Amarchand Mangaldas, Class of 2015
My externship provided excellent practical and analytical legal experience at a large, corporate law firm abroad, as well as the opportunity to explore the dynamic cultural patchwork of India. In short, I had what only can be considered an invaluable, life-changing experience.
Arriving in India:
After a long and anticipation-filled voyage, the jet swooped down onto the shadowy landing strip of Indira Ghandi International Airport in New Delhi, India. In many ways, I would liken stepping out from the aircraft into the thick, humid night to the C.S. Lewis masterpiece where a child passes through an old wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. India is a mosaic of incredible richness—cultural traditions, linguistic subtleties, and religious pluralism interwoven with colonial vestiges and the sweeping influence of globalization—truly a sight to behold. This unparalleled diversity shapes the socioeconomic landscape in imaginative and compelling ways. The bustling thoroughfares of New Delhi underscore the ongoing collision among the past, present, and future: cows, hand-pulled wagons and autorickshaws share congested roads with motorcycles, overcrowded buses, and sports cars, while each day over two million passengers commute across the heart of the city via New Delhi’s state-of-the-art subway network. The unending battles among poverty and prosperity, modernity and antiquity, spirituality and materialism vividly unfold around every corner.
The Externship Experience:
For eight weeks I had an externship with a Mergers & Acquisitions team at India’s largest law firm—Amarchand Mangaldas. My responsibilities ran the gamut—from proofreading various international business contracts to researching securities regulations promulgated by the Securities Exchange Board of India, to preparing a multi-country comparative analysis of liquidated damages. In addition to engaging legal work, I had the privilege of spending time with a multitude of wonderful, intelligent and charming people from across India and around the world. This included shadowing members of a litigation team to a proceeding before the Supreme Court of India, as well as attending a business dispute settlement over which the former Supreme Court’s Chief Justice arbitrated. As a law student with an interest in environmental law, I thoroughly enjoyed gaining exposure to a wide range of unfamiliar areas of law in the world’s largest democracy.
Traveling in India:
India is for travelers. During the externship I spent weekends exploring colorful streets, public parks, arts & crafts markets, as well as volunteering in a one-room school in a New Delhi slum. From the majesty of the Taj Mahal to the sandy deserts of Jaipur, from the gondola rides on Kashmiri waters to the jeep rides through the Himalayas, there was no shortage of captivating beauty, rich culture and mouthwatering cuisine. The Indian subcontinent is replete with breathtaking wonderment. To be sure, I look forward to returning one day to continue exploring its people, beliefs, and places.
