First Person Accounts: Debopama Roy on the LLM at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law

First Person Accounts (FPA’s) are meant to provide a first-hand account of law graduates who have pursued, or are pursuing, a post-graduate course (an LLM or otherwise) from different universities across the world.

Debopama Roy graduated with a law degree from Indraprastha University in 2009. After working for four and a half years, she opted to enrol for an LLM at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. After graduating with the LLM in 2014, Debopama took up a number of roles, in the US as well as in India.

In this FPA, she explains her reasons for gaining work experience before applying for the LLM, how to make the most of the US LLM experience, and a whole lot more.  

You worked for nearly five years before applying for the LLM? What got you considering a foreign LLM at that point in your career?

While studying in law school in India, I had plans to pursue a foreign LL.M. I interacted with law students who have or were pursuing foreign LL.M. and reached out to the admissions offices of various foreign universities to understand the process of admission, scholarships, the cost involved and the opportunities it brings on completion of the course.

This information helped me evaluate which universities to apply to and when to start the admission process. I decided to gain post-qualification experience for at least 4 to 5 years to figure out the area of practice in which I want to focus and apply to universities known for their faculty and research in technology, media and communication seeking admission and scholarships.

I wanted to equip myself to be able to work as an in-house counsel in a global organisation in a global role.

And once you had decided to apply, how did you go about selecting where to apply? What got you to narrow down on Indiana Law?

At the time I graduated, I decided to work for a couple of years before applying for my master’s outside India as universities in the US and UK followed the Socratic method of teaching where students with work experience are equipped to connect the dots between the lessons taught and their applicability in the outside world.

While working for a year and a half, I got admitted to the dual degree program offered by the National University of Singapore, School of Law in collaboration with the New York University along with their Dean’s Award scholarship.

However, I was not ready to pursue the course as I wanted to work, gain more experience to understand technology and telecom regulatory laws in India as a young lawyer and earn, save and have more funds to support a portion of the law school fees abroad.  That summer I travelled to Singapore to interact with the Dean, faculty and students to understand the courses they offer and the work opportunities for foreign students in Singapore.

The in-person interaction helped me further zero down on my choice of universities and the type of courses, I aim to pursue which meet my work experience and ensure I have a high probability of work opportunities in the country I pursue an LL.M. post-graduation.

I shifted from an in-house corporate role to a law firm to gain hands-on experience, especially in telecom regulatory litigation and advisory services. In the fall of 2012, I started applying to universities in the U.S. and Singapore like New York University, the University of Virginia, Emory University, Indiana University and the National University of Singapore for both master’s programmes and dual-degree programmes in collaboration with NYU. 

I got accepted from all the above universities, the Indiana University at Bloomington offered me which met all the criteria I had in my mind:

• Technology, IP and privacy-specific law programs with renowned faculty focused on these areas;
  
  
• The course met the credit criteria for the New York Bar examination and other bar examinations;
  
  
• The scholarship offered covered my tuition fees and the assistantship covered my living expenses;
  
  
• The cost of living at Bloomington was cheaper than in other places especially New York City, which helped me save money earned from my assistantship at the University and helped me survive through my job hunt days;
  
  
• Networking opportunities were available through peers, the alumnus community and faculty members in the areas I was looking for opportunities;
  
  
• Enjoy the American mid-west culture in the USA and Bloomington is a melting pot of different cultures with a strong student community. It allowed me to learn the American and other global cultures. 

Looking back, what have been some of the most rewarding aspects of the entire LLM experience? What role has the LLM played in your professional choices after graduation?

The US LL.M. has been a rewarding experience in many ways:

• It helped me gain in-depth knowledge about specific practice areas, the laws and legal practices in the US legal system;
  
  
• It helped me build a strong network of professionals from across the globe which has benefitted me later in years to come while working in global roles;
  
  
• Living out of my comfort zone in an unknown country helped me realise, reach out and build strong connections with people I consider my support system apart from my family. Years after my LLM, those people are a call away for anything I need personally and professionally.

In many ways, these experiences and connections have helped me develop as an individual, and learn more about work, culture, and food helping me hone cross-cultural communication skills.

I enjoyed visiting my friends’ places or having my friends over at my place for our weekly potluck or on special occasions like Halloween, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, Christmas,  birthdays or just like that where each of us cooked and brought a dish for dinner, I have learnt to appreciate their values, customs, etiquette, food, language and culture. I still cook recipes which I learnt during my LLM days and often travel and catch up with friends over festivals and special occasions.

Now, when I interact with my counterparts/ stakeholders in the US or any other region I try to interact on general things like weather, festivals, food, sports, and places I have visited which helps me connect and make them feel at ease before I start the business conversation, especially during negotiations.

Many times tough discussions have been easily resolved as the other person feels assured that I am aware of their culture and country making the conversation easy and effective. 

Again, with the benefit of hindsight, was there anything about the LLM that you wish you had known in advance?

I wish I had known about the LLM in the US in advance:

• The power of networking before my LLM and strategising in a better way to network with faculty and alumni;
  
  
• Publish relevant legal papers, work and plan for the course around the job opportunities available in that particular jurisdiction and the state Bar examination you intend to take accordingly;
  
  
• It is always good to start with your state Bar examination preparation with the start of the LLM unless you have done or intend to do JD as it gives you time to study the subjects which you do not get to cover all the subjects in the LLM;
  
  
• Learn Spanish or Chinese or any foreign language relevant in that country as there are a lot of job opportunities for lawyers in the US or other countries who know these languages.

Given your current role, do you see Indian employers giving some weightage to law graduates who have pursued an LLM?

While getting interviewed for my current role, I realised the work experience during and after my LL.M. in the US brought value to the table as the role involved understanding laws and regulations for running global business operations.

In my current role, my legal knowledge gained from LLM and work experience helped me strategise and navigate through contracts, policies, processes and compliances efficiently across stakeholders across regions and cultures. My experience working and networking in the US helped me mitigate risks effectively and resolve potential disputes for Airmeet in the US.

Lastly, any advice for the Indian law graduate who is considering a master’s abroad?

In the era of emerging economies like India, we Indian lawyers and law graduates who are considering a master’s abroad always keep key things in mind before planning for your LL.M.:

• Understand the market value of the degree offered by the university in terms of employment opportunities based on the courses offered, faculty members and alumni (who will help you build a professional network), the cost involved, the scholarships available along with assistantship opportunities which will help you earn while you learn;
  
  
• Gain a couple of years of work experience before applying for your master’s in any foreign universities especially in the US and UK as they follow the Socratic method of teaching. It gives you an edge in understanding the subjects taught in the course over other foreign students who pursue the course immediately post-graduation without any work experience. You are well equipped to connect the dots between what is taught and its applicability for all practical purposes.
  
  
• Socialise with students and peers from other nationalities apart from Indians as it opens the door for you to the global culture and different perspectives about people’s lives and challenges. It helps you develop strong cross-cultural communication skills, and build a strong network,  an essential skill set for lawyers.
  
  
• Network, network, network…… that’s how you can thrive in the job market after completing a master’s degree. Unlike, Indian law schools and universities the placement office in the law school is not much help to international students due to work visa restrictions for foreign nationals. The success rate of a foreign student to land a job is low i.e., around 1% of the Indian students in the US law schools get a job in the US after their LLM with employer visa sponsorship. Go out, connect with people based on commonalities like nationality, alumni, area of interest etc., and ask for help related to your job search, and the courses you want to pursue your master’s degree. It will also help you get a job back home in India and thrive in roles in the future.

An LLM is a holistic journey, a lifetime opportunity to cherish as a student, explore opportunities outside one’s comfort zone and build connections which go a long way and can take you places, you never know!