They all agree that after having taken a law degree, it is not the details of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which taxes their brains, rather the worry of procuring cases.

It becomes even more difficult for a young graduate who has no family tradition in the field. With no clientele and goodwill in the field coming down to them as family heirlooms would, the work is neatly cut out for them — they have to work hard to look for people who can entrust them with their legal cases.

Looking for work

It can be understood by an analogy: In the corporate sector, sales or marketing managers do that for their organisation, a budding lawyer does that to procure work for himself. Every weekend, a young lawyer, not coming from a family of lawyers, visits the lower courts in order to procure work. Most of the lawyers strongly feel that work is procured more through connections and informal channels than on merits or competency of an individual. “Nobody is going to assess your integrity or your competence. To procure work, you have to take lawyers from the trial court to parties so that they send their client to you,” said Bhanu Pratap, a practising lawyer.

A major problem that a budding lawyer faces early in his career is dearth of money. “One has to borrow money from parents. The profession offers nothing but confusion and discouragement to begin with,” said Bikramjit Singh. On the contrary, if the practice flourishes, then sky is the limit.

Joining a senior lawyer

In many other professions one can advertise one’s skills, but not so in legal practice. Just like doctors who join premier medical institutes before starting their own private practice, even young lawyers have to ensure that they get attached to a senior established lawyer with a flourishing practice.

“It is very difficult to get attached to senior lawyers. First, they are overflooded with juniors and have hardly any scope to adjust one more; secondly, one needs references to be considered,” said G D Goel, a lawyer himself.

By getting attached to a senior lawyer, young entrants to the field get to learn not only the basics of the profession, but also the ways of tackling clients.

Lawyers say that the biggest advantage of joining a famous lawyer is that the latter’s chances of getting elevated to the Bench are more. And if that happens, the young lawyer gets a chance to manage all the clients and cases of his senior.

However, despite an array of problems facing them, there are lawyers who take things positively. “Life is a struggle and so is every profession. One needs to remain focused do one’s best. This profession not only fetches you money but loads of power as well. Moreover, if one is not getting enough cases, then one can always take judicial examinations and become a judge,” smiles Gurinderjit Singh, a lawyer.

Expertspeak

“A young lawyer has to grab every opportunity which comes his way. Rather than seeking adjournment when his senior is busy in some other court, the junior lawyer should come prepared with every case and start arguing. It is by these small opportunities that he will be noticed,” advises senior advocate Balram Gupta.

Senior advocate Dr Anmol Rattan Sidhu said, “It is the duty of senior lawyers and of the Bar associations of District Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court to make some arrangements for the young lawyers. The problems they face require permanent solutions otherwise no law graduate will join the profession.”