Success is the harmony between hard-work and perseverance. This can be learnt from Mr. Faizan Ahmad, a second year law student at Jindal Global Law School. A football aficionado at heart, he has been quite active in co-curriculars as well. Here is a piece of his conversation with Desi Kaanoon.
Q. You have consistently secured a perfect CGPA of 8.0/8.0 in your law school. What is your study schedule like?
Ans: I think it is about studying to understand more without thinking about the end result. I do not have any study schedule, my friends have hardly seen me study. I may slog all day or pull off all nighters and still attend 8 am class. Law school is about both hard work and smart work. All students should cultivate a hunger to know more, a curiosity to understand why, rather than just accepting whatever settled legal position is taught to them. Engage with your Professors as much as you can. We should seize every opportunity to learn and introspect about our understanding, because we always know less than we think. With that kind of academic appetite, the grades would come automatically.
Law School is inherently very competitive. It might get toxic for some people. I think it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a positive encouraging academic space for their peers. One must not shy away from helping others and I think that is what has kept me humble.
Recently, I started a mentorship programme, where I picked the most promising students from the fresher batch and have been mentoring them through. They made me proud by excelling in their semester results and dominating the Moot Court Society Inductions this semester.
Q. Your team was the Runners Up in the India Rounds of 61st Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot. Who do you owe your success to and how did you prepare for the moot?
Ans: For any law student, in the world of mooting, it can’t get bigger than Jessup. But Jessup was even more special since all of us in the team were mooting for the first time, and in just in the second year of law school. We learnt that everything is possible if you are ready to push your limits. We owe our success to Aman for coaching us and for being more like a family member to us.
Although we started late, I recommend that one should start atleast 6-8 months prior to Jessup. We started our preparations in October and used to give atleast 4 hours daily after classes. It is about learning to balance classes, exams and research for Jessup. We stayed back on campus in the winter break and then gave 14 hours a day. In the final week, we were sleeping in shifts. This is just a small part of all that it takes. It is very important to stay motivated since it is easy to lose hope in this long journey.
Q. You have primarily interned under law firms and advocates. Do you believe that one should apply for litigation-based internships only after one’s first year?
Ans: I do not think so. I do notice the hesitation among first year students to work in court when they have not read much of law yet. But I think it is important to explore the court and observe the law in action, and note how it functions on the ground. I recommend interning under district court lawyers first before moving to higher courts, since you learn more under people who can teach you and also take contributions from you. If you are curious enough, after a while the courtroom jargon will start seeming comprehensible. It also helps in applying for future internships since you might learn drafting and other necessary skills, something you might not learn elsewhere. The first year is the best place to experiment with internships to realise what field suits you.
Q. Having won various accolades at MUNs and Parliamentary Debates including RMLNLU Novice Parliamentary Debate 2020 and SRCC Parliamentary Debate Tournament, what advice do you have for our readers to bag Best Delegate award in the same?
Ans: It is hard to juggle between moots, debates and MUNs in law school. But it still helps me to chill and still keep my braincells working. (Please dont become a juggler like me) In case anyone is interested, the best way to do well in these activities is to keep reading and stay updated on what is happening around you. Instead of awards, one should focus on learning skills in these activities. MUNs taught me research and debating taught me to
think critically. Don’t be under the impression that you will learn oration from debating, debating would make you a terrible orator!
Q. How has your role as the Student Representative of JGLS Student Academic Committee been beneficial for you and other students alike?
Ans: The SAC occupies a special importance here. Unlike the Student Council ,which is a nominated representative student body , the SAC is and advisory body to the Vice Dean on all academic policies. Only the best students with excellent academic record get in after a rigorous selection process and become permanent members. It is a very enriching experience for me as I get to work with the best students of the law school and contribute in shaping policies. Recently we worked on formulating the internal evaluation plan for the semester that got suspended due to COVID-19. We also compiled a comprehensive report within just 24 hours, analysing the feasibility of online classes and other options to continue the curriculum, a report that received wide acclaim in the student body and faculty alike.