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Ms Tavleen Kaur Sabharwal is a person who believes working together towards a goal makes you more affirmative and successful towards it.
“Some have goals while some have a conscience, whenever both come together, that’s when a lawyer is born.”
She was born in Haryana and completed her pre-university (PU) at Sacred Heart Convent School in Yamuna Nagar. Currently, she is in her fourth year of BA. LL.B at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun.
During her legal studies, she interned with various courts and firms, absorbing a plethora of knowledge and skills on the way. Right now she holds the position of News Writer Head at JUSTVOCATES LAW JOURNAL & Convener at the Youth Parliament Association and is a legal intern at the Airport Authority of India.
Q) What are the benefits one should get academically after pursuing LL.M curriculum?
The law is always changing, evolving and updating to keep up with rapid social and technological development. So, what I believe and learned is that you can gain a better perspective on the industry that you are interested in by opting for an LL.M course, but having said that, how much is its value for a practising professional is a million-dollar question.
For a practising lawyer, the benefits of opting for an LL.M curriculum are enormous, like network building, because having a good network is the bread and butter for a lawyer and fine-tuning of research skills is always needed for an advocate irrespective of the specialization area in which he/she is practising.
Another obvious reason is that, if the institution is one of the higher rankings, then the degree held is of more value as it gives a boost to your reputation and recognition, which is always beneficial in various endeavours.
And as I said earlier, law is evolving along with the changes in society and studying LL.M after your LL.B graduation puts you at the front line of the change and helps you adapt much faster. In today’s time, I believe just having an LL.B graduation won’t cut it.
You need to push yourself furthermore and adapt to the changes ultimately. Therefore, having an LL.M degree goes a long way in making the road easier and rewarding.
Q) Will it make any significant difference for the one going into the law field after obtaining LL.B and one after pursuing LL.M?
First, let me explain the difference between LL.B and LL.M degrees because when I started in my first year at LL.B curriculum, there were a lot of students who didn’t even know what LL.B and LL.M stood for, let alone the difference. So, LL.B is the undergraduate degree in law that goes through all the basics, and LL.M is a post-graduation degree in law which is done after LL.B curriculum and focuses more on two or three specialized areas of law.
In India, most universities provide a two-year LL.M curriculum while some offer one year, whereas the LL.B course is either five years directly after pre-university (PU), or a three-year one after obtaining an undergraduate degree.
Most students after pursuing LL.B don’t feel like going for another two years of master’s curriculum after going through a five-year course. They feel like they won’t gain anything special considering the time they have to put in to obtain the degree. However, this cannot be further from the truth, as in today’s era, having a postgraduate degree is always rewarding as it boosts your resume and gives you an edge over others when searching for jobs.
Furthermore, the knowledge gained from the LL.M curriculum is focused on the specialization that you choose and it cannot be compared to the same you get from a diversified syllabus of the LL.B course. It’s more professional and thus is an apt place for harvesting a network.
Q) Does pursuit of an LL.M degree require an investment of money and time?
Regardless of why you pursue one, LL.Ms can open doors and create new opportunities for professional success. Hence, any specialized course requires an investment of both money and time. You need to be very patient while pursuing an LL.M degree.
There is a huge difference between doing LL.M or LL.B curriculum in a country like India and in abroad. It does require investments of time and money along with patience.
However, if you are pursuing an LL.M, you should be very clear about why you are doing so and what your goals are. Due to fierce competition in the legal job market, law firms are taking drastic measures to raise their profiles. Holding a certificate from a top-tier law school and passing the bar appears to be insufficient for law graduates to land a position in a respectable legal firm.
Law students nearing the end of their studies or ready to specialize should definitely consider pursuing a Master of Laws degree (LL.M).
Q) Should students do LL.M from India or abroad?
There is no requisite rule that from where LL.M should be pursued. It totally depends on an individual’s priorities and interests of where he/she wants to pursue law. Neither special preference nor a prestigious reputation is given to a student pursuing an LL.M from abroad.
- It’s just that the great majority of Indian law schools do not promote critical thinking or independent reading. Law schools in other nations encourage students to think critically and do independent reading. The majority of Indian law schools try not to put a high value on plagiarism in law students’ distributions.
- Producing unique work is critical at a foreign university because your coursework is scrutinized for plagiarism. Your marks, assessments, and the way you’ll be analyzed will depend on the original thinking and original work given to them. This reflects the quality of legal education systems in other countries.
- You will also learn about the laws of the country in which you are studying. This will help you in the future if you work for a big law firm which has branches in various countries. Law specialization courses available at international law schools far outnumber those available at Indian law schools.
- Most international colleges provide a one-year LL.M program as opposed to a two-year program in India. Law schools in the United States and the United Kingdom have a worldwide reputation for excellence. If you have a legal degree from an American or British law school, you will be able to practice law almost in every country.
- Most legal degree programs abroad allow students to take part in a legal clinic. In these legal clinics, students are placed in real-life situations and are asked to handle the problems of their clients. This type of experience is extremely beneficial to a law student’s upcoming career.
- Studying law in a foreign country ensures student diversity; you get to connect with people from many countries, which improves your communication skills.
- You can also study something other than law, which is unheard of in India.
But, as every rose has its thorns too if you want to practice and educate in India and study Indian laws, it is better not to study overseas since foreign laws will confuse you. It is very expensive to study law at a foreign law school abroad. You will bear the costs of the loan; there will be a burden of the loan. But, you may be fortunate enough to receive a scholarship.
In a foreign nation, you have the opportunity to study with renowned teachers, but those academics are not always available when you have questions. The best thing is that Indian professors are within your reach most of the time. So, there are both assets and liabilities. It is totally your choice to choose between an Indian university or a university abroad. The choice should depend on the priority of options, also on the fee structure which you think you’ll be able to afford, and lastly, on what goals and motives you have in mind after pursuing an LL.M degree.
Q) What is the additional profit one gains after taking their degree from abroad?
As I told you earlier, you do get to learn plenty of skills which you don’t get here in India.
- Improve your language skills: By studying abroad, the very first benefit you get is that you’ll have the opportunity to improve your language skills. While studying a language subject in class is rewarding or normal, applying it to the real world is an entirely different experience and that needs practice too. You’ll likely learn the language faster because you’re practising it regularly. You’ll also be able to pick up the conversational language which you may not study in class, enabling you to speak like a local.
- Experience a different style of teaching: Each country has its own teaching approach or unique style of teaching. The first example of this is that in India we believe in traditional first and then practical, but vice versa happens abroad. Studying abroad can help you broaden your academic horizons and acquire the ability to adapt to different educational environments. Adapting to various teaching techniques can also help you adjust to various management styles, making you more versatile in the workplace. No matter how complex they might be, you’ll find them easy to adapt to.
- Enhance your network: Studying abroad allows you to form essential bonds with people from all around the world. You increase your international contacts while meeting folks who could become lifelong pals. From them, we get to learn different qualities, different perspectives, and different cultural values. Some contacts can even lead to job possibilities, internships, and business partners, and social opportunities.
- Learn about new cultures and perspectives: Your exposure to another culture allows you to broaden your perspective on the world. You will gain cross-cultural awareness and learn about various viewpoints or ideologies by studying overseas. In your next career queue, for example, you may collaborate with people from other countries. By studying abroad, you will get along with people of different cultures. Often, our cultural background has a significant impact on how we react to various situations. Having a diversity of perspectives can help you see experiences in a whole new light. You’ll meet people of different origins, which will help you learn about new cultures.
- Discover career opportunities abroad: Depending on your topic of study, studying in a different country opens up new job prospects or career opportunities.
Miss Tavleen Kaur Sabharwal believes that having an aim and working over it daily gives you better motivation. She is someone who has the ability to speak her mind and who believes that your courage, determination, compassion, relentless adherence, skill, and professionalism will allow you to get through anything.
If you have any questions for her or regarding LL.M, you may comment them down below and Lawocals will get back to you.
