The journey through 5th
year in law school involved a lot of mental dissection of the past 4 years of
my life – Has law school lived up to my expectations? Have I lived up to its
expectations? How has NALSAR changed me and how much has it changed itself? While
these thoughts could run into reams and reams of paper, there is one succinct
way to sum up it all up – I have had a taste of the best there is, and I can’t
imagine having been anywhere but here, at NALSAR.
I must add at this
point that my views on NALSAR are entirely my own and I would suggest
considering them with the proverbial ‘pinch of salt’ – as there will be the
inescapable subjectivity that comes with having spent nearly half a decade of
your life in one institute and having integrated into its way of life.
The NALSAR Campus and Infrastructure
One of the first things
that struck me about NALSAR was the dignified perfection that the campus exuded
– the well manicured lawns, the dignified grey and white buildings, the red
tiled hostel roofs (I could go on and on!). We have very well maintained
hostels and everyone is promised a single occupancy room from their 4th
year onwards. Our classrooms too are bright and big and well equipped. The
library (the most important part of any law school) is a nice, quiet place
where you can always hope to get your work done (and oh yes, we have a good
collection of books and online databases too – but I won’t get into the
technical details which I’m sure can be gathered from the website and
prospectus). There is very little to complain about the infrastructure of the
place, except perhaps the need for more varied eating options on campus. We
have however addressed this problem by becoming regular visitors of the
multitude of affordable dhabas that surround our campus.
Academics and Co-curricular Activities
When it comes to
academics and co-curricular activities, your law school experience almost
entirely depends on your own choices and motivations. The best part about NALSAR is the
kind of platform and opportunities that it gives you. The past 4 years have
definitely been challenging - meeting the standards set by some of the
brightest minds across the country is definitely an uphill task. I would say
that the kind of people you get to interact with at NALSAR is one of the best
perks of the place. Initially I was overwhelmed by the brilliance and
intelligence of my peers and seniors, but soon this atmosphere will shape you
into emulating some of these qualities that you look up to and admire.
Faculty
Having said that, I should also add that there is room
for improvement in the teaching faculty. But then again, faculty crunch issues
plague every law school and are not confined to NALSAR alone. So, in the end
this is perhaps the best situation you could hope for, given the larger picture
of the ‘quality teaching’ issues that affect all of India’s educational
institutions.
Excellent placement is one of the
best perks of NALSAR - 100% placement is always the case. The pay packages are around 12-15
lakhs per annum at the top Indian law firms. This year, my batch has broken previous records by
securing jobs for a huge chunk of students by the end of 4th year itself. The top law firms
were so keen on recruiting that they wished to come even before we entered our
final year.
The five years you spend in law
school are perhaps most valuable for the kind of intellectual abilities that it inculcates in you - these are
skills that will serve you well through whatever you may choose to do in your
life. NALSAR has definitely opened up my mind and horizons, and will always be
an integral part of who I am and will become.
Hey I am an english honlours student in delhi university. I am considering taking up law after my graduation. But I am apprehensive as generally it isn't a much recommended career for women. an you give me some insight regarding this.I don't have any lawyers in my family so I haven't got any first hand account of the profession.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteJust one fact speaks for how good the career is for women - majority of law students in NUJS, one of the top law school where I studied, are girls. Over the year we saw the number of girls increasing - and now there's a clear trend, even a lot of new law firms are clearly dominated by women - although not quite at the partner level yet. in litigation also there are a lot of women - I dont know why you'd think law as a profession is not women friendly. I think thats a myth if at all.