My name is Sagar, and I recently graduated from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. As a first-generation lawyer, I do not have any family members or professional connections in the legal field, so I have had to navigate my career largely on my own.
During law school, I completed only one internship, and now that I have graduated, I want to build a career in litigation. At the same time, I have enrolled in an LL.M. with a specialization in Intellectual Property Rights as a backup plan, with the long-term goal of teaching if litigation does not work out. However, I find myself uncertain about how to take the first meaningful step into legal practice.
My Query:
As a first-generation lawyer with limited practical exposure, how should I begin my journey in litigation so that I can build a sustainable and rewarding legal career?
Dear Sagar, congratulations on your graduation! Starting from scratch can be tough, but you’ve got a solid plan which you can follow up dear
1. Attend as many law seminars, conferences, and workshops as you can, build your connections there, join online forums, and connect with alumni from your college.
2. Apply for internships starting from district court, Hon’ble High court and then to Hon’ble Supreme Court (even part-time or unpaid); and you can go for other Govt. of India bodies as like NHRC, NALSA, DGCA, AAI, NCW, NCPCR, NGT, CAT, and respected Ministries as like Ministry of Law and Justice, Environment, Railways etc. also you can pursue your internships under the Judges of the Hon’ble High Court and Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
3. Improve your writing skills through drafting petitions, arguments; work on public speaking and oral advocacy and familiarize yourself with court procedures.
4. Reach out to experienced lawyers like Advocate on Record, Additional Advocate General Standing Counsel, Chief Standing Counsel or professors and ask for guidance on cases, court etiquette, and strategy.
5. Use your specialization (IPR) to attract clients or collaborate with firms like KHAITAN/CAM/SAM/DUA ASSOCIATES/
6. Follow legal news, judgments, and blogs (LiveLaw, Bar & Bench, SCC Online, Manupatra etc).
7. Try to build your resume in excellent mode as like in one or two pages, not more than that and the resume should be up to the mark not like wedding biodata.
Sagar, it’s okay to start small. Focus on learning, building relationships, and delivering quality work. Your LL.M. is a great backup plan but apart from all this you start preparing for Judicial Services from now onwards because you are young you have age so you can pursue it as well nothing to take any coaching like (Rahul’s/Ambition) etc. just take go to youtube and go to the channel of Judiciary by PW and check for One Shots lectures of all the subject from where you can see the lectures of 6hrs/7hrs/8hrs/9hrs/10hrs/13hrs/14/hr etc.
Here I am sharing with you a link of a lecture of BNS One Shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV55M9ewOx4&t=2s
Also one more thing i want to add here that if still you want to explore and have deep knowledge then go for a book by the name of “LAW AS A CAREER” BY TANUJ KALIA (Of course founder of LAWCTOPUS). Read that book in one shot or in a week.
Feel free to connect with me.
My best wishes are with you. Best of luck!
God Bless You Dear
