With Mr. Prakarsh Pandey, on books for law students
This [law] is one profession wherein you have to work hard every single day, whether you are a judge or an advocate, it is like digging the land and taking out the water to overcome your thirst. Patience and hard work is what is required in this noble profession.
Mr. Prakarsh Pandey is an author and in this interview he guides our readers not only about motivation to become an author and some of best books for law students but he also shares his experience in litigation. Mr. Pandey’s best selling books are listed at the end of the interview. Readers may check that too!
How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am an advocate and an author trying to make a name for myself in this noble profession.
What were your ambitions before joining law? What led to your inclination towards law?
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a lawyer. My Nanaji and my father have both had stellar careers in judiciary. They were my earliest inspirations, and over time that inspiration turned into conviction that law is the field for me.
You are a practising lawyer. Please tell us your experience in litigation and areas of interest.
It has been three years since I started practicing. Initially, I worked in the district court for one month and then I moved to the High Court. I have been fortunate enough to handle a variety of cases which range from 482 petition, miscellaneous bench matters, service matters PIL , environmental , bail appeals etc. I am also on the panel of AKTU, Ram Manohar Lohia University Faizabad, Narendra Dev Agricultural University Faizabad, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti University and Nagar Palika Parishad , Pihani Hardoi.
There are three stages in litigation – First – No work no money, Second – Only work no money, and Third – Lots of work and lots of money. One should be patient enough in this profession Gestation period is long here.
I believe that I am blessed to have the guidance of some of the best seniors over here. I guess if you get a good senior, it helps you a lot in the long run. Another thing that I completely abide by is that whether you have a case listed or not you should reach the court on time and watch the court proceedings and see the presentation and arguments of the senior advocates. For example, whenever I am free I make it a point to see the arguments of Dr.LP Misra sir.
You are an author. Please tell us what motivated you to become an author?
As a student, there were certain books which I would have liked to have as a resource – books which introduce the subject sufficiently and give enough information to understand the subject but are not overwhelming – so, initially I started with the intention of filling this gap in certain subjects. As I wrote my first book, it became a very fulfilling and mentally stimulating endeavour. As a lawyer, one must constantly learn and engage with the subject matter deeply – writing books is also a wonderful way to do that. Ultimately, I write the kind of books that I want to read but have not been written, especially books with untold stories about courts, lawyers and judges.
Please share with us the hurdles you faced while writing your first book?
Writing the first book is the hardest because you don’t really have any experience and knowledge but in a way, it is also the easiest because there is a certain naivety about the process which makes things seem easy and achievable. I am not sure I would classify anything as a hurdle – the first book is a learning process for anyone – I did not really know much about publishing, marketing, and also about what readers are looking for. I wrote the book based on what I felt I could contribute and thankfully found publishers and readers who appreciated my book.
Can you introduce us to your best-selling books?
My first book was on Evidence. It is titled Lecture Series on Law of Evidence published by Into Legal World Publication. The book has been written with the aim of helping college students as students want crisp and sufficient material with case laws. Apart from that, I have also written student-friendly books on IPC and CrPC. Advance Legal Drafting covers the formats of various petitions and 100 Landmark Judgments on Criminal Law as the name suggests deals with the landmark judgments.
How does reading beneficial for law students? Can you suggest some books for our readers?
I believe that reading makes a lawyer. As a law student and a young lawyer, one must read as much as possible – both books and judgements. You can handle standard matters such a usual bail petition with superficial knowledge but interesting cases go to lawyers who have a solid knowledge base and can explore law from different angles. As law students, a general tendency is to avoid jurisprudence but if you follow the arguments of leading lawyers in Supreme Court and High Courts in landmark judgements, they make excellent use of jurisprudence. So, reading is very essential to law.
I would suggest reading the Supreme Court judgements – especially in areas of interest. In terms of books, apart from the standard text books, one should also explore biographies and memoirs of legal luminaries so as to learn from them, for example, books like Nani Palkhivala Courtroom Genius.
Do you have any final words for our readers?
Need, desire or want , any person who has three things which surely achieve success in his or her life. Legal profession has now expanded , there was time when it was only confined to litigation and competitive exams, but not law has become a diverse field. One should see what is best for him/herself and accordingly decide what he wants to do. Failure is your best lesson, I have known people who failed the IAS exam but qualified the pcs(j) exam and then went on to become High Court Judges, some failed the pcs(J) exam and started practicing and were directly elevated to high court. This is one profession wherein you have to work hard every single day, whether you are a judge or an advocate , it is like digging the land and taking out the water to overcome your thirst. Patience and hard work is what is required in this noble profession.
Links to some of the best selling books:
- Lecture Notes on Law of Evidence
- Lecture Notes on Indian Penal Code
- Lecture Notes on Code of Criminal Procedure
- 100 Landmark Judgment in Criminal Law
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