Mr. Sayan Das is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Law & Research Scholar at School of Law, Galgotias University. He is also the Coordinator of Centre for Legal Research & Pedagogy (CLRP), Galgotias University started in 2017. He has pursued his 5 yrs Integrated BA (Law) & LLB (Hons.) from Tripura Government Law College under Tripura University-A Central University, thereafter he has completed his LLM with specialisation in Constitutional & Criminal Law from Symbiosis Law School, Pune. He is pursuing his PhD in Law on Euthanasia from Galgotias University.
Sir, Please Tell Us Something About Yourself to Our Readers.
Being from a small town like Agartala, either government job or judicial service or litigation was the option available. From the very beginning, I was inclined towards pursuing a career in litigation only and as such after completing my law, I started practising in District Court and Gauhati High Court Bench in Agartala and then after a year moved for pursuing Masters of two years, only with the intention to have more grasp & command in law. Returning hometown, I again started practising in the District Court, Tribunals and High Court of Tripura. After seven years of litigation, I decided to pursue PhD along with practising in the Supreme Court and then there was a sudden change in my career where in 2017, I joined academics with School of Law, Galgotias University and still continuing. Definitely my litigation experience has played as a major role or has a niche in shaping my academic career in law teaching.
What Inspired You to Choose Law as Your Career? Why Law and Not Engineering or Medical Studies?
As a student of Humanities, there was a desire to be a professor of English or Psychology or would pursue law for having a litigation career. Law as a professional career has always been noble for me as one become a part of Social Engineering.
Tell Us About Your Law School Journey.
Certainly, I envy with today’s generation as with the advancement of technology and digitalisation, law students have got ample opportunity not only to see the facets of law in their palm but also updated & international analysis has so much been easier getting connected to law professors or legal minds not only within the nation but also abroad through different social media platform. Like any traditional university, my law school journey was the same studying law and preparing for examination and obviously with a certain conditioning that litigation is the only option. No major competition, internship, summer-winter school were that point of time an option or rather to say, we were not aware of. Joining for the Masters in Symbiosis Law School, Pune provided a bundle of opportunities from being research oriented exploring all major legal databases & journals, internship, placement and a much wider vision coming across lawyers from different part of the Nation & Abroad with different perspectives and career goals.
What Do You Like Best About Teaching? What Is the Best Thing About Being A Professor and What’s the Worst?
The Best about Teaching, to learn and learn not only from commentaries, judgements or interpretations but also from your students. Learning is a continuous process in teaching.
Any Tips for Budding Legal Writers? How Can Law Students Develop Good Writing Skills?
First of all, start reading good research papers, blogs, newspapers and remain updated with contemporary issues and challenges faced by the Society and Law. Start your own blogs, submit papers for conferences and journals. Law students while submitting their internal evaluation components can really submit good well researched papers which can further be updated with the guidance of the concerned faculty and can be forwarded for publication or conference. Adhering to Plagiarism policy, students should avoid “cut copy paste” approach and rather start writing on their own, this is the need of the hour.
How Should Law Students Go About Selecting Topics for Research Publications?
Subject & Area interest with voracious literature reading, finding the research gap or statement of problem in contemporary issues & challenges with comparative analysis, an area which is of utmost necessity for law & society or for future taking the learnings from the past. Topic should always be self-driven, close to heart and Novelty to be its essence.
Do You Feel That the Legal Profession Has Significantly Changed from When You Decided to Study Law?
Legal Studies & Profession has really been streamlined under Bar Council of India. There are obvious certain changes with the passage of time which is for the betterment of this profession. Professionals Ethics has significant changes.
Do You Feel That There Are Differences Between Students Of ‘Elite’ Law Schools and Students from Other Law Colleges and Traditional Universities?
I always tell my students in class that it is you i.e. students who makes the difference. Law is same and so are Courts, difference is the approach. None of our Hon’ble Judges or Legal Luminaries in India are from Elite Law School. The approach makes the difference where certainly students along with teachers have a major role to play in breaking the difference that lies.
The Best Experience and Success Habit You Would Like to Share with Law Students to Encourage Them.
Five years is a very long time for any studies but if any student of law utilise these years not only in studying the law but with developing leadership skills, certainly research & publication along with experiential learning shall definitely help them to grow as a lawyer, legal entrepreneur or cracking the judicial service. Sincerity and Perseverance are the most important aspects of this noble profession.
About the Author:
This interview was conducted and submitted by Prabhjot Singh a dedicated law student at Galgotias University as part of his commitment to exploring diverse perspectives within the legal profession.
