Law Mantra Journal: Call For Paper

The Law Mantra Law journal (ISSN 2321 – 6417) is a monthly academic journal, published online, that seeks to provide an interactive forum for the publication of articles in the field of Law. Law Mantra is an Online Journal and Web Portal, under the chief patron of Dr. Hon. Justice Malimath, former Chief Justice Karnataka and Kerala High Court, Dr. Prof. Gurjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor N.L.U.J.A Assam , Prof.(Dr.) FaizanMustaffa, V.C NALSAR Hyderabad, Prof. Shamnad Basheer and other luminaries from the legal fraternity.
The Journal is currently soliciting submissions for Volume 2, Issue 1, which will be published in September 30th 2014. The submission deadline for Volume 2, Issue 1 is September 10th, 2014. We welcome submissions from academicians, practitioners, students, researchers and experts from within the legal community. We have a strong preference for articles that assert and defend a well-reasoned position.
It is aimed at institutionalizing and channelling the analytical and incisive articles of students towards value addition and developing inherent potentials of legal fraternity.

The Themes for Call for Paper is “Intellectual Property Law”
Write us editor@lawmantra.co.in

About The Competition: The competition basically has the purpose to bring out original and concrete views of the mass- to the mass. In an essay, we look forward to a detail analysis of the status quo and putting forward suggestions that would serve as an instrument for change to the problems that persist.
The Paper submitted will be used to create modules for free awareness campaigns.

Theme: “Intellectual Property Law”

The submissions may be in the form of articles, notes, comments, book reviews on the issues raised.
All submissions must be made in accordance with the submission guidelines of the editorial board given below:
We welcome submissions under the following categories, with word limits:

Submission Guidelines:

TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
• Articles are lengthy publications that provide sustained treatment of important topics and ideas in the law.
Word Count – 7000 words (including footnotes).
• Essays are long write-ups and explore new arenas in the field of the topic that the author wishes to deal with.
Word Count – 5000 words (including footnotes).
• Book Reviews tackle new publications or neglected topics in the law. These are relatively short pieces of work that tend to analyse, comment and evaluate any law related book published recently.
Word Count – 1500 words (including footnotes).
• Case/Legislative Comments are short pieces which succinctly tackle interesting issues and puzzles in the law, often a critique on recent judicial pronouncements.
Word Count – 3000 words (including footnotes).

WRITING GUIDELINES:
All Entries must be typewritten in the font Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing and justified alignment.
The Citations must be typewritten in the font Times New Roman, font size 10, 1 line spacing and justified alignment.
Citation style must adhere to one uniform system of citation. References must be footnoted in Blue book 19th edition. All references must be cited in simple text. No formatting is required for the citations.
Submissions received to the Law Mantra Journal reviewed for following reasons
Scope and relevance for article: The article must be based on contemporary legal issues. Content of article must be suitable for readers-Students, Legal Professions, Academicians.
Language and Quality: Language must be formal and clear, adhering the submissions guidelines of journal.
Copyright Violation: To ensure that, the submissions are not in violation of copyrights laws. Authors are required to obtain written permission for the use of any copyrighted material in the manuscript and must communicate the same journal.
PLAGIARISM CHECK:
The authors are required to take special care in citing all the sources that they will refer to in their submissions.
The submission shouldn’t have been published somewhere else or submitted for consideration for publication somewhere else.
All the submissions will be subjected to strict plagiarism checks.
MODE OF SUBMISSION:
Submissions should be in electronic form (.doc, .docx).
The submissions are to be addressed to The Editorial Board, Law Mantra Journal ateditor@lawmantra.co.in .

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Selected full paper should reach the convener, on or before 10th September 2014.

Editors

 Miss Akansha Dubey, LL.M from Cambridge University
 Miss Stuti Sexana, Academic Assistant of I.I.M Bangalore and Ahmadabad
 Mr. Sukdeo Inga Asst. Professor,DES’s Navalmal Firodia Law College, Pune

For more details please contact Shambhavi Mishra @+91 8544202942

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First Impression: How To Write A Cover Letter

Before we deal with any ‘technical details’ or talk about any ‘tip and tricks’, it is very important that you understand the sole purpose of a Cover Letter or for a Resume or a Statement of Purpose for that matter. In all these cases, imagine yourself as a salesman. And you are supposed to be selling the most important and unique you have; you yourself.  When I say sell yourself, I mean sell your skills, your logic, your knowledge and your attitude. Like all other market environments, recruitment also works on more or less the same factors. In a basic market there are two ways to sell a product. Make a product that the customer wants or needs and sell it to them. Or make a product and convince the customer that they need it so that it’s easier to sell it. The second is the more tricky and if done right more rewarding strategy. That’s exactly what IPhone’s did. People didn’t have a need for IPhones before they existed. Apple didn’t just create smartphones, they even created the need for the same. You might be wondering what your Cover Letter has got to do with IPhones. Like customers didn’t know that they wanted an IPhone, potential recruiters don’t know that they want/need you.  That is where your marketing and selling potential comes in.

                                                 

A Cover Letter is generally sent with the Resume or CV. In very simple words it’s your introduction and the first thing anyone reads, before they touch your resume. The say the first impression is the last. While this may not always be true, but they first impression always lasts longer. So you better hope that the first thing a potential employees looks at when you mail them your resume look good enough to hold their attention. And that is why a cover letter is so important. Cause more often than not, a recruiter has already subconsciously judged you based on your cover letter (or sometimes or total lack of it.!!).

There are three essential points that you need to keep in mind while writing a cover letter;

1)      Be creative and original: The cover letter is the face thing a person looks at. Make sure it is atleast original. DO NOT copy of cover letters from tons of online website and post them. Trust me; most recruiters get tons of mails per day. They know which candidate has made a genuine effort. They would not appreciate a copy pasted work.   

2)      Why you: Create the need right away. Generate their curiosity by given an overview of the highlights of your career. It’s a lot like baiting a fish. Again, recruiters get tons of mails, unless they are hooked right, they might not even glance through your resume properly. Let them know that you have something that they need.

3)      Do not write a lot: It’s supposed to be a cover letter, not a life essay. Hence, keep it short and simple. Recruiters always appreciate simple, unique and professional cover letters.

To wrap it up, remember the PSU before writing a cover letter; Professional, Simple and Unique.

These three points would help you make the appropriate cover letter, whether it’s for your internship application or for a job.  

Check out the step by step sample Cover Letter below;

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, ( or Dear Sir/Ma’am in case you don’t know their names)

Body of Cover Letter
The body of your cover letter lets the employer know what position you are applying for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.

First Paragraph
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. Mention the position you are applying for and where you found the job listing. Include the name of a mutual contact, if you have one.

Middle Paragraph
The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the employer. Mention specifically how your qualifications match the job you are applying for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it.

Final Paragraph 
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow-up.

Closing

Respectfully Yours/Sincerely/Regards,

[Also never forget to write an accurate Subject Line. Your Subject Line helps the employer classify our mail even before they open it. A wrong subject line might get your application misplaced irrespective of how good it is.]  

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NATIONAL SLOGAN WRITING COMPETITION ON ‘WOMEN EMPOWERNMENT’, SUBMIT BY 25TH AUGUST, 2014

About Competition:

A nation-wide slogan writing competition on ‘Women Empowerment’ is being organised by the ‘Unmukt Bharat’ and ‘Swami Vivekanand Subharti University’.

The Competition is divided into Groups for Participating Students as follows:

Groups:

Group A: Classes X-XII

Group B: Undergraduate/Postgraduate Students

In this reference all the schools and colleges are requested to encourage their students to take part in this event and contribute in making a gender sensitive society. You are requested to widely disseminate the details of this competition to all the students to get maximum number of students involved with their creative skills.

Guidelines for Submission:

• Participant can send slogan in Hindi/English.
• Slogan should not exceed 50 Words.
• Slogan must adhere to theme of this competition and should give a message to the society.

Important: The entries must reach us before 25th August, 2014 (11:59 P.M.)

Prizes:

Top Entries will be chosen and the authors will be felicitated with Exciting Prizes on the date to be announced on 10thAugust, 2014,  at Campus of Swami Vivekanand Subharti University. All the participants will get Certificates of Participation.

Registration & Slogan Submission:

✎Click Here to Register 

Contact:

Mr. Anuj Kumar

Coordinator,   Unmukt Bharat

First Floor, Asfaq Ullah Block,

Swami Vivekanand Subharti University,

Subharti Puram,

Meerut 250 005 (U.P.)

Contact: +91-9639010553

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How To Crack A Law Firm Interview: Beginners Guide.

What is the objective of a job interview?

The objective of the interviewee is to ‘do well’ and get through – for a job, a post, or perhaps a membership. Now what constitutes ‘doing well’? A lot of time, one gets the feeling that they have done well, only to find out later that they were not selected. At other times, people feel dejected after the interview, only to get a good result afterwards. And then you always find people with lesser qualification getting selected over those having superior academic records or qualification at an interview. Why does this happen? Interview always seem to be a big enigma.

Well, most intelligent people find interviews quite simple to handle. There are a few basic things one need to understand about interviews. There are certain basic rules of meeting other people which applies to interviews as well. Beyond that, there is always a purpose for which you are being interviewed, and you must be a good fit for that purpose.

Let’s Imagine that You want the Job of a Life Guard

Let us presume that you are excellent at swimming, and you are applying for a job that requires a lot of swimming – like that of a life guard. We have already presumed you have the necessary swimming skills for doing that job. Now if you have to appear for an interview to get this job, with many other similarly qualified swimmers, how would you differentiate yourself from the rest? This is the question that almost everyone faces – lawyers, engineers, typists and actors alike.

Apart from basic competence, what else do they look at in an interview? Well, while we can rationally generalize to an extent, it makes sense to narrow down to interviews that law students face for recruitment to law firms.

 

People know that they have to distinguish themselves, but they don’t know How.

That’s why people try to moot, debate, join societies, write articles and so on. They write about all these things in their CV. In their interview, they try to look and sound smart and intelligent. And very often they go wrong. Sometimes they do it right inadvertently. But from what I see, very few try to analyse the process and understand how it all works.

The fitting in and the distinguishing

There are two things that you should do in an interview – show that you fit in, and distinguish yourself. Both at the same time. You have to fit into the role the employer perceives the employee to take, and you must still be different from the rest of the applicants in a positive way.

Is it just academics?

Not really, but usually it is the most important factor as well as far as getting a job in a law firm is concerned. Even in the interview, they try to understand your knowledge of law and problem solving aptitude. In one of my interviews, I was given a problem and asked to solve it in 10 mins. I couldn’t solve it entirely, but I was able to show that I am thinking in the right direction and that I have a good knowledge base and the requisite problem solving skills. The interviewer helped me by giving an important cue and I cracked it. I was selected.

In law firm job interviews for freshers, much of the interview is occupied by questions on law and your academic performance. Expect it. Even if you have not done great academically, you should have a plan of action to prove that you are otherwise good. Lots of people who do not do great academically get through to the best firms that way.

 

What is preparation?

Preparation is simply anticipating questions and preparing the best possible answer. Of course you don’t mug up these answers – but you need to be able to say these things readily with confidence. You can not anticipate all the questions, so take help from your friends, parents, seniors – ask them to go through your CV and ask questions about your academics, extra curriculars, anything in you CV. That way you will find out the most likely talking points in your CV and yourself. Identify the interesting and positive talking points, and drive the interview towards these points. Tempt the interviewer to ask you the question you want to be asked. If you say, I am good at negotiating, the interviewer will ask you 90% of the time to give an example of a realm life negotiation you engaged in. Be prepared with a really good story.

Talking points

While making the CV, make sure to put in a lot of talking points. These are like full toss balls, given knowing that the interviewer will ask predictable questions based on these points. If you don’t want to discuss something in the interview, then be kind to yourself and don’t put it in the CV.

Ensure that the talking points are relevant to the job you are seeking. If you are applying to a firm which mostly does M&A, don’t write or talk about family law and IP law articles and papers you may have written. They just don’t care. They would like to talk about something that you have done which is related to corp law. Stuff the CV with those. And vice versa for an IP law firm.

Also, raise the relevant talking points as you speak during the interview, and wait for the interviewer to catch on to those. You can decide on your best talking points before hand and spring them one by one as opportunity comes.

Be sociable and friendly

Tons of otherwise good people dont get jobs because they fail at this. Remember, you are going to work with clients in a law firm. Can you befriend a client? Can you take a client out on a dinner and convince her that you are a very good friend? If not, no matter how good you are at drafting or research, it will be difficult for a firm to retain you. They look for this quality during the interview. They think in the following lines:

Is this girl going to blend with the other associates or will she turn out to be another bitch?

Is this guy a liar? Or is he really as smart as he says he is?

This guys hands are shaking – is he always this nervous under pressure?

If you come across as a nice person, with a warm nice smile, polite but confident, the law firm already wants you – even if you are not in top half of your class. If you are a topper who comes across as a bookworm, too nervous or too arrogant, you know why you are not getting through to interviews while your peers do it effortlessly. This is why it is important to dress well for the interview, too.

Confidence

Be quietly confident – say what you want to say completely, cogently, in a full voice. There’s no better friend like confidence in an interview. If you appear confident, the interviewer already thinks you are alpha quality, who don’t get nervous even before an interview. They’d think you are one of those people who stroll in, make one feel good, walk out with what they want. Veni vidi vici type people. They think that because unlike so many people you have appeared before them – calm and confident. One of the most effective way of distinguishing yourself.

Observe the interviewer

As you speak, as you hear, make eye contacts as if you are giving them your full attention. Making eye contact also shows your confidence. Of course, don’t stare at them in a way that they think you are a pervert. Similarly, smile at appropriate moments but not in a crazy way so that they’d think you are mad. But most importantly, observing them gives you an idea as to how they are receiving your answers. Do they look happy? Do they look bored? Do they seem to be not understanding what you are saying? Are they not agreeing? If you are observing them properly, you’d know it from their expression and will be able to adjust your answer accordingly. Same for telephone interviews, only then you need to hear the tone of the voice carefully.

Know the need

What are you being hired for? Show that you have the ability to do it. Offer to demonstrate. Volunteer information that will help them in making a judgment. To know the need, you may want to do some research. Talk to seniors who are already in the firm. Those who have left the firm. Those who have relatives working there – in a law school, its not going to be difficult. Google the firm and read on internet.

Managing recommendations

This is extremely important. Law firms ask your seniors who are already there for their opinion about you. Are they going to say good things or bad things? It could be a decisive factor. If you are applying to a firm, is there someone who can give a bad review about you out of enmity? Call him long before the interview/shortlisting – and ask for advice about what to do. Listen with genuine concern, thank him a lot no matter how bad advice he gives and keep the phone down. Its a disarming approach. He’ll now have to be a real asshole to say bad things after you have approached him for help. People hate to admit to themselves that they are assholes. If you don’t approach them, however, they are morally free to give any bad opinion that they may have of you.

Do you have anything to share about the above points? Anything important that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments below!

About the Author:-

Ramanuj Mukherjee, the Co-Founder of iPleaders, is a extensive blogger and a serial entrepreneur. The Founder of multiple blogs including 1sttasteoflaw and SuperLawyer. He is also associated with IDEA among few major organizations.

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Fighting For Judicial Swaraj

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi bestrides the entrance to the main building of the Supreme Court. An epitome of sobriety, Gandhi stood for conscientious labour even in the face of adversity. The statue serves as a constant reminder to the legal coterie, serving the apex court, to stand with the truth. ‘Satyamev Jayate’—as he would have wanted us to remember. He would have wanted both the lawyers and judges alike to strive for justice, truth and righteousness; catchwords that no longer seem to resonate among the men-in-robes.

Reminiscing the Dark Days of the Emergency

The recent furore over instances of political interferences in judicial autonomy has revived stories of judges yielding to political pressure during Indira Gandhi’s Emergency of 1975. The issue of detainees arrested without a trial under the draconian Maintenance of Internal Security Act came before the Supreme Court in the historic Habeas Corpus case. The Supreme Court was asked the question: Whether, after an emergency being declared, the Presidential Order under Article 359 can preclude a writ of habeas corpus? The judiciary succumbed to intense political pressure from Indira’s government. The majority view, held by CJI A.N.Ray, Justice Beg, Justice Chandrachudh and Justice Bhagwati, favoured the government. They held that no person has a locus to move any writ petition under Article 226 before a High Court for habeas corpus or any writ or order or direction to challenge the legality of an order or decision

Justice H.R Khanna: The Paragon of Probity

Holding a contrarian opinion was Justice H.R. Khanna. With the torch of liberty held aloft, he opined that,with rule of law at stake, the judiciary cannot be rendered mute and silent to executive action. “The Constitution and the laws of India do not permit life and liberty to be at the mercy of the absolute power of the Executive”, he added. He ended by quoting Justice Charles Evans Hughes: “A dissent is an appeal to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of a future day, when a later decision may possibly correct the error into which the dissenting Judge believes the court to have been betrayed.”

Justice Khanna knew the price of his dissent. He was aware that, unlike his fellow judges who chose to toe the line, his act of heresy would cost him the chief Justice-ship of India. And so it did. His junior Justice M.H. Beg was chosen over him by the government as their preferred choice for the coveted post.

Justice Khanna always stood for personal liberty. Even as he was at the crossroads where one path led to the highest judicial office and the other to censure, he chose to tread on the path of truth and liberty. He could have easily chosen to side with the government, soon to rise in the ranks of the judiciary. Justice Khanna however chose justice over inequity, individual freedom over personal interest, dissent over submission and truth above all. Perhaps his life-size portrait hanging in Supreme Court’s courtroom number 2 is meant to remind future lawyers and judges of the importance of honesty and integrity. 

The recent events that have unfolded have raised suspicions over the integrity of the judiciary. Two distinct instances have surfaced highlighting blatant disregard to the hallowed independence of judiciary.

Carrot and Stick Diplomacy

First arose, the issue of elevation of former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam as the judge of the Supreme Court. A highly acclaimed lawyer, Mr. Subramaniam became a senior advocate at the age of 35: youngest to hold the post. Between 2005 and 2009 he served as the Additional Solicitor General and from 2009 to 2011 as the Solicitor General of India. As a Special Public Prosecutor he successfully brought home the charges against lone surviving terrorist, Ajmal Kasab. He also assisted the court as amicus curiae in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.

The case involved an alleged encounter orchestrated to kill one Sohrabuddin along with his wife while they're travelling in a bus. It was later discovered that another man, Tulsiram Prajapati, who was travelling with the couple was missing and soon found dead. Subramaniam's active role in the sensational murder of Sohrabaduddin ensured that, despite Gujarat Police's best effort to obfuscate the investigation, the case is impartially investigated by the CBI. His efforts ensured that Amit Shah, the now BJP President, received bail oncondition of his non-entrance to the state of Gujarat.

Mr. Subramaniam's act of effrontery did not go down well with the BJP government. Soon after coming out with a decisive mandate, the Modi-led government began with rewarding its closest friends and chastening its enemies: an act typical of the carrot-and -stick approach. The collegium comprising the four senior most judges of the Supreme Court recommended 4 names for elevation to the apex court: Rohinton Nariman, Justice Arun Mishra (CJ of West Bengal High Court), Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (CJ of Orissa High Court) and Gopal Subramaniam. The government, in a move that flew directly in the face of established constitutional principles, blithely segregated the names and elevated all but Mr. Subramaniam to the bench.

Modi's favourite loyalists, who had previously defended him in court, have been rewarded. Ranjit Kumar and Tushar Mehta, who defended Gujarat in 2002 and in various fake encounters, have been made the Solicitor General and Additional Solicitor General. Mukul Rohatgi, who had previously appeared for Gujarat in the 2002 riots, too received the figurative sweet carrot as he clenched the position of the Attorney General of India.

Mr. Gopal Subramaniam, on the other hand, got chastised by the proverbial stick. The government sought aid of the IB and CBI to vindicate its stand. It resorted to petty mudslinging as it surreptitiously released reports of his alleged involvement in the tax-evasion case of corporate-lobbyist Nira Radia and in the 2G case: both ill-founded.

A face-off emerged between the executive and the judiciary that compelled CJI RM Lodha to clarify that the independence of the judiciary will not succumb to executive pressure. The government clearly won as Gopal Subramaniam withdrew his candidature. In his letter to the CJI, he wrote, "The events of the past few weeks have raised serious doubts in my mind as to the ability of the executive government to appreciate and respect the independence, integrity and glory of the judicial institution.”

A political party that grew out of dissent and revolution against executive tyranny had attempted to transgress into the judicial realm: a fine case of irony.

Katju’s Revelations

The second issue highlighting possible impropriety by the judiciary in the face of political pressure has surfaced pursuant to recent revelations by the Chairman of the Press Council of India Justice Markandey Katju. A former Supreme Court judge, Justice Katju has in his blog post revealed how a sitting judge of the Madras High Court received extension of tenure thrice only to be permanently confirmed as permanent judge. The chain of events occurred despite true allegations of corruption against that judge.

Justice Katju claims, without taking names, that on becoming the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in 2004, he came to know of possible allegations of corruption against a sitting judge. Entries of corruption against that judge had appeared to be deleted by the former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Justice Katju wrote to the then CJI Justice R.C Lahoti to conduct a secret IB enquiry to unearth the truth. He was later personally informed by the CJI that the adverse entries against him were found to be true.

Justice Katju adds that the Supreme Court collegium, appointed to suggest names for judges of High Courts in 2005, comprised the then 3 senior most judges: CJI Justice R.C Lahoti, Justice Y.K Sabharwal and Justice Ruma Pal. The collegium initially recommended discontinuation of the judge after expiry of his 2 year term in view of the adverse IB report. However, CJI Justice R.C Lahoti soon recommended a year extension to the judge that was later extended by the new CJI Justice Sabharwal and finally confirmed by the subsequent CJI Justice K.G Balakrishnan.

Even after proving the allegations to be true, Justice Katju, to his dismay, found the judge to have received successive extensions and subsequently confirmation as a permanent judge. The former Supreme Court judge attributes the apparent change-of-heart to intense political pressure from the UPA government which was in power with support from its allies. He holds at fault a certain ally of the government: a political party in Tamil Nadu that was supporting the corrupt judge. He argues that the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government was threatened by that regional party to either support their candidature or see his government collapse at the center. At the behest of a senior Congress leader, the government then pressurized Justice R.C Lahoti who relented to his demand by extending the tenure of the tainted judge.

Lifting the Veil

Justice Markandey Katju did not mention names in his revelation. However, in this mist of obscurity, obvious are the identities of those in question. The tainted judge in question was Late Ashok Kumar who died in 2009. The political party from Tamil Nadu being referred is the DMK which was a popular ally of the UPA government. The Chief Justice who deleted adverse entries against him to elevate him as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Madras was Justice N. Dinakaran. The senior Congress leader who communicated the party’s wishes to Justice Lahoti was the then law minister H.R Bhardwaj.

Mr. Ashok Kumar rose to fame in 2001 as he took strong objection to DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s arrest in the famous flyover scam case. The DMK chief had been arrested near midnight; evoking public sympathy for the old man. He sided with the DMK. Reprimanding the police authority, he is believed to have said: “Mr. Karunanidhi was made to wait before the central prison like a beggar. Everyone saw it. The whole world saw it on television. He is a 78-year-old man suffering from various health ailments. Is your heart made of muscle or mud? What was the pressure on you?" He also granted Karunanidhi’s son Stalin bail in 2001.

Late Mr. Kumar’s solidarity with the Tamil party rewarded him well. In 2003, he was rewarded with elevation to the Madras High Court. In 2005 too, the DMK government sided with the DMK loyalist; compelling the UPA to reverse the collegium’s decision.

Judicial Independence or Lack Thereof

Despite the unanimous stand of the Supreme Court collegium on Justice Ashok Kumar, the UPA government resorted to strong-arm tactics to make the judiciary toe its line. The result: the Chief Justices of India threw in the towel without asserting their independence. CJI Lahoti extended his tenure as the Additional Judge, CJI Sabharwal followed suit and CJI Balakrishnan made him permanent in another High Court. By failing to restate their sovereignty, what message have the highest-ranking judges conveyed to the nation at large?

The Indian citizens have bestowed immense faith in the judiciary. They largely feel cheated by their elected representatives who meet them only once in five years. The judiciary seems to them as a beacon of hope: a guiding light-house that steers the nation in the right path. At the helm, they expect honest, virtuous and incorruptible sailors determined to sail the country to glory. How do they feel when they find out that their captain is corrupt?

The disclosures made by Justice Markandey Katju call for serious debates on the propriety of our judges and their nexus with politicians. Instead of targeting the messenger, we must focus on changing the status quo. A democratic society is assessed at the touchstone of judicial integrity. An impeccable justice delivery system with scrupulous judges will advance this nation to glory.

Till then, Bapu’s statue would continue to remind us to fight for judicial swaraj. 

About The Author:-

Anmol Vashisht is Assistant-Editor at 'For the Sake of Argument'. He regularly writes on contemporary issues of politics, law and international affairs. As a budding lawyer, he hopes to change the system: one article at a time.

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Internships Decoded: Why it’s not only about the Law!

That internships are really important in making you employment-worthy is an indisputable proposition. This is primarily because law firms or even litigators recognize that the law as is taught in law schools falls short, and significantly at that, from what is required of lawyers as they pursue a career in the law. The sentiment is an ongoing one and even students have bought into the idea, for instance, that doing a diploma or an online course will fill that lacuna. All of this notwithstanding, there exists no substitute to actual work experience at a law firm or under a practicing advocate. That said, this piece endeavors to put down an account of how internships as an exercise require more than just being really good at the law and what interns should be doing in addition to sharpening their substantive knowledge of the law.

Pre-Internship

It is always a good idea to know exactly what the practice areas of the internship are. This task is significantly aided by the wealth of ‘Internship Experiences’ available online. Doing this ensures that you won’t, on a primary level, be surprised by the work that is thrown at you, but more importantly it ensures that you won’t be spending too much time figuring the basics of work that is assigned to you. Talking to people who have interned there earlier is also a good idea. For instance, at an internship I was advised to keep taking work from a particular associate, because she took an active interest in the work given by interns and would personally ensure HR called the intern back for another stint at the firm of she was really impressed by the work. The idea being, it’s always best to do your background both substantively on the law as well as the organization and the people involved.

During the Internship

Talk to people. Please do. It is often wrongly presumed that lawyers are an uptight lot that are only looking to employ nerds who don’t have a life. They are humans you know, and more often than not, they LOVE talking and getting to know people. This ensures that people know you and your chances of getting work will only increase consequently, but more importantly you develop a better working relationship with the people involved. When assigned work, take time out and see if you completely understand the work assigned to you. If you don’t, ask questions, seek clarifications. Trust me, asking questions does not make you look dumb, giving an erroneous work product on the basis of your incomplete and presumptuous understanding of the problem is a deal breaker. Lastly, whatever be the work assigned to you, be enthusiastic about it. Even due diligence is an opportunity to contribute, be it in making life easier for the person you’re working for or in some cases actually finding stuff that can aid in the exercise. Perceptions are critical, and being enthusiastic only improves people’s perception of you and your work.

Post-Internship

Follow-up. Don’t piss them off, while you’re at it. Before you leave your internship, say your goodbyes with whoever you’ve worked for and ask for feedback on the work you’ve done. Connecting on Linkedin is also a good idea. The idea, to put it simply, is to understand whether you have a future with the organization and to better evaluate your options.

I will concede that the above is easier said than done, but these things matter and weigh significantly in an organizations decision to call you back or give you a job. Also, there is no substitute to delivering brilliant work product. All of the above is to supplement that and simply being a charmer is not going to land you a job.

About The Author:-

Zacarias Kanjirath Joseph is a final year student of ILS, Pune. A Mooter, Munner, Debater and Blogger among other things, Zacarias recently was offered and accepted a PPO from Khaitan & Company.

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2nd VIPS International Moot Court Competition, 7th to 9th November. Apply by 31st August.

Vivekananda Law School Moot Court Society, Advocate’s Legion is organizing its flagship event, the 2^nd Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies International Moot Court Competition from 7^th to 9^th November.

Prizes

1. Best team shall be given an award and a cash prize of INR 25,000.

2. Runner-up team shall be given an award and a cash prize of INR 15.000.

3. Best memorial shall be given an award and a cash prize of INR 10.000.

4. Best speaker shall be given an award and a cash prize of INR 10,000.

Instructions

The Competition is open to all law schools across India and abroad. Each institute can send only one team for representation. An e-mail confirmation of participating in the competition should be sent by 31^st August 2014 to HERE.

The official schedule can be downloaded from HERE 

Rules are provided HERE

Registration form is available HERE 

Moot Problem is available HERE 

Travel Form is available HERE 

For further details, please contact.

Mr. AkshayChowdhary: +91 9899982488
Ms. Disha Singh: +91 9899385056

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CBIT Model United Nations Executive Board Applications Open.(18th- 21st September)

CBITMUN 2014 would see the following councils simulated:

1. United Nations General Assembly-Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee:
Agenda 1: Cyber Espionage
Agenda 2: Ending Gender Bias

2. League of Nations:
Agenda: World War II crisis

3. United Nations Children's Fund:
Agenda 1: Children in War and Terrorism
Agenda 2: Lack of basic facilities during armed conflicts

4. United Nations Security Council:
Agenda 1: Narco Terrorism
Agenda 2: Situation in the Middle East
5. International Court of Justice:
Agenda 1: PLO v. Israel on the Gaza offensive
Agenda 2: Georgia v. Russian Federation on the Racial Discrimination
6. International Monetary Fund:
Agenda 1: Providing financial support to countries affected by Arab Spring.
Agenda 2: Reviewing International Monetary Systems
7. Futuristic Continual Crisis Committee

Executive Board Application Form HERE

Facebook Page HERE

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