Interview: Avani Pathak, Business Head, LiveLaw
Avani Pathak is a law graduate with an in-depth knowledge of business who is heading one of the leading educational law organisations in India. She is the business head of Live Law, a company that is catalysing and transforming legal education with the changing times according to the need of this rapidly growing world.
Avani Pathak is a law graduate with an in-depth knowledge of business who is heading one of the leading educational law organisations in India. She is the business head of Live Law, a company that is catalysing and transforming legal education with the changing times according to the need of this rapidly growing world.
As someone who is an expert in law as well business, she understands the paramount importance of amalgamation of both of these to keep up with the need of the law fraternity. Avani Pathak graduated from Amity Law School, Noida in 2017.
In this interview, she talks about:
- The success of LiveLaw in such a short span of time
- The journey from being a law student to becoming a Corporate Head at LiveLaw
- The Role of Technology in Law
Legal Bites: Live Law is the biggest name in Asia when it comes to law and it has done so in such a short while. Ma'am, what according to you has attributed to this massive success?
Avani Pathak: I think the biggest reason for the success of LiveLaw is that it has stayed true to its aim and vision of engaging in independent, fact-based legal journalism without any fear or favours. It's possibly the only organisation which is working towards making the judiciary more transparent and thereby strengthening and protecting the ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India. You will not find any editorial compromises being made in the content just for the sake of publicity or sensationalism. I think that this honesty and fearlessness of the editorial has helped LiveLaw connect to its readers and become a success in such a short span of time.
Legal Bites: Ma'am, there has been a great amount of incorporation of technology into law lately. There are a lot of companies making a name in the field of law for the knowledge they are providing. Are there any avenues that are yet to be explored when it comes to combining law and technology?
Avani Pathak: This is a great question. I strongly feel that there are many technological avenues out there which will help in complementing the field of law and what we have seen so far is just a fraction of the wonders technology can do. To be specific, I feel the biggest avenue out there is the need of technology and AI-based solutions for reading and comprehending judgements and I am sure someone out there is already working on it. I also think that there is immense value to be unlocked in making a connection between the common man and a barrister, both on the monetary and humanitarian fronts.
Legal Bites: How did you land your job as the Corporate Head at LiveLaw? Please tell us more about how your journey has been so far?
Avani Pathak: Honestly, becoming a part of LiveLaw was never planned, it just happened and now when I look back I think it happened for good. To the best of my knowledge as I have been told, my name was strongly recommended for the role by many others in the industry who had known me professionally. When I finally received the offer I knew that this is just the right opportunity for me.
My journey at LiveLaw has been more of a life-changing experience than just being a job. The passion and dedication of the team is extremely inspiring. There have been days when the work gets too chaotic. But to my understanding when you are scaling and calling good, chaos will follow and that will be the testament to the fact whether you can grow or not.
Legal Bites: Ma'am, since the field of law is so vast most students struggle with whether they should get into litigation practice, prepare for judicial exams or get into the corporate side of the law? Is there any advice which you would like to give to the students dealing with this?
Avani Pathak: I think in the expanding field of law, it's important for students to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are while weighing their career options. Most of the students remain ignorant of their own strengths and when the time comes to make a choice they feel lost and clueless. They are uncertain when it comes to figuring out what their next steps are.
While in law school, students should try to get exposure to all the different domains through internships so that they can have a better understanding of the practical functioning of courts, firms etc. A mentor with relevant experience in the legal field can also play a crucial role here in helping them in identifying their calling and guiding them towards the right prospects.
Legal Bites: Ma'am, if there was one advice that you could give to your younger self, what would it be?
Avani Pathak: When we're in law school, we are often nervous, anxious and constantly worried about our future. Worried about not getting the dream internship, worried about our grades and our career once we finish college.
One advice which I would like to give my younger self is to worry less and be confident and happy. Work hard as you can and complain as little as possible. Nothing is impossible if you stay positive and keep working hard towards achieving your dreams.
