1. Thank you for considering this interview session with us, ma’am. We are honored to have you as our guest, and we look forward to hearing your insights and experiences in the legal profession.
I request you to introduce yourself to our readers, we believe it would be an excellent opportunity for them to learn more about your esteemed background and experience in the field of law.
Response: Thankyou so much for this opportunity to share my knowledge, experience and journey of my career. I am a Legal Associate at Sapna Khandelwal & Associates in their Litigation and Corporate Team with 1 year of experience.
Basically, I am from Patna where I was born and completed my schooling. In 2015 I started doing BBA_LLB from Amity University Gurgaon and then I did my LLM from Amity University Noida in Corporate Banking & Insurance Laws from 2020-2021.
Apart from law, I am very passionate about baking and travelling to different places.
2. Can you tell us about your journey in the legal field so far, and what motivated you to pursue a career in law?
Response: My journey in the legal field is very complicated. I remember that in school we had a career counselling, then I told my parents that I would like to pursue law. They were like “Okay” (in a very sarcastic way because they knew that I will for sure change my career). But after started my coaching for law, slowly and gradually I started liking the law. This is how I entered into Law University.
The simple reason that motivated me to pursue law in career is that I was driven by a deep sense of justice and a desire to ensure fairness and equality in society. I see a career in law as a way to advocate for justice and make a positive impact on people's lives. Law has the power to shape society and create meaningful change. As an advocate, I am motivated by the opportunity to influence policy, challenge unjust laws, and contribute to the development of a more equitable legal system. It is a field that requires critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to solve complex problems, thus I fit into this.
3. Please tell us about your experiences during your time in law school and what all co-curricular activities you took part in and how have they shaped you professionally?
Response: As I share my experiences during law school where I have spent 5 golden years of my life. I was not only to studies but I was a Class Representative of my class for all the 5 years where I had a lot of work load.
I was a founder committee team of Youth Parliamentary Debate in 2017. I was even in the core committee of the 1st International Seminar on Environmental Law.
These activities have shaped me into totally different individual as compared what I was in school. It developed strong leadership skills and effective communication abilities. It also made me learn to work in teams, which provides opportunities to develop teamwork and collaboration skills.
4. Please share with us about your internships and how have these internships helped you in the initial stages of your legal career?
Response: According to me internships does matter but from where you are interning and what you are learning matters the most. It is okay to intern 1st tier firms but according to me I suggest to start with startup firms or litigation lawyers where one will learn everything from basics. Then after interning to these places if one jump to 1st tier law firms it will make oneself learn in an advanced way. This is what I did and learned a lot in all my 10 internships during my 5 year of course.
Internships provide an opportunity to gain practical experience in the legal field. They allow aspiring lawyers to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, understand the practical aspects of legal work, and develop a deeper understanding of the legal profession. It helps in honing various skills essential for a legal career. These include legal research, writing, drafting legal documents, client communication, negotiation, and case analysis. It gave me an opportunity to network with peers, mentors, and professionals in the field. Building connections early can be valuable for future career opportunities, internships, mentorship, and gaining insights into the legal profession.
5. Is there anything you would have done differently in your career, if you could go back in time?
Response: There is nothing that I would have done differently in my career.
6. You share insightful legal content through your own Instagram page ‘Justice Bliss’ regularly. What inspired you to start the page and what do you see as its future? Can you also please elaborate on the kind of information law students and professionals may gain from the page?
Response: Thanks for visiting my page as it means a lot. It is bit inactive since a month as this job is very hectic and I am not getting time to put a content but will start from July onwards.
The main motive start this page is to fulfill my cousin brother’s dream. Although he is not there with us physically but he was also in legal field. So he always used to say me “Didi humlog apna firm start karenge.” So, this is just a small step towards his dream and one day I know that I will start my firm with the same name “Justice Bliss” which he decided on.
Till now I have shared all kinds of content on my page but now July onwards I will be sharing information topic wise and basically it would be in form of the video.
7. What extent of significance in your view does social media hold in bridging the gap between real world disputes of the legal field and the perception of it that young law students take away from web series such as “Suits”?
Response: Social media platforms provide a vast amount of information on legal issues, current cases, and developments in the legal field. Law students can follow legal professionals, law firms, and legal organizations on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and legal blogs to access legal news, opinions, and analysis. This exposure helps bridge the gap between fictional portrayals and real-world legal issues. It enables law students to engage in discussions, debates, and knowledge-sharing with legal professionals, experts, and peers. They can participate in online forums, join legal groups, or follow hashtags related to legal topics. These interactions provide insights into real-world disputes, different perspectives, and the complexities of legal practice. Social media platforms are used by legal professionals to share educational content, including articles, podcasts, videos, and webinars. Law students can access this content to broaden their understanding of the legal field, explore specific practice areas, and learn about practical aspects of the law.
8. How do you balance your professional and personal life, and what strategies do you use to manage your time effectively?
Response: I prioritize my tasks and responsibilities, both personal and professional, to ensure that I allocate time and energy to the most important things in a day. This involves identifying key priorities, setting realistic goals, and managing time effectively. I utilize time management techniques such as creating schedules, setting deadlines, and breaking tasks into manageable chunks. By planning and organizing my work, I can allocate dedicated time for personal activities, family commitments, and self-care. There is a boundary to separate their personal and professional lives of mine.
9. What challenges did you face during the start of your legal journey, and how did you overcome them?
Response: When I started my career in law way back in 2015, I was very shy, hated reading books, had zero knowledge about anything. But then when I got the understanding of what my career is I started improving on myself. I would give credit to my family who have always motivated to excel in my career.
Establishing a professional network is crucial for career advancement. However, as a new advocate, I faced challenges in building connections with other legal professionals, potential clients, or mentors. Building a network requires proactive networking efforts, attending events, joining professional organizations, and seeking opportunities to connect with others in the legal field. As a new advocate, building a positive professional reputation can be challenging. Reputation is influenced by the quality of work, integrity, professionalism, and client satisfaction. Many legal positions, such as associate roles in law firms or higher-level positions, may require prior experience. As a new lawyer, it can be challenging to find opportunities that provide the necessary experience and exposure to different practice areas.
I grasped the opportunities to enhance my practical skills through workshops, seminars, and training programs. Then I considered mentorship or shadowing experienced lawyers to learn from their expertise. I have attended legal events, joined professional organizations, and participated in networking activities. Slowly I took mentorship from senior lawyers who provided guidance, advice, and support. Then in the last stage I became very proactive in seeking out jobs and responsibilities that align with my interests and goals. Then I have become open to entry-level positions that offer opportunities for growth and experience.
10. What do you consider to be your biggest achievement(s) in your legal career?
Response: My biggest achievement in my legal career is that without seeking anyone’s help I have got my first job in UnitedLex. Then when I was in search of after I have resigned from my last job I totally lost hope that I will get any opportunity but when I got a call from Sapna Mam’s office to come for an interview, so after giving interview to her there was not a second thought that I should join or not. I opted it and it’s been month that I am working here, thus got a lot exposure and learned a lot. So, I suppose this is the biggest achievement in my life getting all the jobs on my knowledge of law rather than any reference.