?” It is then that I realized that it is the end, a full stop to all those culminations of efforts. So, this was my application journey.
Q.5) All of us know that law schools can get a bit overwhelming at times so how do you deal with stress and pressure, especially in the past two years when securing a job has always been in the back of our minds?
Talin: This question addresses a very important issue that is faced by everyone living their law school journey. In my opinion, yes law school can be very overwhelming at times. Especially, the last two years can be very stressful as all our focus shifts to securing a job. Although, coping mechanisms for every person to deal with pressure might be different, there is one fundamental principle that I feel applies universally to everyone. One should never lose faith in his/her capabilities, and the process. If you have faith in yourself and the process, I am sure that if not immediately, then definitely in the near future, you shall see the results.
Amogh: Everybody is accurate in saying that the last two years of law school become very stressful. Four things helped me deal with stress that I would like to share. First, would be having a good close group of friends who always help, support, and rightly guide you (shoutout to Pranay, Faiz, Pranav, Talin, Ishaan and Nakash). The second, would be inculcating a sense of reading. I think it has always helped me in keeping my mind off stress. Third, I would say believing in yourself because one should always tell himself/herself that what they are doing will eventually help one. The fourth would be eating a lot of junk food and drinking a lot of non-alcoholic beverages but that I will not suggest (says it laughingly).
Q.6) There is a phenomenal obsession amongst law students with maintaining a very high CGPA and balancing internships and extra-curricular activities to build an all-rounder CV. The competition out there is cut-throat. How important according to you is this in securing a job?
Ridhima: I understand why everyone is striving to be an all-rounder but I feel the term is a bit overrated (says it with a smile). You can be good at only one thing and put your heart and soul into it. But I also believe that before you choose that one thing, it is important to explore everything to find your true interest. You pick up different skills from different experiences, for example, from internships you learn researching and communication skills and from mooting, you brush up your oratory skills. Furthermore, I think maintaining a high GPA is important, but it will not be the end of the world if you do not have a high GPA. All I can say is that everything else aside, you should give your best to your academics no matter what the result may be.
Gunjan: I have a divided opinion on maintaining a high GPA. Although I might sound a hypocrite because I have strived hard to maintain it. It does not determine your worth as a person or a law student or gauge your intellect and in no way adds to your personality. But at the same time, I have also understood from my internship experiences that this is the only parameter for them to decide whether a student is capable and fit for their institution. So, what they perceive is that if you can fit in a particular structure well then you might fit in their structure as well. Also, it helps you in time management as it is the only time when you are genuinely studying because of the pressure (says laughingly).
Amogh: I have a contrary opinion to what has been said so far. After getting this placement I would like to say do maintain a very high GPA. I understand building an all-round personality is essential and for that, you must moot, intern and publish blogs. But first and foremost, focus on studies, particularly self-study and prioritize scoring good grades over everything. The reasoning behind this is when firms shortlist candidates for a job they do it based on grades and after that, they look at your personality when you qualify for the interview round.
Q.7) These days many law students are rushing forth to intern at law firms from their first year through their fifth year. What do you have to say about law students’ advisability to pursue such a course of action?
Talin: In terms of the advisability of this, I do not advise this at all. In my interview for SAM, my varied internship experience with different criminal lawyers and law firms was appreciated by the panel. So, I would recommend exploring different fields of law and figuring out what works best for you. I think if you are not providing yourself with that opportunity, you are somewhat curtailing the entire journey of your law school life.
Amogh: According to me if somebody is very clear about the career path they want to pursue, then I would not suggest trying different things. However, if you are figuring out what you want to do, I suggest you start by interning at NGOs, chambers, and boutique law firms.
Q.8) How must one go about organizing their internships? Did you have a plan as to what kind of law firms you wanted to work in and which year of study and were there any specific areas of law you were interested in working?
Ridhima: I think organizing your internships is essential. I started planning at the beginning of my third year when I was confident after gaining experience from my previous internships that I want to pursue my future in the corporate field. So, I started applying to law firms and then once I got a general experience of the law firm culture and which field of law works best for me, I started shortlisting law firms that had the best practice area in those fields. By the end of my fourth year, I enhanced my CV and made it arbitration and international trade centric, which are my core areas of interest.
Gunjan: My method of shortlisting internships was according to the 4-5 interests that I had. In my second and third years, I interned at boutique law firms and then I started eliminating the practice areas that I did not like. By the end of the third year, I was sure of 2-3 practice areas that I wanted to pursue further. Then I went on to intern at Tier 1&2 law firms. I would also suggest interning at courts because that’s where real law is practiced.
Q.9) From which year of your law school, did you start to build a corporate/law firm-centric CV and what would you suggest to law students who want to build their CV in any of the niches of their own choice?
Talin: For me, the process of entering the corporate field, started at the end of the second year. The turning point for me in my law school journey was during the pandemic when, unfortunately, the entire world was at a standstill, but for me personally, that time provided me with an opportunity to clearly think about what I wanted to pursue as a career. I would prescribe that by the January of the third year you should figure out any field that you are inclined towards and can spend the last 2 years with a complete, undeterred focus pertaining to that field.
Amogh: In the initial years instead of having a corporate or litigation-orientated CV having a holistic CV is more important. Ideally, a holistic CV should include moots, publications, and internships. Coming to the second question, I would suggest writing an article about any field of law which you might find interesting would be the perfect way to figure out and develop a niche in an area. You cannot scam a well-written article, you must put in the amount of time and dedication so that you know the intricacies of the law. Firstly, it helps you understand the ins and outs of that topic/issue and secondly, it also gives you something tangible to put on your CV to reflect that you have some sort of a niche/interest in that area.
Q.10) What should one law student aspiring for a job at top law firms do? How would you recommend they prepare especially in their last 2 years at law school? Please share with us your list of dos and don’ts.
Gunjan: Some of the dos that I can think of would be: Firstly, having soft skills is a must. Secondly, being diligent and particular about your emails is important as it creates the first impression of a person. So please do not make any typographical errors and always create a narrative in your email with the person who allotted you the work and not just randomly attach a file. Thirdly, maximize your effort, if you have worked hard make sure your mentor knows about it. Fourthly, in my experience, it is essential to be a problem solver rather than just acquiring legal knowledge. Some don’ts would be: Firstly, never be rigid and always show flexibility in working with different teams or tasks. Secondly, never shy away from asking doubts, it reduces your chances of making an error.
Ridhima: I agree with all the points made by Gunjan. However, I would like to add that when you are interning make sure you form a connection with the team because that will help you out lifelong and not just for the duration of the internship. Your conduct throughout the internship should be such that they see you as an asset and value your input. It is very important to be disciplined at any law firm you intern at and take initiative and volunteer for work. Further, a don’t that I have for 4th and 5th years would be to not blindly follow what your peers are doing just because it looks fancy or it might get you a high-paying job. Always follow the path where your potential can be put to its best use like for example judiciary, litigation or academia. The second don’t would be to not take your internships lightly or casually, just because you got an internship does not mean you can relax and not work. As a student, you represent your institution, so please work hard wherever you go and try to learn new things.
Q.11) You have set a benchmark for the upcoming batches; is there any final piece of advice you would like to give to our junior batches? Or any message you would like to give our readers?
Amogh: At the outset, I sincerely hope and want that the upcoming batches to set new benchmarks. For advice, I would like to reiterate what has already been said that you should have faith in yourself. It might sound very tough and daunting to build an all-rounder CV incorporating a high CGPA, good publications, internships, etc. along with having soft skills and a personality. Admittedly, I haven’t achieved all of the above, but it is attainable only if you work hard. After all, what is law school if not the pursuit of refinement (says with a smile).
Ridhima: Apart from all the professional aspects, the final advice from my end would be to enjoy your law school life and make memories with your loved ones. It is very important that you do so because you are never going to get this time back. I think all of us had enough time during the pandemic to intern, take up moots and write blogs/papers, but we missed out on the real college experience. So, I would suggest the junior batches make the most of the remaining time with their friends.
Gunjan: I would say try everything you possibly can. Further, to survive law school you need a law school family because only they can understand your struggles and offer you correct advice in terms of your career. Please, do not be obstinate or rigid. Move out of your comfort zone and learn to take criticism. If after 5 years of law school you leave as the same person you were in your first year then it is a shame, you must leave as a better and evolved person.
Talin: As the rest have already said before, we sincerely hope that this benchmark is superseded by all our junior batches. Even though I do not have anything substantive to add to the points already made, there are some brief takeaways that I wish to shed some light on. First of all, take care of your physical and mental health. Secondly, having a close-knit group at law school is a must, and most importantly never stop believing in yourself.
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