Students across the country dream of establishing a legal career abroad allured by the multitude of opportunities there. But going to a foreign country for post-graduate degree is not an easy task and poses varied problems.
Advotalks reached out to Shubham Mishra, an alumnus of the Jindal Group of Law School in India who later pursued his post-graduate degree from Kings College London to discuss various issues an aspirant might face and how to overcome them. Currently, engaged as an Apprentice at Leigh Day based at London, and also working in various capacities like Editor, Managing Editor, General Assistant and Researcher with multiple firms. He has also been an active public speaker, has been an author of Oxford University Press and a young member of Singapore Arbitration Center. In this conversation, he shared with us valuable knowledge.
How did you become interested in pursuing post-graduation from UK? And what is your current role at Leigh Day?
Back when I was doing my under-graduation (BA LLB) from Jindal Group of Law Schools, they had a lot of international collaborations as a part of which I got to go to Harvard Summer School Programme. And we had a very good Alumni base that is based in various countries like U.S., Australia, Canada. So, it was that holistic environment that led me to think of a career abroad along with various opportunities offered here. The professors and the curriculum also further enabled me. The Curriculum especially was very similar to what we have been taught in India. And then I started my internship at Leigh Day and now I am an Apprentice here. The work culture is amazing which drives me to work for them. The people are nice and friendly and the work is very engaging as well. Not at all tedious like you expect in a lot of law firms.
Can you explain the application process and what are the common problems that a candidate may face while applying there?
The biggest problem a candidate might face is the length of the entire process because you have to start as early as a year before the actual intake. So, a person has to start at least 10 or 12 months in advance. And it requires a lot of patience in the sense that you have to keep going with so many colleges that are out there and figuring out which college you really want to go in. There is a lot of database online available which you can look up for different colleges and courses. Another challenge is obtaining references from the professors as they don’t have any entrance exam for getting in. You have a statement of purpose and references from your professors or previous employees. And you have to be very precise about it.
So, when should the applicants start this application process- when they are in last year of graduation or even before that?
I would say last year of graduation is fine. So, if your fifth year starts in August, September, you should start a couple of months after that. But as a law student, you should have certain things in mind that if you want to study in a top university abroad then from the first, second, third year onwards you have to do certain things like being part of moot court societies, being involved as editors for journals and be engaged in various other activities apart from having excellent academic record.
Is it necessary for a student wanting to pursue post-graduation abroad to engage an immigration consultancy?
I would not say its exactly necessary to get in touch with a consultancy that can put you to a certain city or university abroad. There is a lot of misconception about the same. The application process and the TF4 student visa is pretty simple to get. You have to apply around a month and a half or two months in advance. So, for example if you are starting your course in September you’ll have to apply by July and you get your visa pretty quickly. And the process is pretty elaborative and simple but there are certain things that you can take help of consultancies for. Like they can help you with accommodation and navigate currency exchange. But I wouldn’t say there is anything that you can’t do on your own with help from Internet and by talking to people already living in that country. And unlike U.S., the visa process is much simpler and easier to obtain.
So, while we know that the study in UK is quite costly as compared to US. So, are there any scholarships for the Indian students in legal education?
Yes, this is a pertinent question as that is where a lot of people get stuck actually. Because education is really expensive and pound being a much stronger currency than US dollars for example. So, it is very important that you have a certain idea of what scholarships are out there which may fund your study and stay. There are two types of scholarship- one which provides everything to you, from your tuition fees, your living expenses, your accommodation and your visa& flights experience. And there are other partial scholarships which provide a certain amount to your tuition fees or towards your living expenses. But if you are someone who is not financially strong then aim for the fully funded scholarships. And there a plenty of scholarships for Indian students such as Commonwealth Scholarship. There is Felix scholarship, especially designed for lawyers of a couple of universities and Chevening Scholarship. All these scholarships not only take care of your immense tuition fees, but also take care of your living expense, flight and accommodation. You should consider these scholarships even before applying because scholarships like Commonwealth have an earlier deadline. So, be mindful of that. Certain Universities also offer scholarships like Kings College has a scholarship available only to students pursuing post-grad in law. You also have Oxford scholarship available only to students pursuing course in Oxford University. But those depend upon you getting into the college first and then securing the scholarship.
What are the career opportunities available to students looking to build a career in legal field in UK and what is the path for them after completion of their Masters degree?
It is important to know that the markets have really changed after the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns. Especially in UK after the Brexit and the cost of living crisis, all of the things have piled up and made it very difficult to penetrate job market. Especially if you are an international student and don’t have a British passport. Because the employer would know you need sponsorship if you want to work with them for a long time. And not a lot of people are very keen to give out sponsorships because it is very costly. And they would rather prefer a domestic student in which the job market is a little bleak here. But there are still ample opportunities and all colleges, regardless of where you are from in UK, have a career cell. I will advise the students coming here to be in touch with them because they have collaboration with multiple companies in varied industries which can provide you with an internship also. The UK market is different in the legal sense because they have a very robust and dynamic vacation scheme. So, if you get one of those vacation schemes, you can convert those into apprenticeship contract which we unfortunately don’t have in India. I feel it is a very good path because it is a rigorous process but if you get in, you have an option to turn them into a decent paying job. Apart from that there is not much internship culture in UK. You can personally contact firms for an internship like I did with Leigh Day and was fortunate to get one. But there is not a robust mechanism for internships because they have been replaced with vacation schemes.
Would you like to throw light on the aspect of Immigration Laws & Provisions that UK Government extends and are there any supportive programs for international students especially for those coming from India?
UK in that sense is quite an open country. Although its expensive in terms of immigration cost, the IHS and everything else, it is still an open country. You would find a higher percentage of Indian or Pakistani students in the UK than any other country. There aren’t any supportive programs because its uniform for everyone outside of the European continent or the British Isles. But it is fairly simple and uncomplicated when you compare it to its counterparts in US. You don’t have to go to the embassy, arrange interviews and go to consultancies. But its very expensive as you have to spend several thousand pounds to get one and a half year of student visa. And then you have to extend your student visa to post-study work visa. And it is going to be more expensive in coming years.
Based on your experience, how welcoming are the people in UK to Indian students studying or working there?
Apart from academics also, you have to interact with multiple people in your daily lives and it is an important aspect. I would say UK has a large number of Indian population not just in term of students but also those who have settled here. I would say people are welcoming here as London especially is a cosmopolitan place. But there are certain challenges of being an Indian or South Asian here. There have been instances of racial profiling. But things are improving, they are changing and its not like we are living in the 60s. We are living in the 21st Century and people are aware of their rights. And lastly, because the passports play such a huge role in your stay here, if you have an Indian passport, you are at a slight disadvantage when it comes to getting hired for a job. You may be qualified but may be rejected stating the company might have to fund your visa later. That puts you in a backseat actually as compared to your European counterparts. They don’t have to get a sponsorship. But other than that people are neutral about any one coming at this point as there is such a diverse crowd here.
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