Siddharth Raja completed his undergraduate BA LLB (Hons.) degree from the prestigious National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and went on to pursue a postgraduate LLM degree (with a specialisation in International Economic Law) from the University of Warwick Law School in the United Kingdom. He was a gold medalist at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore and a recipient of the prestigious J.N. Tata Scholarship and the British Chevening Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Scholarship. He had previously worked at a leading international law firm in Hong Kong and has also been associated with (apart from having founded) several top law firms in India, specialising in corporate and commercial laws. Over the years, he has contributed to the academic sector, delivering lectures and courses as a visiting faculty at leading institutions, including his alma mater, NLSIU, as well as at the Jindal Global Law School, BML Munjal University Law School, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) Hyderabad, National Law Institute University (NLIU) Bhopal, and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Currently, he is a Senior Partner at the Vertices Partners1.
Q. 1 How did you decide to choose law as a career, and what was your motivation behind the same?
A. 1 Around 32 years ago, when I first decided to enroll in law school, law as a career was considered a last resort. It was widely believed that job opportunities in the legal field were scarce or were often regarded as second-rate opportunities only if one failed to become an Engineer or a Doctor. At the same time, the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, had just been established. NLSIU Bangalore was full of new and exciting experiences and possibilities, and its unique curriculum, along with a dedicated faculty, quickly built its credibility. The idea of studying law there felt both exciting and promising. Once I joined, I had the chance to explore new and growing areas like commercial and corporate law. The Indian economy was undergoing a major (indeed, paradigm) shift with the famous liberalisation program launched in 1991 dismantling the socialist or command economy and introducing elements of capitalism. A liberalised economy opened up opportunities in corporate law that had not existed before. This gave rise to a fresh wave of possibilities. Looking back, I may have entered law school by accident, but I left with confidence and a clear intent to make my mark in the legal field.
Q. 2 How was your experience at NLSIU Bangalore, and how was it different from your curriculum at the University of Warwick? What major differences do you observe in the Indian law schools, as opposed to their foreign counterparts?
A. 2 I had a phenomenal experience at NLSIU Bangalore. I entered the institution in its fifth year since establishment, and the first convocation was conducted in our presence (in 1993). The potential of the institution created huge excitement among the students. There were many critics who said that the five-year course introduced by NLSIU Bangalore would not work in the Indian setting. However, everyone, from the Director, Prof. (Dr) Madhava Menon to the faculty members and students, was driven to create a change in the Indian legal education system. The interdisciplinary approach undertaken was novel and intriguing. The classes were interesting; in fact, at times, three professors would teach a single subject, engaging in debates by taking differing stances. NLSIU Bangalore at that time also provided us with a plethora of opportunities in terms of co-curricular activities, such as moot court competitions, debates, and law conferences. Every day at the law school was a fresh and new experience and brought new opportunities for the students. NLSIU Bangalore provided me with the opportunity to interact and connect with a great bunch of professors, seniors and classmates from across the country. Even if given the chance, I would not want to swap my time at NLSIU Bangalore for anything else.
Immediately after completing my undergraduate law course, I went to the University of Warwick to pursue an LLM. In my batch, there were people from around twenty nationalities, and interacting with them significantly broadened my worldview. The LLM course was interesting, but in terms of content, it was fairly easy, and I had already covered a majority of it during my BA LLB course at NLSIU Bangalore. This gave me time to interact with people around me and explore other things. I often travelled to London and visited the libraries of major universities there, including Oxford and Cambridge. This was the era before mobile phones and the internet, and libraries were the primary source of information. These visits helped me delve deeper into legal subjects.
The major difference I noticed between the curriculum at NLSIU Bangalore and the University of Warwick was the teaching methodology. While NLSIU focused largely on a research-based approach, the University of Warwick relied more on lectures. During my LLM, I had to go back everyday after classes and read up in order to prepare for the next lecture.
Q. 3 As someone who has completed their LLM from one of the most prestigious law schools in the world, what advice would you like to give to law students aspiring to pursue postgraduate (PG) courses abroad?
A. 3 In order to choose an appropriate institution for an LLM course, students must analyse the pedigree and calibre of the institution. Another important criterion to consider is the institution’s alumni base. A strong alumni network provides access to a large and successful community, allowing students to build valuable connections. These factors play a crucial role in giving one’s career a significant boost. It must be kept in mind that an institution is defined by its people and human learning abilities and capabilities, rather than by the brick and mortar of its physical infrastructure.
Another point students should remember is that a master’s course is not an end in itself but merely a means to an end. Before choosing an LLM, students should be clear about their career goals, or outlook or at the very least, the perceptions of what they wish to do or become, as the course should match their aspirations.
Q. 4 You have worked in Indian as well as foreign law firms, what are some of the differences that you noticed in the working style and the workload between the two?
A. 4 Before I answer this question, I would like to add a caveat that my response may be somewhat dated, as it has been around 25 years since I worked at a law firm in Hong Kong. At that time, Indian firms were still in their nascent stage, and the level of professionalism I was exposed to in Hong Kong was significantly higher. However, Indian firms have since evolved with time and are now (in many respects) at par with their foreign counterparts.
That being said, foreign firms still have an advantage in terms of the depth of experience they have accumulated over the years and the diverse cultures they are exposed to through offices across different continents. However, Indian firms are quickly catching up. The culture of a firm is not solely shaped by its presence in multiple countries but also by its people and their actions. A firm in India can have a toxic work environment, just as one abroad can, and this varies from firm to firm. That being said, I believe Indian and foreign law firms are now operating at a similar level. And dealing with India, Indians, and Indian businesses is the new global opportunity for lawyers from across the globe to hone their skills, expertise and experience.
Q. 5 As a professional who has continuously contributed towards the academia, how do you think thelaw schools in India can improve the practical knowledge they inculcate in their students?
A. 5 To improve the practical knowledge of law students, law schools and practitioners, including law firms, must interact more. For a long time, law firms and law schools in this country operated in parallel, with their respective paths oftentimes not crossing. However, this is changing as the corporate world increasingly recognises the value of law schools in shaping young professionals. Law firms should actively engage with law schools for support and collaboration. They must work towards enriching the knowledge imparted to students. However, this should not be viewed as a hierarchical relationship but as a symbiotic partnership between equals. These collaborations will not only benefit law schools but also practitioners. Engaging with law professors will help lawyers refine their understanding and stay informed about evolving legal principles.
At the same time, when a law firm collaborates with a law school, it does not mean students are obligated to enter the corporate world. Any contribution a student makes after joining the profession strengthens the legal field and benefits both practitioners and academicians. A strong partnership between law firms and law schools has the potential to drive transformational change. Together, they can explore emerging legal issues and contribute to the development of regulatory frameworks in nascent fields. For instance, they could collaborate to build regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI), ultimately shaping policies that serves the legal community and society at large. Such a collaborative approach could be a game changer, with limitless possibilities.
Q. 6 What are your views on mental health, and what importance does it hold in a successful legal career?
A. 6 Law students and young lawyers nowadays are under immense pressure. This is a result of the function of the world we live in. Owing to peer pressure, social media and a deluge of information we are subjected to, it has become extremely difficult to take out time for oneself. If I may say so, people no longer have the ability to listen to the sound of silence, and when I say this, I do not mean just the physical silence, but also calmness of the mind. An exorbitant and continuous pressure makes it practically impossible for them to switch themselves off for some time and recover their mental health. A constant pressure results in these young lawyers and students taking recourse to intoxicants, which deteriorates not just their mental but also their physical health. It is a common phenomenon these days for lawyers to join a firm or an organisation and to eventually leave not just that organisation but also to quit the profession after a period of a mere four to five years; while they still have decades to offer to the legal profession howsoever defined. This means that the world loses an impeccable lawyer forever, and it is a matter of pity. I completely sympathise with these youngsters, because while I have myself faced the pressure of corporate world but in our times, we never had this kind of “noise” constantly in our minds.
This kind of pressure and its impact upon the mental health of law students and lawyers is an important issue today, and this needs to be tackled via a collaborative approach between the law schools and the corporations. Law schools must attempt to understand these issues and in doing so, they need to climb down from their position and truly engage with students. There is a requirement to “speak with” the students as opposed to “speaking to” them. There is a requirement to ask the students about their fears and troubles, and in doing so, the approach should not merely be to solve the problem, but to simply understand the same and to provide them with support and confidence. It is fine at times to not have an answer to the problem, but an attempt to understand the same is crucial. A similar attempt is required in the law firms. In firms and organisations, psychologists are the only ones who make an attempt to talk to these law firms. However, seniors should create a safe space and should try to talk to the junior lawyers, and in doing so, an empathetic approach is required, as opposed to a top-down one.
I have pursued my schooling from a Jesuit school, and I remember that the priests in our school created an empathetic bond with each and every student. This requires building a trust, which does not take place overnight. Some of my classmates in the school, till this day, feel more comfortable confiding in the priests (or fathers) at our school as opposed to their own fathers. This is not the only example of such a level of trust, in fact, the system of gurukul in ancient India was built on a similar relationship between the guru and the disciple. Similar attempts must be made by professors in law schools, and seniors in law firms and corporations.
Q. 7 You are currently working on a book with EBC Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Could you tell us more about it?
A. 7 Actually, the book is now complete and finally, after years in the making, in print. My co-editors (who did most of the heavy lifting on the revision work) and I have spent years revamping and revising the book Company Law by Avtar Singh. This book is the only real treatise on Indian company law, a commentary on the principles of Indian company law rather than a section-by-section analysis and has had around 18 prior editions. The last edition was released around five to seven years ago, which is why a revision is necessary. Our goal is to provide a high-quality textbook which can be referred to by law students as well as by practitioners. The book has never had an introduction since its first edition, and I am responsible for writing it this time. This was the most challenging part, as it requires culling out relevant parts from the entire book and providing meaningful commentary on them. We are eagerly looking forward to the official launch of this book’s latest edition. I cannot thank my co-editors, Dharmendra Chatur and Saranya Mishra, and the excellent team at EBC, more.
Q. 8 You hold significant experience in legal writing. What is the most important tip that you would like to give to young law students and lawyers aspiring to write research papers or legal books?
A. 8 In order to write a good legal piece, one needs a well-defined research question, a clear understanding of the issues at hand, and a thorough analysis. The research questions should be answered in a coherent and logical manner. While the answers may not always be exhaustive and might even raise further questions, clarity and brevity remain key. Additionally, jargon of all kinds should be avoided, and the piece should be written in simple, comprehensible language. The conventional rule of “IRAC”, or the “issue-rule-analysis-conclusion” should be followed. Despite some contrary views, this rule is equally relevant in academia.
Q. 9 With significant experience in diverse areas, how do you view the role of legal research engines such as SCC OnLine in facilitating legal research?
A. 9 The role played by legal research engines such as SCC OnLine is crucial. In the present times, where there is a huge quantum of information available, these research engines allow lawyers to sit at their desks and access material from across the globe. They facilitate lawyers in going to the depth of legal analysis with respect to their matters and issues. However, we hope that these research engines will soon adapt to the changing world and will make themselves AI-enabled in order to provide “answer maximisation”.
This being said, there is always a risk of an oversupply of information, and it is the duty of the researcher to cull out relevant material and separate the wheat from the chaff.
Q. 10 Among others, our readers comprise law students and law aspirants, aiming to start a career in the legal field. What is a piece of advice you would like to give to them?
A. 10 One simple advice that I would like to give to these youngsters is to be curious and to learn and imbibe key foundational principles of law, everyday, each day of their lives. In order to be a good cardiologist, one first needs to be a good doctor. Similarly, in law, no amount of specialisation can substitute a strong core, which young students should aim to develop. Therefore, an ever-present keenness to learn and a continuing and invigorated focus on fundamentals (or doctrinal principles) are the key to success.
1. A pan-India, boutique law firm. Mr. Raja is currently based in Bangalore.
