“The Indian education system at all levels puts emphasis on ‘rot-learning’ as opposed to analytical thinking and writing. Educational institutions must increasingly invest resources in imparting 21st century skills to their students” – In Conversation with Shireen Moti

Shireen Moti is Assistant Professor of Law at the Jindal Global Law School. She is a Chevening scholar and has an LLM degree from Queen Mary University of London, UK. Shireen has also authored a book, ‘Guide to LLM Admissions and Scholarships Abroad’ published by Universal Law Publications. 

Q. How does it feel to be Assistant Professor at the same university where you were a student just a few years ago?

I graduated with a B.A.LL.B (Hons.) degree from Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) in 2014. As a graduate of the first batch of the 5-year integrated law degree programme of JGLS, I have seen the institution evolve from day one. The opportunities that I got in the legal industry, were due to my research and academic training at Jindal Global Law School and Queen Mary University of London.

When I decided to join Legal Academia, JGLS was a natural choice. This was because of two reasons. First, I had the first-hand experience of being a student at JGLS and of interacting with Internationally qualified faculty members, which opened up my mind to new possibilities. Second, JGLS is known to offer academic freedom and ample research opportunities and to its faculty members to pursue their teaching responsibilities and to develop their research.

Q. You have done B.A. LL.B (Hons.) from India and LLM from London, both from premier institutions. What was different about reading law in the UK than in India?

Having completed my graduate studies from JGLS, I did not feel a huge difference between reading law in the UK as compared to India. This is also because comparing graduate studies with a Master’s degree is a bit unfair. By the time one decides to pursue an LLM degree, one has already developed their fundamental knowledge of law.

Broadly speaking, the Indian education system at all levels puts emphasis on ‘rot-learning’ as opposed to analytical thinking and writing. It is particularly important for educational institutions to increasingly invest resources in imparting 21^st century skills to their students as opposed to focusing on rot-based learning methods.

Q. How easy or difficult was it for you to secure a Chevening scholarship What would you advise others who want to get a scholarship and pursue LLM abroad?

The Chevening Scholarship is U.K’s International and fully-funded scholarship, intended to shape global leaders. The process of applying, interviewing for, and being awarded the Chevening scholarship, was an immensely rewarding and one of the most enriching experiences, I have had, so far. Statistically speaking, receiving a scholarship will always be tougher as compared to gaining an admission at a top LLM programme at a premier global educational institution.

However, my advise to prospective applicants is to apply to a range of educational institutions and for all scholarship programmes. The reason being that the application materials to be submitted to be considered for an LLM programme are similar in all educational institutions and requires only 10-20 percent customization. The same holds true for scholarship applications as well. By applying to a number of educational institutions and scholarships, students are increasing their probability of securing an foreign LLM admission with a scholarship.

Q. You have written a book ‘Guide to LLM Admissions and Scholarships Abroad’ published by Universal and LexisNexis. How did the book come about?

When I was applying for LLM admissions and scholarships abroad, I came across a lot of information which was often scattered on different online sources. I was surprised to know that there was not even a single book written on the topic of ‘LLM Admissions and Scholarships abroad’ by an Indian author, from an international students’ perspective.

The endeavor to write the book ‘Guide to LLM Admissions and Scholarships Abroad’ was to make the application process simpler, easier, and faster for all prospective applicants. The intent was to share my experiences with prospective applicants, to help them avoid the mistakes that I had made, simply because of lack of information.

The book is a step-by-step guide for a prospective foreign LLM admission and scholarship applicant. It includes chapters on t includes chapters on law school rankings, statement of purpose, curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, law school admission council services, fundamental information of twenty selected laws schools in the United States of America, key information of ten selected law schools in the United Kingdom, external scholarships or fellowships, scholarship essays, research papers and English language test examinations.

The Guide to LLM Admissions and Scholarships Abroad has been declared as a ‘Bestseller’ by LexisNexis, has sold numerous copies, and I have received some amazing feedback from prospective applicants. I am glad that it has helped several students in gaining admissions and securing scholarships at premier institutions abroad.

Q. You worked briefly with Nishith Desai Associates before joining academics professionally. Why did you choose academics over working for a corporate law firm?

Working as an associate member of the Regulatory Team at Nishith Desai Associates (NDA) was an enriching experience. Early on in my legal career, I got the opportunity to work with International marquee clients on legal and regulatory issues at NDA. However, over a period of time, I realized that my true interest lies in legal academia. The moment this became clear to me, I started planning my transition to legal academia, which happened gradually. Having legal industry experience has proved to be instrumental in shaping my teaching pedagogy and designing the courses that I teach at JGLS.

Q. Have you used LegitQuest’s research tool? Do you think legal tech and Artificial Intelligence can provide meaningful assistance in legal research and ultimately improve the pace of justice delivery?

Undoubtedly, LegitQuest has taken the lead as a disruptor in the legal industry. LegistQuest’s research tool is powerful, time-saving, and accurate. There is no denying that we are gradually moving towards a world where technology and artificial intelligence is impacting most of the industries in the world, including the legal industry. We certainly ought to gain from the positive impact of improvements in legal technology and artificial intelligence on the pace of justice delivery in India, which continues to be a major problem.

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