Life At Law School

Life at Law School by Avani Bansal is an indispensable handbook for anyone aspiring to study law or already pursuing it. Written in an engaging, relatable style, the book blends personal experiences with practical advice to help you master the academic, extracurricular, and career-building aspects of law school life. From choosing the right law school to excelling in moots, securing internships, publishing research, building networks, and planning your career path, every chapter is a step-by-step mentor in print. Whether you dream of becoming a corporate lawyer, policy expert, academic, or judge, this book equips you with the mindset and skills to thrive.

Reviews

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
Member of Parliament

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