Law School – Is Focus on Academics enough?

This is a question that I am certain will have different opinions and views, with each person having enough evidence to support his/her perspective. However, I have spoken to numerous people about their views on the same many a times, and pursuant to what I believe (and taking into consideration what others have told me) I have written the below mentioned article.

• Academics is important, there is no denying that. It is important to read the texts, to understand what the underlying principles are and to know where and how to apply what

• It is necessary to read books, newspapers, articles to enhance your knowledge on a subject and pave the way to becoming a subject-matter expert. Read as much as you can, read everything that catches your eye. Being informed broadly means to have a working knowledge of everything that is happening around, and not just be focused on one domain

• What an employer looks for is a well-rounded person. You need your academics on point, your extra-curricular taken care of, and your practical knowledge intact (this is especially true for young lawyers to get their first break. Once you have sufficient experience, your experience and expertise do the talking, and your law school and grades take a back stand. However, the lessons we learn throughout our journey is what makes us capable, so we should not disregard that

• Do not neglect your extracurricular activities. Do moot courts, parliamentary debates, client consultation and ADR competitions, write research papers (however, I’d say not to write for publications wherein they want you to pay for it. Once you pay for it, it does lose some of its value)

• Do not be lazy when it comes to internships. They are the best way to learn (to some extent) what you will be doing once a company/ firm hires you. Plus, if you are good at what you do and you have a zeal to learn, it will be noticed and who knows, you might as well get a call-back or PPO. Further, it’s a great way to make new connections, network and meet new people who may potentially be happy to refer you in future. Also, it helps in analyzing which sort of work culture you may be interested to be a part of

• LLM – A lot of you probably want to go for your masters to a reputed University abroad. Not all Universities require a high grade to get in, but there are a few notable ones which do have a minimum grade criterion and it would be beneficial to have an outstanding grade to add to your merit. However, a high GPA is not enough. You need to have a CV which shows your overall expertise and development, a SOP which essentially covers who you are and what you are v. merely what your education qualifications are

• In conclusion, please bear in mind that both academics and your co-curricular should go hand-in-hand, one should not suffer because of the other. The more hours and the more effort you put in your foundational years, the more you will be rewarded in your subsequent years. Hope this helps in getting a slightly clearer perspective. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions/ suggestions and I will be happy to get back to you. Please subscribe to my blog for reading similar posts. Cheers!