The anatomy of Tilak Marg.
Lessons learnt during my first month as a litigator.
The first time I walked those corridors, I was beyond awestruck. As an overenthusiastic opinion-giver in Law School, I would spend hours on the internet, watching articulate speeches delivered by famous lawyers so that I could deliver my own ideas with better clarity. And now here I was, abound with the likes of Mr. Harish Salve, Mr. K.K. Venugopal, and the legend Mr. Soli Sorabjee himself, as his pedigree.
They would mostly be running from one court to the next, robes suspended mid air and a trail of junior lawyers cantering behind them, trying to keep up.
Lesson 1: You have to be fit to be a successful lawyer the the Supreme Court. Long hours, lots of running between court rooms, locations, meetings, and access to lots of good food. You are GOING to get out of shape, whatever that shape may be!
When I wasn’t buried in files or assisting my seniors, I would chase these legends down to their destination court, just to watch them in action. It was always worth it. The thrill of witnessing an intellectual exchange between people who know what they’re talking about, on topics that directly impacted people. It is rare and I had access to it!
Lesson 2: I spent a lot of time critiquing people in power, because I assumed that they don’t have the intellectual bandwidth (read: hard left opinions) or the will to do good. I soon understood the difference between simply having a loud voice, and having a reasonable approach that is required to actually resolve an issue. During the course of my practice, the most effective arguments I made were done with the help of good research which allowed me to be calm and consistent in my delivery.
I spent the first few months learning the ropes from my amazing seniors (my greatest teachers of law and life), making notes, buried under piles of files and basically feeding my OCD with over cataloging, strategizing, researching, filing and highlighting documents. (Smiling as I write this!) About a month into this regime, the bosses decided it was time to throw me in the deep end and gave me my first brief to argue.
I was to appear before the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, and ask for a small relief in a criminal matter. A few minutes before my matter was called out, as I waited in the aisle, I looked around me. Behind me, both my seniors calming my nerves, pruning my feathers, and around me — the who’s who of the legal fraternity. Great. If I make a boo-boo now, everyone who matters in my profession is going to know. I felt that familiar whirlpool in my stomach. I have always suffered from paralyzing stage fright and blacked out multiple times before getting up on stage. (Yep, I chose to be a litigator!)
I looked at my brief one last time, went through my notes and the documents and gave myself the following ultimatum- Shreya.. don’t you dare black out or fumble or be squeaky! By now, both Bansuri and Siddhesh were a few meters behind me, thumbs up in the air and wide grins on their faces, waiting eagerly to witness my debut.
Lesson 3: Having a strong cheerleader around you can really help you transform yourself and perform beyond your own expectations. Which is why it is absolutely important to have a good boss rather than a good organisation/title/salary. Of course those things help but nothing can be more dampening for an enthusiastic novice than a bad first boss. Find someone who is invested in your growth and encourages you to match your potential.
Three deeps breaths and my case is called out. I was surprised at the sudden wave of confidence and calmness that came over me, as I approached the dais.
Lesson 4: I trust myself to handle shit when the time comes to deliver. The anxiety leading up to that point only drives me to prepare myself and fine tune my approach in delivery, legal research and courtroom etiquette.
To my left was Mr. Harish Salve in flesh and bones, waiting for his matter and to my right, Mr. Shyam Divan, an outstanding counsel with a voice that can literally soothe you to sleep. (Speaking from experience- sleep deprived me conked off during a briefing with him!) This was either going to be the best debut a novice litigator could ask for, or I am going to get a knot in my stomach every time I think about this day.
Thankfully, the hearing went well, and as I was wrapping up, I smiled at the judges for being kind to me during the hearing, bowed in respect to the caretaker of India’s judiciary, and looked to my left and right, acknowledging the presence of the legends beside me.
Lesson 5: This one has been my greatest lesson in these corridors. Acknowledge the experience and respect it. It doesn’t hurt anyone and it makes you amenable to better opportunities as a learner.
Needless to say, we ended up celebrating my first successful day in a courtroom by eating copious amounts of good food!
