Law Vacation Scheme - Statement of Purpose

I am interested in pursuing a career in international commercial law because it is a unique avenue to combine my passion for client service, business acumen, and international outlook with my interest in law and justice itself.

Having worked for a premier consulting firm, I have fostered strong business acumen by working in different industry and functional practice areas. As a former business consultant with on-going coursework in finance including private equity and investments, I am particularly interested in the international finance and corporate laws that govern contracts and exchanges between organizations.

At the same time, having been a former student of international relations including history and politics, and a former intern at the United Nations Economic and Social Division, I am keenly interested in the litigation and arbitration, and public international law practices. Together, my experiences have shaped my interest in delivery of mutually beneficial and legitimate solutions to disputes between nation-states. I find this practice area particularly appealing because judgments determine large-scale impact on entire populations.

Last but not the least, I have a personal affinity towards law since several members of my family are civil servants and lawyers. I look favorably towards law as a means to organize relationships and exchanges between individuals, organizations and nation-states.

The vacation scheme would offer me a rewarding and challenging opportunity to experience first-hand the life of a lawyer – and provide me with a context to test my problem solving, communication and teaming abilities and skills. The scheme offers a unique opportunity for me to validate my assumptions about my suitability for law as a career as well as my future employer

The recent renewal of interest in opening up of the Indian legal market is a commercial issue that has caught my attention. Both Indian media as well as British media including The Lawyer and The Law Society Gazette have reported on the matter.  As an aspiring international commercial lawyer of Indian origin, this issue has interested me for professional reasons.

Until now, foreign law firms have faced regulatory barriers in setting up operations in India. As a result, Indian businesses seeking legal advice on matters of international commercial law have either consulted Indian law firms or borne high transaction costs and consulted law firms in London. With increasing globalization of business, demand from Indian businesses for such legal services will increase exponentially in the near future. Equally, demand for legal advice from foreign businesses looking to invest in India is also on the rise.