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This was a telephonic conversation, where I interviewed Advocate Akinapelli Narasimha, practicing in Hyderabad, dealing with civil and service matters. He’s been practicing over the past 15 years. He had completed his BCOM, LLB, LLM at Osmania University, Hyderabad. Currently, he’s practicing in Hyderabad in the High Court and City Civil Court, Secunderabad.
(PART OF THE CONVERSATION BELOW IN QUESTIONS AND HIS ANSWERS)
Being the first generation advocate of your family, what are the challenges you have faced to become an advocate?
• Advocate Narasimha: “Yes, I was the first lawyer in my family and as known initial steps of anything are not easy. I was challenged with a lot of difficulties in becoming a successful lawyer. After receiving my law degree I was confident, to achieve anything, but it was not as easy I thought as the theoretical knowledge is different as compared to practical knowledge. Initially, I worked with a few seniors for 5 years, then started practicing on my own. During my practice as a junior, I completed my master's in law, used to study the books from the court library. Then, again started practicing on my own. Now my wife, brother, and few of my friends had studied law and are practicing lawyers with my encouragement.”
What kind of curiosity or aptitude one needs to have to get into law and can you share your law school experience?
• Advocate Narasimha: “As everyone doesn’t come with a golden spoon, one needs to work hard to get anything he craves for. One should be a lifetime student by reading the day-to-day judgments and having a piece of good knowledge on the current legal situation. They should be patient and should be able to analyze and the major thing is to have interest in the work they do. They should be honest, working hard and having knowledge of the latest legal issues. The law school experience was great but the knowledge acquired was more once I was out of the law school.”
Is it compulsory for the student to gain any work experience or can they directly go to practice after their degree?
• Advocate Narasimha: “Yes, at least a year of work experience is important for the student to gain the experience as it helps to acquire the practical knowledge. So, I suggest people to practice under a senior first and then start practicing on their own to gain more knowledge and can have a good idea on how to deal with the clients, the court behavior, etc.”
Do you think people should go overseas to pursue higher studies?
• Advocate Narasimha: “I don’t encourage people to go overseas to study higher grades when they want to practice in India as that does not make any sense as studying there would not provide any knowledge for practicing here in India. Hence, it is better to study in India itself, in the top institutes instead of moving overseas. It’s suggested only to gain in depth knowledge in the subject matter but not worthwhile for wanting to practice in India.”
If you could make any correction in the past what would it be?
• Advocate Narasimha: “Not specifically a correction, but want to make the people understand the correct usage of law. As there is a judiciary system provided the people are approaching courts even for the futile problem especially in the defamation cases against the lower castes and also in the domestic violence and cruelty cases, as few can be solved out of court also and that awareness should be given.”
According to you practicing which matters are best and why?
• Advocate Narasimha: “It depends on the individual's interest, but since you have asked, I feel it’s better to practice for the civil and service matters as they are soft matters to deal with and we can have more of the clients with the civil natured issues.”
What according to you is better in working as an advocate, or for a firm, or as a legal advisor?
• Advocate Narasimha: “Again this also depends on the individual and his or her interests. I feel it is better to practice as an advocate as it brings individual, a recognition, where working in a law firm brings recognition to the law firm. Whereas working in a law firm limits the knowledge to a specific section of issues only, on the other hand working as an individual advocate helps us to enlarge our knowledge in numerous diverse difficulties or legal matters.”
What is your wisdom, any advice or message for young professionals?
• Advocate Narasimha: “The students nowadays are exaggerating themselves more with the minor things which are not that upright, as overthinking, and lacking practice doesn’t work. Only practice makes them perfect so one should keep practicing for a better future and should be a constant student. And, also there are more opportunities for the young professionals.”
Thanking Advocate Akinapelli Narasimha,
~ Tulugu S Haarika