To become a biglaw partner, start your preparations early

A career in law is highly competitive; if you aspire to be a biglaw partner someday, starting your preparations early can fairly improve your chances of achieving that dream.

Planning a career in law is just like planning a game of chess; your odds of winning - in this case, becoming a biglaw partner – increases with every right move. Many students start taking their career seriously once they are in college. But, if you start preparing for the competition right from high school, you would be already ahead of the game.

So, what can you do in high school that will help you become a successful lawyer?

As we know, each profession requires a certain set of skills. For instance, if you want to be a chef, you must have culinary skills; similarly, a career in law demands a fair understanding of different types of law. Such skills are essentially taught in your college curriculum.

However, there are certain soft skills that help admission faculties judge your abilities and recognise your interest in the field. Honing these skills, as early as in high school, can help you grab a seat in top law schools, which is regarded as the first step towards building a successful career.

Some of the skills law aspirants must possess are ability to research, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication skills - written as well as verbal, time management, community awareness and involvement, interest in public service among others.

How to develop career-relevant skills in high school?

Select your course material mindfully when it comes to academics

Getting good grades is only one part of your academics, there is a lot more you can do lay a strong foundation for your career. According to top universities and law professionals, important skills law students must focus on are reading, objective and persuasive writing, ability to research, comprehend large amounts of data and thinking critically.

All of the above skills are essential for a career in law, it is imperative for students to take up elective courses that can help them improve these skills. For instance, electives like humanities, psychology, sociology, history, or political science can help you better understand human behaviour in relation to other humans as well as institutions. Similarly, if you take mathematics as an elective, it can help you improve your analytical skills.

Develop reading skills:

Since a profession in law requires comprehending different laws in different areas, any activity that trains you to read and grasp huge amounts of data will help your career. So, take up coursework that fulfills this criterion and/or join a reading group where you can discuss your viewpoints with other members. It will also help you develop your communication skills.

Participate in extracurricular activities:

Public speaking and the ability to present a persuasive argument is a critical part of law profession. Joining debating clubs and participating in other extracurricular activities that require public speaking like essay reading competition, news reading during assembly etc., can help you develop these skills. School conferences, summer camps, and MUNs are also worth consideration as they help develop and inculcate social skills by meeting students from different backgrounds.

Be proactive:

Students should actively attend the academic counseling events to gauge their career of interest.

Students can also check with their class-teachers or school management about the possibility of going on field trips to witness real lawyers in action, or to invite guest speakers to attend or judge their moot-court competitions.

(The author is director, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad)