One should opt to pursue an LL..M. degree once an individual amasses adequate knowledge about the rudiments of law in his/her area of interest or has gained at least a limited amount of experience in the area one needs to specialize in. One should realize that they should aim to build up a sense of intellectual ability and arm themselves with the various techniques of analysis and develop a sense of multi-disciplinary approach in a diverse environment that would in turn help them grow and broaden their perspective. That is what they should yearn to happen and become a part of a university to encounter the best minds engaged in immutable discussions whilst intrigued in understanding not just the theoretical foundations of law and society but also its new and emerging trends.
Prior practical experience along with an LL.M. degree does make it easier and gives you an edge in interviews (largely depends on the policy and outlook of the firm that you’re applying to), however, I tend to believe that if you’ve got the rigor, discipline, right amount of attitude, persistence, certain skill sets that are in demand and the willingness to learn and unlearn – nothing can stop you from achieving your goal.
Law influences virtually every aspect of the world and works, in theory, to ensure equality and justice for those which it governs, serving as a safety net for societal values. Yet within this fail-safe, the very moral fabric that society relies upon, exist areas in which people become entangled and rendered unable to function. This delicately woven safeguard becomes yet another barrier, preventing those who lack the means to successfully navigate it, helpless. Attorneys are the integral artisans who, through their expertise of the law, transcend these barriers and ultimately serve as the gatekeepers between justice in theory and in reality. As national borders slowly dissolve along the global, political, economic fronts, the need for legal professionals from diverse backgrounds becomes more and more of a necessity.
Moreover, what appealed to me was the idea of using what I know, what I’m good at, to help people and thus, specializing in a particular area of law catering to societal needs whenever possible in my capacity as an IP lawyer in this day and age – mostly revolving around – Writing. Argumentation. Logic. Analysis. And to this effect, I chose to do an LL.M. specializing in Intellectual Property Law from one of the most renowned universities in the world, i.e. Queen Mary University of London.
I simply did not attend Queen Mary University of London for the implied recompense such entitlement confers. I wanted to be an influencing agent, to impact our system—the rational balance of our world—for the better. One case at a time.
A career in Intellectual Property Law is an opportunity to couple my aptitude for textual analysis with my desire to take active, concrete steps toward a more just world.
Yashvardhan Rana is an Intellectual Property Lawyer with a particular focus on IP prosecution – from registrability analysis and risk management to providing legal opinion on the use, adoption and registrability of trademarks to be launched by by Fortune 500 companies as well as top FMCG’s in India. He is a part of the Trademarks, Copyright and Design Prosecution team at Inttl Advocare, Noida, India. He also advises on trade mark protection strategies, copyright issues and specific assignments relating to Design Law, certain aspects of strategic brand management and advisory, IP auditing and due diligence to portfolio management, transactional advice and agreement drafting, permitted user/registered user recordals and other procedural compliances. He is based out of New Delhi and is a member of Bar Council of Delhi, Delhi High Court Bar Association, APAA and INTA. In January, 2020 he was appointed as a Member of INTA sub-committee – The Trade Mark Reporter Committee and in 2019, he was listed in the Top 50 Emerging IP Players Award worldwide by The IPR Gorilla, 2nd Edition held in Dubai. He has also authored several articles on Intellectual Property Law and Practice which are published in leading blogs, websites, journals and magazines.
