This interview has been taken by Md Irtaza Aziz Khan, who is a campus leader at Lawctopus.
Please introduce yourself to the readers.
Hi, I am Ausaf Ayyub. I am a 4th year Law student at the Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia. I come from Sherkot, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. Over the course of time in law school, I have developed a keen interest in commercial laws, especially in arbitration.
I am currently working in the capacity of an arbitration reporter with Live Law.
Why law? What inspired you to choose law as a career?
I was a humanities student in my school, and I enjoyed reading about the subjects that had some legal element to them.
However, the final push for me to pursue a career in law came when I finished reading the book ‘Law as a Career’ by Mr. Tanuj Kalia. All my doubts about choosing law as a career were answered in that book.
Arbitration seems to be your area of interest in law, what sparked your interest in arbitration, and what experiences have you had in this field so far?
Just like any other law student, I also gravitated towards the criminal side of the law in my first year of law school and it was only during my internship at the Chambers of Mr. Manoj Swarup, Senior Advocate that I got to learn about arbitration laws.
My interest in arbitration got the impetus under the guidance of Dr. Amit George, who has been my mentor since then. As the luck would have it, I got the chance to work with Mr. Tariq Khan on his book on arbitration and my interest in writing on arbitration got the much-needed force.
As a law student, how do you see the field of arbitration law evolving in the next few years?
The future of arbitration looks bright. The Indian economy would grow manifold in the times to come and a robust dispute resolution mechanism is a sine qua non to attract foreign investment. The growth of arbitration is inevitable in such a situation.
The last decade has witnessed a pro-arbitration approach being taken by the government and the judiciary across the world. A fine example of it would be the 2015 and 2019 amendments to the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has led the trend to make arbitration a preferred method of dispute resolution with explicit judicial recognition being given to concepts like emergency arbitration and the right of two Indian parties to choose a foreign seat of arbitration
How would you describe your time as a Mini Pupil at 33 Bedford Row?
I had a great experience working as a mini-pupil at 33rd Bedford Row, London. I was assigned a mentor who guided me during my stay at the firm. I assisted my mentor on a matter before the High Court of England and Wales.
I would recommend it to my fellow law students in India as it allows you to gain first-hand experience of litigation in a foreign jurisdiction. It also allows you to compare the prevailing law in India with that of a foreign country.
Please share your internship experience with the readers.
I am on an extended internship at Khaitan and Co., I am having a really good experience working at KCO. I am part of the dispute resolution team. As an intern at a leading law firm, you get exposed to complex commercial disputes and get to assist your senior on a variety of works including but not limited to research on various legal propositions.
Interning at top law firms has helped me have better thought clarity about my career choices. While interning you also get to see how things move within a firm and understand the hierarchy and division of work.
Your interaction with the top legal minds helps you draw motivation from them and reach out to them for any career-related doubts. They help you navigate your career and tailor career choices as per your field of interest.
How is your experience as the only student to be a Reporter? How has it influenced your understanding of legal journalism and reporting on legal cases?
Working at LiveLaw has been a great experience so far. I am thankful to Mr. M.A. Rashid Sir and Mr. PV Dinesh Sir for their trust in me and their constant support. Considering my other commitments such as college, moots, and internships, they have allowed me the flexibility to strike a balance between work and other commitments.
Before joining LiveLaw I did not see legal journalism as a full-time career option, however, with time, I have realized that it is something that really helps you learn law more than you would learn in any office and it also pays you equally well.
In terms of reporting on legal issues, I have had the fortune of covering some of the most important arbitration judgments delivered in the year 2022.
In the process of preparing a report on a judgment, you get to learn much more than you would ever learn while researching any case law as you have to precisely demarcate a report into three heads i.e. the facts, the submissions, and the analysis by the court.
What skill do you feel one should focus on developing if one wants to pursue a career in the field of Arbitration?
The primary requirement for any law student intending to understand or build a career in arbitration is to imbibe the habit of reading judgments on a daily basis. It is only by reading the judgments that one can understand the nuances involved in the law, especially, arbitration as it has witnessed developments through judicial precedents.
Apart from reading the judgments, writing on contemporaneous legal issues is equally important for any law student. Writing also helps you develop good research skill that plays a crucial role in your trajectory.
Next in line would be good internships with practitioners in your initial years and then target law firms in your senior year of law school. The number of internships does not matter, what matters is the fact that how much effort you put into any given task.
Can you describe a project or publication you have worked on related to arbitration law that you are particularly proud of, and how did it contribute to your understanding of the field?
I was really fortunate to have had the opportunity to assist Mr. Tariq Khan as a Copy-Editor for his recent commentary on arbitration law in India.
It was this task that actually helped me gain good exposure to arbitration law. Mr. Khan helped me connect with the luminaries in the field of arbitration to help me develop the skill set required to contribute as a Copy-Editor.
During this time, I read numerous judgments and treaties on arbitration which ultimately helped me have a much better understanding of the field.
How do you stay updated with the current developments in arbitration law, and what sources do you rely on for legal research and analysis?
The law of arbitration is ever-evolving, therefore, arbitration enthusiasts need to keep themselves updated with recent developments. To keep myself up to date with recent developments, I try and read the recent judgments on the law. In fact, as an arbitration reporter, I am expected to help people keep themselves updated through my reports on recent judgments.
For legal research and analysis, I rely on a variety of resources. I use LiveLaw, SCC OnLine, Manupatra, Lawctopus, and several other legal platforms to reach a conclusion on any legal proposition. I try and compare the judgments of various High Courts and sometimes also of various jurisdictions to better understand the given proposition.
How do you balance the demands of law school, internships, and reporting, and what strategies do you use to manage your time effectively?
Honestly speaking, it sometimes gets difficult for me to strike a balance between all these things, however, I try and do one thing at a time while making sure that I do not compromise on the other requirement.
I also maintain a diary to allocate my time to various requirements in a more efficient manner. I also try to take out time for myself and engage in activities that I like such as listening to music, playing cricket, and reading non-legal books.
Finally, what are your long-term career goals, and how do you plan to continue growing and developing toward these goals in the coming years?
My long-term goals include developing a practice in arbitration as an arguing counsel. To achieve this, I will be making several short-term goals and trying to achieve them one at a time.
In this process of growth, I would try not to lose my grip on the basics and the fundamental necessities such as reading judgments, writing on important legal issues, and praying to God for health and knowledge.
This Interview is a part of our Star Student/Faculty interview series wherein our campus leaders interview the star student/faculty of their college. Stay tuned for more!
Source: Lawctopus
