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  • First Person Accounts: Alankrati Khare on an LL.M. from the USC Gould School of Law

    First Person Accounts: Alankrati Khare on an LL.M. from the USC Gould 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 (LL.M. or otherwise) from different universities across the world.

    Alankrati Khare recently graduated from the USC Gould School of Law, where she had enrolled for the LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Business Laws. With a law degree from ILS, Pune, Alankrati worked for close to two years before embarking on the LL.M. In this FPA, she shares her reasons for choosing USC Gould, the US legal recruitment market, and a lot more.

    Did you consider applying for the master’s right out your of undergraduate? Or was the plan to always work for some time and then apply?

    My plan was always to work for a year or two and then apply for an LLM as I wanted to be sure of what I specialized in.

    I believe when you’re right out of law school you want to explore different legal options and then make an informed decision after exploring what interests you to further chose what you want to study in depth towards your specialization.

    How did you go about selecting just where to apply? And how much time do you think should a prospective applicant spend on the selecting process?

    One must research well on the course and the professors. I read articles by the professors and student reviews of teaching methods the professors practice on websites such as ratemyprofessors.com to make an informed decision before picking the right school entailing the right course.

    Although, I didn’t really use this technique but sometimes, some professors also upload their lectures on Youtube, if you are in luck that might be a helpful aid in decision making.

    The major chunk of research should be based on the structure of the course and the credibility of the professors as opposed to the brand value of the university and the name of the university. You must try and check the standing of the law school course in particular and not the university in general (rank wise if that’s something you’re looking at, although in my knowledge should not be the dominant factor in decision making.)

    “You must try and check the standing of the law school course in particular and not the university in general”

    What got you to narrow down on USC Gould? And were you always opting for a specialized LLM degree? 

    The course USC Gould has in Alternate Dispute Resolution got me to zero down on this school. The courses I picked such as International Arbitration and International Business Negotiations, were some very interesting courses I came across. The course structure had enough practical exposure, instead of the usual written assignment submission. I spoke to recent graduates and JDs regarding the courses and the course professors and they seemed very impressed.

    “The courses I picked such as International Arbitration and International Business Negotiations, were some very interesting courses I came across. The course structure had enough practical exposure, instead of the usual written assignment submission.”

    Keeping in mind all of the above and evaluating all other factors such as financial aid and the geographical location I decided to have Gould on the top of my list.

    My reason for specializing in ADR is very personal and may not resonate with many. I truly believe ADR is our immediate response to cross-border disputes. I have always been intrigued by International Dispute Resolution and instantaneously developed a liking towards International Arbitration and International Business Negotiations the moment I discovered its bonuses. Therefore, I was always clear that I would specialize in Alternate Dispute Resolution.

    Any advice on how to go about the application process? More specifically the written requirements? 

    You must really be careful with their documentation and paperwork such as university attestations. Make your SOP as different and personal as possible. Instead of sounding mechanical and correct, try and make it more individualistic by being opinionated.

    The authorities mostly want to know what difference or addition will you make to the world after pursuing the course, whatever country it may be.

    What is your reading of the US legal market when it comes to recruiting international LLM graduates? 

    My reading is very straight forward, you pass the Bar- you get a job! Not sure if you’d be able to find an H-1B sponsor but you would find an associate level job once you pass the Bar Exam for sure. If not, you should be able to find a law clerk/ paralegal/ legal assistant position.

    Some employers offer you a conditional position wherein, you’re hired as a law clerk up until you pass the Bar and then are promoted to an associate’s position. Try and look for private practicing lawyers if looking for, law clerk/ paralegal/ legal assistant position and law firms if looking for internships.

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

    The only advice I have is, please do not do an LLM only as a gateway to USA. Pursue an LLM for its value and the worth the degree holds. Also consider, the value of that LLM not just in USA but in India. Evaluate, not from job prospective because nothing guarantees a job but from the knowledge addition and resume value addition prospective.

    “The only advice I have is, please do not do an LLM only as a gateway to USA. Pursue an LLM for its value and the worth the degree holds.”

  • First Person Accounts: Archa Rajeevi on applying for the IADR LL.M. at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

    First Person Accounts: Archa Rajeevi on applying for the IADR LL.M. at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

    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 (LL.M. or otherwise) from different universities across the world.

    Archa Rajeevi graduated from the VIT Law School this year, and is currently an LL.M. candidate at the National University of Singapore. Opting for an LL.M. in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Archa shares her reasons for narrowing down on NUS, the NUS application process itself, and a whole lot more.

    When did you start the application process itself, and how did you go about selecting where to apply?

    In August of 2018, I decided I wanted to study further. One of the last internships I had done in 2018, was at the Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Center in Chennai, where I was exposed to a lot of different kind of arbitrations and arbitral research. I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of reputed arbitrators. The whole experience piqued my interest in arbitration.

    Hence, I decided I wanted to pursue an LLM inclined towards Arbitration or Dispute settlement. From August to September, I read about many universities offering an arbitration course, the kind of coursework they offer, the kind of modules offered in the course work, the faculty, the sort of non-academic work I could participate in and most importantly whether the university would offer me an environment to thrive in.

    By the end of September, I had written down a small list of four universities that I wanted to apply to along with the application deadlines, the requirement to apply, and the available internal and external scholarships.

    What got you to narrow down on NUS?

    Out of all the four universities I had chosen, I eventually narrowed it down to two. I had to decide between the LL.M. in Dispute Settlement (MIDS) program at Geneva and the LL.M. in international arbitration and Dispute resolution at NUS.

    I chose NUS because I felt the degree would expose me both to the arbitration and the dispute resolution. I also really liked the extensive list of modules offered at NUS. Some of them, for example, are mediation, negotiation, future of international arbitration in Asia pacific region, energy arbitration and so on. I did not find these modules offered by other universities I had chosen.

    NUS also has a double degree program, where you can study MIDS at Geneva if you meet the eligibility criteria after starting study at NUS.

    Other than that, Singapore is also increasingly becoming the global hub of arbitration. The Singapore international Arbitration Center is one of the most reputed global institutions of arbitration in the world. NUS also has a panel of top-notch faculty and some well-known visiting faculty.

    “Other than that, Singapore is also increasingly becoming the global hub of arbitration. The Singapore international Arbitration Center is one of the most reputed global institutions of arbitration in the world. NUS also has a panel of top-notch faculty and some well-known visiting faculty.”

    Also, since I hail from Chennai, I already know two of the official languages spoken in Singapore (Tamil and English). I felt it would be easier to connect and network in such an environment. These were my reasons for choosing NUS over the other options I had.

    Did you ever consider working for a few years before the LLM?

    No. I just finished the under graduate degree from VIT Law school at Chennai in the April of 2019. I always knew I wanted to study further even before I finished law school.

    Upon discussions with my professors, friends and knowledgeable people in my circle, I decided I wanted to go on with the study flow and finish my masters before I entered the work arena.

    Any advice on the application process itself, more specifically the written requirements?

    The NUS application starts in the first week of October and ends in the first week of December. A piece of sincere advice would be to start your application process early.

    More specifically:

    • NUS Law faculty prefers the TOEFL IBT over IELTS. I booked a TOEFL exam in the second week of September. However, due to some technical glitch, I had to repeat TOEFL. I could do this only in October because I didn’t get proper dates. So, if you’re going to do it late and some error occurs, you might not be able to get it done by the application deadline.
    • Statement of purpose – Again, start early. An SOP is not something that can be done overnight or in a few days. Write down a little list of why you want to study, how this will help you or your career, what motivates you to do this or how you will contribute to the country/ community etc. then develop it into a little essay. Keep it simple, short and precise. The admissions department receive a lot of applications. A crisp SOP will stand out and appeal to them.
    • Letter of Recommendations- NUS does not accept physical hard copies of LORs. The LORs have to be directly uploaded on a link sent to the referees. So, chose your referees, have a discussion with them about the LOR and request them to get it ready before you start your application process.The link will be sent to your referees as soon as you submit your online application. It will expire within a few weeks after which the referees will not be able to access the link. Do what you have to, to remind them to get it ready and upload it as soon as you submit the online application.
    • CV – A crisp and short CV highlighting your academic achievements, your extracurricular, leadership positions, skills, and interests.
    • Application process- To apply to NUS, you have to submit an online application as well as post them the physical hard copies of the required supporting documents before the deadline in December. Plan, organize and have your supporting documents ready. The list of supporting documents can be found online on the NUS website.
    • When will you know the outcome – NUS took 6 long months to let us know. My offer letter came on the 23rd of April 2019. The outcome dates vary every year, so do not worry if it gets late. You can always mail them your queries and they will reply almost immediately.

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

    Scholarships at NUS are very scarce. I did apply to the scholarship at NUS, but I wasn’t offered one. However, there are plenty of external scholarships you can apply to. For instance: I was a finalist in the Purvez Bilimoria global award for legal excellence Scholarship. But then again, research about the available scholarships in India and abroad before your application process.

    Given the specialized nature of your LLM, what are some of the expectations you have from the course?

    I expect to learn a lot more international arbitration and its specifics. I also hope to improve my research and analytical skills through independent research. Though I have chosen a specialization, the LL.M. at NUS gives me an option to explore electives from other specializations as well.

    Only 24 of the required 40-44 credits need to be chosen from the Arbitration and dispute resolution specialization. So, I plan on diversifying my options as well.

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

    One sincere advice would be to start the application process early. Also, do not apply to a bunch of universities. Choose what you want to study, where you want to study, talk to someone knowledgeable and decide exactly which university you want to apply to.

    Second, Universities abroad appreciate extracurricular/non-academic activities as well as academic achievements. So, don’t forget to add in your volunteering work, community service, any non- academic skills or achievements you have in other fields on your CV and SOP.

    “Universities abroad appreciate extracurricular/non-academic activities as well as academic achievements. So, don’t forget to add in your volunteering work, community service, any non- academic skills or achievements you have in other fields on your CV and SOP. “

    Get your written documents vetted by someone knowledgeable before you finalize it.

    Third, treat your LLM as a learning experience rather than as a gateway to working abroad or settling abroad.

    Lastly, plan your financials early. Loan processes can be cumbersome at times and could stall the application process.

  • First Person Accounts (International): Lucie Monot on the TADS LL.M., Sciences Po

    First Person Accounts (International): Lucie Monot on the TADS LL.M., Sciences Po

    As most readers know by now, First Person Accounts (FPA’s) are meant to provide a first-hand account of Indian law graduates who have pursued, or are currently pursuing, a post-graduate course (be it an LLM or otherwise) from different schools across the world.

    The FPA (International) is meant to broaden this scope somewhat, getting non-Indian law graduates to discuss their LL.M. experiences in different law schools from across the world. The idea behind the FPA(I) interviews is to help the Indian law graduate better understand her potential cohort, and also expand the LL.M. conversation in general.

    In this FPA(I) interview, I get Lucie Monot  (TADS LL.M., Sciences Po) to talk about her post-graduate experience, the field of international dispute resolution, and a whole lot more.

    So, what got you interested in an LL.M. in general, and the TADS in particular? Given that you do not require two master’s in order to qualify for the French Bar , what were some of the reasons behind taking up the TADS LL.M.?

    I was indeed not planning on applying to another master as I was already fully qualified to take the bar in France and I already held a master’s degree specialized in international law.

    Yet, when a friend of mine told me about the TADS LLM, I skimmed through the program and realized that taking part of the LLM would be an amazing opportunity. I had already decided to practice in international arbitration before I took the TADS course, but the program was offering a true specialization thanks to multiple classes focusing on every detail the subject and taught by worldwide renowned academics and professionals.

    Last but not least, the program was offering a substantial number of workshops hours organized by the best international firms giving the students a chance to get to know better their future professional environment and some of the best professionals practicing arbitration in Paris.

    “The program was offering a substantial number of workshops hours organized by the best international firms giving the students a chance to get to know better their future professional environment”

    Being convinced by the quality of the program, I decided to apply and give it a shot.

    Looking back, what were some of the highlights of the LL.M.? And how did the course help you with your subsequent career moves?

    Undertaking the TADS LLM is undeniably one of the best decisions I made in my academic and professional life. This year at Sciences Po offered me countless opportunities to meet with incredibly talented professional both academics and lawyers. I know for a fact that this degree has been a turning point in my young career, I simply would not be where I am right now without it.

    If the classes, the workshops and all the professional events we attended during the year have helped me grow as an arbitration practitioner, one of the major strengths of the program is the recruitment policy.

    I could not have hoped for a better group of fellow students. While being all from different cultural and professional backgrounds, this very special year allowed us to strongly bound with each other. The small number of students, combined with enticing classes and involved teachers have triggered countless discussions about our respective countries, law systems, political situations and of course about arbitration issues.

    “The small number of students, combined with enticing classes and involved teachers have triggered countless discussions about our respective countries, law systems, political situations and of course about arbitration issues.”

    We were all part of this little arbitration bubble for 10 months which definitely drew us closer that I could have ever imagined. I am now very happy to be part of such a supportive group full of wonderful people.

    You have also managed to secure a number of Training Contracts – would you say these were easy to come by? How should one go about approaching these?

    The French system is slightly different from the UK system, so we do not need to secure Training Contracts. We need to take the entrance exam to the French bar school and once admitted; we perform several internships.

    I personally undertook two internships of six months, both in international arbitration. The first took place in London and the second will be in Paris starting next January. I cannot give advice for the Training Contracts but regarding the internships, firms often look for very highly graduated students preferably with international experiences. Having lived, studied or worked abroad is an undeniable advantage and working experience is also very much appreciated by big law firms.

    “Regarding the internships, firms often look for very highly graduated students preferably with international experiences. Having lived, studied or worked abroad is an undeniable advantage and working experience is also very much appreciated by big law firms.”

    What is your reading of the dispute resolution market when it comes to recruiting international law graduates? Do you think courses like the TADS LLM help one’s recruitment chances?

    The dispute resolution market, especially when it comes to international arbitration, is tough. There is no point denying it. There are a lot of graduates for few jobs offers which make the recruitment criteria higher than ever. You have to be highly motivated, present a tremendous resume and offer a handful of references.

    “The dispute resolution market, especially when it comes to international arbitration, is tough. There is no point denying it. “

    Yet a lot of young professional get these boxes ticked and the firms are always looking for something that would make a CV outshine the others. In this context I certainly think that the TADS LLM is enabling its students to step forward.

    Mostly because the program combines two key elements:

    • A outstanding academic level through worldwide renowned professors and a thorough selection process for its students
    • Close connections with the biggest international law firms in Paris, which happens to be one of the biggest arbitration places in the world.

    Therefore, many arbitration practitioners in Paris are aware of the LLM graduates’ qualities and their CV usually do not go unnoticed.

    Then of course, the TADS LLM would only get you through the door, it is up to you to convince the firms that you are the best for the job.

    How easy or difficult would it be for an international lawyer to qualify for the French Bar? Anything that she ought to keep in mind when considering a career in France?

    I think the biggest problem is to speak French!

    The “classic” way of becoming a lawyer in France implies for you to be graduated from a law master in France and to take the entrance exam to one of the French Bar Schools. Then it is a year and a half process to finally qualify as a lawyer.

    It is also possible to go through an accelerated procedure called “Article 100” which enables you to only take a few exams and be qualified straight away if you are already a qualified lawyer in your home country. That being said all the exams are in French which reduce the number of candidates.

    Lastly, any advice for the international lawyer who is considering taking up an LLM outside her home country? 

    Stick to it! Even if the TADS LLM was in my home country, I studied and worked abroad numerous times during the past five years, and I could not recommend it more. These kinds of experience really help broaden your horizons and getting you out of your comfort zone. You also get to test your adaptability qualities and meet wonderful people.

    I could not be more thankful for the opportunity I got to spend an entire year with such a diverse cultural group during my LLM year.

    Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to former students, the administration or your fellow candidates. Remember that (almost) everyone will have the same issues and questions so sharing information and helping out each other often make the entire process way easier for everybody.

    “Remember that (almost) everyone will have the same issues and questions so sharing information and helping out each other often make the entire process way easier for everybody.”

  • First Person Accounts: Romil Mehta on the IP LL.M. at Queensland University of Technology

    First Person Accounts: Romil Mehta on the IP LL.M. at Queensland University of Technology

    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 (LL.M. or otherwise) from different universities across the world.

    Romil Mehta is an LL.M. candidate at the Queensland University of Technology where he is pursuing the LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law. A graduate of Pravin Gandhi Law College, Mumbai (’16), Romil also has a Master’s in Business Law from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.

    This is the second master’s course that you have taken up. Could you share a few reasons for signing up for the master’s programme at NLSIU? And how did you manage both, your undergraduate and the post-graduate courses at the same time?

    Someone once told me education never goes waste and knowledge is something that cannot be stolen away. While I was still studying the graduate course, I was keen on pursuing masters. However, in 2014, I came to know about the Masters of Business Law, which is a 2-year distance education course from a prestigious law school i.e. NLSIU. I further inquired about the same and they allowed me to pursue simultaneously as I was already a graduate of Bachelor in Legal Science (integrated part of LLB) by 2014.

    “Someone once told me education never goes waste and knowledge is something that cannot be stolen away.”

    The Business Law course was designed to cover an exhaustive list of the subjects like Companies act, Taxation Law, Intellectual Property Law and others which attracted me to pursue this course and it was quite helpful to understand the subjects in a more detailed fashion. This course helped me understand subjects like Securities Law and Insurance Law which was not covered in my graduate coursework.

    Now coming to your second part of the question, since masters coursework was a distance learning course, all I did was study over the weekends and appear for the examinations.

    However, at certain times it did became difficult to manage the master’s course along with graduate coursework and working in a law firm. I will not be reluctant to say that I did get few backlogs in the master’s coursework but I did manage to clear it.

    Your current LLM is an extremely interesting choice – what were some of the other schools you considered applying to, if any. And what go you to narrow down on QUT?

    Being passionate about Intellectual Property Law since the early years of law school, I always wanted to be an IP lawyer. The industry of Intellectual Property has always fascinated me due to various reasons.

    This might be surprising and unbelievable but I had no other immediate backup plan other than Queensland University of Technology (QUT). I had applied to only one university i.e. QUT.

    “This might be surprising and unbelievable but I had no other immediate backup plan other than Queensland University of Technology (QUT). I had applied to only one university i.e. QUT.”

    The reason being that QUT was the only university in Asia Pacific region which offered Masters in Intellectual Property in association with the apex organization of Intellectual Property, the World Intellectual Property Organization.

    I had done two distance learning certification course with WIPO in my early years of law school and this was the best opportunity for me to pursue Masters coursework designed by the WIPO. Although I had thought about applying to a few universities in Sydney and Melbourne and a few others in the United Kingdom.

    Any advice on the application process itself?

    I had applied through an education agent so it was quite straight and simple for me. I had received an offer letter within a week or so. I would recommend that students should consult an education agent for making the applications to the universities. It helps in streamlining the process and saves a lot of time for the students.

    “I would recommend that students should consult an education agent for making the applications to the universities. It helps in streamlining the process and saves a lot of time for the students.”

    Before applying to any of the universities, a student shall be well-aware about the coursework and each subject in detail, faculties, fees and campus location. It is recommended that one should speak to alumni and obtain a basic understanding of the university and coursework.

    From what I have seen and observed, universities abroad have a very different culture than Indian universities. Students may also write directly to universities, course coordinator or respective faculty if they wish to obtain clarification regarding the course and this proven to beneficial in better understanding.

    One tip that I can think about is one should always try to ask the respective university to waive off the application fees, if any.

    How has the LLM experience been thus far? What have been some of the highlights along the way?

    My experience so far has been wonderful. The main highlight I would like to say is that the QUT-WIPO LLM course is one of a kind course in IP and it cannot be categorised with other LLMs. It is designed so well and beautifully that each class that I take here leaves me with awe-inspiring knowledge and experience.

    “The main highlight I would like to say is that the QUT-WIPO LLM course is one of a kind course in IP and it cannot be categorised with other LLMs. “

    I am studying with students who are or have been IP officers in their respective countries, and professionals who have practised in the IP sphere for years. Due to this diversity, each opinion expressed in class has been enriching for me. Further, the said course has been taught by the experts of the IP disciplines like WIPO officials, Australian Government officials, partners of the renowned IP law firms, thereby giving the real-world experience in each sector of IP. I have made friends and connections for life.

    In addition to the above, Australia itself is such a beautiful country and a land of happy and smiling people. Being a traveller myself, I have fallen in love with this country.

    What is your reading of the recruitment market in Australia for international lawyers?

    Australia does not allow an overseas lawyer to practice as a qualified lawyer in the country without an appropriate licence.

    Like every other country, Australia has its regulations in place for allowing overseas lawyers to practice law. It might sound unfair to overseas lawyers (in terms of scoring employment) but, logically, you cannot practice law with the license from overseas jurisdiction (as laws are different in both jurisdictions). However, one may work as a legal assistant, legal secretary paralegal or intern.

    In terms of remuneration, Australia pays an average qualified lawyer quite higher than compared to India. Most of the global law firms have their offices in all major cities i.e. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. So, I would suggest there is a zero possibility to practice as a lawyer with overseas qualification unless you apply to the local law board and obtain a licence to practice (which is again a very slim chance).

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

    The students who are planning to pursue masters abroad after graduation, don’t rush for the masters immediately. It is recommended that one takes experience in the real and practical world. The work experience is highly valued abroad and you’re in a better position to find employment.

    It is sad to know that many universities are losing their value and purely working as a business model i.e. degrees against money. Therefore, the student should carefully consider each aspect like choosing the right country, university, course, subjects and finances, before making applications.

    “It is sad to know that many universities are losing their value and purely working as a business model i.e. degrees against money. Therefore, the student should carefully consider each aspect like choosing the right country, university, course, subjects and finances, before making applications.”

    Also, it is advisable to the students, those who wish to develop their career abroad, they may choose a country which allows the student to stay back for a longer period after the coursework is finished.

  • First Person Accounts: Sumridhi Kaur on the JD at Cornell Law School

    First Person Accounts: Sumridhi Kaur on the JD at Cornell 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.

    Sumridhi Kaur is one amongst a small, but growing, number of Indian graduates who have opted to study law outside the country. A final year JD student at Cornell Law School, Sumridhi holds a BA in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. Here, she talks about the reasons for opting for a JD instead of, say, an LLB degree in India, US and UK law schools, and a lot more.

    I suppose the most obvious one would be why a JD outside the country as opposed to the LLB in India? 

    I went to LSR, DU for undergrad. I was certain quite early in my time at LSR that I wanted to pursue law. In the final year of college, I decided that I would give US law schools a shot and would head in the direction of Faculty of Law, DU if the former did not work out.

    I chose US law schools over law schools in the UK, for instance, because US law schools offer doctoral degrees (J.D.) instead of a bachelor’s degree. I prioritized foreign schools over schools in India because of their reputation, faculty and the exposure they provide.

    “I chose US law schools over law schools in the UK, for instance, because US law schools offer doctoral degrees (J.D.) instead of a bachelor’s degree. I prioritized foreign schools over schools in India because of their reputation, faculty and the exposure they provide. “

    And now that you had decided that it was going to be a JD, what were some of the schools that you looked at and applied for? And what got you to narrow down on Cornell?

    I obtained a 169 on my LSAT. Based on that and the LSAT cut-offs for law schools, I picked ten that I eventually applied to. I divided the ten schools into roughly three equal categories of schools — reaches, within-range, and safe schools. I also considered whether the schools were on the list of law schools in the US that are approved by the Bar Council of India and degrees from where would be considered valid for the practice of law in India.

    “I divided the ten schools into roughly three equal categories of schools — reaches, within-range, and safe schools.”

    The final variable that lead me to Cornell was the fact that I had a three-year long undergrad instead of a four-year undergrad.

    The Law School Admissions Council, which administers LSAT and is the central body managing admissions to law schools in the US, explicitly noted on my transcript that I was not a graduate and that I needed another year of education to fulfil that criteria. Some great schools rejected me for that reason and recommended that I apply after a Master’s. Cornell met all my criteria and was the best-ranked out of the schools that admitted me regardless.

    How long did you spend on the application process, more specifically on LSAT prep? Any advice on how to go about it?

    I took the LSAT once and spent three weeks on it. However, I did do intensive studying during that period.

    Based on what I read online when I preparing and my personal experience, I recommend taking a test before starting preparation to see what your baseline score is.

    Next, take no more than a week to go through the Bible Trilogy on all the sections. Then spend all your time practising past exams (available on LSAC’s website) and analyzing your answers.

    Invariably, there will be patterns to where you go wrong and what you get right. Identify them to start improving your scores. At the peak of my preparation time, I took 3 tests a day and spent at least 1 hour analyzing how I did on each test.

    “At the peak of my preparation time, I took 3 tests a day and spent at least 1 hour analyzing how I did on each test. “

    Did you apply for/receive financial aid?

    International students are not eligible for financial aid but they are eligible for scholarships. I did receive a partial scholarship from Cornell.

    How has the JD experience been? Now that you are a 3L, what were some of the most challenging aspects in the first two years?

    My experience has been fantastic so far. J.D. students at T-14 law schools come from a very wide range of backgrounds and all of them are inspiring in their own ways. You learn a lot from your peers. Top Indian educational institutes have some of the best minds out there, but we seriously lack worth ethic.

    My peers at Cornell are different than my peers at LSR, not because of their intelligence, but because of their discipline. Adapting to life in a new country and adapting to a quasi-religious work ethic was very challenging. It demanded more than my best. I do not regret my decision for a day.

    “My peers at Cornell are different than my peers at LSR, not because of their intelligence, but because of their discipline. “

    What is your reading of the US legal market in terms of recruitments in general, and international lawyers in particular?

    If you perform decently well at a T-14 law school, you will get a job. Big law is genuinely trying to diversify (at least at entry level) and being international may actually work to your advantage. Most people have jobs by the end of their second year.

    What are your plans after the JD?

    I will join Dechert LLP (New York) as an associate in Fall 2020. I foresee developing and shaping myself as an attorney for about 5-10 years in the U.S. Eventually, though, I want to come back to India and work in the Indian legal market. To that end, besides giving the bar in New York in 2020, I will also appear for the bar exam in India.

    And lastly, any advice for the Indian graduate who may be also be considering a JD v LLB?

    J.D.s are extremely expensive; the first-year of law school brings the worst of memories to even the minds of seasoned lawyers with decades of experience; how writing is taught in India and the way people write in the US is so different that you will inevitably start with a huge disadvantage (seriously, just pick up an Indian Supreme Court judgment and compare it to a SCOTUS judgment).

    All of this makes J.D.s a huge gamble.

    Potentially, an LLB from India in combination with an LLM from Harvard, Yale, Columbia will get you to the same place, employment wise. But, three years of legal education in one of the most sophisticated legal systems with the most powerful supreme court in the world will reshape you as an individual.

    “Three years of legal education in one of the most sophisticated legal systems with the most powerful supreme court in the world will reshape you as an individual. “