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  • First Person Accounts: Vatsal Vasudev on the LL.M. at Harvard Law School

    First Person Accounts: Vatsal Vasudev on the LL.M. at Harvard Law School

    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.

    Vatsal Vasudev, a graduate of the National Law University Jodhpur (’16) is a dispute settlement lawyer at the WTO, an organisation he rejoined after an LL.M. from Harvard Law School (’19). In this FPA, he shares his thoughts on Harvard Law’s essay questions, how India qualified lawyers can move to foreign jurisdictions, and how to make the most of the LL.M. experience.

    You have had quite an interesting career trajectory thus far. What made you think about an LLM while at the WTO?

    The desire to gain new knowledge, meet interesting people, have a different experience, and explore another part of the world. In a more career-oriented way, I thought that experience at the WTO would would get me recognition as a technocratic expert in international trade law, but a Harvard LL.M. is a more widely recognized credential that I can use to my advantage in a number of different contexts in the future should I want to.

    Plus, I thought that a masters degree will be generally helpful when it come to career progression prospects. I do not believe that someone’s knowledge or skill should be judged on the basis on their paper credentials, but because of the way the world works, I thought it would be nice to get a masters degree in my pocket.

    “I do not believe that someone’s knowledge or skill should be judged on the basis on their paper credentials, but because of the way the world works, I thought it would be nice to get a masters degree in my pocket.”

    The choice of HLS is also interesting – did you consider a more specialised course? Or was there something specific to HLS that made you choose the LLM course there?

    I did not consider a specialized course, since I had specialized quite a bit in international trade law through my work and prior studies.

    I was looking to go to a place where I would get to interact with the best peer group in terms of sophistication and diversity of interests, a wide range of subjects to choose from, and the best opportunity for learning in terms of pedagogy and competent faculty.

    HLS was a natural choice once I applied these filters.

    Sticking with HLS, any advice on how to go about tackling the essay questions? Don’t mean to put you in a spot but what do you think worked about your own essays?

    I would just repeat the conventional wisdom about essay questions. For the personal essay, one should write the first draft as if they are the only one who is ever going to read it. That will help one write as honestly as possible. One could then work on making it presentable, coherent, and smoothly flowing. Having someone who has gone through the application process review the essay helps.

    One should be prepared for revising the first draft a dozen times, if not more – so it helps to start early. One should focus on their strengths when writing the essay. If one was in the top-5 percentile of their class, that’s great, but if one was not, they can still write a great essay highlighting what they did well.

    “If one was in the top-5 percentile of their class, that’s great, but if one was not, they can still write a great essay highlighting what they did well.”

    I would like to put it out there that one need not have studied at one of the top law schools or have the best grades possible to have a shot at getting into their preferred law school, so long as they can show that they excelled at something they considered the most meaningful as a student or a practitioner.

    For the legal essay, one should not merely write a doctrinal analysis on an aspect of law, but should try make a new or insightful point or suggest a solution to an existing legal problem. One should also bear in mind that the person reviewing the legal essay may not be an expert in the area of law that the essay is about, so one should write the essay in a manner that a non-expert can also appreciate. One should also demonstrate through their essay why their topic is of contemporary significance and relevance to their field of law.

    “One should also bear in mind that the person reviewing the legal essay may not be an expert in the area of law that the essay is about, so one should write the essay in a manner that a non-expert can also appreciate. “

    The HLS application also requires one to write about the courses they want to study and describe where one sees themselves five/ten years down the line. So one should carefully review the courses on offer and reflect about how their coursework would help them get to where they want to get to after the LL.M. I guess following the blueprint I have laid out above is what worked for me.

    “One should carefully review the courses on offer and reflect about how their coursework would help them get to where they want to get to after the LL.M.”

    Looking back, what were some of the most challenging aspects of the LLM experience? Anything that you think prospective applicants ought to be aware of?

    An LL.M. degree is a big investment of time. The process starts when you start looking into which universities are of interest to you and ends with your graduation ceremony. In between, you have got to do a number of challenging things – make a good LL.M. application, write scholarship applications, sort out logistics like accommodation, get used to a new environment, deal with the coursework, write assignments and exams, write a thesis and apply for jobs.

    If you want to do all of these things well, you need to keep yourself highly motivated at all times over a period of two years.

    You must also be very clear internally about what you expect out of your LL.M. experience since a number of choices you make during the year – such as what kind of an application essay you write, what courses you take, how much time you allocate to coursework as opposed to things like socializing/networking or looking for jobs etc. – will depend on your goals and expectations.

    “You will be much better off if you have done some introspection about what you want out of the LL.M. year before the year begins.”

    You will be much better off if you have done some introspection about what you want out of the LL.M. year before the year begins. Otherwise, the number of choices you face regarding how you could spend your time could be overwhelming and FOMO-inducing, particularly in a place like HLS which offers just too much for one to take advantage of everything on offer in the span of one academic year.

    Given your global outlook, how do you think the Indian law graduate can or ought to make the move to non-Indian jurisdictions?

    I have found through my experience and of those around me that those who make a successful move to non-Indian jurisdictions have been highly focused on a particular area of law for a significant period of time to create an internationally competitive profile in that area of law.

    I had pursued several academic and extra-curricular activities in WTO law during the second half of my law school years, including the ELSA WTO Law moot court competition, a summer academy on trade law, internships in law firms/think-tanks with a trade law practice, and working as an editor for NLU Jodhpur’s journal Trade, Law and Development.

    All these activities helped me develop a strong profile in this area, and of course I gained a fair amount of knowledge and skill in the process. I would therefore say that those looking to work outside India should try to create a strong profile in the field of law that they want to work in by strategically engaging in activities focused on that area through their law school and early professional life.

    “Those looking to work outside India should try to create a strong profile in the field of law that they want to work in by strategically engaging in activities focused on that area through their law school and early professional life.”

    Lastly, are there any best practices you observed at HLS that you think Indian law schools ought to consider implementing?

    I was impressed with how HLS makes use of technology to make class discussions more enriching and engaging. A number of courses I pursued had course blogs, where students would write short essays based on the readings before each class and the professor would stimulate class discussion through ideas that the students expressed in those blogs.

    That is something Indian law schools could consider implementing.

    I also feel Indian law schools could make much better use of their alumni network by inviting ex-students to interact with the current students. The perspective that current students stand to gain by hearing from more experienced peers could be immensely beneficial.

    I also believe that compulsory attendance should be done away with. A certain percentage of the grades could certainly be reserved for class participation to encourage attendance, but I feel it is a pity that students get debarred for attendance shortages even if they could pass the examinations.

    “It is a pity that students get debarred for attendance shortages even if they could pass the examinations.”

     

    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.

  • First Person Accounts: Shray Kamboj on the LL.M. at National University of Singapore (NUS)

    First Person Accounts: Shray Kamboj on the LL.M. at National University of Singapore (NUS)

    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.

    Shray Kamboj is a Legal Counsel at KPMG Singapore, as well as an LL.M. graduate from the National University of Singapore (’15). In this FPA, the Amity Law School (’10) graduate discusses his reasons for opting for an LLM, employment opportunities for Indian lawyers in Singapore, and a whole lot more.

    Looking back, how do you think the LLM at NUS has helped you in your professional career? 

    An LLM for me was always about the academics, especially understanding the application of law in reference to business requirements. Today, I sit with the management of my company and help them make decisions over the company future.

    I can better relate to and effectively help my company in understanding the options, obligations and restrictions they have under law and apply the same to a business opportunity.

    The masters for me was the bridge between understanding a business decision and executing the same.

    Back when you applied for the LLM, was one of the motivations to move to another jurisdiction? Or was this not really part of the plan?

    Moving to another jurisdiction is always on the back of your mind when you intend to do your Masters from outside India, however, it was not the most important factor.

    My decision was a combination of learning the application and purpose of law from professors with international exposure and experience, hoping to get some work experience in a different jurisdiction, a vacation from all the taxing years spent in private practice and hoping to add value to my profile.

    “Moving to another jurisdiction is always on the back of your mind when you intend to do your Masters from outside India, however, it was not the most important factor.”

    I know it has been a while, but were some of the highlights of the LLM course at NUS? Any intangible benefits that only accrued a fair bit after the course was over?

    NUS was very different from my graduation. All academics had a practical side to it and made the course very interesting. One of my subjects was Business and Finance for Lawyers, where we were not only supposed to read and understand financial documents but actually come up with a business idea and make a business case, as if we were looking for investors.

    It was moments like these when you realize that application of law is not simply about creating documents and filing applications, and how you can effectively drive commerce.

    The Singapore legal market is quite competitive when it comes to legal recruitments – how do you think Indian law graduates can increase their chances of finding employment here? 

    Finding employment in any jurisdiction which is not your home, is always difficult. Singapore maybe more so than others, as not only you have to compete with graduates from NUS, which is very well respected world over but also due to the constant influx of foreign lawyers from US, UK and Australia.

    Unlike these jurisdictions, Indian law graduates don’t go through the same training and conditioning and hence, we have to work a little extra hard to find an opportunity.

    There is no silver bullet but rather a combination of things, being getting a Masters from a local university (preferably with confirmed internship or two before you even reach Singapore and definitely after gaining some experience), or get qualified as a Solicitor or getting certifications in future business needs like GDPR or technology related certifications and definitely some luck.

    Not quite related to the LLM, but how do you think Indian law schools can better equip their graduates to compete and excel on a global scale?

    The one thing that really impressed me at NUS was the practicality of the course. You are not tested on how much you can remember but how you can apply the law in real life problems. I believe helping students appreciate the purpose of a statue and then challenging them to apply the same, and grading them on their application will create better lawyers.

    “You are not tested on how much you can remember but how you can apply the law in real life problems. “

    You have to realize in a dispute, there is a lawyer on either side, hence from an academic point of view, there should not be a right or wrong answer, it should always be about how well a person has understood legal requirements and applied the law to argue a given set of facts.

    Lastly, would you recommend an international LL.M. to an Indian law graduate? 

    I will definitely recommend an international LLM to Indian law graduates, simply for the experience and polishing your skills as a lawyer.

    I would also urge law graduates to work for a few years first and once they understand what kind of lawyer they want to be and in what areas of law they want to specialize in, then only decide to take this step.

  • First Person Accounts: Krishan Insan on the Chevening Scholarship, QMUL LL.M.

    First Person Accounts: Krishan Insan on the Chevening Scholarship, QMUL LL.M.

    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.

    Krishan G. Insan is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Queen Mary University of London where he is also a Chevening scholar. In this interview, he talks about his reasons for opting for the LL.M., advice on the Chevening application, and a whole lot more.

    Am curious to know what got you to take up law after your MBA? And how was the LLB experience at Delhi University?

    Well, I completed my first masters in Finance with Distinction and started working at Leading National Oil Company. While working with OIL, I have also worked at Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (On deputation), which is a regulatory body for the upstream sector in India.

    During my work at such a highly technical and regulatory body, I felt a need to gain academic skills in the legal domain and completed LL.B from faculty of law to serve the society and country in a better way.

    Case study based study at the Faculty of Law was a blessing for me quickly learn and implement my knowledge in my work. I am still indebted to the scholarly faculties of my law school who helped me go an extra mile.

    Coming to the LLM, what prompted you to enrol for the course? And how did you go about selecting where to apply?

    As I have mentioned before, I have worked in an environment that needed a high level of competence and expertise. Moreover, I am always enthusiastic to add new skills so a combination of both was a sincere motivation to obtain a second master with specialization in Arbitration from a university of Global Repute.

    Criteria for choosing the university was very focused, I applied only those universities that had a course of my choice with experienced faculties. So one must decide own area of interest i.e. what he wants to study before selecting the university.

    On the Chevening scholarship in particular – what would you say are the 2-3 most important things that a prospective applicant ought to keep in mind? 

    The Chevening Scholarship looks for future leaders, so candidates must have the potential to show that they are the future leaders. While mentoring many candidates for Chevening application I have noticed a very important thing – many applicants get confused between Leadership skills and Leadership position.

    Chevening is looking for candidates who have leadership skills. Whereas candidates think that they have never held a leadership position in their organization so they are not an eligible candidate for this award.

    • Show your Leadership potential.
    • Prove your networking skills.
    • Have firm career plans 5-10 Years.
    • Most Importantly, be original to your ideas.

    Apart from the obvious financial support, what are some of the other advantages of the Chevening scholarship?

    The Chevening Scholarship provides you with a platform to connect with the global community of more than 50,000 scholars around the globe in diversified domains. Networking among these professionals plays a vital role while you come back and start working in a leadership position.

    During your stay in the UK you are connected to more than 1,500 scholars. Apart from Chevening Orientation and Farewell, there are many other programs, which allows you to learn the global culture and acquire new skills.

    You are also an active participant in the YICCA Mentoring program – could you tell me a bit about the program, and how you have personally benefitted from it?

    Yes, I was one of the 64 successful candidates across the globe for YICCA Mentoring program in 2019-20 Calendar year cycle. It is an excellent opportunity to connect with successful professionals of arbitration in your age group.

    YICCA Mentors provide you virtual mentoring to groom you with global competence and establish yourself on the global platform. I am working with a group of six people lead by Mr. Andrew Clark,General Counsel at Exxon Mobil, London and other members from Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico and Africa.

    How has the LLM experience been at QMUL? What have been some of the highlights of the course?

    The LL.M (Comparative and International Dispute Resolution) program at Queen Mary University of London has always been my first choice. Two weeks of Induction, Selection of Modules, Classes of Prof. Brekoulakis, Prof. Mistelis will keep you fully occupied with a load of reading.

    But you have to balance and have fun too. So yeah, I am enjoying my stay at QMUL with the full workload.

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

    If you choose to go for a master’s in law from a foreign university I would recommend you to have a thorough understanding of your area of choice. So that you can place your candidature backed by a strong SOP.

    Do your research and choose your law school very carefully keeping your objective into mind. There are many scholarships (funded by different agencies) across the globe for the LLM program so prepare for them in advance.

  • First Person Accounts: Shruti Iyer on the NYU@NUS Double Masters

    First Person Accounts: Shruti Iyer on the NYU@NUS Double Masters

    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.

    Shruti Iyer is a 2010 graduate of ILS Law College, Pune who enrolled for the double masters NYU@NUS programme. She completed the course in 2013, and is currently a Partner at SA Law in New Delhi.

    It has been a while since your LLM, but could you tell me a bit about your expectations from the course?

    I chose to pursue a Double Masters in Global Business Laws from National University of Singapore conducted in collaboration with New York University (NYU@NUS), with a focus on Asia and the East. My expectations were to learn more laws in different jurisdictions and not just the US.

    The NYU-NUS LLM is an interesting choice to make. How did you go about selecting where to apply?

    I was sure I wanted to come back and work in India. So, I wanted a course that would enrich my knowledge and would be useful in India when I returned. When I look back, I am happy that most of the subjects I chose have helped in some way or the other.

    I did Indian Business Laws, Comparative Constitutional Law, Competition Law, International Arbitration, International Taxation, Investment Arbitration, etc. to name a few and all of them have helped me in my practice in India.

    Did you apply for/receive financial aid of any kind? 

    Yes, I received the Deans Award which was a 50% tuition fee waiver.

    Looking back, what were some of the biggest benefits of the LLM itself?

    There are many tangible and intangible benefits of LLM and sometimes the intangibles can have more value over time. One of the biggest plus points for me has been developing this network of friends all around the globe who are all doing extremely well. No doubt it is a great asset to have from a business perspective, but it holds far greater value to me personally.

    “There are many tangible and intangible benefits of LLM and sometimes the intangibles can have more value over time. “

    I would say my biggest takeaway was the experience of the LLM itself. Studying an LLM abroad is a totally different experience from what we are used to in any law school in India. The emphasis on practical learning, the Socratic method of teaching, all go a long way in shaping our career as a lawyer, in developing our analytical and writing skills, or simply in preparation of a case.

    Apart from that the experience of studying under world class Professors like Prof. Sornarajah, Prof. Alvarez, Prof. Umakanth Varottil,  to name a few was truly an enriching experience.

    The other benefit, of course, was the subjects. I don’t think any LLM in India has the variety of subjects that I could study in the NYU@NUS LLM and almost all of them are relevant to my practise and profession today.

    As a recruiter, would you give more weightage to candidates with a foreign LLM? Why?

    I believe, in India, having a foreign LLM is more a question of whether the person has the resources to do it rather than the skills or ability. So, I would not judge any candidate for not having an LLM. But it is definitely a great plus point to have on the CV.

    Would you recommend an international LLM to current or future Indian law graduates?

    A lot of people look at LLM from a return on investment perspective. Foreign LLMs are very expensive unless you get full scholarships which are far and few. If the candidate has the resources to do it, they should definitely do it.

    A lot of people have asked me was it worth spending so much money?

    I think it is important to look at it from a long term and life skills perspective more than how much salary one earns when you come back. Many people also say it is cheaper to go on a world tour to travel the world and make friends. Sure, I won’t take away the benefits of travelling, but a world tour and a masters are two totally different experiences.

    “I think it is important to look at it from a long term and life skills perspective more than how much salary one earns when you come back”

    To sum up, yes, I would definitely recommend an international LLM to current or future law graduates.

  • Attend: LEASE LLM Fairs this month (Kochi, Pune & Delhi)

    With the LL.M. admission, or rather application, season well and truly on track, the upcoming LL.M. Fairs organised by Legal Pundits could be a good opportunity to directly reach out to law schools you may be interested in enrolling at.

    The dates of the LLM Fair are as follows:

    • Kochi on 19th October;
    • Pune on 22nd October; and
    • New Delhi on 24th October

    More details on these events can be found here.

    (HT to Lawctopus for the post on these fairs)