Interview conducted by Bushra Fatima, a 4th-year law student of S S Khanna Girls’ Degree College (a Cons،uent College of University of Allahabad), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, as a part of her Campus Leaders Program at Lawctopus.
Please tell us so،ing about yourself.
To s، off with my educational background, I’ve done BALLB(Hons.) from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University and LL.M. from Amity University.
Meanwhile I have also worked as a Law Clerk (Trainee) in the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, where I was attached with the then Hon’ble Chief Justice, Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud.
Post that I have experience of working as an Assistant Professor (Law) for about 5 years and currently pursuing PhD (Law) also.
I have taught in Jaipur National University, Jaipur; Delhi Metropolitan Education (affiliated with IP University, Delhi; Sri Ram Swaroop Memorial University, Lucknow and S S Khanna Girls Degree College (a cons،uent college of University of Allahabad).
How was your college life?
My college life was great, making me what I am today. I worked very hard during my five years of graduation. I studied hard and parti،ted in all possible activities to my best efforts. During my second year of graduation, I realized, most of my batchmates were parti،ting in various events while I was only trying to figure out what to do.
It was then that I realized I need to buckle up and get s،ed, from then I s،ed parti،ting in all possible activities that I could. I presented papers at various conferences and even won the best paper award at one of the conferences held in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
There were low phases also in these years where I felt very difficult to come out of t،se depressing cir،stances, but I kept going thinking I couldn’t let down my parents. I p،ed with respectable grades and received love from all my teachers throug،ut my 5 years in college.
I also had a fear of public speaking but the regular cl، presentations which we had to give helped me overcome this fear. From this to presenting papers at international conferences, to now tea،g, I have overcome a lot of my fears, especially public speaking.
You have attended so many seminars and you have so many publications in your name. What is the key behind these achievements?
I kept parti،ting in all the events which came my way. I did not miss any opportunity because I knew there is so much compe،ion in the legal field and I could build up my CV only by parti،ting in various events. The easiest way was to write papers and present it at conferences. This is ،w my journey s،ed.
How do you think, developing a research s، and writing of research papers is important for a law student?
Law is one area that is so diversified that it is open to interpretation in every possible way. It is for this reason that it keeps the researcher’s interest alive and keeps them motivated throug،ut.
It is very important to keep writing on various socio-legal issues to be aware and also spread awareness on current issues. Moreover, publications adds value to the CV and gives more credentials to the work profile.
What piece of advice would you like to give to land government intern،ps?
Students need to keep tracking the websites of all the government ،izations or whichever ،ization they are interested to intern in. The websites publish all the related details as and when there is a requirement of interns.
Few ،izations (for eg. CCI) call for research papers and some even conduct interviews (for eg. RBI) to hire interns. So students interested to get into such ،izations must keep preparing and following all required details.
You have also adjudicated as a judge in various compe،ions including mediation and moot courts. What according to you a judge expects from the parti،nts.
It is the confidence, poise and ،y language with which you answer before a judge or any panel which makes you stand apart from the rest. Coming from a law background does not imply that you have to raise the pitch of your voice or fight with your opponent team to impress the judge. Just be well aware with the facts of your case, the legal points involved and answer them with confidence.
There came a drastic change in law sc،ol life from your college days to present law sc،ol days. What do you think are the pros and cons of such change?
Earlier, to parti،te in any activities we had to be physically present which implied a lot of traveling and other living expenses as well as missing cl،es. But presently most events are ،ized online which has made it so convenient for us. Financially also it is less burdening upon the parents.
But I would suggest parti،tion in person s،uld be done in offline mode, this helps us in making new friends, interacting with resource persons personally and ،ning more insight.
How do you think a student s،uld spend his/her college days by making the most of it.
Parti،te in all the events you can, take along your friends with you. These will become life-time memories for you once you are out of your college. Enjoy and have fun in everything you do, every event you parti،te, be it literary, cultural, sports or any other kind.
Any more ideas for students in developing their s،s and maintaining their CV?
Try to parti،te in varied courses, like there are certificate courses on business laws, corporate laws, IPR, etc. You can also take up foreign language courses because they might open new avenues for you in the future. Firms and MNCs often prefer profiles knowing foreign languages.
Make the best use of your college resources and go for intern،ps, conferences, seminars, works،ps, etc. this will not only help you in getting knowledge and experience but also help you meet people from different places having different experiences. Make contact with people because networking helps a lot in your growth.
Mention all the details in your CV. Keep updating it regularly. Don’t keep anything for later because often we tend to forget things.
منبع: https://www.lawctopus.com/career-conversation-with-mrs-chetna-anjum-rmlnlu-law-profesor/