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  • First Person Accounts: Joshika Saraf on the LL.M. at SOAS + Clinical Legal Ed

    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.

    Joshika Saraf is a Lecturer (Clinical Legal Education) at the Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat. In 2019, she graduated with an LL.M. in Human Rights, Conflict and Justice at the School of Oriental & African Studies. 

    In this FPA, she discusses the LL.M. application process, the importance of Clinical Legal Education in Indian law schools, and a whole lot more. 

    Joshika Saraf (LL.M., SOAS)
    Joshika Saraf (LL.M., SOAS)

    SOAS is an extremely interesting choice – what made you consider this? What were some of the other schools, if any, that you applied to?

    My journey at the law school shaped my interest in the human rights discourse. I was fortunate to have some amazing professors who helped me learn more about human rights throughout my five years of law school.

    My decision to do an LLM was quite unplanned, to be honest.

    And, by the time I made up my mind and applied for my masters, only SOAS along with a couple of other universities (Essex and QMUL) were accepting applications.

    So, I ended up applying to all three. I got my results immediately after, and I was luckily accepted to all the three universities. 

    However, what made me choose SOAS over others was their course structure which was apposite for my requirements. SOAS has an impressive faculty, and their works have always inspired me as they resonated with my domain, which revolves primarily around gender equality.

    Additionally, the Human Rights Clinic and the prodigious library at SOAS left me with no other option but to accept the offer. 

    With the benefit of hindsight, what advice would you give to law grads who are preparing their LL.M. applications? Anything you wished you had known when you were applying? 

    • Always apply early – this gives you enough time to understand the course structure as well as a university better. It also helps one to apply for scholarships.
    • Do not faff in your Statement of Purpose as the folx reviewing the application are way smarter that one thinks. Make sure that your statement reflects who you are (and not what you think the Admissions Board wants to read). Every single person is unique and you should emphasize that in your application.
    • Talk to the alumni of a university that you are interested in – as it puts a lot of things in perspective. 

    How was the LL.M. experience itself? Again, with hindsight, what were some of the most rewarding aspects of the course?

    As cliché as it sounds, my entire year was an amazing experience. I believe the most rewarding aspect of the course was the incredible people that I met, and the friends that I made throughout the year – many of which remain my closest friends to date.

    Coming to the present, what got you to take up a teaching post at your alma mater? And is there anything that you are particularly looking forward to? 

    After coming back from my master’s, I started working with the Centre for Justice, Law and Society (formerly known as the Centre for Health Law, Ethics and Technology) as a Research Fellow.

    Gradually, I was promoted to the position of Research Associate, and finally my current position – Advocacy and Communication Coordinator. Since quite a few of my colleagues teach at JGLS, I would always be privy to conversations around their teaching experiences.

    However, I never thought of teaching, until I saw a vacancy for the post of Clinical Lecturer.

    I have been a part of Clinics before, but Clinical Legal Education (CLE) is not institutionalised in India as of yet. The advertisement of the said vacancy at JGLS strengthened my faith to build a case for institutionalisation of CLE. This is precisely what motivated me to take up this position at my alma mater. 

    I have started teaching the Reproductive Justice and the Law Clinic to an exciting bunch of students, and I am particularly looking forward to a journey of exploration, learning, unlearning, reflecting, and enjoying the experiences that come along the way. 

    What is your take on clinical legal education in Indian law schools? More specifically, do you think CLE should be given more importance? And how can teaching CLE be made more effective?

    At the outset, I believe that Clinical Legal Education (CLE) is extremely important for any student to gain first-hand experience by creating a balance of both academic and vocational training. It aids in garnering essential skills such as fact finding, reflective learning, team work, research and writing, and empathic learning.Therefore, CLE helps in developing reflective practitioners and lifelong learners. 

    Indian law schools, however, do not offer robust clinical legal programmes. There is a lack of an institutionalised approach towards CLE. Resultantly, there are multiple legal aid clinics in law schools, run by students with little or no supervision.

    There is a need to give more importance to institutionalisation of clinics. 

    There are various ways that can be adopted to make CLE more effective. One such way is to decolonize CLE, and further establish decolonial spaces.

    Such spaces can be established through (i) story-telling and talking circles to advance new ways of learning laws (ii) open dialogue with students about their identities (iii) integrating critical decolonial theories, and (iv) student led classroom discussion.

    Lastly, any advice for Indian law grads who are considering a master’s abroad? 

    Plan ahead. Pursuing a master’s abroad is an investment, and it is also a stepping stone into the next direction in your career.

    So, whether you decide to stay there after the completion of your degree, or plan to come back to India, make use of every single opportunity you can – to learn, to grow, and finally to have fun! 

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  • The worst business decision I have ever made. And why I refuse to correct it.

    The worst business decision I have ever made. And why I refuse to correct it.

    Clickbait headline out of the way, let’s get right to it shall we?

    The worst business decision, amongst a series of bad ones, has to be charging a consultation fee upfront. Right up front. Court side if you will.

    Why is this a terrible decision? The reasons are fairly obvious – one, this acts as an instant barrier to client acquisition. Especially for leads who have taken the time out to fill up a fairly detailed form as well as share their plans.

    Two, it shuts down the “discovery” aspect of a sale. Most people like having a “touch and feel” so to speak before making a purchase. This upfront fee simply cuts off the chances of that happening. In other words, if there is no way to assuage the effectiveness of the consultation, then why should one pay? As a counter, I point to the list of successful admissions, but I suppose this can only serve to be persuasive.

    Three, and apologies for the language here, it pisses people off. Which, if you are in the services industry, is a terribly foolhardy thing to do. More so in a world when so, so much useful information is freely accessible.

    And yet, I don’t plan on changing this practice anytime soon. Or rather, I don’t think I ever will.

    Why?

    A large part of the reason is pure ego. My time is important, it is valuable. It is time that needs to be paid for. A significantly smaller part is the belief that you should not work for free. If you work, you ought to be paid for it. As simple as that.

    Of course, in the end, it matters little as to what I think.

    It is the market that will eventually decide whether such a format works. As things stand, I feel the market is a tad uncertain. There are weeks where consultation calendars are full up, and weeks (oh those painful weeks), when they are not.  Which, as things go, suits me fine. Suits me just fine.

  • The ONE thing that will increase your LL.M. admission chances (Warning: It is terribly boring)

    Photo by Jouwen Wang on Unsplash
    Photo by Jouwen Wang on Unsplash

    Identify referees who will give you that “perfect” recommendation letter. Raise your grades over the next semester or two. Get some publications done. How about showcasing leadership abilities? Perhaps engage in some form of social service which you can then use in your personal statement?

    Any or all of these might improve your chances of getting that LL.M. admission you crave.

    Or they might not.

    The fact of the matter is that there is no one “formula” for a successful LL.M. application. Or rather, if there is one (and I do sometimes wish to God there was), I am yet to find it.

    I have seen top rankers rejected by schools who have traditionally placed emphasis on grades. Sloppy personal statements, with grammar that would make a nerve pop, have somehow made it through the rigorous lens of a graduate admissions committee. That “perfect” LL.M. candidate, the one who ticks all the boxes and more, somehow not meeting the bar.

    And while examination of where things could have gone wrong can be useful, I do think it is a tad more productive to analyse the reasons for success. The findings made here can then be used for the next round of applications.

    Which is how I find myself here at this point in time – making one single recommendation that will dramatically improve one’s chances of gaining admission.

    Are you ready for it?

    Here it is – be organized.

    That is it.

    (I have left some smelling salts by your side)

    If you really do want to up your admission chances, start an excel sheet or two, add in the application requirements, the names of potential referees, and the all-important deadlines. Keep this updated with every development. Set up soft deadlines for yourself, ideally three to four weeks before the actual deadline.

    The fact of the matter is that the ability to sort out and filter information is as important, or possibly more important, than collecting the information itself. It is here, at the stage of parsing and filtering, that a truly competitive edge can be found. 

    So, go ahead and be organised. And blessed with the excel sheets and google reminders, with just this alone, you have dramatically improved your admission chances.

    Trust me on this.

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  • Gaining Double the Experience: Master’s Degrees & University Collaborations

    Gaining Double the Experience: Master’s Degrees & University Collaborations

    by Harsh Mahaseth

    When applying for a Master’s, there are many factors that students take into account: the faculty, the different course modules that you can opt for, the exposure, different experiences. But what if there are courses that offer the opportunity to study at two different universities? Some even offer you the opportunity to get your degrees conferred from both of them!

    Here are a few such degrees that are worth taking a look at:

    The Asia Pacific Master of Arts in Human Rights and Democratisation program (Details here)

    The Asia Pacific Master of Arts in Human Rights and Democratisation (APMA) is a course that has been operational since 2010. The course sees the collaboration between the Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal, GadjahMada University, Indonesia and University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Mahidol University, Thailand and Ateneo Law University, Philippines.

    In this course, the first semester is taught at the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand, followed by a second semester at one of the other partner universities in Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, or Sri Lanka. The program also has scholarships that are worth taking note of.

    SMU & QMUL: Dual LLM in Commercial Law  (Details here)

    Singapore Management University (SMU) and Queen Mary University of London are both reputed law schools worldwide. Both of these law schools together offer the Dual LLM in Commercial Law. This unique Masters’ offers students the opportunity to study commercial law in two of the world’s major business and financial centres and gain insights from both Asia and Europe.

    This programme has the potential to open up global career options and is internationally recognized.

    During the 16-month programme, students spend five months at QMUL, followed by seven to eight months at SMU

    Sciences Po & Penn Law: Dual Master’s degree program in International Finance and Law (Details here)

    Science Po and the University of Pennsylvania Law School jointly offer the Dual Master’s degree program in International Finance and Law.

    This 2-year program offers courses not only in law but also management and finance, helping to blend financial as well as legal expertise.

    The students spend their first year at Sciences Po, followed by a year at Penn law. Both of the law schools also have financial aid, which can be accessed at this website.

    NUS & East China University of Political Science & Law: Master of Laws (International Business Law)  (Details here)

    The National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the best law schools in the world. NUS and the East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), one of China’s top law schools, have jointly launched a specialist Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Business Law (IBL) degree programme, which has been operation since 2005.

    The programme is taught entirely in English, and see the students studying at NUS for the first semester and then at ECUPL for the second semester. While the students get to attend both colleges, it is to be noted that the LL.M. degree is conferred solely by NUS.

    I hope this helps, and all the best with your college search!

  • LL.M. recruitments & Covid: How international law schools can navigate uncertainty, fear and grief in India

    LL.M. recruitments & Covid: How international law schools can navigate uncertainty, fear and grief in India

    It is not too surprising that a number of law school clients have decided to either postpone their current recruitment activities for India or reconfigure them in some way or the other. Underneath this change of strategy is a fairly simple question: with India suffering one of her worst health disasters, is this really a good time to be advertising LL.M. courses at foreign law schools?

    The answer though, is not as simple as it would seem.

    After all, the Indian law graduate’s desire to study abroad remains strong despite the pandemic. India was, and continues to be, a market for the foreign LL.M.  And, given the sheer number of law graduates and lawyers that continue to be churned out, India remains a very large market. In fact, one might go a step further and argue that the pandemic has accelerated the desire to move out of the country.

    At the same time, there is no doubt that the pandemic has had a significant impact on study abroad plans. The significant reduction of income and savings has meant the postponement of big ticket spends such as foreign education. In addition, it would be fair to say that the pandemic has resulted in emotional, physical and mental trauma meaning that foreign education plans have slipped down the priority list. And finally, the switch to the (less appealing) online teaching model in foreign campuses.

    Given all of this, how should foreign law schools approach their recruitment plans? Well, I don’t think there are any simple answers, but if law schools truly do want to engage with prospective applicants from India, they can certainly keep a few rules in mind.

    To be precise, three such rules:

    One, stop pretending like everything is normal. Clearly, it is not business as usual so why should your marketing campaigns pretend to be? Instead, law schools could consider showcasing empathy, an acceptance that these are definitely not the best of times. This can be done via a number of ways from (temporarily) relaxing documentation requirements to specifically increasing aid for Indian applicants.

    Two, share your technical expertise. Foreign law schools, if nothing else, often come with such a wide and varied depth of expertise. Share this with prospective applicants. For instance, can your career guidance team set up a 30-minute session for Indian law graduates? Can your counsellor share strategies to cope with stress and anxiety? Can your library databases be made accessible to Indian law students? On a side note, this rule will be equally valid in the post-Covid world as well.

    Three, spend money. And by this I don’t mean spend money on ad banners and the like, but on organisations that are working towards Covid-relief. A number of Indian lawyers and law schools have come up with their own donation drives, surely foreign law schools can look at donating to these initiatives?

    Needless to say, at the very foundation of these “rules” is the focus on deeper and more meaningful engagement. This engagement, and nothing else, is what will eventually lead to better recruitments. Nothing more and nothing less.

    (And of course, here is the marketing spiel: Amicus Partners would be happy to guide your law school towards deeper engagement with the India market. Write to us at contact@amicuspartners.co.in)

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