First Person Accounts (FPA’s) are meant to provide a first-hand account of Indian graduates who have pursued, or are pursuing, a post-graduate course (LL.M. or otherwise) from different universities across the world.
Jatinder Singh is slightly unique when it comes to the FPA series. He is a commerce graduate who completed an MBA in 2006, and then enrolled for an LL.M. in 2016. The choice of course is also quite interesting; Jatinder took up the LL.M. in Intellectual Property offered by Ankara University and the World Intellectual Property Organisaton (WIPO). In this FPA, he shares his reasons for enrolling, discusses the LL.M. experience itself, and more.
(Edited excerpts)
Nearly ten years after an MBA, you decided to enrol for an LL.M. – what was the thinking behind this move?
I was working in intellectual property field from last 10 years; however I never got a chance to study intellectual property. After my graduation I got job in the Intellectual property outsourcing firm and during these years I never got a chance to invest money and time in studying IPR.
I was working on IP documents every day, but never got the chance to understand the laws behind those procedures, so I decided to study law, specially IPR.
Did you ever consider getting an LLB from India first?
Yes, I explored the opportunities within India. But in most of them, require a 3 year study of common law, before the specialized branch of law. And here I was getting a chance to study IPR without the 3 years program.
How did you go about selecting just where to apply for the LL.M.? And what got you to narrow down on the Ankara – WIPO course?
The main selection criteria were based around course content, faculty and scholarship. I applied to a number of international institutes where scholarship was available, because I am a father and I need to support my family financially.
After analysing the available options, I narrowed down on the Ankara-WIPO course because of two reasons,
- One, I was getting full scholarship which includes all expenses and monthly stipend and
- Two, the residential phase was only for five months which I could manage by taking a sabbatical rather than leaving my job.
Any advice on how one should go about the application process?
The program is offered jointly by the WIPO, Turkpatent and the Ankara University; the applicant has to apply on the WIPO Academy webpage for admission.
One should start 1-2 months prior to the application deadline to get the documents in order. Some of the required documents are: TOEFL scorecard, Transcript of University studies, Recommendation letter and Motivation letter.
Did you apply for/receive financial aid?
My scholarship was aided by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and included travel costs; tuition fees, accommodation, subsistence allowance and medical insurance.
How was the LL.M. experience itself? Was it difficult to balance the LL.M. along with work?
The course has compulsory distance learning phase for first three months to equip each participant with basic knowledge in Intellectual Property laws and a final exam at the end; to prepare for the intensive residential phase at Ankara University. The initial three months do not require dedicated study; a couple of hours per week will suffice.
In terms of professional growth, what are some of the benefits that you derived from the LL.M.?
This course gives you a chance to learn from distinguished professors, Patent examiners and IP attorneys. The course structure includes visit to Turkish Patent office IP seminars which provide excellent networking opportunities; and prospective internship and career opportunities with WIPO, EUIPO and TurkPatent.
Lastly, any advice for non-law graduates who may be considering a master’s in law?
I fully recommend going for an (international) LLM! As it does not require previous knowledge of law and it will you in perfecting in on a specialism, you gain more knowledge than you would think possible, meet interesting people and visit beautiful places and have a greater understanding of the legal landscape.
If you would like Amicus Partners to provide some personalised advice on your LLM applications, please fill in this form and we shall get back to you as soon as possible.