By IDIA Odisha Chapter
Choosing a career in law is exciting, but it can also be confusing. Law school opens the door to a wide range of opportunities, from litigation and corporate law to judicial services, policy research, in-house counsel roles, higher education and legislative work. Yet, for many students, understanding what these careers actually look like and how to prepare for them remains a challenge.
Recognising this gap, the IDIA Odisha Chapter is organising Navigating Law: National Legal Careers Bootcamp on 26th and 27th September 2026. The two-day online bootcamp aims to give law students practical and candid insights into different legal career pathways by bringing together practitioners, alumni and professionals working across diverse areas of law.
About IDIA Odisha
Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (“IDIA”) is a nationwide movement that was founded in 2010 by Dr Shamnad Basheer, an NLS graduate and philanthropist, with the vision of empowering underprivileged and marginalised communities in India by transforming students from these backgrounds into world-class lawyers and community leaders. Since the beginning, the IDIA Odisha team, operating out of National Law University Odisha has been determined and has worked towards uplifting the next generation of lawyers through sensitisation programmes, mentorship, etc. Our fundraising team plays a pivotal role in making all this possible by tirelessly organising engaging events and competitions in order to raise funds for the continued development of our scholars.
In the past, we have successfully conducted two editions of an Article Writing Competition in collaboration with Nishith Desai Associates and Chandhiok and Mahajan, and we have also partnered with law firms such as Prakant Law Offices and KSK to organise fundraising events. Through these efforts, we remain dedicated to our goal of providing opportunities and resources to deserving law students across the country.
About the Bootcamp
The bootcamp is rooted in the larger vision of IDIA. The National Legal Careers Bootcamp extends this idea of accessibility beyond legal education itself. A student may enter law school with a general idea of becoming a lawyer, but knowing which kind of lawyer they want to become, what the day-to-day work involves, how recruitment works, and what skills they should develop often comes much later.
For students who do not come from legal families or lack access to professional networks, this information can be particularly difficult to find. The bootcamp seeks to bridge that gap by bringing professionals directly to students and allowing them to learn from real experiences rather than relying solely on hearsay or fragmented online information.
A Look at the Careers Covered
The two-day programme has been structured to expose students to a broad range of legal and law-adjacent careers.
The first day, 26 September 2026, will focus on four pathways:
-
Research & Policy with Mandar Prakhar, Research Fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
-
Corporate Law: Private Equity and M&A with Srilagna Dash, Associate at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
-
General Corporate with Suvanwesh Das, Associate at Argus Partners
-
Judiciary/Administrative Services with Shrabani Acharya, former civil judge and Odisha Public Service Commission professional
The second day, 27 September 2026, will explore four more career options:
-
In-house Counsel with Dikshya Debipiya Panda, Deputy Manager (Law) at IREDA
-
Litigation with Ritesh Patnaik, Advocate at the Supreme Court of India
-
LLM/Higher Education with Mohit Chand, LLM Candidate in International Law at the University of Edinburgh
-
LAMP Fellowship with Madhulikha Tripathy, Associate in Public Policy at Quantum Hub.
How to Register
Students interested in attending the Navigating Law: National Legal Careers Bootcamp can register through the official registration form.
For any queries regarding registration or the bootcamp, participants may write to idiaodisha@nluo.ac.in.
When and How to Attend
The bootcamp will be conducted online in English, with sessions scheduled from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM on both days. It is open to students for a registration fee of ₹499, while the early-bird fee is ₹350. IDIA Scholars and Trainees can attend free of cost. All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation issued by IDIA Odisha.
Registrations opened on 11th September 2026. The early-bird registration deadline is 20th September, while final registrations close on 25th September 2026. The bootcamp will commence on 26 September and conclude on 27 September.
Why Conversations Like These Matter
Law school is often described as a journey of discovering what kind of lawyer one wants to become. But that discovery becomes much easier when students have access to people who have actually walked those paths.
A corporate lawyer, a litigator, a policy researcher, a judge, in-house counsel, and someone pursuing higher education may all have the same law degree, yet their professional lives can look completely different. Understanding these differences early can help students make more informed choices about how they spend their years in law school.
That is the larger idea behind Navigating Law. It is not about telling students which career to choose. Instead, it is about giving them enough information and exposure to begin making that choice for themselves.
For many students, the most valuable takeaway from a career session may not be a particular job opportunity. It may simply be the realisation that a career they had never considered is actually an option.
And sometimes, knowing that an option exists is the first step towards pursuing it.
With Navigating Law: National Legal Careers Bootcamp, the IDIA Odisha Chapter hopes to make that first step a little easier, more informed, and more accessible for law students across the country.
