How to perform 10x better than the toppers at NLUs and create the legal career of your dreams .. Ramanuj

FOREWORD -

When Ramanuj Mukherjee (author, also an NLU alumnus) who authored this interesting book and shared it with me for my views (without going into the content) I was not sure whether there exists such a divide between NLU and Non-NLU Students. I passed my law graduation in 1987 when I think the first NLU in Bangalore was started so I don’t have the first-hand experience of NLU vs. non-NLU learning. But I keep hearing interesting gossips from the interns/ young lawyers on this topic when I visit NLU & non-NLU Law Colleges across the Country. I must admit that I never took them so seriously. Personally, I thought there should not have been any such divide amongst law students but having gone through the book I realise the seriousness of the problems and I am glad that Ramanuj has tried to address them very objectively with lot of practical suggestions.  And I would strongly recommend this book to both NLU and Non-NLU students so that they know where exactly they go wrong in the initial years of law career.

The best part of this book is that it brings out the difference in the way students pursue legal education in NLU including the way they work to get internships, participate in seminars, panel discussions, exercises, work for placements and finally the alumni support.  

It’s the ‘robust culture’ and ‘fighting spirit’ that they have built over a period and I must congratulate the NLU professors and their students for this achievement. I guess the ‘robustness’ must be in the air of these NLU campuses!  

Prior to 1987 law was very rarely taken as a serious career option whereas now students who secure more than 90% and those who can easily take engineering or medical as their career are now willingly choosing 'legal profession' as their preferred career choice.  They work very hard to secure these marks, so naturally they would try and work harder to establish themselves as lawyer.  I guess same is the case with students of IITs and IIMs.  The day these students enter college campus they are set on fire and there is nothing wrong in this approach.

Fortunately, technology has to large extent offered a level playing field for not just law students but students across various streams of education. Today opportunities for creating new legislation galore because of the emergence of complex business models and revenue structures across jurisdictions. We would need many young lawyers who can comprehend disruptive technologies and the advent of the 4th Industrial revolution including ability to offer solutions to complex disputes that may arise in future. Therefore, there is no need to get terrified or be desperate and rush into uncalled depression just because of lack of ‘internships or placements’ opportunities.  Students will have to work beyond standard curricula, internships and placement opportunities because the worst is yet to come. 

There is already a threat of artificial intelligence and machine learning replacing many professionals including junior lawyers. 

We are in the age of ‘super-struggle’ not just at the entry point but at all levels and the earliest we start preparing the better it would be for us and for the organisations that we work for.  We would have to constantly keep learning and re-discovering ourselves. Multi-tasking is the new linear way of progress. We cannot afford to wait for the providence to send any opportunity our way; we will have to create one for ourselves and seize it. 

And this book along with the multiple blogs that are written by Ramanuj and his team on www.ipleaders.in have done a good job of making you think and introspect, and I only wish you take every note in right spirit and find a path for progress. 

Lastly, I once again sincerely wish that whilst it’s good to learn from the NLU and non-NLU debate or approach, there is no need to carry any grudge on account of such divide whilst working professionally.  There is and will always be space for good lawyers irrespective of our respective educational backgrounds.  My all best wishes to all law students NLU as well as Non-NLU.  I would once again like to thank Ramanuj for writing this brilliant piece and conclude with my favourite quote –

“If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already” – Abraham Lincoln

By Nitin Potdar, M&A Partner J. Sagar Associates, Mumbai, [email protected]   

Free Download of this Book is Available on the following link                                                     

https://lawsikho.com/book/10times-better/index.html