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ABOUT ASHISH BHAKTA

Ashish Bhakta is the Founding Partner of a pan India, full service law firm by the name of ANB Legal. They operate out of Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Kolkata and Goa. He is primarily responsible for the Dispute Resolution and Estate Planning practice of the Firm.

He feels fortunate to be part of a diverse practice and headed teams on several high profile M&A, Private Equity and Project Finance deals apart from working on media related documents. He had been appointed as Amicus Curiae by the Securities Appellate Tribunal, Mumbai and do act as Conciliator / Arbitrator in case of various commercial and family disputes

As a part of his teaching activities, he was a visiting faculty professor at the KC College of Law and Siddharth College of Law, Mumbai. He has also been a speaker and trainer at various national and international forums.

5 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY LAW STUDENTS

1)Many students normally have a fear that since they are 1st generation law students their journey would be more difficult than a student whose parents are lawyers. What is your take on it and what would you say to them?

ASHISH BHAKTA “The one thing students have to realize that all the second-generation lawyers did have a first-generation lawyer. Believe in yourself rather than having such notions. They are spread by organizations who want to exploit the very insecurity in such students. Especially the so-called online experts in career counseling.”

2)In-Law school there is a perception that the more the number of internships the better. Is it true? And many students feel that most of their friends get internships because of contacts and not merit due to which the students who truly deserve miss out. What would you say to them?

ASHISH BHAKTA- “It’s not the number, it’s the quality that makes the difference. By quality, I mean how much you got to learn rather than what kind of work you did. Merits always count.

What you mean by ‘deserve’ is a relative term. Many a time such ‘references’ work as the students are more diligent and perform way better than the ones who have come on their merit as they have a face to keep.

I would not get into such debates of who deserves what. More so as for a student even if he/she works with a clerk in a court it is learning. So do not think of ‘good work and ‘bad’ work. Just do what’s assigned with all your heart and mind. It will benefit you in many ways”.

3)During 12th standard, students come under this enormous pressure to crack entrance tests to get into top-tier law schools of the country but as we all know that due to limited seats everyone cannot get into it. What would you say to students who couldn’t make their way to the top law schools?

ASHISH BHAKTA- “Law colleges matter to an extent. Believe in yourself. There can be no substitute for hard work. Not even the highest-rated college. Many a time missing out on a top college can be a boon in disguise. Please keep your head down and work no matter which college you from. It doesn’t matter in the long run.”

4)When you enter into law school there is a perception that you need to do moots and win moot competitions so that you can be a good lawyer in the future. Is it true? What would you tell the students regarding this, especially to students who haven’t or don’t want to participate in moots?

ASHISH BHAKTA- “The real moots will be when you argue before judicial authorities. There is a whole new world there. There is no ‘case’ based on which you argue. You have to make your own case. Many a time, students who have been top mooters are so used to such ‘base’ to work that they take a while to adjust to the real world.

Mooting is a great way to gain experience and get a feel of things. Yet if you haven’t, don’t worry”.

5)Nowadays there are enormous online courses present on the internet which are being sold. It is high time that Law schools should start analyzing their syllabus/course structure so that students who are already paying law school fees, no more need to buy these online courses. What do you think? What would be your suggestions to Law schools?

ASHISH BHAKTA- “Online courses (most of them) are a scam. They tend to take advantage of a student’s insecurity which is a natural feeling for anyone wanting to make his/her mark in the real world. Law colleges have to allow students to get more practical experiences. Especially by attending more internships that are longer than one month at a time. It is only then that the students will be ready to forge in the real world. “

ABOUT PARUCHURI BASWANTH

Paruchuri Baswanth Mohan is a contract management professional. He helps his clients with their contract management requirements. He is passionate about Contract Management System and keen to work with companies (especially Information Technology Companies and startups).

Since 2017, he ventured out to work as an external counsel and started working with law firms (Corp Comm Legal, Prodigy Legal, Unimark Legal Solutions Private Limited) as an external counsel.

Significant achievement in his career according to him is that he assisted Bhumesh Verma sir in producing master piece on contract drafting (“A practical guide to contract drafting”) by drafting various sample contract templates.

Previously he worked with the legal team of one of largest IT conglomerate based in United States as a part of Contract Management Group of a company.

His core expertise is in Contract Management System (Contract Drafting [Contract Redlining and Reviewing], Contract Summarization, Contract Abstraction, Creation of Standard Contract Templates, Negotiation of Contracts, Maintenance of Contract Repository and Conducting Risk Analysis and Due Diligence on key provisions of the Contracts.

QUESTIONS OF STUDENTS RELATED INTERNSHIPS, RESUME AND MUCH MORE

WHAT ROLE DOES INTERNSHIP PLAY IN STUDENT’S LAW SCHOOL JOURNEY?

BASWANTHMOHAN PARUCHURI- “All internship and online certificates add value only when you can apply your learnings in your work in the right way. So, make sure that whatever certificate you are adding to your profile you have ample knowledge of such subject matter. Otherwise, those certificates are of no value.

Also, an internship program is not just about learning theoretical and practical nuances of a law practice but also to build a professional network to pave way for future career prospects.

Use your internship program wisely to build a long-lasting professional network alongside to sharpen your professional and communication skills.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE ANY PARTICULAR TIP TO LAW STUDENTS?

BASWANTHMOHAN PARUCHURI-

“ Dear law students,

There are different reasons for us to choose law as a profession. Such reason may include:
a) Passion for the profession;
b) To serve justice to the needy people;
c) To follow the footsteps of senior lawyers in the family;
d) To earn name and fame for oneself; etc.,

However, end of the day your efforts, determination, and hard work will define the course of your success in the profession. Be patient and do all the smart work and hard work needed to be successful in your profession”

WHAT THINGS LAW STUDENTS SHOULD KEEP IN MIND WHILE MAKING A RESUME OR A COVER LETTER ACCORDING TO YOU?

BASWANTHMOHAN PARUCHURI- “Try to keep your resume or cover letter simple and to the point.

Too much information could rise high expectations beyond your ability as a result you may not match up with expectations generated by your resume in reality.

So, be mindful of information reflecting in your resume”

ANY FINAL MESSAGE TO THE STUDENTS?

BASWANTHMOHAN PARUCHURI-“Do not put too much pressure on yourself as it will create more problems for you.

Give the best of your efforts all the time, something will definitely work for you.”

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Founding Partner, ANB Legal-Ashish Bhakta Answers 5 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS OF LAW STUDENTS

Legal Practitioner, Corp Comm Legal- Paruchuri Baswanth Mohan ANSWERS QUESTIONS OF STUDENTS RELATED INTERNSHIPS, RESUME AND MUCH MORE…