The Litigator

The traditional career path for a lawyer, is to "go into practice", or join the chambers of a senior
advocate as his junior. The traditional image of a lawyer is based on this career option. Regarded by
many as the true calling of a lawyer, this option involves arguing in court on a daily basis, and applying
your mind to a plethora of different issues in order to win the case for your client. There is, of course,
scope for specialisation even in this field - some lawyers practice criminal law, some company law and at
a later stage, even constitutional law. A legal practice is much the same as a medical practice - if one
serves the needs of clients well, they will return and refer others to you, and one's reputation will grow,
so that even more clients are attracted to you. Typically, a junior works with a senior to gain experience,
until he is proficient in the profession. After that, one stays a junior, more or less permanently, or, as the
more successful ones do, one can either inherit one's senior's practice when he retires, or split away to
establish one's own practice.

Pros and Cons

This career option promises the greatest challenges, and the greatest rewards. The most famous lawyers
in the country have all followed this career path - K.K. Venugopal, Fali Nariman, and Soli Sorabjee to
name a few. Successful practicing advocates make by far the most money in the legal profession. The
top lawyers in the country charge Rs.50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh per appearance, in court, and appearances
may often last for just a few minutes. Similar fees are charged for rendering a legal opinion on a case.
The advocate's juniors usually do most of the research and drafting work, and the senior formulates
opinions and arguments. Since each appearance usually does not last very long, advocates can make a
number of appearances for a quite a few different clients in each day. Naturally, one has to weigh this
against much lesser pay (anything between Rs.2,000/- to Rs.8,000/- per month) in the early years. Law
school is a great place to start laying the foundation stones of a successful practice, since you can make
contacts and choose the right lawyers to work under here. Despite the fact that the amount that juniors
are paid by their senior advocates is quite paltry, graduates from prestigious law schools often fare
better in terms of the amount that senior advocates are willing to pay