Ajay Raghavan
What are the best and worst things about your job?
As one of the newer partners in the firm, the whole experience of building the practice and managing clients and the team is quite exhilarating. Unfortunately, the flip side to this is that I find myself with less time to travel and see new places, something I absolutely love to do.
Who was the first lawyer you ever worked under? What is the most important lesson that you learnt from him/her?
Rahul Matthan - once my boss and now my partner. I think he really taught me to work hard, be patient and stay calm - something that has held me in good stead till today.
If a seventeen year old came to you and asked you whether he/she should consider a career in law, what advice would you give?
I would say yes, if he/she has the aptitude for it. It's a fine career option. And the market is good and the money is great, so why not?!!
What was your first car? When did you buy it?
My first car was a second hand Matiz, which I bought off my sister a couple of years after I graduated from law school.
Which is your favourite restaurant?
Burger King in Pune - the best burgers I have ever eaten!!
What is the best book you read in the past year?
I'm currently reading "Notes From A Small Island" by Bill Bryson. It’s a really funny book about travels in the UK . I'm also a big fan of "Pearls Before Swine" a cartoon strip by Stephan Pastis, who incidentally used to be a lawyer.
Where did you go on your last vacation?
My last significant vacation was to Turkey . I traveled extensively through the country. It's a must see place for anybody.
Which historical figure would you invite for dinner? If you could only ask one question of him/her, what would you ask?
I would probably invite Sir Don Bradman for dinner and ask him why he didn't play just one more test match and keep the perfect 100 batting average.
What is the most significant change that you would make to the law school curriculum?
I think the curriculum for many law schools have already improved quite significantly over the last couple of years, but I would really like to see classes get more interactive, where students and teachers get the opportunity to discuss and critique laws and cases on a more regular basis. This will help students understand the law as opposed to merely studying it.
What is the most significant change that you would like to see in the legal industry in the next five years?
I would like to see many more law firms set up transparent systems and processes that are specifically oriented towards motivating young lawyers to perform and grow with a firm. In today's market I believe that loyalty and performance must be unconditionally rewarded in order to retain good resources and hopefully more law firms will consider putting in place such systems and processes. This should certainly help to improve the overall quality of law firms in the country.
(Ajay Raghavan is a Bangalore-based partner with Trilegal.)
