Interview of Sofia Dash conducted by Tanvi Suri, a student of Jindal Global Law School, where Sofia talks about reputed publications, mooting and internships in law school.
Name of the Student
Sofia Dash
Interviewer
Tanvi Suri
Full name of your college
Jindal Global Law School
Year of Study
3rd year
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Sofia Dash. I am currently in my 3rd year of the 5 year BA LLB (Hons.) course at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University. I am a first-generation lawyer. I am currently inclined towards pursuing a career in International Investment law, and am extremely passionate about Public International law. I enjoy reading and mooting. In my free time I like to devote time to my social start-up, Elethia Symposium, which hosts regular legal aid clinics for the lesser privileged communities.
What are the things you think have aided your law school journey?
First and foremost, I believe credit needs to be given to the faculty and resources that Jindal harbors. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to your career and collegiate inclinations in Jindal. I believe that my law school journey was aided by the fact that I had started developing the rigor, demanded by law school, early on itself – in my first semester.
I understood, after networking with some of my brilliant and compassionate seniors, that your grades, internships, publications, moot experiences etc. are extremely crucial to your CV and you must pay heed to your personal development. Since I always enjoyed partaking in Model UNs, I was always intrigued by international relations. Thus, after having tried numerous internships and research projects, the field of public international law truly captivated me.
I earnestly believe that apart from classroom discussions, participating in paper presentations and moot court competitions has really shaped who I am today. Especially my 8-month-long experience in the 32nd Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition transformed the way I research, write and speak, publicly. I aim to hone my skills further in the upcoming Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, 2024.s
You have diverse internship experiences which include Tier 1 law firms like Khaitan & Co. Can you tell us a bit about your internship experiences?
I was working at the One Forbes, Mumbai office with Khaitan & Co. in their Direct Tax and Private Client Practice department. It was an exceptional learning experience since I got the opportunity to work under giants of their field like Aditi Sharma Ma’am.
Khaitan has a buddy/ mentor system where each new intern gets assigned a buddy, mostly a Senior Associate, who is in-charge of your growth, tasks and final presentation. My buddy was extremely accommodating and answered all my questions – formal and informal – regarding the work-life balance of a Khaitan Associate.
My tasks involved working on taxation matters including international taxation cases which involved India’s Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with France and Switzerland, respectively. I also conducted research to sought relevant case laws on matters related to Income Tax Act, 1961 – especially on topics related to taxation of capital gains, excessive delegation, taxation of determinate and indeterminate trust structures, taxation on transfer of brands, offshore transfer of shares etc. I also got the opportunity to draft Trust Deeds, Trustee Resolutions, Will Deeds and Annexures. Furthermore, I got a few opportunities to attend client calls and create a factsheet for my Partner.
Can you tell us a bit about how one can land such internships?
There are various ways in which one can attain a Tier-1 internship – this includes both – the traditional process of sending in your CV and through networking. Ideally, in both cases, it is essential that your CV or resumé showcase your passion, commitment and dedication to the Department you wish to intern in.
When I was talking to the Head of HR at Khaitan, she informed me that the firm gets over a 1000 CVs each day to vet so it becomes essential that your CV is crisp, uses the essential keywords and has the requisite experience. I believe having a good CGPA alongside showcasing research and drafting experience through publications is extremely important.
Tier-1 Firms want to see your work in your desired field of law. In this sense, having past internship experience in other law firms and offices become critical. Additionally, they want to ensure that you are a team player. Thus, any moot court experience, sporting experience etc. which exhibits the skills of a team player are an additional plus point.
You have an excellent record in mooting. One such example being the prestigious Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot court competition you took part in this year and were in one of the only 12 teams to qualify across the continent. Our young learners would love to know more about your experience.
The 32nd Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court (“ManLachs”) experience was life-changing for me. The moot is centered on the subjects of space law and public international law. ManLachs does not have a national round, however it has a memorial qualifier to enter into the Asia Pacific Regional Oral Rounds.
This time, the Regional Rounds were held in Tokyo, Japan in June, 2023. Out of the numerous teams, across the continent, my team was selected as one of the Top 12 Teams to qualify for the Asia Pacific Regional Oral Rounds where we were adjudged as one of the Top 5 Oralists.
ManLachs was an 8-month-long commitment for me which truly transformed me. It made me read rigorously and understand the nuances of different arguments. My drafting of arguments evolved over the period of 8-months wherein I could clearly demarcate the soundness of each argument. I had excellent faculty and student coaches who were by my side the entire duration.
For the oral round, our coaches grilled us to the maximum and I learned the skill of patience. It is essential that one maintains their calm notwithstanding the number and type of questions asked by the judges. I would get easily flustered when spontaneously asked questions before ManLachs, however, post the moot, I have learned to think on my feet and maintain my calm.
The experience in Japan was unreal. The Organizing Committee left no stone unturned in ensuring that we get adequate opportunities to network with the dignitaries from different nations. My team got to experience the rich culture and heritage of Japan and we truly became a family after this experience. I am extremely grateful to my university for this experience and opportunity.
You have quite many publications of your own. Do you think legal writing can benefit law students significantly?
Yes, I do think that legal writing, and academic writing in general, benefits a law student significantly. Law students must engage in publishing papers in their law school not just to add credibility to their legal writing skillset but to also test their application. When you are writing to get published, you are required to write coherently and lucidly. This is different from written examinations where your memory is tested. Academic writing requires you to test the application of your legal knowledge. When you learn a doctrine in class and attempt to apply it to a policy/ code, you understand the nuance of the doctrine, alongside its feasibility.
Furthermore, writing concisely, instead of beating around the bush, is a testament to your skills of briefing documents – which is essential for any law firm. Hence, I do believe that academic writing helps you personally develop in a myriad of ways.
Note: This article was first published on December 28, 20123. We have now revised and update the post.
