Mrs. Annapoorna V. Shetty
Professor of Law
Vivekananda Law College Puttur
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A day with Vivekananda Law College Professors
- Why we require Legal Education?
- What is the importance of Law in the era of Globalization?
- What are the career opportunities in Law?
- Which is the best additional degree which suit the Law Degree?
- What opportunities are available for law students in the corporate world?
- What are the advantages of Internship?
- What are the qualities of Leadership?
- Whom do you consider as the most effective lawyer in India? Why?
- Can you give me a novel Judgment of Supreme Court and how it has transformed the society?
- Can you identify Advocacy skills?
- Why did you choose teaching profession?
- What is your vision and mission in life?
1. Why do we require legal education?
Law is incredibly important in people’s lives because ignorance of law cannot be excused. So basic legal education is necessary for all of us to safeguard our rights and it also reminds us about our duties and legal obligations towards society. The legal education not only imperative to produce good lawyers equipping them with knowledge and skills necessary for the legal profession, who in turn help laymen to seek remedies against exploitation and victimization in many fields causing injustice, it also makes each one of us to be aware of laws enacted for welfare, protection and security of citizens which are necessary for promoting social justice. Our legal system fleets nearly every aspect of our society and lawyers are the main link between laws and the community.
2. What is the importance of Law in the era of Globalization?
Globalization is the free movement of goods, services and people across the world in a seamless and integrated manner. With this the trade between nations and the interconnections are increased with liberalization of import protocols and foreign investments have surged into the mainstays of economy of a country and there are trade disputes also. Since every nation is governed by its own legal system a flexible system of Law is absolutely necessary to unify and harmonise it with legal setup of other nations at the global level. It has created new global legal institutions and norms changing the contours of law. Some of the organizations contributing for shaping of Global law are United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Intellectual Property Organization etc. The International lawyers and Law Firms have also contributed to the emergence of global law.
3. What are the career opportunities in Law?
In recent days Law as a profession offers umpteen number of career avenues to explore, According to me being a legal practitioner is the best option who is willing to work hard with commitment and service oriented attitude representing the clients in the courts of law and helping them by handling a multitude of matters ranging from criminal, civil and other cases. Another option for law graduates is to give back to the community by taking up the noble profession of teaching. Lawyers are also best equipped for undertaking social work as they are aware of the legal rights and obligation of all strata of society. Other option available is to get into judicial and civil services. People with a penchant for writing can take up legal journalism as a very satisfying career. Being a corporate lawyer handling all transactions on behalf of the companies gives sound monetary benefits. Globalization which created global legal institutions with openings for legal transcription and legal process outsourcing where a professional can provide intelligent services to overseas clients. The law graduates can also combine their degree with other disciplines like business administration, company secretary, etc., or even take up freelancing. They can even end up carving out new careers for themselves.
4. Which is the best additional degree which suit the Law degree?
Law is considered to be one of the most intellectually challenging of all degrees. A law graduate will develop analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to read critically, research properly, write clearly and communicate well with people of all walks of life. Combining law with another degree allows a person to develop a broader range of skills and knowledge in an area that interests him. So any degree may he combined with law may be a degree in finance, business administration, Management, social work etc. Foreign universities provide wide range of degrees combined with law degree including Law and Business, Law and Property Development, Law and Public Policy. Law and Biotechnology, Law and Aerospace engineering etc. it also widens your career options in the future. Law and Business Administration offer the highest number of career opportunities like lawyer at a law Firm, Financial Analyst, Stock Market Advisor, Auditor, Legal Advisor to companies and institutions, Tax Authority or Labour inspector, Strategic Consultant, Business Executive, Director of finance, Human Resources and Marketing, Business Executive Etc. apart from being a Legal Practitioner, Judge, Public Prosecutor and State Attorney.
5. What opportunities are available for the Law students in the corporate world?
Law has always been an attractive profession for lots of passionate people with good money in the industry. Now with the rise of companies in India, there is a huge demand for corporate law professionals in India. Corporate law is the field of law concerning companies and business organizations. Every organization requires a corporate lawyer to conduct the business actions as guided by the legal system of India. A corporate lawyer is a person responsible for managing business decisions in a legal way. He makes sure that the company doesn’t violate any law and the business should progress within the legal limits. He also handles clients of the company facing any legal charges with regard to business activities of the company. He also helps the business firms with employment issues. It is a powerful and versatile career option with al! the qualities to make it an outstanding career. Both government and private sectors have a plenty of job opportunities. In fact, a lawyer can get job opportunities in companies, law firms, banks and many more places.
6. What are the advantages of internship?
One way of gaining experience in the legal field is through internship. And it helps in building a career. There are some important reasons why one should opt for law internship, it gives direction about the future of a law student. It provides the experience in the legal profession and a close look at the day-to-day responsibilities that come with being a lawyer. Students will have the opportunityto interact with lawyers. Another benefit from having internship is gaining insight into which branch of law a student would want to -pursue after graduation. So it gives a direction as to future plans. As an intern a student may be placed in a courtroom, in front of clients, or in an office, he will learn how lawyers treat their clients, their fellow lawyers, court personnel and judges. It will teach professionalism and help the student to prepare himself for similar interactions when he begins his career. A student will gain cumulative knowledge on doing substantive work. The student will be in a better position to understand how to apply those concepts and principles of fundamental substantive law learned in the classroom to situations exist in reality. Completing internship makes law graduates more marketable because of having good resume with experience.
7. What are the qualities of leadership?
There are certain attributes and behaviors that make a great leader. We must realize that characteristics of successful people will diff enormously. A person becomes a leader because of his specific personality, and capabilities. Characteristics of a leader depends on his vision, situation, team and organization. Good readership demands emotional strengths, integrity, honesty, confidence and compassion. Along with this he must also have some other important qualities. He must always adapt to new surroundings and adaptability is an significant aspect of leadership because the world is complex and dynamic. Delegating tasks to the appropriate person is an important skill for any leader to maser. Trusting his team is a sign of ultimate strength because it capitalizes on the strength of others. A leader need to communicate the goals clearly and concisely otherwise he and his team will not be working towards the same goal. Even under pressure a leader must show confidence and the team will follow him. Determination and moth, nation go hand in hand and this will encourage others to do the same He must earn the respect of his team. Reward them for their efforts. Accepting and facing challenges is a large part of leadership but each situation may require a different approach.
8. Whom do you consider as the most effective lawyer in India? Why?
There are many lawyers who have excelled in their field of work under different situations and contributed a lot for the welfare of the society. But if only one name has to be mentioned certainly it will be one of the greatest lawyers India has ever had and a legendary in his profession Nani A. Palkhivala. I got acquainted with his marvelous qualities by reading books written by him and also by the articles published by others about him. M. V. Kamath described him as ‘outstanding jurist and a staunch defender of the Constitution’. He was extremely organized, focused and hardworking from very early years of his life and had great self-confidence. These qualities he carried throughout his life. His voracious reading habit made him magnificent orator and he pursued ids passions despite his financial difficulties. His memorable work in KesavanandaBharati’s saving democracy in India will be remembered forever. He is an inspiration to any person pursuing law as a career.
9. Can you give me a novel Judgment of Supreme Court and how it has transformed the society?
There are plethora of Judgments which transformed the society in different aspects of life at different timeline. But one Judgment that remains rock solid even after several decades and opens up for discussion is the landmark case, Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala where the decision of the Supreme Court of India saved democracy and outlined ‘basic structure doctrine’ which holds that the essential principles of the Constitution are immune from amendments by Parliament. The hard work and scholarship employed in preparation was breathtaking. Nani Palkhivala assisted by Fali Nariman presented the case. Arguments were heard for 68 days by largest ever constitution bench of 13 judges. The purpose of democracy is to ensure that entire society has voice in decision making which work for the benefit of the society and in the absence of democracy, people will be shut out of the decision making process by destruction of human freedoms. Therefore democracy creates the best conditions possible for broadly improving the standard of living and creates a stable government that is supported by majority of society which the people of India are gifted by the above Judgment.
10. Can you identify Advocacy skills?
There is no royal way to success. To be a successful lawyer possessing, acquiring and developing some skills are necessary. To accomplish that he should be a person ready to work with dedication and perseverance. An Advocate should be a person with extraordinary power of observing, imbibing and making logical analysis of the things happening around him. in addition to inquisitive nature and giving attention to minute details, he must have the ability to solve the legal problem. For that he should develop constant reading habits updating himself with new legal topics. It should be coupled with emotional intelligence to provide empathy to the clients to make them trust their lawyer. And he also should know how to mane time. The oratory skills with command over the language to express efficiently will make him an outstanding legal professional.
11. Why did you choose teaching profession?
Teaching profession is a noble profession which gives me self-satisfaction and comparatively lease susceptible to corruption or commercialization. This is one of the best professions which suit the vision and mission in my life.
12. What is your vision and mission in life?
Acquiring knowledge especially in the field of Law and imparting it to as many people as possible who are in need of its benefits.