The next step is to go through the counseling and seal your seat in your coveted NLU. 

Once you’re done with that, we come to some other pertinent and pressing issues. The first of these is to focus and study hard for your upcoming board exams. YES, please do not let the success of CLAT or AILET get to your head and make you complacent. The board exams are the most important hurdle you need to cross before you head to your dream NLU. 

The next is the issue of sustaining yourself through the rigor of the 5-year law program at a top NLU in India. Undermining the importance of bracing yourself for the stringent schedules can prove detrimental to your survival at the program, let alone doing well there. So, what do you need to be ready for? 

1. Read. Read. And, read some more. Yes. If you think, you’ve read a lot during the preparation for CLAT and that you’re ready for the grueling schedules of NLU, you might be in for a shock. That reading was not even the tip of the iceberg. So, at least continue to read the newspaper every day while you also prepare for your boards. And then, be prepared to burn the midnight oil, reading. Try going through case laws, legal texts, and journal articles even before you join the course finally. 

2. Get ready for sleepless nights for days on end. Preparation for case discussions and moot courts may keep you awake for more days than you may care to think of. Why? Because you may have to go through hundreds of case references to build solid and cogent arguments. 

3. Get rid of presentation fears. A career in law rests heavily on two things - critical reasoning ability and communication skills. Articulating your arguments would be key to your success through the law school and beyond. Be ready for active class participation as that would also be part of your overall grading. 

4. Practice research and writing. So, legal expertise is not just in articulating arguments for presentations but also in drafting legal documents. In the period after your boards and before joining your course, make sure you get some research and writing practice. You can even do a short online course in legal research and writing before you join college. Udemy, Lawctopus, and Henry Harvin are some of the places offering short courses in Legal research and writing. 

5. Competitive environment. If you thought CLAT or AILET were competitive enough, you’d now be studying with the best and most competitive minds of the country, yourself included. Becoming lax is not an option but getting stressed out won’t help either. Make sure to plan your tasks ahead of time so that you’re never lagging or under duress. Also, build healthy habits like eating well and exercising to stay physically and mentally alert. Practising yoga might be a great stress buster. You can also avail of counseling services for dealing with stress as most campuses offer these services. 

6. Internship experience. Law is all about hands-on learning. Classrooms can only teach you so much, but being at an NLU offers you top internship opportunities. Avail them. Look for opportunities from the get go and ensure that you make the most of them once you get them. Mentors at legal firms, companies, or courts are busy people, so to learn from them, follow their schedule and ask questions when you see a window of opportunity. Doing well at internships can be a stepping stone for a bright career ahead. 

7. Growth opportunities. NLUs are great learning centers that collaborate with international universities for conferences, exchange programs, and even internships. Be on the lookout for what your NLU offers in this sphere. Apart from this, you may get access to pro bono legal work for NGOs which may again offer great hands-on learning. 

But it’s not all work and no play at the NLUs. Campus life is vibrant and exciting. There are cultural fests and events, sports activities, clubs, societies, networking opportunities, and ofcourse the hostel life experience. All of these will give you an all-round experience and make your stay at the NLU worthwhile. It is a demanding journey ahead but it’s upto you to make it an enjoyable one. 

Remember that finishing your course at an NLU will be the start of your professional career, the final and most important issue. Whether you choose corporate law, criminal law, civil law, legal consultation, legal analysis, legal journalism, or judiciary as your career path, you have to be prepared to stay focused and work hard. I had a conversation with the General Counsel of an international organization with operations in 140 countries and she said that the only mantra for success in the legal field is to be prepared to read volumes for the next 30-40 years of your life and to have patience through all of it. Learn to cut out the noise and distractions to have laser sharp focus. Actively increase your attention span because that is what will help you sail through the most arduous cases you undertake. 

At Career Launcher, Noida, we’re proud of your current achievements, but we want you to have a fruitful life and career ahead. All the best on your future journey in law!