Is there any advocate here, can u share your experience with me about how you started practicing?
Hey mate!
First of all get a Law Degree that has two options:
1. 5 years law course after 10+2
2. 3 years law course after graduation
After that get enrolled with a state Bar Council, that is merely a formality. After this, chose your field of interest, whether you want to do criminal cases or matrimonial or property matters, tax matters, corporate work etc. You also need to decide whether you primarily want to start from a trial court or High court. although law is same at both places, you need to find your comfort with handling trials or appeals. I believe learning a case since it begins in trial court(also called lower court or civil court or district court) is essential to become a good lawyer and after that practicing in High court would be a great idea. If you are fortunate to stay in cities having both district as well as High Court, it is even better to manage.
After getting enrolled, first look for a Guru, a good lawyer that can help you learn the basics of the practical side of law which no book or law college can teach you. Remember, it is the most crucial stage and do not get greedy to earn even a penny in this stage. Consider this as part of your study.
All the best.
Hey mate!
The life of young Indian lawyers is really tough, especially for those who don’t have a godfather in the legal fraternity. The field of law is a closed sphere, complete with its own esoteric rules and rituals which are completely unfamiliar to an outsider. Recommendations and references can take a person to places which are otherwise inaccessible. If you don’t believe me, check the names all well-known lawyers and judges- either they will be relatives of known legal professionals or their offspring will lawyers.
The following are the main problems young lawyers in India face, which is acutely amplified in case of those without Godfathers:
Specialisation: A young lawyer is usually forced to choose the kind of law s/he wants to practise- litigation/ corporate/ in-house counsel/LPO/ something else.
Lack of flexibility in making a career switch: Once s/he gets into a particular field of law heaven forbid if s/he decides that it is not their cup of tea, as switching fields early in the career is usually seen as a sign of confusion and instability. Not to mention the fact that s/he would be treated as a fresher in next field. Treatment as a fresher means that your experience in the other field won’t be counted, pay scale and other perks (if any) will likewise be lesser. I made the mistake of doing some volunteer work before embarking on a career in litigation. In India, serious volunteer experience by a young lawyer is looked down upon by the rest of the fraternity (They won’t penalise you, but treat you like you are mentally deranged or something along those lines).
Money: Most of the well paying jobs in the field of law are to be found in Mumbai or Delhi. If a young lawyer in need of money is not in these places, tough luck! S/he will have to work for peanuts in other places and at times for no pay at all, especially so in the field of litigation. While living expenses are pretty high in Mumbai and Delhi, the experience that a young lawyer can gain in these cities is boundless. The minimum expenditure made by a lawyer are for food, clothes, accommodation, travel (work related), and entertainment among other things. Appearances matter a lot- no matter whichever field of law one is in. Hence a lot of money goes into personal grooming which includes getting proper formal clothes which have to look freshly laundered and pressed at all times. Subsistence at a decent level is possible only if one has another steady source of income to fall back upon- like allowance from parents.
Working conditions: Working conditions are very tough for young lawyers. They are expected to do maximum amount of work in the least amount of time for the lowest pay possible. If there are no interns, all menial and insignificant-yet-time-consuming work is assigned to the young lawyer. Working hours are very demanding- in case s/he wants to make some progress in their career. This is more so in the case of litigation where the timings are really wild- I spend a minimum of 12 hours at my workplace on any given day. Holidays are non-existent in the field of litigation as one has to prepare for the post holiday cases. Also labour laws don’t apply to lawyers, hence some unfortunate young lawyers get really screwed over in terms of lack of pay, timings and worst of all, food. Some places are decent enough to provide tea/coffee, some nicer places even give snacks. But worst are those that neither pay enough nor provide any nourishment. There is no pension, gratuity, PF, health insurance, or any kind of allowance unless one is working as an in-house counsel or as an employee for some organisation. But taxes have to be paid nevertheless.
Lack of options for post graduation: In India, graduation followed by enrolment is enough for practising in any field of law. Post graduation is pursued only by those who wish to enter the academia or those who have enough time and money at their disposal to indulge in such whimsies. If one wants to pursue post grad in India, the number of good colleges/universities with reputed faculty is few and far between. There are umpteen options abroad, but the only downside is funding. Even if funds are arranged somehow the chances of finding suitable employment after coming back to India has to be factored.
So, these are some of the problems that can arise.
However, if one has Godfathers in the legal fraternity, one can have a decent life with the least amount of work-related worries. It is something I don’t even have time to fantasise about.
Hope it helps.