The Counsel(lor): Senior Advocate Aditya Sondhi

Over the past few weeks, The Recruiters has covered Partners at some of the country’s largest law firms. The idea behind these Q&A series is to assist fresh law graduates or young lawyers interested in pursuing a career in a corporate law firm..The Counsel(lor) follows roughly the same path, with interviews of senior counsels from different parts of the country. Each counsel is asked questions related to one’s growth and development in the legal profession..This time around, we have senior advocate Aditya Sondhi in the hot seat, and this is what he had to say..Bar & Bench: How does one choose a senior? Should one choose a Senior Advocate? Trial court or appellate court?.Aditya Sondhi: One must choose a Senior one admires for his/her body of work and work-ethic. It’s best to intern with a Senior one is keen to join so the student has a feel of the Chambers and the Senior is also able make an assessment of the Junior’s aptitude..It may be better to work with a non-designated Senior first up, so as to get better exposure to client-interaction, drafting and evidence. Certainly Trial Court experience is needed but one could join an office that has both trial and appellate/writ work for a broader feel of practice..B&B: Can one negotiate a salary?.AS: What salary? A Senior pays a Junior a stipend in his / her discretion. A Junior must accept the same graciously, being aware of the fact that one has very little to offer to a Senior in the early days and that the apprenticeship is an exercise in learning..If one is keen on a “salary”, “negotiation” etc, it is best he / she disregards litigation. Perhaps corporate firms with litigation divisions may encourage such concepts, but not solo practitioners..B&B: What are the mistakes most commonly made? How do I avoid them?.AS: Haste in forming conclusions about the way Courts function and looking for short cuts to success. One is likely to compromise one’s ethics in these early days out of anxiety to make a name and earn clients. It is well worth remembering that if there were genuine short cuts, others would have taken them too. And that one is always judged by his / her peers, and if one earns a slippery reputation early on, it is very difficult to ward off. Patience and self-belief help cope with these uncertainties. Easier said than done though..B&B: Should I clerk with a judge? Does that help my future prospects in litigation?.AS: I haven’t ever clerked with a Judge and hence cannot provide any firm opinion on it. But I do feel it could help a Junior get a perspective of how the Bench views matters and Counsel, which is quite valuable. That could give one a wider view of practice and certainly help in the years ahead..B&B: Does a Post Graduate Degree / Doctorate help a litigation lawyer?.AS: Yes, to the limited extent of having a slightly more scholarly approach to cases. However, a first-generation lawyer may not have the luxury to step away from practice for a year or two for a sabbatical in academia. My masters’ in political science was through distance learning as was my PhD. This was more because I missed theory and wanted to learn about aspects outside the law. To a young lawyer, the best learning is in Court..B&B: What are the networking / PR exercises a litigation lawyer must cultivate?.AS: This idea is antithesis to ethical practice. One’s reputation is built on the method of advocacy one follows and the quality of one’s efforts. Not by hobnobbing. One must also remember that the Code of Conduct for Advocates prohibits soliciting clients. Though networking and PR seem to have become part of the modern lawyer’s arsenal, I would urge young lawyers to avoid such practices and let others talk about your strengths..B&B: What are the personality changes a litigation lawyer may have to adapt as a courtroom strategy?.AS: Personality changes are not adapted as a strategy but actually occur with continued exposure to litigation. Your personality in Court must reflect who you are as a person and not some faux persona..I, for one, was a lot less disciplined as a student. And not quite street-smart. That changes with time. Students will have to work on being mentally tough, concise and develop listening skills (especially when judges are speaking!).B&B: Why litigate?.AS: Profound question! Because this is a grand, old profession. Always relevant and growing, never conquerable and full of surprises. One that helps you give a voice to the voiceless. And make justice an attainable end-product of the Law.