"Young Lawyer’s success in legal careers: Lack of advancement & support system are

Not a 'young lawyers' problem, it’s a' profession' problem."

Truly said, the lack of support in the Legal industry is not a lawyer’s problem, but a
profession’s problem. The legal profession is a competitive one. It always has been, but these
days—with rapid changes in the way we practice law—it seems to be even more so. For a
first-generation lawyer, lack of support makes this issue even worse. Some issues that a first-
generation lawyer, especially a litigation lawyer might face without any backing are:

 You start from scratch: While starting as an independent litigation lawyer, you have
no clients, no office, no money and no credibility in the courtroom. All of this is
available before starting off if your family has an existing practice.
 Income: Needless to say, when you start you independent practice, there will be little
or no money. This does not mean there won’t be any inflow of money but the
expenses will be more than the income. This happens in any venture, it takes a few
months (or more) to break even. It is safe to assume that you might have to live off
your savings for a year.
 Work: When you are a new independent litigator, you do not have control over the
work you receive. Also, since you will be searching for clients so anything that comes
your way is a boon. So, you might have specialised in cross border mergers or venture
capital or international humanitarian law but you will have to entertain clients with
basic bail applications.
 Infrastructure: To function well as an independent litigation lawyer, you need a few
basic things such as an office (enough to accommodate you and four other people at
once), a small library and legal database subscription, a law clerk and a few machines
such as a computer, a printer and a photocopier etc. There has to be a systematic
method implemented to handle bills and files. All this requires money, money which
you are yet to earn from that practice.
 Publicity: Since you cannot advertise in India as an advocate, you depend on your
popularity and people to spread your name as a lawyer who is good at his work and
people should approach him. This might not seem like a challenge on paper but once
you start asking for money in return for your services, that 2000 members friend-list
on Facebook suddenly looks small.

In addition to this, talking about the issues in the corporate world, some of the issues are
 No prior guidance, no training in law school. A law student has to mostly learn
things by trial and error, or by doing internships and other co-curricular activities
to about the real world. Law schools teach very little about the actual life and give
almost no practical experience that is much needed for a lawyer to survive in the
real world.
 Lack of Networking: Law as a career has networking as one of the most important
aspects. Lack of networking in Law school is one of the main reasons why some
law graduates fail in establishing their own practice or are not able to be placed.
An advocate’s work comes from his/her networks/circle/connections.
 No Adequate Knowledge about the Functioning of the Legal Industry:
 Lack of Mentorship- Most of the law students lack a mentor who can guide them.
Who can support and provide a direction to their career?
 There are no clear hierarchy or rules of how you operate in the legal industry.
However, unwritten rules are plenty in number! That makes one’s job as a
newcomer, as one is trying to figure out how it works, doubly hard.
 The legal profession is demanding and requires an individual to be in switched
‘on’ all the time. Even while one is waiting in the court hall for the matter to be
called out, you must be paying attention or all hell may break loose. There is strict
timing when you must show up at the chamber to carry files to the court, but there
is no telling when you are going home. It is usually safe to assume that you will be
going back well past midnight.
 The common expectation is that advocates are well-informed and are abreast with
the latest developments in the social, political and legal arena. They not only need
to be knowledgeable about whatever legal case has turned up, but they must even
be able to enthusiastically participate in the banter and trivia that lawyers are
always engaging in. If you can’t, it is a problem!
 Probably one of the most difficult challenges in the lot is to learn how to manage/
deal with/ handle one’s clients, clerks, court staff and colleagues. It becomes
especially challenging as this involves a need to don different masks in front of
different individuals. One’s persona and approach need to drastically change in
light of the person in front of them because completing one’s tasks successfully
are of paramount importance.
  One’s communication skills would need improvement and this would not just
involve a significantly thicker local accent but also generous layers of praises for
the staff’s continual support and a sympathetic ear to the client’s unending
problems. You will probably even need friends in the registry who feel obliged to
help you out and guide you out of imminent problems. Over time, with the
guidance of one’s senior and a few not-so-nice experiences one tends to find this
challenge a lot less burdensome.

These issues are some of the issues that gloom over the legal industry and are a problem,
especially for the newcomers. For some people, who come from a poorer background and are
expected to represent their society, this is a big issue.

If the legal machinery ends up being dominated by the rich and ethnic majority, we gradually
end up weakening the position of the weakest in society and those who are most in need of
protection by fundamental human and constitutional rights.

Finally, as legal careers have become increasingly lucrative, particularly in the corporate
sector, encouraging greater diversity in the profession will also filter down to economically
less well-off sections of society and can uplift entire families.

The only solution to this issue is try and make law schools more practical which helps
students to get ready for real life and for the seniors in the industry to be much more
inclusive.