The Story of A Gap in the CV of a Lawyer: Part 1
In the following few articles, I will discuss my experience of taking a career break in the legal industry in circa 2022. Before going into detail, it is essential to set the background. The need for a break in my career arose from a big decision I made as an optimistic student: the decision to move countries.
Why would one leave their country to move to another?
Try asking this question today to an immigrant and carefully listen to what they say. I can guarantee you will find a kaleidoscope of answers. If I had to string all the answers I have received to date, I would quote the following:
“People die crossing borders, and sometimes just being near them. The lucky ones are reborn on the other side” — Kapka Kassabova.
As a young student, I never imagined leaving my country. I didn’t think I’d have a reason to. I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment that was not irrevocably torn by civil war. Neither did I lack the avenues or opportunities to live comfortably in my hometown or my country. In summary, I had a route to survive.
When I chose to be a lawyer, to the surprise of my family, I had to navigate a road neither advised nor taken in my vicinity. No one knew what it looked like to be what I wanted to be. I had set foot into an unchartered territory where I was both the ship and the captain.
India is a very competitive country. Opportunities are limited, and everyone wants the best, like musical chairs. I entered the competition with what some would call baggage: a passion for writing and the arts. Could that increase the risk of diversion? Potentially.
So, I was taught the idea of a truce, which I have realized has circulated like folklore across jurisdictions. I was told to temporarily bury passions and interests in favor of what is essential and give them space to flourish once I had made it as a lawyer.
The problem was that I didn’t have a definition at the time of what is meant by “important” and “making it as a lawyer.”
When I joined law school in 2012, my ambition was to land the best opportunity in India. I had no idea about the world of law firms abroad, let alone the “Magic Circle.” In fact, when I first heard about the “Magic Circle Firms” in 2012, I genuinely thought it referred to a roundabout in London consisting of, well, “Magic Firms.” I quickly learned that the magic was not in the location but in the revenue.
My exposure to the life of an international commercial lawyer happened through exposure to people who worked abroad/had worked abroad, international competitions, and seminars. It was a moment of impact. Here I was, dreaming of the best opportunity in India to kickstart my legal career. I was suddenly exposed to the idea and the chance to kickstart my global legal career.
I can say what is politically correct to say — that I was attracted to the proposition of working on the “most complex international deals.” That is true.
However, the natural appeal of the opportunity to work abroad was to the writer/artist inside me. A chance to create something globally. A life. A model. A connection. A path. A conduit. A perspective. An identity. A voice. A contribution. A representation. Something and someone I had not seen growing up.
That was why I chose to apply for a career as an international lawyer. Again, to the surprise of my family.
What did this choice lead to? Coming up next.
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