Life At Law School

A first of its kind which will help you to decide if you wish to study law and become aware of your own motivation. Don't skip the annexures, they will guide you for a long time to come. Written in a racy readable style reflecting the personality of the multi-tasking author

—Indira Jaising, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court

An instructive guide on the prospective experiences that one is likely to encounter while studying law and the choices that graduates must negotiate with soon after. Engaging, accessible and filled with anecdotes from her own experiences, this compendium offers well-meaning and tested advice for anyone contemplating a career in law. Immensely useful.

—Shashi Tharoor, MP

A must-read for every law student on day one at a law school.  Every law aspirant needs to read this to understand life at a law school.  This book will guide them appropriately to attain excellence at a law school for a rewarding career in law.  Sincere appreciations to the author who had been a role model at the law school. I take immense pride in being her teacher.

—Prof. Sanjeevi Shanthakumar, Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat National Law University

My first anguish after reading the manuscript was that Avani should have been my senior at law school, which could have fast-tracked my career graph! It is a lucid, non-legalese, smart book which clears the clutter and will launch the law school aspirant's ambitions as a practitioner,  educationist, activist, jurist and policy wonk. It does come not just from a smart author but importantly from someone with experiential learning and proving to be a successful lawyer, motivational speaker and public policy enthusiast. Simply a "must" as a personal copy for not only those who are pursuing law but also for all law school aspirants.

—Prof. V. C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor, Hidayatullah National Law University

For someone who is looking for an effective mentor, I would say this book is the perfect one. It has been very meticulously written, takes a broad view of things, and yet goes down into the specifics for the more essential topics. Overall it makes for easy reading, and I would recommend every law student looking to make the most of their law school experience to get hold of a copy.

—Manish Tiwari, Advocate, MP, Former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting

A first-hand practical guide for systematically shaping the five long years at the law school. It answers the common doubts and questions law students have over the course of their education. It's like having an amazing advisor beside you, helping you in making intelligent decisions along the way. Right from mooting to networking, this book covers everything that a law student needs.  A must-read for those aspiring to be in law schools or beyond!!

—Prof. G.S. Bajpai, Registrar, National Law University, Delhi

ON LAW SCHOOL

Why a law school for me?

How do I select the right law school? 

What is law school life all about? 

Am I prepared for law school or how do I prepare?

So when I look back at five years of law school—What will they look like?

ON DOING YOUR HOMEWORK

First things first   

Elements of planning  

Internships  

THE FIRST YEAR—ON YOUR FIRST STEPS

Why is the first year special? 

How to make the most of the first year?  

THE MIDDLE YEARS—ON THE RUN  

Take on the bigger load first  

What does not exist—Create; What exists—Expand  

Two faced: Inward and outward (look at law school and look outside of it)  

 Rank versus overall development 

 Choosing Honours paper 

 Make sure you are not taking the easy way out  

Some common questions/concerns  

Creative thinking or out of the box thinking  

Do not conform to all the stereotypes of a lawyer  

Generalisation versus specialisation  

Too big for my shoes?  

THE FINAL YEAR—ON THE FINISHING LINE 

Tunnel vision or broad spectrum

Does your CV have an "international element?

Let us cut to the chase: Know your next step 

Year of reaping  

Have not figured out what to do with life or law yet?

Saying goodbye'

 ON THE TANGIBLES  

What can be measured can be achieved.  

Curriculum vitae (CV)/resume

Grades/CGPA 

Playing to your strengths and working on your weaknesses  

The deficiencies of the system is no good excuse

Moot—The game is called mooting!  

Master-class on mooting A step-by-step plan  

Master the facts of the problem 

Project work: On the value of project work 

Publications

Tips on publishing

Internships

Conferences, debates, Model United Nations

Extracurriculars

Conclusion

ON THE INTANGIBLES

Aptitudes/skills

Friendships

Networking

Social media presence

Your attitude

Thank you notes

Summing up

ON THE PATH

Being regular to classes

Image building

Habit formation

Love of books and library

The argumentative Indian

Knowledge for knowledge’s sake

ON THE DESTINATION

Landing successfully after law school

Finding the right career opportunity

Finding a job                                

Questions you may still have                             

Corporate firms                                                                                   

In-house counsel                                       

Public policy                                         

Banks and financial institutions                                                           

Judiciary                                             

Careers in international law                                                              

Applying for Masters: A to Z of Masters

Application procedure

Online/paper-based application

Recommendation letters

Writing sample
Scholarship applications

Other documents (birth certificate—translation company)

Rank—does it matter?
Funding—the big trouble?

How should the cost reflect in choice of college?

Final internship

Gap year

REMEMBER THE BIGGER PICTURE

APPENDIX