Compiled by Naveen Talawar
Prateek Lakra co-founded his own law firm as a Startup Attorney at the age of 25 years. Mr. Lakra worked with the United Nations (details of which have been withheld under an agreement) after having obtained a Master of Law (LL.M.) in Transnational Crime and Justice from the University of Peace (mandated by the United Nations. He has been an avid mooter since law school and had won the National Trial Advocacy Moot Court Competition back then.
Here are a few excerpts of his conversation with Priya Chaudhary, the Editor of Desi Kaanoon-
Q1 Where did you get the idea to start your own law firm?
A1 The idea to start my own law firm came to us in 2017 after we won a Trial Advocacy Moot Court Competition. It was our first national moot court competition. On the same day, as we were trying to process our feat, Me and Avi (the co-founder and classmate) questioned ourselves, “We have reached a stage now, so what’s the next thing?” Until today, we had been thinking about how we would proceed with the competition at hand, but now that we had done it, we wanted to plan a bit for the future.
So the maiden idea came that night itself. We decided to start a venture, but we weren’t sure if it would be a law firm. From a tech-based legal platform to a litigation firm, we thought it all. However, startup litigation, corporate litigation, or finally opening a full-service office was never thought of until we made it into a reality.
Q2 Were there any difficulties you experienced while starting your law firm?
A2 I wouldn’t say difficulties, but I would use the word challenges instead. There were numerous challenges, and I could go on and on, but they all taught us as a team at Clergy and Wiseman how to overcome them and move on.
The first major challenge was that no one in the industry was willing to trust young freshers. So the first challenge was to make a name in the industry with no relevant experience. Our priority was to have a good hold on the law to present ourselves as recent graduates who could try our best to do a lot better than a senior advocate of our age with exactly the same experience.
The second hurdle that followed was getting clients. Though we had started a law firm, we did not have clients till day one. It was a challenge then, it’s a challenge now. Back then, it was really hard for people to picture the future prospects of 25-year-old lawyers starting their law firm. Because we are a first-service law firm, we had to work in the fields of litigation, startups as well as the corporate sector with corporations. Working for startups was comparatively easier because the majority of the startup’s employees are our age or younger, but the most challenging field is litigation because people find it difficult to trust first-generation lawyers.
The next big challenge was definitely financing, so while I was still working with the UN, they sent some of us to our home station and we started a law practice with our savings. At that time, I used to sleep in the office and I neither had money to afford accommodation nor to get an office for a couple of 4-5 months. The first 4-5 months were difficult; money was initially a challenge for us, but hopefully, we had overcome the same in the 4-5 months.
Once we reached sustainability, the next difficulty was to scale. Scaling was another very difficult part; how can you scale with two people in the same office? Whatever energy you put in, no matter how long you brainstorm, cannot scale. You need more brains to scale, and you need more outreach, so right now, if I’m sitting in Delhi and getting a client in Bangalore, it wasn’t easy for me, first because of the geographical issues, and second, because I would like to go out there and meet that client. Fortunately, the fundamental shift towards a virtual mode of working throughout these two years has made interactions more accessible now, but in-person interactions are still very important. So scaling was another challenge for us.
Q3 How did you come up with the name Clergy and Wisemen for your firm?
A3 It’s a very funny story. Though we had our minds straight that we were going to start a law firm, we had no idea what the name of the law firm should be. We started the law firm on January 19, 2022, and that day we were clueless. We started thinking about a name around the 15th of January, but it took a few days to finalise. We struggled for a week to finalise the name and could not find a name that would make us stand apart, so after a week of struggling and playing permutations and combinations with numerous names, we decided to go back and do what we’re good at, ‘Research.’
We used to research and all and I and Avi took a day off and went back to our places. We took a book from the library each and the same night I was reading a book on judicial history. In 1178, King Henry II apparently did something revolutionary about the jury system. He was well-known for his judicial system.
In order to “hear all the complaints of the realm and do right,” Henry II chose five members of his household in 1178—two clergy and three laymen. This was the beginning of the Court of Common Pleas, which was overseen by the King and “wise men” of the realm. So I took the Clergy from the Court of Common Pleas and combined it with the Wiseman composition, and that’s how the Clergy and Wiseman came up.
Q4 What are your strategies for success as a first-generation lawyer?
A4 When it comes to strategies, strategizing is key. So, before going out there, whether you’re beginning your own practice, looking for a job, or are a first-generation lawyer, you should first make up your mind. Continuing forward without a strategy or conceptualising where you’re heading will not be fruitful.
Some strategies include first clearing your head, second reading law, and working on legal knowledge, as well as working on speech and body language. The next important strategy for starting a law practice is to partner up and have a team. It is critical to have a team. What is better than one mind is two minds, and what is better than two minds is three minds. I’d always suggest teaming up with like-minded people, or even if you’re not partnering up, hang out with like-minded people because there are always things you can’t think of but the other person can. These are the most important strategies.
Q5 How were your early days in law school?
A5 My early law school days could be summed up in one word: joyful. I had a 7 CGPA as an ordinary law student. I would say that I enjoyed my first one and a half years of life in school, where I did some basic studies. But there are a few things I quickly realised; life is tough for first-generation lawyers. I recall realising towards the end of my first internship that I needed to do something, so I started writing and taking my assignments seriously. Finally, I would describe them as joyful.
Q6 What do you consider to be the most significant learning experience you had while in law school?
A6 The finals of my first trial advocacy competition was the most valuable learning experience. I discovered how vital a thorough study is and why research is so important in writing. When it was announced that our team had advanced to the finals, we were all strategizing and writing down all of the opening and closing arguments. We had kept our bags outside the room, and 10 minutes before the rounds, our bags were missing along with all of our supporting documents, bare acts, and everything else. I just had one commentary and another piece of paper with questions from the entire cross-examination and my closing and opening statements.
But, interestingly, we had done some of the research and drafting, so going out to the judges and performing proposed rounds was the same as if I had my bare acts or books, so we never needed that piece of paper to go into to speak something, so it was a very learning experience for me. The answer to the entire team was that when you have that knowledge of the law and practice, you won’t need any files or books to read since you have it all up in your mind.
So I usually tell everyone who works for a law firm to take their time and perform a thorough study on their own. Initially, research may be slow, but after you’ve learned everything on your own, it’s forever in your mind and no one can take it away.
Q7 What, in your opinion, makes studying in India different from studying at the UN?
A7 When I compared these two, there was a difference. When I initially started studying at the UN, there was a mix of cultures, as well as students from civil law countries and common law countries, so the thought process was completely different with the students from civil law countries, and they had a very distinct work culture. People at the UN keep to their work, but they don’t like sitting for hours in the office. They believe in a concept-based study, and I strongly encourage it to anyone who works smarter, not harder. Working at the United Nations office will teach you to work smarter rather than harder.
Another important thing UN taught me was to enjoy my personal life because, at the age of 25 or 26, it is your time to enjoy being out there. You should never compromise your personal life while maintaining a work-life balance.
Q8 What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?
A8 I am a caffeine lover as well as a professional barista, so I spend my post-workout leisure time with my coffee machine. I did a professional course as a barista, so I’ve always had a thing for coffee, and it’s one of the things I do. Another thing is to read while sipping a cup of coffee. I’m very much into non-fiction. In my spare time, I enjoy drinking coffee and reading books.
Q9 Over 20+ research papers have been written by you. What, in your opinion, is the significance of writing a research paper?
A9: I always tell law students to start writing. What could possibly go wrong? Simply begin writing, researching, and drafting. At the very least, you should begin because writing a good research paper takes time as you require good researching abilities and writing and drafting skills, and this comes with practice. So, whenever you are researching, never settle for less. Research as much as you can so that you obtain what you want.
Drafting is a skill that requires you to draft more and more drafts. I have only one suggestion-just go for it. You will learn things on your own. It may take two months on average to write one research paper which is good. It’s hard only until the fifth research paper, after which you can complete your research papers in 2 weeks.
Q10 In one of your LinkedIn posts, you stated, “Every lawyer can argue in court, but the essential element that makes a difference is ‘their knowledge of Law’ ” Could you please elaborate on this?
A10 Research and knowledge of the law have an impact. Just reading the bare language is not enough because once you have to appear before the Judge, you must carry a load of research as you don’t know what a judge might question you. You do not have to teach yourself; you must prepare yourself so that the judge understands your case. So anyone can argue, but knowing the law is more important than strategizing and writing down key points to how you are going to argue and make the judge understand your case.
Q11 Finally, what is your one piece of advice for young students?
A11 There would be a couple of pieces of advice, the first would be to work smart, not hard, and the second would be to just go for it because if you don’t go for it, someone else will and you might lose something the opportunity. The third is to have a mentor a third person to judge your work and lastly study law as much as you can so I guess that’s some of the advice.