Reflections on My Book Launch and a Memorable Question from a Law Student

The launch of Companion Handbook for Law Students was not just about presenting the book at the ILS Law College; it was a chance to engage with students, answer their questions, and discuss the real challenges young lawyers face. I’m immensely thankful to students!

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆: a student shared that he came from a vernacular background and finds it challenging to communicate with confidence. This is a reality many students face—not only those from vernacular backgrounds but also those from tier-2 or tier-3 cities who may feel a lack of confidence in their communication skills.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺: developing strong communication skills is essential for any lawyer. Law is all about understanding, interpreting, and conveying ideas clearly, whether before clients, courts, or colleagues. Mastery over English can be a key tool in this journey, and there are two aspects to it:

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵: Start now. If you feel your English could be improved, consider joining a reputable English-speaking class. 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟 𝗦𝗛𝗬 𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗪𝗞𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻!  Alongside classes, cultivate a daily reading habit—not just law books but also newspapers, magazines, and periodicals. Reading for at least one hour a day can significantly boost both your vocabulary and comprehension over time.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Practicing is key. Participate in discussions, moot courts, and study groups. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel. Try to write daily—whether it’s summaries of cases, thoughts on articles, or even diary entries. Speaking confidently comes with time, practice, and, above all, patience.

In fact, as I often emphasize in my hashtag#ConversationswithNitin, I strongly encourage students to learn a foreign language alongside English. Almost all MNCs are here in India to stay, so a good grip on a foreign language—whether German, Japanese, or Korean—could provide a substantial boost to your career prospects.

My Companion Handbook for law students explains the importance of communcation is now available on in all formats on Amazon: https://amzn.in/d/0CVzKHR or
Flipkart: https://amzn.in/d/36Swehn