Season 1: Episode 7: Pushkar Keshavmurthy

International Arbitration Lawyer from India and Legal Extern at King & Spalding LLP

How did a LinkedIn influencer secure his externship at BigLaw?

Pushkar, a LinkedIn influencer before he even set foot in law school, is the third-generation lawyer in his family. He’s dedicated to establish a career in international arbitration. How did he jump start on building his professional network before he even set foot on the U.S. soil? How did being a LinkedIn influencer help him land his externship at King & Spalding? How did he demonstrate to his future employer that his previous experience add value to the firm?

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Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town in the southern part of India. It is 150 miles away from the capital city of Bangalore. I was privileged to grow up in the middle of nature. I’m always fascinated and inspired by nature throughout my childhood.

Why did you choose to study law?

The choice to study law was quite personal because my parents and my grandparents are also lawyers in India.

What kind of lawyers are your parents and grandparents?

They worked on civil law, property and criminal law. However, I’m interested in international law. One of my motivations was course of the international events in the early 20th century. At the end of the World War II, some of the best legal instruments in international law was established. The fundamental question is whether international law is enforceable. I aspire to assure that international law is as robust as everyone claims it to be.

You are currently working at King & Spalding as a legal extern. How did you find your externship?

When I was doing the Summer Experience program at Georgetown, King & Spalding hosted a conference on international investment law. I struck up a conversation with one of the attorneys there and became interested in their prestigious practice in international law. I followed up with the attorney I met, when I was looking for externship positions in November, however, they didn't have any availability. Because of my prior relationship with the firm, I was able to maintain contact with them and shared a couple of papers I wrote to show that I’m dedicated to the practice. They said they would keep me in mind, when the opportunity arose. They called and interviewed me in November and December, I was able to relate to them and explain my desire to get practical experience to supplement my theoretical learnings in similar courses during the spring semester. I’m happy that they offered me the position.

Congratulations. There are many factors they consider before offering you the position, such as your grades, your interpersonal skills, your ability to communicate with the partners and clients, your interests, etc. Based on your assessment, what are the determinative factors in the hiring process?

In the first round of the filtering process, which is typically done through the HR, I tailored my CV specifically to the area of practice I wanted to break into, which was international arbitration. I made sure my resume highlighted my international arbitration practice. When I sent my CV to HR, I explained my goals and that helped me secure an interview with the partner. During the second round of interviews, they were more interested in my plans for the externship rather than my past experience. It's important to have a clear thought process on how you want to develop your own practice and contribute to the firm. Many externs overlook the opportunity to contribute and solely focus on learning. By showing a willingness to contribute, you can stand out from the rest of the applicants.

In my CV, I mentioned some renowned practitioners in international arbitration I have previously worked with. I also highlighted that I had taken courses from other universities where King & Spalding attorneys are adjunct faculty. I highlight the connection I have with the firm. This was my way of telling HR that not only do I have ties with King & Spalding, but I would also be a better fit than other candidates. During the interview, I explained that even though I am not a Latin American student, I was interested in the position they were offering, which was related to Latin American cases, because of the large number of cases they currently have in Latin America. I also expressed my willingness to collaborate with other offices, such as in London or Singapore, utilizing my regional knowledge and experience.

How did you demonstrate that your previous experience would add value to the firm?

Let's take a simple example of what I did in the Indian renewable energy sector. Most firms are now conscious of who they represent and do not want to be seen as supporting the oil and gas sectors that contribute to climate change. Given my deep understanding of the solar and wind sectors and how the Indian economy is thriving in that area, most of the interviews I've given have not just been about law, but also about how the Indian economy is growing in the solar industry. They are interested in transactional deals and disputes. By providing examples of cases and clients in the renewable energy sector, I am able to show my potential employers how they can leverage my industry knowledge and expertise in arbitration as an Indian lawyer.

What is your assessment in firms’ appetite to hire internationally trained lawyers permanently in traditionally international practice?

Some firms have given me the flexibility to stay in the US for one year during my OPT and then relocate me to the Singapore or London office. This is a good option because I can still work on interesting cases, but my location, pay, and immigration status will be of a different jurisdiction. Additionally, since I am sitting for the New York bar, that qualification will add value not just to the firm but also to clients. Even if I'm based in Singapore, London, or Paris, I believe passing the New York Bar Exam qualification will ultimately help me establish an international legal career.

Any tips for new lawyers who are interested in job and internship opportunities?

One golden tip is to start early and look for opportunities ahead of time. Since everyone is applying at the same time, it's crucial to develop relationships and contacts earlier, just as I did during the summer program. This is the best way to leverage these opportunities since they are limited.

What do you do as a lawyer in India?

I did commercial litigation. I want to be exposed to more international law practice. My daily work is like any litigators. I go to courts, cross-examine the witnesses, draft briefs, and take instruction and assist my seniors to resolve disputes for the clients.

What is the most interesting and meaningful part of your job?

I would say the most interesting and challenging part of my work in India was the pro bono work, where I get to represent some of the most disadvantaged group in society. I had one opportunity to represent slum dwellers, who were forced to go outside of their living premises in search of a new place because the government wanted to establish a new metro line there. We had filed this case without any costs. We won the case eventually.

Why did you choose to study in the United States?

After I graduated from law school in India, we were all in the middle of the pandemic and I was completely taken in shock with the limited opportunities for the graduates in those two years. Also I come to the U.S. because I wanted to specialize in international arbitration and have exposure to some of the more nuanced areas of law, such as international energy law and project finance.

What is your impression of the legal profession in the United States?

The legal profession in the US has given me mixed impression. Firstly, it's not as formalistic as what it was in India because we have been following the British formality. We take certain things very seriously. The legal profession here in the U.S. seems to take on a more casual nature.

One of the first things is in India when you have to reach out to a partner, if you are a junior associate in a law firm, you obviously have to go through a chain of command. You'll send a brief to your supervising attorney, or probably a senior associate, then to the managing associate and then to the council and ultimately to the partner.

But in U.S. from what I've gathered and experienced so far, it's quite straightforward. You can reach out to the partners directly. In India, unless you know someone who's in the same profession and someone in your family who's well known or well connected, it is quite hard to get to where you want to be. But here you can ask partners for informational coffee chat and they'll be happy to meet you in a coffee shop, explain what the firm is, what they're looking for in a candidate.

Did any American legal TV or movies inform your impression of the legal profession?

One of the most popular American legal TV shows for our generation is Suits. I knew for a fact that it was quite exaggerated, though many things are true, such as the way they conduct their cases, the way they handle the clients, the way they negotiate with their own clients for remuneration and retainer fee. There seem to be a lot of resemblance to what the actual practice is.

English is your second language, though English is the language used in India in many of the legal contexts. Could you describe what is it like to study law in a second language as a lawyer from India at a US law school?

Initially when I started my law school, I think one of the most obvious things that I did was to assess certain words in your own language. That was the interpreter way of doing things. I found it useful because that way you can relate it better. Once I got hold of the language, I think it's easier. I didn't have to struggle much in terms of studying law in English. Now I'm trying to learn Spanish using the same methodology using English as my basis. What I would probably have gone back in time to do is I should have picked up a third foreign language such as Spanish or French, which is extremely important in international law.

India is a common law country just like the United States. Language does play a big role. I think mastering the language would be the most useful tool to study law here. Even if one comes from a civil law jurisdiction, if you have a mastery of the language, you will do well in law school. I do have friends from Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia from the civil law jurisdiction with the primary language in Spanish. They reached the linguistic proficiency now to draft lengthy documents or write beautiful articles worthy enough to be published in legal journals.

What is the most prominent differences legal writing between India and the U.S.?

Though English is the language we use in Indian in many legal contexts, there are differences in style in the practice. For example, the briefs that we write back in India are not straightforward. Sometimes we use convoluted sentences to demonstrate sophistication. We do not use a direct approach as in the U.S. styles i.e. the Issues, Rules, Analysis and Conclusion or (IRAC) approach. The reasoning part is quite lengthy and unnecessary in India. In the US, the reasoning part is quite easy to follow.

Has anything about the legal profession in the U.S. defied your expectation in any way? 

One thing I’m quite appreciative about is about the way we approach people. I was reaching out to a partner at a firm via a cold email. I didn't know this person, if only by reputation. There was no mutual connection that I could bring up in my cover letter. As it turned out the partner wrote back to me and said, okay, how about we catch up and I want to know more about you. That has been a quite a surprise and a good experience for me.

What have you learned so far and would you like to get out of your legal education here in the United States?

U.S. style of education has improved my analytical skills. Other than getting me the eligibility to sit for the New York Bar, I think the most and foremost, important factor of a US style education is to ask questions. It’s to think why. It’s to think how. It’s to think what if not. It is fair to say that once we are all in the graduate program and once we immerse ourselves with our fellow classmates, we learn from each other's differences.

US legal education aims at educating a well-round person, in addition to what I study in the classroom and study for my exams. It would be useful for my legal practice in a long run. Because I want to become an arbitrator one day. My ability to judge and write decisions based on adversary would be tested in a system like in the U.S.

If you could imagine an ideal professional life, what would that life look like?

It is to balance your work and personal life. Practitioners can teach law as adjunct professors at law school. That would be ideal for me. I want to practice law and I want to teach law in a law school.

Who is your role model in the law?

Harvey Specter from Suits. He's quite dashing. He gets things done. He’s well respected.

If it’s someone in reality, my role model is the late Cornelia Sorabji. She was the first female barrister of India. She studied law at University of Oxford during the British rule in India. She went all the way to study law and came back to India and contributed to society.

What are the top three things you would recommend people who wants to study in the United States to bring from home?

One of the best advice that even I received before my arrival was to bring at least three to four suits. We get to attend a lot of events and formal dinners, so it would be important to carry suits from your own country, if you don't want to buy expensive suits in U.S. The second thing is business card. The third thing is an iPad. It is a useful multitasking device to prepare for your classes and study for exams.